27% Agree This Chain Restaurant Has The Best Quality Chicken
Given America's long association with hamburgers, It's tempting to think of the country as the land of beef. But it's actually chicken that reigns supreme as the meat of choice for people in the US. As Vox reported earlier this year, Americans alone eat the meat of a combined 8 billion chickens annually, with individuals consuming around 100 pounds of poultry every year all on their own.
With that in mind, one might think a restaurant is only as good as its chicken. And they'd probably be right. To this day, the fast food chicken sandwich war rages on, with chains like Popeyes and Chick-fil-A going head-to-head in the battle for the country's favorite quick chicken meal. But what about the sit-down restaurants?
With major casual dining chains like TGI Fridays, O'Charley's, Chili's, Applebee's, The Cheesecake Factory, and Cracker Barrel all offering their own unique dishes, it's clear there are plenty of places to order a poultry-based meal in the US if fast food isn't your thing. However, when it comes to ordering chicken from sit-down restaurants, it seems we're just as divided on our preferences.
A survey conducted by Mashed asked 596 US-based participants to choose which restaurant has the best quality chicken, and no single spot took home a landslide vote. Nevertheless, one chain still beat out all the others for the best place to order this popular dish.
Cracker Barrel is the top pick when it comes to chicken
Based on the survey results, approximately 27.01% of the respondents believe nobody can touch Cracker Barrel's quality when it comes to chicken, earning them the top spot overall. And based on the volume the chain sells every year, that stat definitely tracks. Per the official website, they sell a whopping 13 million orders of chicken n' dumplings and 13 million pounds of chicken tenders each year. Moreover, their signature Homestyle Chicken remains one of the most popular items on their menu, having gone from just being served on Sundays to becoming a daily offering back in 2019 due to the increased demand, as noted in a press release.
But while Cracker Barrel may have earned the most votes overall for the country's best chicken, The Cheesecake Factory came in close second on the survey, with 23.66% of respondents voting for their chicken as the highest quality you can get. One reason for this may be attributed to the chain's massive selection, including 85 chicken entrees, according to Business Insider. With that many choices, one is bound to find something they like!
As for where the other restaurant choices fall in this chicken competition, Applebee's took third place on the survey with 19.63 % of the vote, while Chili's trailed behind with 15.10% of the share. Meanwhile, TGI Fridays and O'Charley's earned just 11.91% and 2.68%, respectively, which suggests they've got some work to do if they want to compete with the likes of the other spots on the chicken front lines.