When I asked for chicken sandwich recommendations, I expected a few replies.
What I got instead was an avalanche of opinions, passion, and very strong sandwich loyalty. Apparently, people take their crispy chicken very seriously — and honestly, I respect that.
But instead of jumping straight into a blind taste test with the usual suspects (McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy’s), I decided to start with what I’m calling the top-tier chicken sandwich spots. You know — the places people speak about with reverence.
And yes…this required a road trip.
The Chicken Sandwich Road Trip: Ogden → Salt Lake City
Because commitment is important (and because I’m easily influenced by food suggestions), I drove from Ogden, Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah with one mission:
Eat an unreasonable number of chicken sandwiches.
Totally normal behavior.
The goal was simple — hit the most recommended non-basic spots. No drive-thru giants. No fast-food staples. Just the places people insisted I had to try.
The Five Chicken Sandwich Contenders
Here’s where the Utah sandwich tour took me:
🔥 Pretty Bird
A local legend in the hot chicken sandwich world. Bold flavors, serious heat options, and easily one of the most talked-about chicken spots in Utah.
🌶 Houston Hot Chicken
This one came up repeatedly in recommendations, and I completely understand why. Juicy, crispy, and built for spice lovers. I will for sure need to go again and get it with some spice/sauce.
🐔 Raising Cane’s
Now before you protest — yes, Cane’s is widely known, but somehow I had never actually been there. That automatically disqualified it from any blind taste test conversations. First-timer privilege.
👑 Popeyes
Another highly debated entry. People are deeply divided on Popeyes vs everyone else, so it felt irresponsible not to include it. Plus, I had never had it before.
🍔 Super Chix
Sneaky good and wildly underrated in chicken sandwich discussions. Also responsible for some very specific suggestions from you all (more on that in a second).
Why These Made the Cut (and Others Didn’t)
Some of you will immediately notice that certain popular names are missing.
That’s intentional.
I couldn’t realistically include places I’d never visited before in a blind taste test with brands I already know well. That’s not science — that’s chaos. So instead, this first round focused on spots I either hadn’t tried or that kept dominating the recommendation list.
A proper fast-food blind taste test may absolutely be coming later (and yes, Chick-Fil-A fans, I hear you loud and clear).
The Wildly Specific Chicken Sandwich Suggestions
You all did not hold back with recommendations. Some were simple. Some were extremely detailed. Some felt like secret menu wizardry.
Here are just a few highlights:
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Arby’s chicken bacon swiss with honey mustard
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Chick-Fil-A deluxe dipped in Polynesian + sweet chili sriracha
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Chick-Fil-A spicy deluxe with extra pickles
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Houston Hot Chicken original sandwich (mild)
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Super Chix Bavacado sandwich
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Super Chix chicken cordon bleu + rosemary fries
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Wendy’s spicy chicken, no mayo, add honey mustard
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Wingstop hot honey chicken sandwich
And many, many more.
The creativity was impressive. Slightly concerning. But impressive.
Chicken Sandwich Rankings? Not Yet…
This post isn’t about declaring a winner (I know, I know — patience).
This was phase one: exploration and research. A highly scientific, very professional tasting journey fueled by curiosity and mild gluttony.
Full breakdowns, rankings, and possible blind taste test chaos will be coming soon.
Final Thoughts: Utah Knows Chicken Sandwiches
If this experiment proved anything, it’s that Utah has no shortage of incredible chicken sandwiches — from fiery hot chicken to crispy classics.
Also, never underestimate how passionately people feel about fried chicken.
If you think I missed a must-try sandwich, send it my way. I’m always willing to conduct further “research.”
For the sake of content, of course.
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