I ate Chick-fil-A for a week and it was SO bad and SO good at the same time

Drown me in buttermilk ranch

For those who live on the South and East Coasts, it is a well-known, accepted, and beloved fact that Chick-fil-A is a religion. This is S. Truett Cathy’s world and we are just bathing in the peanuty grease of it.

When it was announced the Atlanta-based chain would open here at Temple University, there was an undeniable amount of glee on campus.

So, as a way to take full advantage of the blessing that has been bestowed upon Temple, I decided to indulge myself in a week-long Chick-fil-A binge.

As the Chick-fil-A they decided to install in the new SAC is an “express”, it does not feature a breakfast menu, chicken strips, or coffee, but the main hallmarks of Chick-fil-A remain.

Monday – Number One Meal

My first day having Chick-fil-A I was pumped. I could eat my favorite fast food for a week with an excuse? Hell yeah. The line—which has been notoriously long for the first week of school— was not exceedingly long.

It didn’t take me more than 15 minutes to stand in line, order, and then get my food. I ordered the number one meal, which is the fried chicken sandwich with pickles, waffle fries, and a drink. When I sat down to eat, the bun of my sandwich was perfectly buttered, but the chicken disappointed a bit and was crustier than I anticipated. However, it wasn’t a bad lunch and I was still satisfied after.

Tuesday- Eight Count Chicken Nuggets

To be fully honest, I was most excited to get the eight count chicken nuggets because it would allow me to play around with the different sauces offered by Chick-fil-A, of which there are six — the Chick-fil-A sauce, barbecue, buttermilk ranch, polynesia, honey mustard, and buffalo.

While their signature, eponymous Chick-fil-A sauce is the most well-liked, I opted for my usual barbecue and buttermilk ranch. This particular Tuesday, not only was it dreadfully rainy outside, but the line was too long for comfort. The wait was only partially worth it; the nuggets were amazing, as was the lemonade, but the classic waffle fries were greasy and there definitely could have been more in the pocket.

Wednesday – Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo

Holy. Shit. First of all, the line wasn’t too long, the weather outside was gorgeous, and this sandwich was phenomenal. Now, phenomenal really is not a word most people would use to describe college food, fast food, and certainly not both, but I was truly taken aback by the quality of this sandwich! I slathered on the buttermilk ranch and that first bite — hella orgasmic.

OK, in all honesty, I have had the spicy chicken sandwich at other locations and it was also delicious, but my mouth was on fire, whereas at Temple’s Chick-fil-A the heat factor of the spice was slightly lacking. Somehow, I ended up still craving it not just hours, but immediately after eating it. Trust me. Get it. YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

Even your slowly clogging arteries will thank you. The downside of Wednesday’s meal happened to be the fries. Since this was my third day, I began to realize that they weren’t “forgetting” to salt the fries, they straight up weren’t salting them at all.

As a fry fanatic, this was a very sobering moment, but the spicy chicken sandwich made up for it all.

Fry count: Low, My appetite: High

Fry count: Low, My appetite: High

Thursday – Grilled Chicken Sandwich

When I first ordered the number four combo, I was slightly apprehensive because at most Chick-fil-A locations, this sandwich leaves my mouth feeling a little itchy. I think this is because the grilled chicken uses a wheat bun, instead of the white bun that is default for the (fried) chicken sandwich.

The wheat bun contains some sort of seed that triggers my allergies (tree nut) and causes a delicious meal to feel low-key fatal. Surprisingly, yet again, I had no itchiness — a definite bonus.

However, there was more lettuce than chicken, and the chicken breast patty was smaller than my hand. Overall, I was very disappointed with this sandwich, which explains why Chick-fil-A is known for its fried chicken and not grilled chicken (plus, what person with taste buds would want grilled over fried). The added bonus which I greatly appreciated was the adequate amount of fries this time.

Friday – Chicken Nugget Combo…again, but this time with, like, a milkshake

Friday was the final day of my Chick-fil-A challenge because I knew that Saturday I would be tailgating for the Owls, and Sunday they would be closed. So, like the redundant eater I am, I had the chicken nugget combo with a strawberry milkshake, which was basically the food version of “Hoe, But Fashion."

The milkshake was so big and so delicious, but it was definitely too much dessert/beverage for my few nugs and fries. I left wishing I had purchased a sandwich instead, but I guess the milkshake made it worth it.

Verdict

By the end of the week, I didn’t want to eat anymore Chick-fil-A for at least another two weeks. My body felt a lot more sluggish than usual and my arteries were definitely screaming at me. I didn’t have any of the deluxe sandwiches this week because I hate melted cheese on sandwiches.

I also did not have the grilled chicken market salad because it was $8.09, which meant that with a beverage it would have gone over my meal swipe equivalency. I was a bit disappointed, though that was mostly because America always makes unhealthy food cheaper than good food (but that’s another story).

All in all it was a good week, but now I probably need to eat kale and quinoa for a week to compensate.

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