Raising Cane’s Review

Photo by Kathleen Deedy 

“Chicken chicken chicken which one ya pickin?” – My favorite jingle to hear when my stomach is rumbling as I pull up to a drive thru window.

As I arrive to the bright red and yellow menu displays, consisting of meals ranging from chicken strips to chicken sandwiches, the cheery tune of the employee transforms whatever mood I’m in into euphoria at the thought of sinking my teeth in a chicken tender.

At Raising Cane’s, the national chicken chain that’s recently made it’s way to KC, you’ve only got two options when ordering: How many chicken fingers do you want and how do you want them?

A menu consisting of 4 different meals – 6, 4, or 3 fingers or a sandwich – may be annoying to some, but it’s great for an indecisive person like me who still doesn’t have a set Chipotle order.

Each of the four options comes in a styrofoam box with your chicken tenders, crinkle cut fries, a piece of fluffy texas toast and a side of coleslaw. And to top the meal off, I always like to wash down the mouthwatering food with an included soda or lemonade.

The different fried chicken tenders are the best part of the meal. These chicken tenders aren’t your typical crispy, fast food chicken tenders that were grabbed from the freezer and tossed into the frier. The skin of the tenders is soft, and the tender meat is fresh and chewy like it was just fried to perfection.

The chicken tenders are amazing, but Raising Cane’s wouldn’t be the same without their buttery, garlic texas toast. The texas toast is so fluffy and freshly seasoned that it tastes like it just came out of your grandma’s oven. The toast at Cane’s sets them apart from Chick Fil A and other competitors, making it feel more like a home cooked meal.

The food is worth the drive to Westport or 135th street, but their 297th location just opened on Aug. 29 near Neiman Road on Shawnee Mission Parkway if you don’t want to waste the gas.

If you get Cane’s to go, the strong aroma of greasy fried chicken fingers will hang in your car for a few days following – making your cravings undeniable after getting in your car after a long day at school.

I recommend dipping the toast, tenders, and fries in their tangy signature Cane’s sauce, which is, tragically, a secret recipe. If you think Chick Fil A sauce was good then Cane’s sauce will blow your mind.

Both sauces are orange and have a hint of mayo but Cane’s sauce is much more rich, smooth and doesn’t have a subtle hint of barbecue. If I had my guess on the secret recipe, judging by the taste and the light orange color, I’d say it’s a sweet blend of mayonnaise and ketchup.

I could easily go without the side of coleslaw, but maybe that’s because I’m not a fan of cabbage and too lazy to get out a fork.

A restaurant dedicated only to chicken fingers sounds closer to me like heaven than fast food. If you’re like me and tend to order chicken fingers off the kid’s menu every time you go to a sit down restaurant, then Raising Cane’s is worth a visit.