Bottom Line: This sandwich does not bring a lot of heat (and it is rather messy), but it offers a nice twist on the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and it is quite tasty.
Most fast food and fast casual joints are throwing their hats into the Spicy Chicken Sandwich Wars ring these days, but there is one drive thru where you will not find an entry in that competition yet. Arby’s is known for its roast beef, but it also makes some pretty good chicken sandwiches. It does have the Classic Crispy Chicken Sandwich which could be considered a contender in the regular Chicken Sandwich Wars, but it does not have a spicy version of that. Instead, they offer what I consider to be a different class of sandwich: the Buffalo Chicken. That is slathered with their spicy Buffalo sauce and that puts it in a whole different category.
As described on their website, their Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich starts with a “crispy, tender filet of buttermilk chicken drenched in spicy buffalo sauce”. It is also topped with “creamy parmesan peppercorn ranch dressing” along with shredded lettuce, and all of that is crammed into a toasted bun.
The chicken patty is not too thick, but it does cover the bun. It is a breast filet that is decently breaded, though the crust quickly gets soggy in the sauce, and that pretty much kills the crispy from the title. The sandwich has the tang you expect from Buffalo sauce and a bit of a kick. The Parmesan Peppercon Ranch sauce is an unexpected addition that adds a nice zing. That really kicks up the flavor profile to the next level and makes this sandwich quite good. It is also quite messy, though. Between the two sauces and the shredded lettuce, you have something oozing out of the sides with every bite. Don’t try eating this while driving!
Heat-wise, this comes in at the Mild level at best. While the Buffalo sauce does have good taste, it does not deliver too much in the way of burn. (And don’t even think of ordering extra sauce to amp up the heat lest you find yourself drowning in it!) The Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch adds a nice peppery bite, but no real heat. Despite that, I would certainly order this again. The chicken is cooked well and the two sauces come together to deliver a nice twist on the standard Buffalo chicken sandwich. Just don’t wear anything white while eating it and have plenty of napkins on the standby!
This sandwich comes in at 500 calories, so it won’t set your diet back too much as long as you go easy on the sides. I know those curly fries are tempting, but they add 410 calories to the plate. Surprisingly, the jalapeno poppers are only 290 calories and they have a nice kick to them. That is still kind of high on the calorie side overall, but you could do worse.
One note about Arby’s: I enjoy their food, but like Jack in the Box their quality can vary widely from location to location. If you find a good Arby’s, then get it on your regular rotation. But if you encounter a bad one, run! Just run!! (And warn others on Google and Yelp.) I understand that it is hard to run a fast food restaurant these days, but plenty of franchises have figured out how to do it right and Arby’s needs to work on its consistency. (As does Jack.)
The Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is a permanent menu item and I have seen no indication that Arby’s wants to add a Spicy Chicken Sammy, so this is your best bet for something spicy if you go to their drive thru. They also have Buffalo Chicken Sliders, but at 300 calories each, it’s best to stick to the full Buffalo Sandwich unless you at getting only one slider. (And who gets only one slider?)
Tale of the Tape:
Calories: 500
Fat: 23g (4.5g Sat/0.7g Trans)
Protein: 24g
Carbs: 49g
Sodium: 1860mg