Raising Cane's ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Sep 2023 (Colorado Springs - Citadel)

First visit: Nov 2011 (Hurst, TX)

Locations: 714 total; 20 in Colorado with 4 in Colorado Springs; Texas has 143 with 65(!) in DFW; NE Tarrant now has 5 with our original location of Hurst still going.

It's been 11 years since I last stepped foot into a Raising Cane's. The primary reason I don't go is they insist you get a meal-deal. Sometimes I just want chicken. Like when I go to Chick-Fil-A, I get a chicken sandwich and a 12 pack of nuggets. Take it home and I can have my soda there. And I can always add chips if I want to. I've been in the mood for chicken lately, and I was out "doing the rounds" looking for music inventory. Time had gotten away from me, and I was pretty far south of home. Since it was late, I figured I wanted to eat lighter than usual. So I went with the Three Finger deal which includes fries, Texas toast, and their famed dipping sauce. Really not much more to add to my review below. I do like their dipping sauce. But I like ketchup too. At least it's "their own recipe" so points for that. And they had Coke Zero with a soda fountain that actually knows how mix to the carbonation in. I'll probably go more regularly now, and I want to try their chicken sandwich next.

---original 11/2/11 review (Hurst)

So this represents the first entry of a chicken place into the RJG. Mr. and Mrs. RJG definitely enjoy fried chicken, but it's something we pretty much eliminated from our diet over the last few years. But we're slowly adding it back, and we hope to add a few similar entries in the next year.

A buddy of mine who used to own a franchise of 14 Taco Bells, once declared to me "the real money is in chicken!" Of course he had a front row seat to that general ledger, as Taco Bell is part of the Yum Brands, which also happens to own Kentucky Fried Chicken. And this might explain why there's a proliferation of chicken chains throughout the country. Not to mention it's incredibly tasty food, though hardly on any dietitians recommended consumption list.

Raising Cane's started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996, and is the latest success story in fast food. The website has a full story behind the restaurant chain, and it's yet another inspiration tale of a "if there's a will, there's a way".

As for the chicken itself, we've had better, but it's definitely good. Their gimmick is all white meat chicken fingers - so no bones to get in the way. The chicken came out hot and juicy, but I didn't detect any unique flavors beyond the usual. They make a big fuss out of their dipping sauce, but honestly it wasn't an earth mover. It's a mayonnaise based concoction with mild spices mixed in. So mild in fact, you can barely taste it with the chicken. So I dipped the out-of-the-bag Ore-Ida fries into it instead to try to discern the flavor. The Mrs. said the cole slaw was disappointing - too saucy and sweet. The soda selection is lame with only Diet Coke on offer for those who avoid the sugary drinks. Prices were reasonable, considering how expensive chicken can get.

Have a hankering for some white meat chicken fingers? Definitely give Raising Cane's a try. I doubt, however, that it will be a regular stop for the RJG. 

11/2/11 (new entry); 11/20/12; 9/1/23