by Bottom Line: The Spicy Loaded Mashed Potato Bowl from Golden Chick combines fresh, quality ingredients with some heat for a satisfying meal.
For those who are regular readers here, you know that I’m a big fan of Texas-based Golden Chick. This chain fries up some darn good chicken—especially their Golden Tenders—and they also serve fried catfish and some of the best rolls in the business. After a successful run in test markets, they recently added Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls to the menu across all locations, so I stopped by to give it a try.
They offer both regular and spicy versions, and I, of course, opted for the one that promises some heat. It comes with two hand-breaded Golden Tenders, sliced and placed on top of mashed potatoes and cream gravy, then topped with shredded cheddar cheese and crispy bacon bits, all finished off with spicy Lotta Zing seasoning for an extra kick.
The mashed potatoes are nice and creamy, definitely a step above the typical fast-food standard. The shredded cheese isn’t overly generous, but there’s enough to add some sharpness and a cheesy zing. The gravy is on the sparse side—mostly around the edges—but when you get some in a bite, it adds a little extra creaminess and flavor. The chicken pieces have a good crunch and they are nice and tender and quite tasty. The bacon adds some salt and smoke along with a little burst of flavor. It’s not so much crispy as chewy and reminds me more of ham, but it works well in the bowl.
The Lotta Zing seasoning brings the heat and they are quite generous with that. It is a savory seasoning with some hints of Cajun spice and amps up the flavor and the burn. With that added, the bowl gets close to Medium on my scale—which is good for the drive thru—and it left my lips tingling. And while the bowl may not set your mouth on fire, the combination of fresh, quality ingredients with some heat works quite well.
They do not show the calories for the bowl, but I am going to guess it comes in somewhere around 500 cals. It is not a huge meal, but it is quite satisfying and does not appear to be breaking the calorie bank. Of course, you will be getting a roll with it because you can’t go to Golden Chick and not get one of their buttery and luscious rolls. But that only adds 160 cals (if you limit yourself to one) which is not bad for the drive thru.
By itself, the bowl costs $5.99 and for only two bucks more you can add on a roll and drink. And to get a satisfying meal for under ten bucks these days at the drive thru is quite a score! I’m not certain if this is a limited-time-only item, but hopefully they will consider adding it to the permanent menu because the spicy bowl is a pretty good deal, and it will certainly fill you up while delivering some spice. Golden Chick has locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, and you can check for one near you at their website.
