By: Maddie McComb

Raising Cane’s, a chicken finger fast food restaurant, opened their first location in 1996 but has grown very popular in the past few years. Beginning in Louisiana, the restaurant now has 749 restaurants across the country, with nine in Virginia and four in the Richmond area.

Photo courtesy of Raising Cane’s.

The restaurant grew in popularity after the praise began over their chicken tenders and home made sauce. Raising Cane’s began to pop up all over my social media, including Instagram and TikTok in the last few months. Many people made Raising Cane’s mukbangs, videos of people eating different types of meals in the hope of creating ASMR and displaying the food. For example, here is a 17-minute long YouTube video of a food content producer eating a meal from Raising Cane’s. Through social media, the videos make Raising Cane’s food seem more appealing and appetizing, leading people (including me) to become interested in trying the food. 

On the menu, they have several different combinations of chicken tenders meals, which include some portion of chicken tenders, fries, sauce, and a piece of Texas toast. There is one chicken sandwich option, the Sandwich Combo, including three chicken fingers. All of these meals come with a drink. 

Photo credit: Maddie McComb.

On my first visit to their Huguenot Road location, I got the Box Combo: four average size chicken tenders, coleslaw, fries, Texas toast, and their signature sauce. This meal was $9.99, whereas a meal from Chick-fil-A of nuggets, fries, and a drink is $12.29. I thought the fried chicken was very crispy and delicious, with a tender, crispy outside. When asked about his take on Raising Cane’s, Charles Nolde (‘24) said “The chicken has really good texture.”

A copycat recipe for their sauce on Google includes mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and garlic. The sauce comes with every meal in a small container. Given the popularity of the sauce, the restaurant offers a whole fountain drink cup’s worth of sauce, which could be used to dip the whole chicken tender. Gabriela Linkonis (‘25) commented how “the sauce is what brings everything together,” as the sauce is paired perfectly with everything in the meal. I thought the sauce went perfectly with the chicken tenders and fries, as it added delicious flavor. The sauce was worth the hype. 

However, the fries were not very commendable, as they felt soggy and plain. Many other fast-food restaurants have better fries, including Chick-fil-A. Sarah Turnbull (‘25) commented how “the fries are kind of bland.” She agreed that Chick-fil-A’s are better. 

Photo credit: Maddie McComb.

Even though the chicken tenders were very crispy and delicious, my favorite item on the menu was the Texas toast, as it was perfectly toasted and soft in the middle. The addition of toast in each meal was an excellent and different addition that many fast food restaurants do not have. Turnbull also commented how the “Texas toast is perfectly buttered.” Bayler Ruth (‘25) added, “The combination of the bread and the fried chicken dipped in the Cane’s sauce is outstanding.” 

Raising Cane’s is worth the hype, as the food is delicious, but I don’t know if it is better than other popular fast food Collegiate favorites, like Chick-fil-A. Although the fries and chicken are better at Chick-fil-A, I like the sauce better at Raising Cane’s. Jack McComb (‘27) and Emery Williamson (‘27) agreed that the “chicken is overhyped, but everything else is worth the hype, especially the sauce.” 

With only four locations in the Richmond area, the Midlothian location is the closest to Collegiate. Heath Brown (‘25) commented how he “wishes there was one closer to my house, because there is not one near enough.” 

Overall, Raising Cane’s offers delicious, quick food and an exceptional option to choose from in the fast food chains. I would recommend Raising Cane’s for a fast food meal.