THE BATTALION MAROON LIFE 18
BEST AGGIE-OWNED RESTAURANT: LAYNE’S
‘Soon-to-be-famous,’ already favorite
Photos by Melanie McBride — THE BATTALION
Layne’s Chicken Fingers is a College Station classic located just across from Texas A&M’s campus. The Aggie-owned-and-operated business has expanded across Texas since its 1994 founding, but the original building at 106 Walton Drive has stayed true to its Aggieland roots.
Aggie-owned, operated Layne’s stands out among dining scene By Michaela Rush @Michaela4Batt
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fter nearly 30 years of serving its “soon-to-be-famous”chicken, Layne’s Chicken Fingers continues to be a staple in the Bryan-College Station community. While the chain has now grown across the state of Texas, the original location in College Station has kept students and locals well-fed, earning it the title of Best Aggie-owned Restaurant. At the original Texas Avenue location, shift-lead Treasure Robertson said employees are tight-knit, even with the owner, which has created a positive work environment.
“Because we’re locally owned, the owner will come in, and you don’t see that in [large chains],” Robertson said. “The owner comes in and likes to work with you, and you build relationships with the owner and the other general managers and [know people] at all three locations.” Robertson said all of the offerings at Layne’s are delicious, but he has two favorites for patrons wanting to sample the menu. “My favorite meal is the half plate, which is three fingers, a half order of fries, regular [Layne’s] sauce, and I also order ranch,” Robertson said. “I get the five-finger plate with no potato salad, extra fries with extra sauce and a ranch, with Dr. Pepper or sweet tea.” Anthropology senior Makenzie Uwe described herself as a Layne’s fan, and said now that she’s tried this local favorite, there’s no going back.
“I prefer Layne’s, absolutely,” Uwe said. “I used to be a [Raising] Cane’s gal, and then I started going to Layne’s, and it’s cheaper. It’s more food, and it’s more consistent for me.” The biggest difference in consistency from Cane’s to Layne’s, Uwe said, is with the sides, particularly the sauce and fries. “The fries are always crispy and salted and not bland and sad,” Uwe said. “Layne’s sauce, it hits different.” Renewable natural resources junior Matt Levins, another Layne’s lover, said this chain is not only delicious, but better than its competitors. “I had a lot of friends who worked [at other chicken chains],” Levins said. “It tastes like rotisserie chicken that they stripped off the bird, breaded and fried and said, ‘Okay, here’s your chicken, give me $12.’” Levins said, in contrast, all the components
of the plate at Layne’s — with the potato salad, chicken fingers, sauce and fries — compliment each other and create a rich flavor profile. “Layne’s has juicy chicken; it’s a light, crispy breading, which is complimented by a peppery sauce that adds flavor to the chicken and fries and everything in between,” Levins said. “The sauce is an addition, but not a necessity.” Robertson said her experience working at Layne’s shows off the local favorite’s strengths to both potential customers and employees. “[What makes us the best] is that we’re locally owned, and when you come in, you’ll be greeted happily, you just see a happy face,” Robertson said. “It’s our energy, we treat you like you work here also. We’re more of a family, we joke around with everybody, and we try to have conversations with our customers also.”
