Three chicken sandwiches—Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A and Popeyes—were taste-tested to see which was the best, and based on a criteria of quality of flavor. The three sandwiches ranged from not great to average and finally, the best sandwich was extremely good.

Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich

Grade: C+

The Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich resulted in last place. This sandwich was ranked the lowest for many reasons. First of all, the patty was very thin compared to the others. Additionally, as someone who loves pickles, this sandwich only came with one thin pickle which was disappointing. Furthermore, while the Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich did not have the most calories of the three candidates, it did have a significant calorie count of 500. The distance from Langley is also not incredibly convenient, making this another downside depending on how far the comfortable distance driving for a chicken sandwich is. Finally, the sandwich lacked flavor and had 500 calories…all of this for the most expensive sandwich?

On the plus side, this chicken sandwich was the spiciest of the bunch. Why is this good? Of course, it’s a spicy chicken sandwich and it has to be full of spices. The second that a bite is taken, the rush of spices hits you. This is also the only sandwich of the three candidates with lettuce and tomatoes that came with it without requesting…which is good if you like lettuce and tomatoes. 

However, the sandwich was overall not good and I would not recommend it unless you want a sandwich that is way spicier than the others. Wendy’s is certainly not the best choice if you’re looking for a convenient delicious sandwich.

Chick-Fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich

Grade: B-

The Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken sandwich was significantly better than the Wendy’s chicken sandwich. The bun was buttery, the sandwich was flavorful, and it came with more than one pickle so you can actually taste them. The sandwich also had the perfect amount of spice, not too much where you have to run and get a glass of water that doesn’t even help, but not too little where you question, “Why even get a spicy chicken sandwich?” Finally, at a calorie count of 440, this sandwich had the least amount of calories of the three options. While it is still a lot, 440 calories is significantly less than the others.

On the downside, this sandwich had absolutely zero crispiness.  Although the bun was buttery, it was soggy just like the chicken. As usual, the pickles were paper thin, which, of course, is completely a matter of preference, as many customers dislike pickles.

Overall, the Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken sandwich is just average, but a somewhat solid option for a good fast food meal.

Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich

Grade: A

The Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich is, by far, the best chicken sandwich there is. The bun is fluffy, smooth, and not at all soggy. The chicken is as crispy as can be and has multiple pickles. The Popeyes signature sauce adds a taste that no other sandwich provides and has the perfect amount of spice. 

For those who aren’t a fan of fried chicken, this may not be the best option. The chicken is basically a fried chicken inside a bun. This also creates a new issue: the Popeyes sandwich has an insane amount of 690 calories.

Overall, this sandwich is the best option. It has a better and more unique taste than all the other sandwiches, and the bun was not soggy; in fact, it was the exact opposite. The chicken also had the crunchiest breading coating it. Ultimately, the Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich is the option to get when to provide the most satisfying fast food fix.