Mr. Foodie:

SW Utah Restaurant Reviews

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH WARS, PART 2 (CRACK

By Andy Margles

Growing up in the Midwest, it seemed like we had some kind of red meat for dinner almost every night. Then the news came out that doing so might cause some “pesky” health problems, like heart disease, cancer and premature death! Reluctantly, we and much of the country, in an attempt to eat healthier, switched most of our diet from red meat to poultry. Of course, this being America, we overwhelmingly chose to eat chicken prepared in the unhealthiest way imaginable; by deep-frying it in oil or fat.

Remember a few years ago, when some people were literally stabbing each other for a fried chicken sandwich? Scary stuff, but hey, we love our Popeye’s! Back then, three companies “ruled the roost”; KFC, Chick-fil-a and Louisiana’s Popeye’s. Then, every fast-food burger chain in the country threw down the gauntlet, by introducing a new, “improved” chicken sandwich. Not surprisingly, none were particularly good, or successful and the first Fried Chicken Sandwich War ended with a whimper and not a bang.

Today, smaller, regional chains have entered the fray. They face an uphill battle, combating the Big 3, who make really tasty sandwiches, for about half the price of that charged by upstarts like Crack Shack and Jaybird’s. Since the décor is fairly spartan in both of these newly-opened restaurants, I was really hoping that the quality and taste of food would be worth it.

Crack Shack, 1216 Bluff, Suite 1201 SG (look for the big white rooster outside) is open daily at 11 and closes from 8-10 pm, depending on the evening. Ours is the ninth location of this small California chain. Each outlet sources its’ ingredients locally, uses only free-range, hormone-free chicken and fries its’ chicken in vegetable (canola) oil. There are 8 combination fried chicken sandwiches, whole and half chickens, a bowl, a salad, sides, drinks and desserts. The combo sandwich I ate was huge and lip smacking good. The seasoning on the fries had some real clout.

Jaybird’s, in front of the mall in the former Arby’s, open Tu-Sat from 11-9, is owned by a guy from Chicago, who cooks Nashville Hot Chicken and started his mini-chain in California. We are now his 7th location. Jay is easy to spot by his mohawk/rat-tail haircut and is quite the character. He only uses peanut oil for frying, which, while more expensive than canola, produces a crisper and potentially more healthful chicken. Like Crack Shack, Jaybird’s birds are also all- natural and antibiotic-free. The humungous sandwich, exploding with flavor, was just da bomb, and the crunchy, well-seasoned French fries also packed quite a punch

Verdict: The chicken sandwiches at both of these places were a big hit and superior to the Big 3, in terms of quality, size and taste. I preferred the more flavorful, crispier fare at Jaybird’s, but I’ll be visiting Crack Shack more often in the future. Reason? At Crack Shack (although not on the menu) you can substitute grilled chicken for fried, in any chicken sandwich. This makes the relatively health-conscious Mrs. Foodie actually agreeable to join me there and as a wise man once said, “Happy wife, happy life”.

I can be reached at Andymargles@gmail.com.