Back when I lived near Seattle, I did a lot of volunteer work helping distribute free lunches to low-income families. There were a lot of Russian immigrants who lived in the housing projects we'd serve and there was one condiment they just didn't quite understand: barbecue sauce. It wasn't something they really had in Russia. It tasted weird...in an unpleasant way. They didn't really "get" the appeal.
Well, that is my reaction to the Raising Cane's sauce. I don't get it. I love mayonnaise, taste the mayonnaise and I'm intrigued by the creamy, almost familiar texture of it, but at the same time, the other stuff in it just ruins the aforementioned mayonnaise. The seasonings don't blend together well at all. Is that...ketchup? Worcestershire sauce? Who thought up this hot mess and decided it was acceptable? Not I. Nope. I do not understand this bizarre condiment or why I would want to stick it in my mouth.
I wanted to like it due to its high mayonnaise content, but it just has an strange aftertaste once you get past the mayonnaise and Worchestershire. Now, they do have honey mustard on request, and it's okay, even if it is a tad heavier on the honey than I'd prefer. Still, that's...two sauces? What? From a place specializing in chicken tenders? The owners of this chicken franchise should know that chicken tenders are typically dipped in something, and that not everybody is going to like the only two they offer. C'mon, at least give us some dang barbecue sauce.
This "lack of variety" theme doesn't stop there. Take one look at the menu, and, well, you can order chicken tenders! You can order more tenders, less tenders or tenders in a sandwich. To go with it, you can get Texas toast, cole slaw or awful crinkle fries that look like they're straight out of a bad elementary school cafeteria. I've only been there a handful of times and have the whole menu memorized. It's absurd.
As for the chicken tenders themselves, they're fantastic. They're the only thing saving this from a one-star review. The coating is light and crispy, and the chicken is quite tender. These would be perfect in some sweet and sour sauce, but wait! Raising Cane's doesn't have that, either.
May I suggest going out for Chinese the night before you're headed to Cane's, then? It really does remind me of Sweet and Sour Chicken without the sauce.
