To kick things off, I stopped by my local Chick-fil-A. The brand, which first opened in Atlanta in 1967, now has more than 3,000 locations across the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

When I stepped inside, I ordered the three-count chicken strips, which cost me $5.45.

I enjoyed the Chick-Fil-A chicken tenders because they were crispy and had the right amount of seasoning.

They were also reasonably priced for such a decent portion size.

After visiting Chick-Fil-A, I traveled to a nearby to PDQ, a chain restaurant known for its chicken tenders, salads, and sandwiches.

The first PDQ opened in Tampa in 2011, and the chain now has 58 locations, most of which are in Florida. However, there are also a few restaurants in North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York.

Here, I ordered three crispy chicken tenders for $7.

The tenders were tasty, and they appeared to be a little larger than the ones I got from Chick-fil-A.

When I bit into one, the inside was so tender it fell apart. Although this made them a little harder to eat, I was impressed by how fresh the tenders seemed.

I also thought they were seasoned nicely.

I traveled down the road a few miles to Zaxby's, a fast-food chain that specializes in chicken fingers and wings. Founded in 1990 in Statesboro, GA, the chain now has more than 950 locations, mostly in the South and Midwest.

To get the most for my money, the cashier suggested I order a kid's meal, which came with two chicken tenders, fries, a rice krispie treat, and a drink for $5.70.

When I took a bite, I thought these chicken tenders tasted salty. This made sense because after looking at each restaurant's nutrition information online, it seemed as though the Zaxby's chicken contained the most sodium.

Despite that, though, they were pretty flavorful. Although they appeared to have less seasoning on them than the ones I got at PDQ, I still tasted a hint of pepper. They were cooked perfectly too, and very tender.

However, because of the salty flavor, these tenders were my least favorite of the three I tried.

When it comes to plain, crispy, fried chicken tenders, Chick-fil-A was the clear winner. These had the right amount of seasoning, were reasonably priced, and came in the perfect portion size.

I can definitely see myself returning to Chick-fil-A for more in the future.

I started my taste test at Wendy's, my old go-to spot when I needed a salad fast. The chain's salad menu does have some nice variety, though, with Caesar, Cobb, apple-pecan, and taco options.

For this comparison, I went with the basic Cobb.

A traditional Cobb salad usually has greens, tomatoes, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, grilled chicken, and a vinaigrette dressing. Wendy's version wasn't too far off, but it swapped in cheddar cheese and ranch dressing.

I got two packets of dressing with the salad and a bag of crispy onions to sprinkle on top.

The ranch wasn't particularly flavorful, but the addition of the onions added a dash of flavor and crunch.

The Cobb salad cost me $9.13 at Wendy's, and despite being on the smaller side for this taste test, it was pretty filling.

My biggest complaints were that the grilled chicken and ranch were a bit on the bland side, and the bowls felt flimsy and shallow, making it difficult to blend the ingredients.

I remember Wendy's salads being bigger and a little more impressive, but maybe it's just been a while since I've had one.

Next, I drove over to the closest Zaxby's location. The chain is primarily known for its seasoned and breaded fried chicken.

A salad isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Zaxby's — I'm personally a fan of its funnel cakes and other fried foods. So I wasn't surprised that the chain only sold two Zalad options: Cobb and house.

With mixed greens, hard-boiled egg, cheese, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, fried onions, and fried chicken, Zaxby's salad was certainly fully loaded. But despite all the accouterments, I thought the ratios were spot-on.

Similarly to Wendy's, Zaxby's uses cheddar jack instead of blue cheese, perhaps because the stinky variety isn't everyone's favorite.

For the dressing, I had a choice of ranch, honey mustard, or vinaigrette, and the salad came with a hearty piece of Texas toast on the side.

I also really appreciated that I was in and out with my salad in less than four minutes. I like fast food that's actually fast.

Zaxby's salad came in a more substantial container than the others, which also meant the portion size was a bit bigger. However, it was the priciest salad at $12.60.

I was already a fan of the chain's top-notch fried chicken, and enjoying it on top of a colorful salad ended up being a delightful experience.

Chick-fil-A is a popular place to be, but I've found that the chain operates efficiently (albeit slower) than other fast-food spots.

Nevertheless, if you breeze past the many chicken options, Chick-fil-A has three salads: Cobb, spicy Southwest, and market.

Chick-fil-A's Cobb salad is made with mixed greens, roasted corn kernels, bacon, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, and chicken nuggets. It's served with an avocado-lime ranch dressing

Unlike the other chains, this salad allowed for a little more customization. I could've substituted the nuggets for chicken strips or fillets that were grilled, fried, cold, or warm.

Instead of fried onions, the salad also came with a topping of crispy bell peppers.

The real hero of this meal was the creamy dressing. It pulled the flavors together and was unique compared to the other offerings I tried.

Even though the packaging was on the smaller side, the salad was densely packed. It was also incredibly delicious and kept me full for hours.

I'd pay $10.40 for this Cobb again.

Culver's has a fantastic ButterBurger, but the Midwest-based chain actually makes a pretty great salad as well. Oddly enough, they're sectioned off with the seafood options on the menu.

Although there wasn't a Cobb on the menu, the seasonal strawberry-fields salad caught my eye — I'm a sucker for a limited-time offer.

With mixed greens, chicken, blue cheese, and vinaigrette, I thought it was close enough to a traditional Cobb to compare to the others.

There were also chicken-cashew, cranberry-bacon-blue, and garden-fresco salads.

The strawberry-fields salad came with raspberry vinaigrette, blue cheese, strawberries, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and pecans on a bed of mixed greens.

When I picked up my order, I was handed one fat-free Ken's vinaigrette and one Culver's brand option. It was a bit odd, but I like having options, so I didn't mind.

Culver's packs its strawberry-fields salad with enough fruit to make it feel like a dessert. That alone probably makes it a little harder to compare to the Cobbs, but at the end of the day, a fast-food salad is a fast-food salad.

This one is for people who don't want to feel like they're eating salad. There were enough toppings to saturate each bite, and at $9.77, it was a cheaper option.

My only complaint was that the grilled chicken was a bit bland and didn't really add anything for me.

Although none of the salads were bad, when it came down to crowning a winning chain, Zaxby's and Chick-fil-A were neck and neck for me.

They both offered quality ingredients, decent portion sizes, and top-notch taste.

If you're looking for faster service, Zaxby's might be the one for you. But Chick-fil-A's Cobb salad is a more budget-friendly option.

Considering Chick-fil-A's salad was cheaper and so dense that I actually had leftovers, I think it has to be my winner.

This story was originally published on August 25, 2024, and most recently updated on April 7, 2025.