by Bottom Line: While on the small side, the Wicked Shrimp from Golden Chick still satisfy, and they offer a seafood option with a nice kick.
Regular visitors to this site know that I have a weakness for Golden Chick, a Texas-based fried chicken chain that is slinging some great chicken and fish and also baking up the best rolls in the business. And when I saw just recently that have brought back Wicked Shrimp for the Lenten season, I knew I had to pay a visit to try out this seafood option with a kick. These are Panko-breaded butterfly shrimp with their Lotta Zing seasoning added to amp up the heat. You can also get the regular version of these without the spicy seasoning, but why would you want to do that?
To start out with, I will say that the shrimp are on the small side (about two bites each), but still big enough that an order of six is rather satisfying. The breading is light and crispy and delivers a nice crunch. The crust-to-meat ratio is heavier on the crust side, but you can still taste the shrimp, and there is none of that iodine flavor that you sometimes get with these crustaceans. The seasoning adds some good savoriness with a hint of Cajun spice and just a little kick. And you are best off pairing these with the Lotta Zing Sauce (as opposed to cocktail or tartar sauce), which is nice and creamy with a bit of tang and a peppery bite.
Heat-wise, the Wicked Shrimp get to Mild on my scale by themselves. And if you add on the Lotta Zing Sauce, they bump up to close to Medium, which is pretty good for the drive-thru. These won’t set your mouth on fire, but they do have a nice kick, and they offer a nice change of pace from your typical fast food selections.
They don’t list the calories because these are limited-time items, but fried shrimp, fried okra (my choice as a side), and a big ol’ buttery roll certainly don’t count as diet food! The okra tacks on 317 cals, and the roll is 160 cals (at least, seeing as the one they gave me was extra large!). I’m going to guess no less than 300 cals for the six shrimp, so if that is right, I’m at close to 800 calories for the meal. That’s not terrible for the drive-thru, but also not something to be eating every day!
I wish they had the shrimp available year-round, but at least they have the catfish as part of the regular menu, and you can ask them to add the Lotta Zing seasoning to that. A six-piece order of the shrimp with a side, roll, and drink runs $8.99 in my area, and that’s not a bad price for a decent fast food meal these days. But pay a visit to your local Golden Chick soon (check for locations here), because these shrimp will swim away by the end of April.
