Sorry for the delay, but this post was definitely worth the wait (in my opinion at least) because it is about one of my all-time favorite restaurants in which to get chicken tenders...O'Charley's! Back when I was in high school there was an O'Charley's about 5 minutes from my school and during our senior year Katie and I would go there for lunch fairly often...we had flex for our last periods every other day so we got to leave before lunch on those days. Anyways, I have always loved going to O'Charley's and I do not think I have gotten anything but the tenders in all of my visit...they really are that good.
For the first probably 10 years my family lived in Charlotte (I have lived here over 19 years) there was only 1 O'Charley's near us and it was about 40-45 minutes away, so it was always a special treat to go there. Then the second location opened near my school and we went more often, but unfortunately it closed about a year or so after I graduated. So once again O'Charley's was one of those "special occasion" type places. Now, I cannot remember the last time I had O'Charley's, but it had probably been about a year (we just always forget about it since it is so far away) and I was determined to have their famous chicken tenders. Below you will see my review of the chicken tender meal that I got when Katie and I made the trek (it only took us about 30 minutes because our apartment is closer to the location than my house) to get the infamous O'Charley's chicken tenders.
Batter and crispiness: A+
-This category received a perfect score because I would not have done or asked for these chicken tenders to be prepared in any other manner. The batter was perfectly crispy and was extremely flavorful. I could not distinguish what seasonings were used for the batter, but you could see the pepper which definitely kicked these tenders up a notch. Another positive of the batter was that it was not too heavy and not too light...the perfect combination.
Notice all of the pepper O'Charley's puts in the batter.
Tenderness and juiciness of chicken: A
-The tenderness of this chicken was commendable too. When you bit into a tender the chicken glistened, which is always a good sign, and the meat was very evenly cooked. While there were some parts of the chicken that were on the thin side, the flavor of the chicken outweighed the small portions of the tenders.
Portion size/presentation: A+
-I was quite pleased with the portion size and presentation of my meal. While some people may think the price is a little high for chicken tenders (it is about 1 dollar higher than I have had at most restaurants), this meal is definitely worth it because you get so much food. For starters, you get unlimited bread rolls, which are delicious. Then you get your actual meal, which has 2 generous portions of side items (or you can choose a soup or salad as 1 of your sides). There is definitely enough to take back or share (that is what my family used to do).
Side: A+
-These side items were delicious! First I'll start with the rolls since they came out first and then I'll move on to the sides I got with my meal. The rolls at O'Charley's are to die for...ok not really, but you catch my drift. They come out fresh from the oven fluffy and glisten with butter (you also get butter on the side). Now on to the side items that accompanied my meal. I am not usually a fan of broccoli cheese casseroles, but this one was fantastic because it had rice mixed in and it was very creamy with a touch of sweetness. Additionally, the fries were perfectly seasoned and I did not need to add any type of seasoning to them or dip them in a dipping sauce (I did not even ask for ranch...that shows the quality of the meal).
Reheating: A-/A
-Of my chicken tender meal I took back 2 rolls (we asked for some To Go), 2 chicken tenders, and half of my fries. After some discussion with Katie we decided that the broccoli cheese casserole would not save well, so we both ate the entire portion of casserole. The majority of my meal reheated so well that it almost matched the initial quality. Some parts of the tenders were tough and chewy, but overall the flavor remained and they were still crispy and juicy. The fries heated up in the microwave pretty well too, just a little soggy but that is to be expected.
Description:
-O'Charley's Famous Chicken Tenders. Double hand-breaded white meat chicken, dipped in buttermilk and lightly fried to perfection. Served with our Honey Mustard dressing. Or try our Buffalo or Chipotle Tenders. Served with your choice of two side items. $10.99
My extremely satisfying meal at O'Charley's.
Overall I give the chicken tender meal at O'Charley's an A/A+. The tenders were prepared expertly, the portion size was outstanding, and the sides complemented the tenders very well. While I wish they reheated better, it does not affect the scoring because I could easily have eaten all 5 of these tenders in one sitting...I saved some so I could test the reheating ability. Honestly I do not think I have had better and more consistent chicken tenders from anywhere else (I have rarely had a disappointing chicken tender meal from O'Charley's). If you have not been to O'Charley's for their famous chicken tenders please do yourself a favor and go now...you won't regret it.
LB
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