REVIEW: Chicken Salad Chick (Alpharetta, GA)

Hey readers,

Some people may agree to disagree, but I consider chicken salad to be one of the most versatile dishes out there. Why? Because everyone has their own personal way of enjoying this classic dish. Whether it's chunky, ground up, fine or chocked full of ingredients or little to no ingredients at all, the way one person likes their chicken salad another person may not. In other words, as Tom Hank's character in Forrest Gump once said, "Life Chicken salad is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." Seriously though, no truer words have ever been spoken and yes, we're still talking about chicken salad here. With that being said, chicken salad has always been one of my favorite "salads" out there, right next to tuna salad. I never really got into coleslaw, potato salad or egg salad, but man, chicken and tuna salad has always been my jam! Whether it's ordering it whenever I see it on a sandwich/sub menu, making it myself or enjoying it at family gatherings, I always like mine chocked full of ingredients, particularly grapes, walnuts, pecans, celery, onions and sometimes apples. Since I'm not a big fan of mayo, except in cases of chicken/tuna salad, I use as little mayo as possible and more fruits/nuts to make up for it, which I've been told is why people really like the way I make mine. Any who, when I stumbled upon an Instagram post of a friend dining at Chicken Salad Chick, I knew I had to get to researching the nearest location near me. Luckily, they opened one up right across the street from North Point Mall in Alpharetta and since I was already in the area for the day running some errands, I figured it was the perfect time to stop by and I did just that! Having glanced over the menu on their charming website beforehand, making the decision as to which items to order for my chick trio was just as hard, if not harder, when I approached the register. 

Let's get started:

❀Exterior

❀Interior

❀Chick Trio (Pimento Cheese, Sassy Scotty, Fancy Nancy)

❀FOOD (5/5): Surprisingly, the Chick Trio filled me up and was just the kind of light lunch I was looking to have for the day! Of the three, my favorite was the pimento cheese! I know, I know...it's probably strange that I picked the pimento cheese instead of the two chicken salads I tried, but man, I've always been a sucker for some awesome pimento cheese and CSC is by far some of the BEST that I've ever had! The nice pimento pieces, tangy mayo and rich cheddar cheese combination seriously blew my mind! I was trying SO hard to savor each and every bite and by the time I had looked down, it was already gone *insert sad face* Don't get me wrong though, the chicken salads were just as fantastic as well, with my favorite being the Fancy Nancy {Fuji apples, pecans and seedless grapes}. The hearty diced apples, crunchy pecans and juicy grapes really enhanced and brought out a fruity, yet sweet flavor that I really enjoyed, especially all of the different textures meshing with one another. The Sassy Scotty was just as tasty, with plenty of bacon and shredded each. Since I'm pretty much a ranch fanatic, I wish the ranch in this one were a little more prevalent taste-wise. I didn't get a strong note of ranch, but thought it was still delicious as well!

❀SERVICE (5/5): Although CSC is mainly a self-serve type of establishment where you place your order at the counter, take a number and wait for your order to be brought out to the table, all of the employees I encountered on my visit were very friendly and helpful. The staff member ringing me up was particularly helpful in recommending some of her favorite items on the menu, which included the Fancy Nancy and Pimento Cheese. After reading the description of them on the menu, I just knew I had to order it! 

❀DECOR (5/5): The decor here is AMAZING, especially their branding! Not only is the name of the establishment super charming and playful, which I'm sure speaks to their female market, but the color scheme is so bright and lively, just like the funky names of their chicken salad choices. The emblem, which depicts a female with her handbag is awesome as well! Upon entering this location, there's a long narrow highway that leads you directly to the registers and allows you to place your order. There you'll find pictures and menus depicting the various items they offer adorning the walls, in addition to a semi-open kitchen area. Once you've placed your order, you can take a seat in their spacious dining room and relax until your food is ready. There's plenty of booths and tables, making it great for both large and small parties, and also an outdoor patio, perfect for those who love to dine outside. Throughout the restaurant, you'll find black and white photographs on the walls, in addition to quotes and more. All the tables are covered with fun tablecloths and the sleek black furnishings really help to mellow out the bright colors, which I personally thought was great!

Overall, I'm a HUGE fan of Chicken Salad Chick and am SO glad that they're finally near me! I'd been waiting so long to make a visit to their shop and am happy that I finally made it without having to make the far drive out to Kennesaw. The innovative chicken salads that they're concocting here along with the quirky names make CSC a huge home-run hit for me! I'm already looking forward to trying out all of the other chicken salads, especially the Kickin' Kay Lynn, Luau Lydia and new Dill-licious Diva flavors!

Have a wonderful day,
-Sandy

FTC: I was not paid or compensated for this review. All reviews and opinions expressed are my own.

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