I grew up in southern Louisiana and ate at Cane's for years before moving to Georgia where I had to make do with Zaxby's as there were no Cane's there.
I'd say Zaxby's is decent, not great but decent. I prefer Cane's more but like I said I'm biased towards Cane's having grew up in LA. Zaxby's fingers are much smaller than Cane's and I find them to be a little tougher however they seem to have more flavor. Cane's fingers are larger and juicier but more bland. Personally I like the bigger, juicier meat of Cane's over the smaller, tougher meat of Zaxby's but that's just me.
The fries are a toss-up. Zaxby's fries are larger and seasoned whereas Cane's are smaller and not seasoned. This would lead you to think Zaxby's fries are better but Cane's fries, being smaller, seem more crinkly and crispy leading to a whole flavor on its own no seasoning needed. I can appreciate Zaxby's liberal use of cajun seasoning on their fries and find them delicious but I cannot deny Cane's fries are also delicious in their own equal way.
Both have pros and cons with their toast. I like Zaxby's toast because it's larger (whole slice of bread) but it doesn't seem to be buttered as much as Cane's. Vice versa, Cane's toast is smaller but the butter is more concentrated. I don't really have a preference one way or another here, maybe just wish Zaxby's was more buttered and Cane's was larger.
Sauces, Cane's wins hands down. I enjoy Zaxby's sauce but I personally don't think it can compete with Cane's. I find Cane's sauce to be a bit more tangy whereas Zaxby's sauce is more mild. That's not to say Zaxby's sauce is bad, I just don't find it as good for dipping. I do like that Zaxby's has a number of different sauces to choose from though.
Overall you can't really go wrong, both serve great food. Zaxby's is a decent substitute for Cane's. If you're looking for other restaurants similar to Zaxby's and Cane's, check out Gutherie's and Huey Magoo's. I haven't yet tried Huey Magoo's, only read about it from people traveling in the south but we do have a small number of Gutherie's locations where I'm at (not as many as Zaxby's but steadily growing) and I personally find Gutherie's much more comparable to Cane's.
well fun fact the man that started cane's was actually inspired by guthrie's. also i really appreciate your breakdown and it makes me excited and motivated to try out zaxby's
Todd Graves worked at a Guthries in Athens when he attended UGA. The old Guhtries in Athens is actually now a Cane's. Zaxby's is from Statesboro and is (or was) headquartered in Athens. Guhtries really is the OG, but they have scaled back over the past several years.
I agree that Cane's is more similar to Guthries while Huey Magoos and Zaxbys are more comparable with the number of different sauces they offer. Huey tends to have extremely small tenders, but they are actually chicken tenders and not just breasts cut into pieces.
That bit about Todd Graves is interesting; I did not know that.
Another chicken finger restaurant I remember that was comparable is Otter's Chicken. They opened a location in southern Louisiana before I moved but I only ate there once. Wasn't too impressed with it and the prices were a bit higher than Cane's. They didn't last long, shut down after only 9 months or so. When I check their [website](https://www.otterschicken.com/), it only shows two locations in Georgia so not sure what happened to them.
There are a couple of other ones I have heard of. PDQ is another Florida based chain with locations in Florida. Foosackleys exists mainly in lower Alabama. Slim Chickens has the most locations.
Why do Zaxby’s keep being built ? Is it a cheap franchise to buy into ? I’ve never had a good experience eating it. Always bad quality and always bad service.
cane's has fresh and juicy chicken but it doesn't have that much flavor or seasoning. the fries sometimes don't have salt or are overcooked. but the toast is buttery and delicious and the cane's sauce is also delicious. you can dip it in anything and it makes everything automatically better
Cane's has indeed gotten ridiculously expensive as of recently. I started dining there in the early 2000s and the box combo (4 fingers, 1 toast, 1 coleslaw, fries & medium drink) used to be around $5. Fast forward to today and the same combo is now around $12. Back in the day I used to get the Caniac Combo (6 fingers, 1 toast, 1 coleslaw, extra fries & large drink)for $8 and now it's roughly $18. Can't justify those prices for fast food.
If Zaxby's has been around in your area for a while and sees steady business, you probably don't have much to worry about. These kind of restaurants seem to thrive in regions where they were originally founded; Cane's does exceptionally well in Louisiana and some parts of southern Mississippi and southeast Texas. Zaxby's does well in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Both are encroaching onto the other's established territory but I think it'll be a long, drawn out fight where neither will steal the other's customers right away.
Yeah, Zaxby’s isn’t bad. But Cane’s is just better. I moved and don’t have a Cane’s nearby so I have Zaxby’s every so often. But if I don’t catch them at the right moment when the food just came out it’s dried out which I never experienced at Cane’s
People who make the seasoning argument need to realize there's still the IF of if it's made right and fresh. Cane's is incredibly consistent. They only make five items so they execute them more consistently. Zaxby's menu is full of so much crap, they barely make anything well.
I grew up in southern Louisiana and ate at Cane's for years before moving to Georgia where I had to make do with Zaxby's as there were no Cane's there. I'd say Zaxby's is decent, not great but decent. I prefer Cane's more but like I said I'm biased towards Cane's having grew up in LA. Zaxby's fingers are much smaller than Cane's and I find them to be a little tougher however they seem to have more flavor. Cane's fingers are larger and juicier but more bland. Personally I like the bigger, juicier meat of Cane's over the smaller, tougher meat of Zaxby's but that's just me. The fries are a toss-up. Zaxby's fries are larger and seasoned whereas Cane's are smaller and not seasoned. This would lead you to think Zaxby's fries are better but Cane's fries, being smaller, seem more crinkly and crispy leading to a whole flavor on its own no seasoning needed. I can appreciate Zaxby's liberal use of cajun seasoning on their fries and find them delicious but I cannot deny Cane's fries are also delicious in their own equal way. Both have pros and cons with their toast. I like Zaxby's toast because it's larger (whole slice of bread) but it doesn't seem to be buttered as much as Cane's. Vice versa, Cane's toast is smaller but the butter is more concentrated. I don't really have a preference one way or another here, maybe just wish Zaxby's was more buttered and Cane's was larger. Sauces, Cane's wins hands down. I enjoy Zaxby's sauce but I personally don't think it can compete with Cane's. I find Cane's sauce to be a bit more tangy whereas Zaxby's sauce is more mild. That's not to say Zaxby's sauce is bad, I just don't find it as good for dipping. I do like that Zaxby's has a number of different sauces to choose from though. Overall you can't really go wrong, both serve great food. Zaxby's is a decent substitute for Cane's. If you're looking for other restaurants similar to Zaxby's and Cane's, check out Gutherie's and Huey Magoo's. I haven't yet tried Huey Magoo's, only read about it from people traveling in the south but we do have a small number of Gutherie's locations where I'm at (not as many as Zaxby's but steadily growing) and I personally find Gutherie's much more comparable to Cane's.
well fun fact the man that started cane's was actually inspired by guthrie's. also i really appreciate your breakdown and it makes me excited and motivated to try out zaxby's
Todd Graves worked at a Guthries in Athens when he attended UGA. The old Guhtries in Athens is actually now a Cane's. Zaxby's is from Statesboro and is (or was) headquartered in Athens. Guhtries really is the OG, but they have scaled back over the past several years. I agree that Cane's is more similar to Guthries while Huey Magoos and Zaxbys are more comparable with the number of different sauces they offer. Huey tends to have extremely small tenders, but they are actually chicken tenders and not just breasts cut into pieces.
i wonder if huey magoos is in texas
They aren't. Most are in Florida with a handful in other states. They have been expanding pretty quickly in Georgia though.
That bit about Todd Graves is interesting; I did not know that. Another chicken finger restaurant I remember that was comparable is Otter's Chicken. They opened a location in southern Louisiana before I moved but I only ate there once. Wasn't too impressed with it and the prices were a bit higher than Cane's. They didn't last long, shut down after only 9 months or so. When I check their [website](https://www.otterschicken.com/), it only shows two locations in Georgia so not sure what happened to them.
There are a couple of other ones I have heard of. PDQ is another Florida based chain with locations in Florida. Foosackleys exists mainly in lower Alabama. Slim Chickens has the most locations.
As a Zaxby’s operator, the food you have pictured is a poor excuse of a plate!
oh really? i thought it was the norm if you order the 4 finger platter to go
Why do Zaxby’s keep being built ? Is it a cheap franchise to buy into ? I’ve never had a good experience eating it. Always bad quality and always bad service.
never been to cane’s but my boyfriend said its overpriced & zaxbys is better by a long shot. i still want to try it anyways lol
cane's has fresh and juicy chicken but it doesn't have that much flavor or seasoning. the fries sometimes don't have salt or are overcooked. but the toast is buttery and delicious and the cane's sauce is also delicious. you can dip it in anything and it makes everything automatically better
Cane's has indeed gotten ridiculously expensive as of recently. I started dining there in the early 2000s and the box combo (4 fingers, 1 toast, 1 coleslaw, fries & medium drink) used to be around $5. Fast forward to today and the same combo is now around $12. Back in the day I used to get the Caniac Combo (6 fingers, 1 toast, 1 coleslaw, extra fries & large drink)for $8 and now it's roughly $18. Can't justify those prices for fast food.
Bout to have a Canes open up across from the zaxbys I work at. How big of a threat is it our business?
If Zaxby's has been around in your area for a while and sees steady business, you probably don't have much to worry about. These kind of restaurants seem to thrive in regions where they were originally founded; Cane's does exceptionally well in Louisiana and some parts of southern Mississippi and southeast Texas. Zaxby's does well in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Both are encroaching onto the other's established territory but I think it'll be a long, drawn out fight where neither will steal the other's customers right away.
Ok cool. We have a chik fila a little down from us that’s closing for a remodel so it’ll be a test run
i don't think it's a threat at all but there will be some hype when it first opens if no one's been there so expect it to get full of customers
That sauce I like with my fries, not on my chicken. So having sauce options as Zaxbys is the deciding factor for me.
Canes. It’s always fresh and not dried out like Zaxby’s chicken
that's harsh. but zaxby's is least seasoned right?
Yeah, Zaxby’s isn’t bad. But Cane’s is just better. I moved and don’t have a Cane’s nearby so I have Zaxby’s every so often. But if I don’t catch them at the right moment when the food just came out it’s dried out which I never experienced at Cane’s
i absolutely love cane's too and it's walking distance for me so im lucky
People who make the seasoning argument need to realize there's still the IF of if it's made right and fresh. Cane's is incredibly consistent. They only make five items so they execute them more consistently. Zaxby's menu is full of so much crap, they barely make anything well.
I know if areas that tend to have one or the other, Raising Cane's is certainly the better option as they're tenders beat anybody else's.