342761 Tue Nov 14 19:01:02 -0800 2006 28 32 Chains 0 2021059 Is it possible that this small chain has NEVER ONCE been mentioned on Chowhound.com??? (Or is it the usual crappy performance of the site's search function?) According to their website www.raisingcanes.com, they have 50+ locations, most of which are in the Louisiana market (based in Baton Rouge). I see that there's one being built at a busy intersection in Apple Valley, MN. I checked out the web site and thought I was having some kind of computer error when I clicked on the menu. After seeing they serve chicken fingers (surprise, surprise), I was repeatedly clicking the "reload" button waiting for the rest of the menu to unfreeze. There was none. You can order chicken fingers. Or...chicken fingers. Oh the kids menu does have a good selection of...er....chicken fingers. To be completely fair, they also serve crinkle cut (blech) fries, cole slaw and Texas toast. But for the most part, you order anywhere between 1 and 100 chicken fingers, fries, slaw and toast. Different marinades or flavors? Nope. Original or extra crispy? Uh uh. Spicy or mild or Italian seasoned or BBQ or curried chutney stuffed?? No. Variety of dipping sauces? Nope. One item. One recipe. Their web site makes claims of marinating never-frozen chicken tenderloins, frying-to-order and the best dipping sauce ever known to man. All in an employement culture of fun, music and dancing (the employees that is). A google search produced a handful of business articles about the concept and a couple of ho-hum blog reviews claiming bland, yet positively tender chicken fingers. But I just keep circling back to my original thought...a restaurant exclusively about CHICKEN FINGERS?!?! Frankly, I'm confused by this. What's the deal Chowhounds? Tue Nov 14 19:01:02 -0800 2006 11110 MSPD 1 2022179 My guess is it has never been mentioned. There is not much worth mentioning. I took my children to the Raising Cain in Flowood, MS just outside of Jackson. We went ONCE! The chicken and sauce were bland. The crinkle cut fries were greasy. I did not see any employees dancing or having fun. There are other better options for fast food chicken --- Zaxby's, Chick-Fil-A, Popeye's. Wed Nov 15 00:13:42 -0800 2006 2021059 13816 Sister Sue 2 2022337 Thanks for the report! As they seem to only have one kind of dipping sauce, what flavor is it? Wed Nov 15 01:17:38 -0800 2006 2022179 10645 Bad Sneakers 3 2036522 It's a spicy mayo-based concoction. Recent efforts by the Times-Picayune's write-in recipe column to tease out the recipe yielded this: THE CANE'S THING TAKES A NEW TWIST: In the ongoing dialogue here about duplicating the dipping sauce from Raising Cane's, two guys weighed in with the same information. "Raising Cane's is an almost exact copy of a small chain called Guthrie's that has been operating in Alabama since the early '80s, down to the Texas toast and, yes, the SAUCE. I have been making 'Guthrie's Sauce' for years using the following recipe, " writes P.J. of New Orleans, who grew up in Auburn, Ala. "Cane's sauce and Guthrie's sauce are dead-on the same thing." The "very important" ingredients missing from earlier discussions here: Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt. Then, another northern Alabamian, A.M., called to say the same thing. "That's hilarious about Cane's dipping sauce, " he said. "I have the original recipe" from Guthrie's, which he said has been in business in Auburn since 1959. The recipe he shared was for an industrial-size amount: 15 pounds mayonnaise, 7 pounds ketchup, 21 ounces Worcestershire sauce, 6 ounces black pepper and 6 ounces garlic salt. Here is a more workable recipe for Guthrie's sauce that P.J. makes. He adds, "These measures are approximate. I usually just eyeball it." His sauce has paprika in it. Guthrie's sauce 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise 1⁄4 cup ketchup 1⁄2 tablespoon garlic powder 1⁄2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon paprika Generous amount of black pepper (cover surface two or three times and mix in) Combine all ingredients. It will start to look and taste right as you blend them together, but it is best to let the sauce sit for a few hours before serving. Mon Nov 20 19:54:01 -0800 2006 2022337 12023 Hungry Celeste 4 2440211 I heard it was stolen from a Zaxby's restaurant in South Carolina. It is the exact same sauce and their chicken fingers come with toast and crinkle cut fries. Raising Cane's is delicious though, but so is Zaxby's. I've never even heard of Guthrie's, but it was obviously around before both. A friend of mine has a fasination with the history of things and the original story is what she had discovered, but I don't know what her sources were. Sun Apr 01 09:47:31 -0700 2007 2036522 87688 Zaxbysfan 5 2904666 This recipe wasn't stolen from anyone. It's a mix of common ingredients that people have been using for years. I've been mixing up these ingredients to eat with crawfish since I was a little girl, loooooooooong before I had ever even heard of Raising Cane's or Guthrie's. Sun Sep 02 10:28:36 -0700 2007 2440211 124108 themanje 5 3419905 I was just going to comment that it sounded like Zax's sauce. But the ingredients in that, while yummy, are nothing too unique. Thu Feb 21 06:28:41 -0800 2008 2440211 67610 Suzy Q 1 2022360 I went to LSU in Baton Rouge and this is college kid/drunk/hangover food. I gained nearly 15lbs. my freshmen year. i don't know how the franchises are, they were only in baton rouge when i had my bender. the sauce is sort of a spicy thousand island and now they offer the chicken fingers on a sandwich i believe. i always thought it was awesome but I stay away from it now that i have FINALLY lost my college weight. Wed Nov 15 01:25:31 -0800 2006 2021059 46768 katp 1 2128878 Well, thanks very much for this. Christmas Day; all stores closed; all restaurants closed. Wife and I have been sick and decided to just go to Picadilly instead of trying to cook. Wrong! Picadilly closed also! Hmmm-mm. Unopened bag of chicken fingers in the freezer; date OK; let's do that. Sauce? Nada. On a lark, I decide to search "dipping sauce" and got many hits; so I decided to add Guthries to the searcha and found several interesting threads. This one is a winner! If you like Guthrie's sauce, you will like this recipe. The paprika is important! Also, don't be bashful about the black pepper. We like coarse ground pepper most times, but this one needs regular [McCormick's] ground pepper. Isn't it amazing how expensive pepper is? Anyway, when he says cover surface and mix in, you should do just that! I covered, but just lightly and mixed it in -- three times. The final analysis when we used it? Could use a bit more pepper. Cover it with pepper; stir it in. Repeat. Repeat. I was not able to let it sit but for just over an hour. I think it will improve. I had plenty left over and I'll try it again tonight or tomorrow. To whatever extent this recipe misses being "Guthrie's," it need offer no apology. Great job! Many thanks for this one which goes into "the book." Season's Greetings, Chuck (Wetumpka, Alabama) Tue Dec 26 14:01:29 -0800 2006 2021059 61967 Cadillac84 1 2280758 I also went just one time when they opened in West Monroe, Louisiana. For serving just one item I was not impressed. I also really dislike mayo, so I didn't like the sauce either. I did see an interview with the owner. Seems like a nice guy, very inspiring, just not enough for me to return. Sat Feb 10 21:23:44 -0800 2007 2021059 11259 Becca Porter 1 2440699 The one time I ate at Raising Cane's in Houston it was absolutely vile. No redeeming qualities about their "food" whatsoever. The chicken fingers were WAY overcooked (in old oil) and the gravy was disgusting. Never again. Sun Apr 01 13:26:39 -0700 2007 2021059 16852 jim1126 1 2537507 I'm not a big fan either. I'd rather have Popeye's any day. I thought the "secret sauce" was really bland and tasted too much like bottled thousand island dressing. The sweet tea was nauseating sweet... Thu May 03 07:41:34 -0700 2007 2021059 13731 donnaaries 1 2808670 I don't understand... Raising Cane's has over 50 locations (some in states other than Louisiana) and yet they only serve chicken fingers? They must be doing something right! I live in Lafayette, LA and all three locations here are ALWAYS packed! I have never had a bad experience and rate Raising Cane's way above any other quick-serve restaurant. Also, it isn't uncommon to take a product and make it better. Sure the same menu (mostly) is served at Raising Cane's, Zaxby's and Gutherie's. After doing my own research, it seems that what makes Raising Cane's better is the way they market their product. Their stores are inviting to everyone (especially the college crowd, both employees and customers alike) and promote a great atmosphere and a very cool culture. Lastly, it isn't uncommon to have more than one entity selling the same product (or product mix). Wal-Mart and K-Mart, for example, sell mostly the same thing. Its the marketing strategy and customer base that made Wal-Mart the largest retail store in the world. Its competition, people. It's what makes America diverse. Thu Aug 02 15:46:52 -0700 2007 2021059 116359 stellyb 2 2825497 stellyb, I appreciate your opinion. Since I made my original post, the Raising Cane's opened in Apple Valley. For background, and because you mention the demographics, Apple Valley is your stereotypical suburban USA. Raising Cane's is nestled at a busy intersection dominated by strip malls, a hotel and other fast food joints. I can see where the place MAY appeal to college kids, but there isn't an institution of higher learning anywhere around Apple Valley (I think they have started or are planning outlets at the U of M and in a couple of other suburbs). I went with my wife and kids a few weeks after they opened. The staff and culture seemed a little more enthusiastic than the KFC next door and the McDonalds two doors down, but during the hour or so we were in there, there was pretty much nothing going on (the song and dance I read about in other news articles). It was a bunch of 16 year-olds ringing up orders and sliding trays across the counter. That said, my focus is on the food. And, to be honest, the food was ho hum. The cole slaw, toast and fries were all institutional grade. As with the service, I can forgive lackluster side items if the star of the show is spectacular. It wasn't. The chicken was, as claimed, a nice quality juicy tenderloin but the coating was forgettable. I've heard no other than local critic gone national uber food show celebrity Andrew Zimmern rave about the sauce, which I found completely perplexing. I could walk across the street to the salad dressing aisle of the budget grocery store and pluck dozens of more complex, unique and/or compelling dipping sauce options off the shelf. Bottom line: after one visit, I was already tired of the place. Time will tell, but my prediction is that Raising Cane's won't have staying power here in Minneapolis/St. Paul (aside from an on-campus location at the U of M). stellyb, building on your analogy, I find it an interesting coincidence that the locations they are selecting are in the shadows of another highly marketed, once-exploding, now fizzling chain with a limited product line, Krispy Kreme. Like Krispy Kreme, after the buzz wears off, I suspect Cane's is hoping to capture catering/party orders as a significant percentage of their revenue. Neither place seems to have many cars in the lot whenever I drive by. (Now....if only they would consider capitalizing on their southern roots and expanding their menu to include catfish, fried okra and stuff along those lines, they would be filling a badly needed niche around here) Wed Aug 08 10:31:12 -0700 2007 2808670 11110 MSPD 3 3196425 I live here in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area...........actually not too far from this Apple Valley Cane's mentioned above. Shortly after this Cane's opened, I ordered lunch via the drive thru. Food was hot, which is a plus, but found their much hyped sauce was nothing special. I could tell the fingers were fresh chicken because they were juicy and had a wonderful texture. The toast and coleslaw was good as well. The crushed ice in the soda was a nice touch which you don't see from many other fast food operations. Side note..........some southern soda pop manufacturers actually use cane sugar as a sweetner in their sodas instead of cheaper corn syrup. From what I understand, cane suger sodas not only taste better than corn sweetened sodas, but it's healthier for your body. I doubt Cane's uses cane suger sweetened sodas because if they did, they would certainly advertise this. I think Cane's might be missing something here! To be fair, I have not seen any claims from Cane's about their sodas other than using crushed ice. The most interesting observation I have is regarding the size of Canes' chicken fingers. When I first ordered (within days of this new store opening), the fingers were quite big. Just had lunch at this same Cane's today and the fingers were about 1/3 the size. The only explanation I can think of is that Cane's opens their new locations with larger chicken fingers hoping that they'll impress new customers. If Cane's doesn't do this, they have significantly reduced the size of their fingers over the last year while keeping the prices the same. After seeing the smaller fingers they are now serving, can't say if I'll ever go back. Just my two cents! Mon Dec 10 15:44:23 -0800 2007 2825497 149167 todd37 4 3198749 Howdy neighbor. (Burnsville here) Interesting about the size of the chicken itself (the only thing I thought was noteworthy as I mention above). The only significance Raising Cane's has to me anymore is whenever we drive by, my four year-old son says "Welcome to Raising Cane's. You can have chicken fingers or chicken fingers or chicken fingers or chicken fingers...." and so on until we say, "OK, that's enough". And an update since my last post: The Apple Valley branch of Krispy Kreme was closed. Tue Dec 11 11:31:07 -0800 2007 3196425 11110 MSPD 4 3419765 I don't think 1/3 of the size is a fair assessment but Tyson provides the chicken to Raising Cane's and they reduced the size of there chicken from about 9oz and tender to 6-7oz while keeping the price the same. Cane's did not have much of and option. Cane's does not use sodas with Cane syrup in them because it uses Coke as its provider who does not allow the use of Cane syrup in its products within the US. Also to those skeptical about its future success it has been open about 12 years opened about 80 stores and to date has never closed one. If thats not success I don't know what is. And don't expect diversification of the menu cause canes has "One Love." Thu Feb 21 05:22:11 -0800 2008 3196425 167862 mthurston 1 2815219 Fingers? I didn't think that chickens even had hands! But seriously, this reminds me of that old SNL routine about The Scotch Tape Store whose owners couldn't figure out why they weren't successful. If the chain in question is successful with that business formula, then more power to them. However, it seems like a self-limiting market, IMHO. Sun Aug 05 08:40:26 -0700 2007 2021059 25376 Ted in Central NJ 2 3419935 Ted, you made me laugh out loud with the ref to the Tape Store! There used to be a store in my old hometown called "Sock World" that we always likened to that as well. I believe Sock World lasted about 6 months. Specialization can be a good thing if you either have the lock on a product, or simply do it better than anyone else. We don't have Canes in my area, but I wonder how their stores do in a town where there are similar options such as Zaxby's? I can see why the concept is popular near college campuses - I bet the drive through's open late, too! Thu Feb 21 06:37:30 -0800 2008 2815219 67610 Suzy Q 1 3421306 OMG! Had no idea this was a chain with 50 outlets. They opened one up in a suburb of Columbus, OH next to the grocery store DH and I frequent. After grocery shopping one night after working all day, we thought we would check this place out as we had no frame of reference. We took one look at the menu and didn't stay. However, they chose to place their location in a very family friendly area chock full of fast food options, so they probably will do well. Have been known to have Popeye's or Church's chicken once in a blue moon, but boneless chicken fingers aren't appealing. Too many local options for "real" Amish fried chicken. Thu Feb 21 12:15:08 -0800 2008 2021059 15139 Diane in Bexley 1 3423110 Besides the Deep South, I have also seen them south of the Las Vegas Strip. Honestly, I stopped in at one of the locations in Baton Rouge and the prices looked too high for what the food looked like so I left. Raising Cain's cannot be any worse than Zaxby's which for me ranked as one of the bottom ten meals for 2007. Overcooked chicken strips and a salad of browned romaine at a fairly steep price. Thu Feb 21 22:39:38 -0800 2008 2021059 12471 jlawrence01 2 4689782 I've only heard of Raising Cane's today. I was going through Lexington, KY and my brother recommended it. It was very good. The crinkle-cut fries and the toast complimented the juicy chicken fingers nicely. The dipping sauce was also delicious. Sat May 16 13:23:55 -0700 2009 3423110 293272 mikemelancholic 1 4692150 There's a Raising Cane's in Hattiesburg, MS. The chicken is always freshly cooked and the sauce is the best there is. Believe it or not, there are 3 chicken finger restaurants here specializing in it. One is a Zaxby's, another is Willy T's. .....heck I think there's another one who's name I can't recall. The funny thing about Raising Cane's is that about 10 years ago, the place was a chicken finger restaurant of a different name. It's sauce was also the same.....odd, I know. It became a hot dog specialty place and that lasted about 3 or 4 years until it became a Raising Cane's. EDIT: after reading more of the posts, I recalled the 4th chicken finger place in the city, Gutherie's. I saw a note about including catfish, okra and other southern faire, but here in the south, places serving those are a dime a dozen. Why is catfish termed seafood? Yeah, I know there's a catfish in the oceans but that one isn't very edible. On the same note, I can truly understand how a niche can be filled in that area. Southern food can be hard to find the further north you go and there's some delicacies you would like. Perhaps a store specializing only in fried? If you ever get the chance, try a fried oreo. There's also, of course, fried chicken, and fried dill pickles, shrimp, tomatoes, sweet potatoes etc. The problem is that all these places in the south never even bother getting a second restaurant, much less a franchise. A good example of a southern type deli would be McCallisters. This chain has been moving around some and may cross that mason/dixon line someday. However, it's another sandwich specialty shop. Raising Cane's has all kind of pop memorabilia on the walls, which is quite common. Yes, they have an option to order 100 chicken tenders for parties or whatever. Until I read this post, I thought the place was local only. Sun May 17 15:50:36 -0700 2009 2021059 292005 Shadowcran 2 4732168 I would say that McAllister's has already crossed the M - D line since they have locations in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Wyoming. Mon Jun 01 08:10:17 -0700 2009 4692150 13816 Sister Sue 3 4733166 Our McAllister's just closed. Kind of sad, actually. They made an OK sandwich, but they were just never busy here. Mon Jun 01 13:07:39 -0700 2009 4732168 124908 jeanmarieok 2 4732364 Would Schlotzky's be considered a southern-type deli? Mon Jun 01 09:13:17 -0700 2009 4692150 92112 Fibber McGee 1 4771422 We ate at Raising Canes in Vegas, bland chicken and greasy fries. I will say, however, that the sauce is good, but maybe thats because its the only thing with flavor they serve. I dont get the big idea of this place. I dont have to go again. Sun Jun 14 07:58:27 -0700 2009 2021059 1083389 aprilrose39 1 4879819 I really don't get the appeal. My coworkers are fast food addicts and eat there a couple times a week. They've managed to work Raising Cane's into the rotation for our monthly company lunches too. Everything is bland and greasy, including the bread. The sauce that everyone raves about has almost no flavor. We were given a bunch of two-for-one meal combo coupons and I just gave them away. I guess their sweet tea is good, but not worth the trip. Wed Jul 22 04:29:57 -0700 2009 2021059 76025 mojoeater 1 4892340 My first experience with Raising Cane's was shortly after Hurricane Katrina in Harvey, Louisiana. I was there as a Red Cross volunteer and it was one of my first meals that didn't come out of a #10 can and it was delicious. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have enjoyed it quite so much, but we loved it. Seemed like all the locals did, too. Sun Jul 26 16:50:35 -0700 2009 2021059 22401 wanderlustre