The new Chick fil-A restaurant in Manhattan has made record numbers. Even before its opening there were reports saying that the NYC location would have more customers its opening day than all other locations combined. The Midtown eatery, which opened on October 3, is the largest Chick fil-A in the country according to ABC7 and waiting times were around an hour long at some points.
I was curious to see what all the hype is about. Being from New York and having lived briefly in an area of the South where Chick fil-A just didn’t exist, I haven’t had the experience. Many of my southern friends have ranted and raved over the exquisitely crafted food items but I was not trying to get trampled or wait in line for at least three hours for fast food. So when I ended up having to take a trip to Pittsburgh, PA with some coworkers, I figured Chick fil-A would be a rewarding pit stop.
The IWCA or International Writing Center Association held their annual conference at the Wyndham Grand in Downtown Pittsburgh. Coming from NYC would mean that my fellow consultants and I would have to travel a 13 hour round trip. While the conference itself was a great learning experience, we ended up stopping at Chick fil-A twice.
The first time in Chick fil-A was an interesting experience. Being from New York City to a certain degree means you just have to expect people to be rude more often than not, but these Pittsburgh employees seemed to go above and beyond. The cashier made friendly conversation with us while taking our orders. We sat by a window and were served at our seats. A man who looked like he may be the manager of the establishment took our trays when we were done. Maybe it’s just because we’re all rude in the city, but this kind of treatment is usually reserved for a chain restaurant with dimmed lighting and laminated menus, not some place with a play area for little kids in the back. Other than that, the restaurant was pretty much like any other fast food place. The walls were an oatmeal shade that the floor matched besides it’s spaced out blue and red tiles. The condiments, napkins and straws were all placed together. Nothing was too distinctive about it.
Of course what gets the most attention is the food and I certainly was surprised at the taste. I got the number one meal which includes a chicken sandwich with waffle potato fries with fluffy yet crisp parts of a gridded, non-greasy heaven. Easily they were the best part. You might think that if you’ve had one chicken sandwich, you’ve had them all. But there was something different about this one that didn’t make it better than others, just different. Although, part of that could have been the Chick fil-A sauce, which to me just tasted like a next level honey mustard.
I liked the food, honestly, but I guess I haven’t completely given into all of the hype. It’s good food, but that’s all. One of the only real amazing part about it was that it was a good experience with friends. It was a bonding experience over good food, but I’m glad we won’t have to drive another six hours to eat there again.
