Chick-Fil-A fulfills high expectations

Customers eagerly await the opening of the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant in San Jose.

Finally, another casual dining business that lives up to its claims of great food and service.

Chick-Fil-A has been compared to In-N-Out in its quality of food and customer service. In my opinion, it has reached In-N-Out’s high standard.

On Aug. 23, the long-awaited opening of Chick-fil-A in San Jose, near Great America, finally arrived. Chick-fil-A knows how to celebrate a grand opening. It gave away a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 adults in line on opening day, a deal worth about $350 each.

I had heard of Chick-fil-A prior to going there, but I never knew what I was missing out on until then.

I ordered the original Chicken Sandwich, described as “a boneless breast of chicken seasoned to perfection, hand-breaded, pressure cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil.”

Advertisers couldn’t have said it any better: It was fried to a point of perfection, not too crisp or too soggy. It was, in the words of a children's poem, "just right."

Although I had to purchase the fries separately, I got a generous amount of them for the price, and I liked them better than that of any other fast food chain’s.

The chicken breast was plump, juicy and savory, unlike the bland, dry and hard chicken I've had at other fast-food places. The waffle fries, like the chicken, were just the right amount of crispy on the outside, and plump and soft on the inside.

You really just can’t deny the quality of Chick-fil-A in the quick-serve industry.

My order all together was about $15. For about five items and their quality, I thought that was a reasonable price. Most of the restaurant’s items are priced from $2 to $5.

Although service is going to vary by location, I have found the people working at the San Jose location to be very friendly. They keep the sauces behind the counter—to prevent pilfering, I suppose. I usually don’t gravitate toward any sauces, but the sauces at Chick-Fil-A are to die for.

Something I found admirable was the policy behind Chick-Fil-A being closed on Sundays. This is a corporate policy so that the employees can spend the day with their families. As a fan of tasty chicken, this decision disappoints me, but I do have a lot of respect for the restaurant for choosing to do this.

What Chick-Fil-A offers that other chains do not is the above-and-beyond attitude for customer service.  It's in the Bay Area, but it maintains a southern hospitality and charm. There is a steady flow of customers at any given hour, but they are always fully staffed and capable of handling the extra traffic.

Chick-Fil-A is a nice break from all the typical fast-food joints that specialize in beef burgers. Even though their food is a bit on the pricier side compared to other fast-food chains, it is definitely worth it.

Be sure to check out my favorites: the chicken strips, chicken sandwich, waffle fries and lemonade. And for my fellow foodies out there, feel free to indulge in some "fried" chicken without as much guilt, thanks to their pressure cooking.