Nothing sounds better on a half day than a trip to the many restaurants surrounding Morton West. For some students, the choice is easy: grabbing a bite at McDonald’s or traversing the traffic on Harlem or Cermak to Starbucks. For others, the choice of where to go is not so easy to make, especially when it comes to one thing: chicken.
Between 26th Street and Cermak Road on Harlem Avenue, there lies two chicken establishments: Raising Canes and Chick-fil-A. Both with their respective attributes, one must make the difficult decision to decide where to feast on high-quality chicken. The big question here is, which restaurant prevails above the other? How about we take a deep dive and ask the Morton West population to compare the two restaurants?
Chick-fil-A was founded as a tiny diner named Dwarf Grill in 1946, by devout Christian S. Truett Cathy in Georgia. The classic chicken sandwich is a favorite for many, and the local restaurant is located northwest of the campus at 7201 Cermak Road in North Riverside. Down the street and southwest of the campus is Raising Canes at 2514 Harlem Ave., known for their irresistible chicken fingers. Todd Graves founded Raising Canes out of a failed college business project in 1994, opening his first location in 1996.
But what makes each restaurant uniquely savory? The fries? The coleslaw? The chicken? Between the two, there is something for everybody to feast on. In all, one has to take the crown.
Joseph Starr, U.S. History teacher and sports coach says, “Chick-fil-A sauce is very delicious, and I feel like the quality of their chicken is better, They have more options, and I prefer the waffle fries over the crinkle-cut fries.” Chick-fil-A offers 50+ unique menu items in their restaurant for any time of the day, consisting mainly of chicken products and sides, including the classic chicken sandwiches, wraps, waffle fries, and salads. “You can’t go wrong with just chicken nuggets; they’re so dippable and delicious,” Starr mentions on Chick-fil-A’s versatility.
Robert Como, U.S. History and Civics teacher said he would recommend the spicy chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A. “I’ll either get the chicken sandwich or a salad, I am a simple man.”
On the other side of the spectrum, Raising Canes offers a limited menu variety compared to Chick-fil-A, with five meal items consisting of their famous chicken fingers and three interchangeable sides of fries, coleslaw, and Texas toast. Cane’s sauce is provided with every order, enhancing the flavor of the entire meal. English and Journalism teacher Tricia Pampinella says, siding with Raising Canes. “The chicken is always freshly made, the breading slays, the spices, the crispiness, it hits everything that your taste buds want,” Describing the Canes sauce, Ms. Pampinella calls the sauce “pièce de résistance, the icing on the cake.” adding, “Whatever they put in there, you just want more of it.”
It’s not just all about the chicken at Chick-fil-A: its top-tier service makes it a restaurant that wants people coming for more. Mr. Como commented on the service at Cick-fil-A, “They’re very friendly, I do enjoy just that. It’s simple pleasantry. You don’t always get that, so I do like that.”
Raising Canes provides a faster service compared to Chick-fil-A, perfect for somebody looking to grab a bite and go on with their day. The average wait time at Raising Canes’s drive-through is one minute for fresh-hot chicken after ordering. Inside the restaurant, it is significantly less on a busy day. “You don’t stay there for very long… Raising Canes is like, ‘Get your meal, and let’s get going,’” Ms. Pampinella said.
Morton West students and faculty were briefly surveyed on their opinions of the two restaurants. In a random poll of roughly 70 Morton West students, 60% prefer Chick-fil-A, whereas 40% of the students prefer Raising Canes. Polling 20 Morton West staff, 75% of staff members prefer Chick-fil-A, compared to 20% of staff preferring Raising Canes.
Both restaurants are just a stroll away from Morton West for all your chicken cravings. Why don’t you take a visit to either establishment the next time you’re feeling hungry?
