BY JENI NANCE
Staff Reporter
Raising Cane’s opened its first Delaware location this past April about a mile away from campus. After hearing people raving about it, I was excited to give it a try. Cane’s, after all, is best known for its special “Cane’s Sauce” and crispy chicken tenders.
The first time I visited Cane’s, I wasn’t thrilled with the quality or service. Later on, however, I recognized that the restaurant was fairly new and still getting assembled (not to mention how much foot traffic the employees were experiencing). The establishment opened the floodgates, and it seemed like everyone in town wanted to try their food.
I had initially visited the restaurant shortly after they opened this past spring. My friends continue to swear by Cane’s food, so this semester I decided to give them another shot. I ended up walking since it’s not too far from campus. Although it wasn’t the nicest day, the walk wasn’t terrible.
Although their menu has slim pickings, I appreciate how simple it is. I went in and ordered the 3 Finger Combo. The last time I ordered food from Cane’s, the portions were too large, and I ended up throwing out a lot because I simply couldn’t finish it.
The meal came with three chicken tenders, a serving of fries, a slice of Texas toast and a fountain drink. The entire combo was less than $10, and the portion kept me full for a while.
The food came out relatively quick, but possibly because there wasn’t much of a line. When I went to go grab my soda, the only sauce I found available was ketchup. Luckily, I’m a ketchup fan, but those who aren’t or opt for no sauce are going to find Cane’s meals very bland.
My first encounter with Cane’s sauce wasn’t great. I tried it a second time, and despite trying to enjoy the sauce, there was nothing I could do to redeem it. I tried it with the chicken, fries and even a bit of the toast, but it was still awful. I was under the impression that the sauce was going to be sweet, but it was sour and kind of bitter. It felt very thick and heavy, which I feel took away from the food itself.
The chicken was mediocre at best. It had little to no flavor and was very greasy, which ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Trying it with Cane’s sauce did nothing to improve or enhance the flavor. The outside was crispy, which I liked, but the inside was spilling grease with every bite I took. It reminded me of chicken tenders from Popeyes, something I can find almost anywhere.
There really isn’t much to say about the fries except for the fact that they essentially saved the meal. They’re your standard crinkle-cut potato fries. They were on the thinner side and lightly salted, which I enjoyed. There was nothing special about them, but they were definitely one of the better things on my plate.
The Texas toast was by far the best. It was lightly toasted on the outside but still fluffy on the inside. It had the slightest hint of garlic on it, which I enjoyed because it wasn’t overpowering. It was the one thing that really stood out to me and is probably the only food item that would bring me back to Cane’s.
The overall appearance of the restaurant was incredibly impressive considering it’s a fast-food joint. It has a modern, rustic theme with a little bit of country flair. There were many posters and newspaper articles framed on the wall, including some of the university’s logos. One decoration that caught my eye was the three disco balls that were hanging from the ceiling. The music played on the speakers were pop-country hits, which I actually enjoyed listening to.
The employees had an extremely positive attitude and were very kind to me during our interactions. They moved quickly to do their jobs while simultaneously providing great customer service. I noticed that the managers frequently made themselves unavailable to both patrons and their staff, but the staff handled it gracefully.
Cane’s was the last thing I ate for the night, and I started to feel sick a few hours after consuming the food. I’m inclined to think that the amount of fat and grease in that meal was enough to upset my stomach.
Overall, I think Raising Cane’s is completely overrated. If you’re going to get fast food, you might as well get McDonald’s or Denny’s. The environment and service were great, but that isn’t enough to make me take a trek to repurchase their food. I particularly didn’t enjoy feeling sick after eating their food, so needless to say, I probably won’t eat Cane’s in the future.