Back with another bite-sized review! This time we're going back to the shack (ughhh) and trying out this intriguing deluxe chicken sandwich option from Shake Shack.
This is the third time we've given the Toronto version of Shake Shack a look, with the inaugural visit last autumn coming in as the most read Tuesday review on here (wild) while the simple sequel just touched on their well-regarded shakes (it is in the name). Their nuggets also featured in my epic Chicken Nuggets Ranking, which we'll touch on a bit more later.
The Union Station Food Court/Hall definitely has no shortage of fried chicken options, even if one of them happens to be the rather forgettable Mighty Bird. What we have here is Shake Shack's alternative to those: a fried chicken sandwich with avocado, bacon, pickles and a buttermilk herb mayo.
Right away you can see they're using the same type of squishy potato bun as they do for their burgers. Also, those pickle slices are really thick! Which I like... extra crunch and extra flavour.
The pros and cons of this chicken sandwich are numerous. On the positive side: they don't cheap out on the avocado whatsoever. I was expecting like a thinly spread layer under one of the buns... instead you're getting legit creamy slices of the stuff on nearly every bite. Nicely done.
I already mentioned the thick slices of pickle, which bring both a great juiciness and crunch. As for the chicken itself... it's a very light batter with a thin crispiness, allowing the flavour of the bird to really shine through. It's quite soft and juicy despite being a leaner white chicken meat sandwich also. Finally, that buttermilk ranch has an occasional sour creamy touch that really matches well with the other various flavours here.
That's all the good. What about the bad? Sadly, this bacon isn't much to sing praises about. It's rather dry and crumbly, veering more into chewiness than delightful crisp or crunch. Possibly overcooked as I barely get any bacon flavour at all on here. Then, we have the taste of the chicken... keep in mind I said I enjoyed the texture (despite some tougher parts on the edges), but the flavour of it is much too oily. This was the exact same complaint I had about their chicken nuggets as well (let the record show!) so clearly this is just the particular way Shake Shack prepares and fries their chicken. To be fair it isn't a heavy kind of oil taste... but it is enough to really wash over every bite of the chicken that's here.
A much more minor gripe: the shredded lettuce. It's fine objectively (I do prefer crunchier or full leaves personally) though it does make the sandwich considerably messier than it has to be. It's like the bits of lettuce are hitching rides with droplets of ranch to skip town before its too late.
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Overall... it's a good chicken sandwich but more than likely not one I'd be in a rush to have again. All the avocado on it really does its best to convince me otherwise, as that combination with the crunchy chicken and the soft bun is absolutely fantastic. Alas the bacon is a serious waste and that wet oily chicken taste is just a personal hangup for me. It's so close to being brilliant, and hey maybe it would be to other people who aren't as sensitive to this type of oilier chicken as I am.
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