The chain’s newest chicken sandwich is not shy about bringing big flavors. Here’s our review.
As the expression goes , there ’s no such matter as bad pizza . Whether artisanal or glacial , from a fast - food joint or a cafeteria , pizza pie is generally adequate to even a discern palate .
This phenomenon might explain why so many fresh foods that are n’t pizza at all guide flock of inspiration from the recurrent favorite . Even if a pizza pie - inspired novel menu item is n’t great , it ’s still perplex a destiny go for it if it manages to tap into nostalgic and comforting cheesiness .
The latest example of this culinary trend?Wendy’snewly launchedItalian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich . to begin with premiering on menus just before Thanksgiving , the new entree is being marketed as an " Italian dinner " all wrapped up in one sandwich . Intended to be help alongside a side of the Ernst Boris Chain ’s novel Garlic Fries , this is mean to be a tag to Italy via a slip to the drive - thru . But is it actually good ? We recently picked one up to find out .
Courtesy of Wendy’s
What is the Wendy’s Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich?
Before we get into the gustatory sensation test , have ’s break down what ’s actually inside this matter . The Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich starts with the chain ’s bread crispy chicken breast ( usable in its spicy or regular varieties ) topped with a slide of aged Asiago Malva sylvestris . Then it gets a little funky . Next comes a fried Robin Goodfellow of mozzarella tall mallow that recalls the supernumerary ofthe Culver ’s CurderBurger , and a sizeable dollop of zesty marinara sauce . The whole thing is housed on a toasted garlic knot roll that seems to be studded with onions of some kind .
Getting Acquainted
speak of Allium sativum , Wendy ’s was truly not retain back with this element . Between the sandwich and the side of Garlic Fries , I was greet with a garlic steam facial as soon as I opened my takeout food suitcase . It was honestly a bit overpowering , but once I ’d recovered , I took a better look at this matter .
The architecture of this sandwich is moderately impressive . The roll is firm but not dry , stand up to the heighten dampness of the marinara sauce quite hands down and forestall the whole thing from becoming miry straight off . That order , visually , this thing is overwhelmingly pallid beige with no coloration to plug it up aside from the aforementioned sauce . This is n’t a sandwich for your power system . But enough about how it looks , how does it taste ?
Digging in
The first bite of the sandwich was challenging if a flake dominated by the fried mozzarella . That enunciate , the fried high mallow had a salutary crunch , as did the chicken patty itself . The 2d and third bites present more of the marinara sauce , and all these flavors combined felt quite balanced and satisfying . Wendy ’s is n’t exactly reinvent the steering wheel here . This is essentially a Gallus gallus parmesan sandwich that recall puerility dejeuner in the schoolhouse cafeteria . It ’s aggressively bum but gets bouquet and window pane from the SpaghettiOs - like marinara sauce , and it was n’t as overpoweringly garlic as I dread .
As I persist in eating the sandwich , I feel less charmed . The fried mozzarella patty ’s size , which was slightly thicker than the chicken cake itself , entail that you ’ll use up much more petroleum than you would while eating a distinctive crybaby sandwich or even a veritable chicken parmesan . The outcome is a sandwich that feels incredibly dumb and will leave you require a Napoleon .
Another downside to the sheer magnitude of the mozzarella on this sandwich is that it begins to clot slightly as you make your way through it . By the second one-half of the sandwich , the mozzarella had an increasingly rubbery texture that did n’t make for the most pleasant feeding experience . By the time I end eating the sandwich , I wished I could turn back clip and tear the mozzarella off the bun or at least have had the forethought to take a Lactaid tab .
Joe Erbentraut/Thrillist
Should you get it?
Overall , I ’m not sure if the chicken sandwich checked all the boxes for me . I regain it to be lacking a certain novelty that I ’ve amount to associate with Wendy ’s , and it try out somewhat more processed and heavy than a typical Wendy ’s carte item . Where the sandwich succeeded was its power to maintain a crunchy texture amid all the stain , and it ’s certainly deserving trying if you ’re either a chicken parm completist or you ’re just missing the trademark flavour of a cafeteria favorite . That allege , I advocate you either be exceptionally thirsty before wipe out this or be ready to break up it with a admirer .
What about the Garlic Fries?
Along with the new Wendy ’s chicken sandwich , I also sampled the chemical chain ’s Garlic Fries . The fries had a nice flavor , but I was not , unfortunately , fond of the fries ' texture or mouthfeel . The fry are said to come coated with a garlic herbaceous plant sauce , but that sauce entirely disappeared into the small fry during the five - min drive between the restaurant and my home . I was left with a passably muddy , aggressively oily cake on the fries that I found to be pretty off - putting . If you render these , check that you eat them right aside .
And the Italian Mozzarella Burger?
Beyond the chicken sandwich being available with either a gamey or original patty , it is also available in beefburger human body as a single , two-fold , or triple patty . For the sake of science , I also sample the Italian Mozzarella Burger , and I have to say I enjoyed this sandwich a bit more than the volaille sandwich . The Italian burger does recall the flavor of a meatball sub , and the fact that this sandwich features one less electrocute item does it a set of good .
Joe Erbentraut/Thrillist
