Owasso’s chicken confliction

By Caleb Parker

Picture taken by Caleb Parker

Although the 2024 weeks are continuing to dwindle in numbers, the amount of chicken in Owasso’s growing suburban community continues to soar. The rivalry is only becoming more competitive; almost every major street in Owasso has chicken tenders, sandwiches and fries that beg for pure, finger-lickin’ originality. What sets these rooster-loving, cow-opposing eateries apart from the next ones across the block? After close examination, a trip around the town and a stomach full of comfort food, I found out so you wouldn’t have to.

Note: Below are five different chicken restaurants in Owasso, chosen because of their popularity and relevance in the community. They were rated based on the crispiness, texture, saltiness, succulence, proportion and price of a singular chicken tender/chunk. Instead of aiming for larger chicken chains such as Chick-fil-A or KFC, I tried places that served a greater presence in Owasso High School and in the Owasso community.

Stock image retrieved from Adobe Stock

Slim n’ Slender Chickens:

Starting fresh out of the fryer, Slim Chickens brings a solid reputation to the world of prepared poultry. Their chicken had a solid layer of breading on the outside, containing medium level crisp with a drier texture inside the golden outer surface. With less salt, however, their chicken relied more on the raw flavor rather than any specific seasoning. Still, their chicken didn’t disappoint. Slim Chickens succeeded with a relatively medium size and decent juicy tenderness in every bite. Their weakness though was found in their prices, with most meals being well over 10-11 dollars. This would make their individual chicken tenders around $2.00 a piece, being slightly over the prices of the other restaurants. Overall, Slim Chickens earns an acceptable 7/10.

Church’s Holy Texas Chicken:

Church’s had a somewhat lacking foundation for fostering crispy and delicious chicken. They proved to be saltier than Slim’s, relying more on their seasoning than the consistent chicken flavor that should be prevalent in each piece. In all actuality, their strips were bland; Church’s didn’t do much more than preach to the choir. Their chicken was juicier than most, but the moist texture felt somewhat watered down and gave a chewy, gummier texture than anticipated. Regardless, the tenders were a decent size and their outer breading provided proficient quality. A single tender is around $1.95, with the rest of their menu options having affordable pricing in comparison to their overall quality. On my watch, Church’s only earns a mediocre 5.5/10; their chicken lacked the flavor integration that was so prominent among the other poultry providers.

Charlie and the Chicken Factory:

As a restaurant famous for its chicken chunks in Tulsa County, Charlie Chicken’s breaded layers of melt-in-your-mouth chicken held up its well-known namesake in the community. While the crispy outer layer was thinner than most other chicken chains, the crispy breaded layer felt much more fresh and home-style fried than other Owasso chicken chains. Coming in chunks rather than long and narrow tenders, the amount of chicken in each bite was juicy and full of chicken flavor. With the price being $1.84 for one chunk, their price for single pieces of chicken was lower than their heated competitors, only going up in price when combined with family/dinner meals. Charlie’s fried up an impressive 8/10, leading many chicken enthusiasts baffled with their chirpin’ chunks of gold.

Zaxby’s is Zaxalicious:

Welcome to the home of decorated rooster puns and the Zax Snak! Zaxby’s tenders proved to be exceptional on their own, having a darker golden color rimming the outside of their white chicken strips. The salt content ruled high above the competition, making them a strong competitor in flavor. Unlike Church’s, the salt wasn’t used to cover up a lacking chicken taste, instead it rather boosted the flavors and succeeded in developing a seasoned crunch. Unfortunately, Zaxby’s was still flawed with higher prices in chicken meals and smaller than average tenders. Zaxby’s chicken still excelled amongst their adversaries, ranking 7.5/10 in general quality and kickin’ chicken consistency.

The Riveting Raising Cane’s:

Crisp, crackle, crunch—oh my! Cane’s chicken did more than just raise the roof on quality; their crispy outer layer was ranked highest and gave a closer crunch to perfection. Their saltiness wasn’t overdone, and their moist texture was balanced evenly with the seasoning topped on the outer layer’s glistening grooves. Raising Cane’s went for simplicity in both the quality and variety of chicken options, making sure to perfect the basics. The only quality lacking in their field was the price to size; their chicken was slightly smaller, yet their prices still run similarly alongside those of Zaxby’s. With a raving 8.5/10, Canes came out swinging in a close race to the top.

With tireless consideration, contemplation and all-around chicken-crazed consumption, a champion was ranked after it was confirmed there was no fowl play. 

The claiming conqueror of chicken is Raising Cane’s!

Cane’s chicken did more than just impress; they exceeded their own expectations. With fine-tuned crispiness, a chef’s salty kiss and a wet-to-dry duality even goldilocks would be proud of, Raising Cane’s is running with its trophy faster than a headless hen.

I hope you're somewhat hungry after reading this scrumptious article! Whether you compare and contrast these places for yourself—or, like me at this point, you just want to eat some oh-so-good chicken—Owasso has plenty to serve on your plate.