The cost of things these days? Far too expensive! Inflation, supply chain, giddy price gouging from proprietors large and small—the boring factors are too numerous to count. To protect our readers, Racket recently launched the Best Budget Bites series, where we’ll showcase a toothsome, wallet-friendly food item that’ll actually fill you up. Have a nomination? Hit us up: tips@racketmn.com.
What: Original Chicken Sandwich
Where: Logan's Burgers & Chicken, 1405 E. Lake St., Minneapolis
Cost: $5.49
Availability: Year-round
The guns of the Chicken Sandwich Wars have mostly fallen silent. In 2019, at the height of the fast-food poultry arms race, a Maryland man was stabbed to death for allegedly cutting in line to get a Popeye's chicken sandwich. Demand for the flightless bird remains sky high, though, with cooler heads in 2022, we're able to sit back and assess what makes a great chicken sandwich.
Consider the one from Logan's Burgers & Chicken. It's just $1.50 more than than the fantastic clucker from Popeye's, yet it's so much better. How could it not be? After decades in the burger game, Logan's owner Ramiro set out to make a simple, affordable menu of "fresh, quality food" in a colorful Lake Street shop named after his son. Racket's Keith Harris has been spreading its gospel since the place opened in 2019. (He takes pride in being credited for this.)
Logan's presents guests with an enviable Sophie's choice: the namesake burger or the namesake chicken. You can't go wrong. I've had both, they both rule; the burger is gaining local buzz, ditto for the chicken. For the purposes of this Best Budget Bites entry, we're focusing on the Original Chicken Sandwich—hand-breaded breast patty, pickles, and Logan's Sauce on a "freshly baked, butter-toasted" bun.
The dramatic peaks and valleys of each patty suggest, unlike a cookie-cutter McChicken, that you're getting a genuine cut of chicken, one whose juiciness hints at in-house brining. A light, crispy batter coats the generously sized, fall-apart protein, while a vivid blend of spices provide real flavor. Sliced razor-thin, the pickles pop with dilly perfection; you'd be forgiven for mistaking the no-nonsense bun for one from Popeye's.
The not-so-secret weapon is the aforementioned Logan's Sauce. True chicken-heads are hip to Raising Cane's cult-loved Cane's Sauce. At Logan's, you'll encounter an uncanny version of that creamy and peppery sauce, but with slightly sweeter notes. Order extra, slather it on, dip into it, spare no drops.
If you're within a reasonable radius of Logan's, there's no reason to patronize fast food chains for your grease fix. Evidence of the scratch cooking is documented via their charming attempts at TikTok virality, and the price points are almost unheard of in an era when restaurants don't blink at charging $15 for stuff between buns. Adding to our Logan's fandom: The recent addition of Mexican treats. Wanna win a popularity contest this holiday season? Show up to the party with a bursting brown bag full of Logan's. You'll make Santa look like a bum.
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