The Chicken Sandwich Wars: Zaxby’s Signature Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Bottom Line: Zaxby’s Signature Spicy Chicken Sandwich delivers a good premium poultry sandwich, though it could use a little more heat.

Zaxby’s is a chicken chain that got its start in Statesboro, Georgia, in 1990 and has become a staple in the Southeast. Like Raising Cane’s, they are known for their chicken tenders and signature sauce—Zax Sauce® as they call it, with the fancy registered trademark attached—though their menu extends beyond just poultry strips. They also have sandwiches, wings, and even salads—which they refer to as Zalads® so they can spruce things up with the trademark again.

The company has been slowly expanding its presence across the country, and it now has a few locations in San Antonio. None are near me, but I happened to be on the west side of town the other day where a Zaxby’s had set up shop, and I decided to stop by and see how their spicy chicken sandwich compares to all the rest out there. That comes with a hand-breaded Chicken Fillet, dill pickles, and Spicy Zax Sauce® on a toasted potato bun. They also have a Kickin Chicken Sandwich made with Chicken Fingerz™, Tongue Torch® sauce—they love those trademarks, don’t they—and Ranch on Texas Toast that looks tempting. But I decided to go with the one closest to the rest of the chicken slinger competition.

The Signature Spicy Sandwich comes with a decent-sized breast filet that is not too thick, but still meaty, and it has a good crust-to-meat ratio. It is well-seasoned with some crunch to the breading, and the chicken is tender and quite tasty. Based on that alone, I see why Zaxby’s has so many fans. As for the spicy sauce, it has a notable tang with a bit of a peppery kick and a touch of creaminess. It is definitely similar to the Raising Cane’s sauce, but still different enough to avoid legal entanglements. The pickles deliver the expected tang, while the potato bun is decent quality, though it doesn’t stand out too much.

As for the heat, it doesn’t get too high—maybe climbing a little above Mild by my scale. Still, it has a nice kick with a tingle that lingers, and you know that you’ve eaten something with a bit of a burn. I would like the heat to be a little higher, and maybe some jalapeños would kick it to the next level. But I still count this as a good quality chicken sandwich that compares favorably to the other premium poultry sammies on the market. I may not go out of my way to get one of these, but if there’s a Zaxby’s relatively close, I’d be happy to stop in.

Nutrition-wise, this sandwich totals up to 590 calories, which is a little high for the drive-thru (and avert your eyes from the 2,260 mg of sodium), but definitely lower than the 700 cals for the Popeyes market-leading spicy chicken. You may want to go easy on the sides, getting the coleslaw (140 cals) instead of the crinkle-cut fries (330 cals for a regular order). Though that seasoning they put on those fries makes them hard to resist!

The Spicy Signature Sandwich sells for $6.99 by itself in my area, which is a little on the high side for that item. The combo with a side and drink is $9.49, and that’s not bad—staying under ten bucks in the drive-thru counts as a win these days. This is a permanent menu item, so you don’t have to worry about it disappearing anytime soon. And if you do have a Zaxby’s near you, I can recommend trying this one out. Next up, I’ll be sampling the Kickin Chicken—though it may be a while before I pay another visit.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 590
Fat: 31g (5g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 31g
Carbs: 45g
Sodium: 2260mg