This week's post is kind of special because I enjoyed this meal with one of my best friends, Derek, who visited me for the weekend, so it was his first time going on a chicken tender critique with me! Derek lives in Raleigh, NC and he was visiting me for the weekend. Now before I continue I must admit that when Derek mentioned getting chicken tenders at Hardee's I was hesitant at first. Sometime last year I had the chicken tenders at Hardee's, but I did not really remember them because I rarely eat at the restaurant. But Derek said they were good so I thought "why not". So after a long day of zip lining near Asheville, NC (very cool experience by the way), we were both famished and decided to get some fast food on our way back to my apartment.
The logo for Hardee's, a good fast food restaurant that I feel is commonly overlooked.
Batter and crispiness: B+
-I was actually pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the batter on these chicken tenders. The batter is very light, but also very tasty. However, since the batter is so light, the tenders are not really crispy and I wish they were crispier. Overall the flavor was perfect and the proportion of batter to chicken was spot-on.
Tenderness and juiciness of chicken: A
-I was impressed by the tenderness and juiciness of the chicken in these tenders. There were no tough parts in the tenders and the chicken melted in your mouth. I just wish the tenders were crispier so the tenderness of the chicken could have shone through more.
Portion size/presentation: A
-At this point in time I had only eaten breakfast, so needless to say I was famished and I got the 5-piece chicken tender combo for $7.39. Hardee's offers many options for chicken tenders (available in 3 or 5 pieces and with or without fries), but I knew I needed the largest sizes so I would have leftovers to reheat. These 5 tenders were fairly large and very filling. I wish I got more french fries, but overall 2 handfuls of fries is pretty good for the price when you have large chicken tenders to supplement.
Side: B-
-These sides were unlike any I have ever had, which I noticed as soon as I opened our bag of takeout. The fries had no visible seasoning on them, but they were very flavorful. I was not sure how this was possible until Derek tried one and said that they were cooked in fat. He was not a fan of the fries because while they were tasty, he said they were too greasy for his tastes (they are pretty greasy, but nothing crazy). I on the other hand really enjoyed them because they were hand-cut and very crispy.
Reheating: B+
-When reheated the tenders were still juicy (just a little bit drier) and they were tough in parts. However, the taste did not change and they were still crispy, so overall they maintained their initial appeal. When it came to the fries the did not reheat as well because some of them were soggy and others were hard. But considering that they were from a fast food restaurant the meal reheated well.
Description:
-Premium, fresh, all-white meat chicken tenders, hand-dipped in eggs and buttermilk and lightly breaded. Served with your choice of honey mustard or buttermilk ranch sauces. 5-piece combo $7.39
My dinner from Hardee's, while it may not look like much it was very filling and quite satisfying.
Overall I would give the chicken tenders at Hardee's a B+, but this was a difficult grade to decide upon. The tenders were tasty and filling, but they were not outstanding enough to get a higher grade and there was nothing I would really change about them, so I decided that they deserved this grade. Now do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed them (hence the high grade), but I do not think they deserved a higher grade than B+ because the portion size was not great and the fries did not have much flavor to them. Also, while they were good, I would not go out of my way to get them, but I would definitely have these again.
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