When it comes to finding the best chicken in Brea, the Wildcat isn’t chicken. 

Wildcat staff members Natalie Romero and Natalie Dicesaris took on the challenge of settling, once and for all, which popular local chicken restaurant is the best: Brea La Habra’s Raising Cane’s or Fullerton’s Clyde’s Hot Chicken. 

Both Raising Cane’s and Clyde’s Hot Chicken have the same items in their main meal combo: chicken strips, toast, crinkle fries, and a “secret” dipping sauce.

THE PRICE BATTLE

Raising Cane’s is an easy winner with its $6.98 price point for four strips, sauce, fries, and beverage, versus Clyde’s $10.99 for the same amount of food.

Winner: Raising Cane’s

THE TOAST BATTLE

Starting with the iconic side of any Cane’s meal is the Texas Toast, but Clyde’s also has their own version of “toast.” While Canes has fluffy, buttery slices of white bread that melt in the mouth, Clyde’s complements their chicken meal with a crispy, seasoned slice of sourdough bread. Because the texture of the Clyde’s toast accompanies the rest of the meal perfectly, the ultimate winner of this toasted bread battle is Clyde’s.

Winner: Clyde’s Hot Chicken

THE FRIES BATTLE

Cane’s and Clyde’s chicken meals both include a side of crinkle cut fries. Just by setting the meals side-by-side it was clear that Clyde’s was the obvious winner. The Cane’s fries looked lifeless compared to the well-seasoned and crispy Clyde’s fries. Taste-wise, Cane’s fries seem average, just seasoned with salt, whereas the Clyde’s fries taste savory with a unique blend of Cajun spices. Clyde’s is the clear winner of the fries. 

Winner: Clyde’s Hot Chicken

THE SAUCE BATTLE

Admit it: A good dipping sauce can make an entire meal. Without it, the food can taste boring or dry. In this case, both Cane’s and Clyde’s sauce are almost identical. A mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce make up the deliciousness of both restaurant’s dipping delicacies. Although they are so similar in taste, the winner of the sauces is Cane’s. While Clyde’s has more spices in their sauce, Cane’s offers a sweeter sauce that blends better with every bite of chicken making it the winner. 

Winner: Raising Cane’s

THE CHICKEN BATTLE

Although both restaurants specialize in chicken strips, each restaurant has a very particular taste that differs greatly. Cane’s has a more tender and juicy chicken strip, while Clyde’s has a crispy chicken strip with a variety of Cajun spices. Even though a Clyde’s chicken strip tastes like real chicken, compared to the processed aftertaste of Cane’s, we can’t stop eating the buttery Cane’s chicken. Something about the flavors, tenderness, and melts-in-the-mouth sensation of makes us crave more, which is why Cane’s is the winner of the ultimate battle: the best chicken strips.

Winner: Raising Cane’s

After much thought and debate the ultimate winner of the best chicken restaurant is Clyde’s Hot Chicken. Although Cane’s has better chicken strips, and is significantly cheaper, there needs to be more to a meal than a tasty protein. Thus, the king of the roost in this battle of the local chicken joints is clear: Clyde’s Hot Chicken.

Raising Cane’s is located at 1050 South Beach Blvd in La Habra. Clyde’s Hot Chicken is located at 513 North Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton.