In the beginning, there was a man named Gene Wright, who distributed chicken to local restaurants. To make a long story short, this man eventually opened a restaurant that would come to be known as Wright’s Chicken Farm. This one-of-a-kind, buffet-style, chicken farm restaurant is located right over the Massachusetts state line, in Burrillville, Rhode Island, and is about 40 minutes from our own Assumption campus. While this may seem like a drive, but we’ve all gone further for lesser things; so take my advice when I say that this is a bucket list worthy experience.

The only challenge is where to begin. So, I’ll start with the inevitable conclusion that most people will reach when researching Wright’s, and that is why is this nutcase defending an establishment that recently made the news for a Norovirus outbreak that caused over 30 people to get the disease? The answer to that is simple. The food is amazing (and all you can eat), and the outbreak was in no way Wright’s fault. While Norovirus can be spread through food, Norovirus cannot be present in the food unless someone with the Norovirus touches it. So it's not like Wright's is not properly preparing their food. If anyone with Norovirus touches anything, it can spread like wildfire. Also, people get sick, and people do stupid things, like go to work, or eat at Wright’s. You cannot blame the restaurant for letting in a customer exhibiting no signs of disease, because as we know, someone with the Norovirus doesn’t show symptoms until 12 to 48 hours after having the disease. So, they took a little hit, but rest assured Wright’s is not some gross, disgusting, neighborhood Chipotle, giving people E. Coli for fun. The people over there care so much as to close the restaurant to allow for a thorough cleaning to make sure nobody would get sick.

But I know you’re all wondering, Dan, why should I go to Wright’s? And the answer is simple. To quote our resident expert in all things Rhode Island, Zack Szymkowicz, it’s “a religious experience”. You can tell you’re in for a treat from the moment you step out of your car and smell the chicken, writhing in greasy goodness, that reminds you that you live in America, a place where this kind of artery monstrosity is not only acceptable, it’s amazingly popular. But it’s more than that. Their waiters/waitresses are extremely friendly, and make you feel right at home, in a chicken farm, in the middle of nowhere, Rhode Island. Stay for a little, stay for hours, they won’t try to push you out or make you feel unwanted.

Also the cost is friendly, at around $12 for all you can eat chicken, pasta, salad, fries and bread (drinks other than water will cost you). But this is no ordinary buffet-style food. This is some of the best chicken you could ever wish to have. Your body will love you for basically opening it up to a new possibility of awesomeness that I’m sure it hasn’t experienced yet. The only downside is that it will inevitably leave your stomach rejecting the inferior chicken of Chuck’s or Taylor Dining Hall. Remember though, experiencing a taste of the best, is better than never having experienced it at all. Besides that, Wright’s also has a gift shop, so you can bring back all your friends trinkets reminding them of your superiority for having gone to a place like this, while they have not.

Personally, it’s a combination of all of these things that encompasses the Wright’s experience, and is ultimately why people continually come to Wright’s. I’ve known this since I was a wee lad. However, little did I know of the expansive customer base that Wright’s had, until I reached college and realized that many of my friends from the Worcester area had heard of and been to Wright’s. Their conclusions were all similar to mine, in that Wright’s is magical, and I’m glad that I could share with you this little gem, so that the completely true legend that is Wright’s Chicken Farm could be spread further.