Strategy: We tried two cult chicken chains that are quickly taking over the nation — and the winner was clear

Zaxby's and Raising Cane's are two of the fastest-growing chains in the US. Here's who comes out on top in a head-to-head battle.

Move over Chick-fil-A — there are some new chicks on the block.

Zaxby's and Raising Cane's are two of the fastest growing chains in the entire restaurant industry. Zaxby's grew 13.3% in 2016, reaching $1.6 billion in annual sales and earning the 8th spot in Nation's Restaurant New's list of fastest growing chains. Raising Cane's took the No. 1 spot, increased sales by a whopping 25.9% in 2016 to reach $640.5 million.

Both chains are children of the '90s — millennial chains, if you will, with Zaxby's opening in 1990 and Raising Cane's opening in 1996. Now they're giving the rulers of the roost, like KFC, Chick-fil-A, and Popeyes, a run for their money.

Intrigued about this upstart ingénues, Business Insider ventured south of the Mason-Dixon to see what the hype is around these Southern cult favorites.

Arriving at the Raising Cane's in Charlottesville, Virginia, on a sweltering and sunny June day we were hungry for the truth.

The first thing we noticed — a surprisingly minimalist menu. In contrast to much of the chicken community, Raising Cane's boasts just four options, plus a kids combo.

There's just two questions at Raising Cane's: How many chicken fingers do you want, and how do you want 'em?

We opted for one three-finger combo and one sandwich combo.

Upon plucking up our fingers, we found our own fingers covered in grease. However, this was not as unsettling as other greasy fried fare — biting into the chicken, we found it to be piping hot and freshly fried.

The incredibly crisp, yet light breading is reminiscent of a boardwalk food stand — a distinct and familiar flavor that you won't find at a classic fried chicken joint. Instead, it's almost home-fried in taste: certainly a treat, but no grubby grease bomb.

The chicken is paired with the mysterious Cane's sauce. According to rumors (the actual recipe is closely guarded) the sauce is a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and garlic powder. The result is a tangy, vinegary condiment that wouldn't seem out of place as a salad dressing. It works, but it doesn't have the cult-inspiring addictiveness that keeps Chick-fil-A sauce fans double dipping.

Every Raising Cane's combo comes with fries and Texas toast. The fries — crinkle cut — are forgettable, but that toast is tremendous. The golden, buttery carb is the platonic form of the Maillard reaction, a toasty treat that satisfies both carby cravings and buttery lusts.

Leaving Raising Cane's — where the service was as sweet as the tea — we were in agreement: this chicken was going to be hard to top.

After an hour-long drive to Zaxby's on outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, we were ready to see if we could fall in love twice in one day.

While Raising Cane's embraced minimalism, Zaxby's maxes out its menu. Ranging from "zalads," to wings, to "zappitizers," there was no way we try everything at this ambitious chicken chain.

Instead, we ordered what we hoped would be a representative sampling: the chicken tender sandwich, wings, fried white cheddar bites, and the grilled chicken sandwich.

The wings were light — not a drop of grease, with a home-cooked taste. They were fine, but not extraordinary.

The tenders, which are the main attraction at Cane's, are similar in quality to its rival. The meat is tender and juicy — but the breading leaves something to be desired.

In both tender and sandwich form, there is just not the satisfying crispy crunch that Cane's so capably packs into each finger.

The grilled chicken sandwich maintains this quality of protein. It's well-marinated, with the grill leaving a nice char. The issue lies with the subpar bun and the anemic tomato. When the hardest part is executed so well, these shortcomings are even harder to swallow.

The "zappetizers," something that is missing from Raising Cane's simplistic menu, toe the line in terms of what standard apps are meant to do. The onion rings are crispy and tasty, while the more creative fried cheddar bites aptly fill the role of a Southern mozzarella stick — but, then again, how can fried cheese be bad?

Some would say each chain has what the other lacks. At Zaxby's, the options are endless — but the chicken isn't anything to write home about. Raising Cane's tightly focused menu keeps the attention tightly focused on the chicken.

At the end of the day, that's all it takes. Raising Cane's excellence of quality ultimately eclipses any shortcomings that they may have. Both chains are up-and-coming, but Raising Cane's has raised the bar.

Zaxby's and Raising Cane's are two of the fastest-growing chains in the US. Here's who comes out on top in a head-to-head battle. Read Full Story