Tonight, I tried the new Zaxby’s Fried Chicken Philly which is advertised as: “hand-breaded Fried Chicken, White American cheese, Grilled Onions and Peppers, and Garlic Aioli on a toasted hoagie roll.” I am happy to report that this was actually a very good sandwich. While I don’t think I would consider this reminiscent of any Philly style sandwich I’ve had in the past, I still enjoyed this unique fast-food offering.

Traditionally Philly sandwiches, like the cheesesteak or a classic Philly chicken are usually characterized by their greasy, almost wet, consistency and abundance of cheese and sloppy meat. Rarely will you get a Philly style sandwich that is presented like this one was. The Zaxby’s Philly chicken was filled with fried chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces, grilled onions and peppers, garlic aioli and a nice layer of cheese melted throughout. The onions and pepper were a little limp, but it’s hard to complain about the texture of the veggies on a fast food sandwich, especially when the flavor was so well done. The garlic aioli was also nicely smattered throughout the hoagie, offering refreshing little bursts of flavor instead of drowning in sauce.

The chicken was crispy and well-cooked, and tasted very good as well. This was my first time trying Zaxby’s, so I can’t compare to their standard offerings, but I have to assume it’s the same signature chicken. If you liked Zaxby’s before, you’ll like it again now.

My only complaint is the price tag. Even considering the inflation of fast-food prices, almost $10 for this offering is far more than I would be willing to pay if not for this review.

7/10 – not worth the price

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