Have you noticed that Merrimack has quite a few new restaurants?

This is a series by the Merrimack Journal’s anonymous food reviewer, who eats at restaurants around town, new and established, and reports on the experience.

This week: Chicken Now

Deciding to brave another of the Merrimack Outlet Food Courts eateries, this time I went to Chicken Now. A national chain, Chicken Now advertises that it has “No bones. No bull. The world’s greatest tenders” (and as we all know from watching the movie “Elf”, you can’t say that, if it’s not true.) I decided to find out just how good those tenders were for myself.

Appearance

Chicken Now sells all kinds of boneless chicken – this is just not the place to go if you are hankering for a burger. In typical food court style, you walk up to the counter, place your order and then proceed down the line to get your drink and wait for your food.

Each meal is prepared to order, so you’ll not be buying a pre-packed salad or sandwich from this eatery. There was no line when I went and my wait time from order to receiving my meal was about 5 minutes.

Food Choice

Their “box”, which is a menu favorite, contains chicken tenders, grilled Texas toast, fries and a dipping sauce. Although I’m sure it’s tasty, it looked a bit too heavy for an afternoon lunch at the mall.

Other choices included various chicken sandwiches on rolls or Texas toast, Caesar and Southwest Salads, and nachos, quesadillas, and sandwich wraps. Sides to any meals are also available and include corn, mashed potatoes, rice, beans, and coleslaw. Chicken Now also has Kids Menus, and they serve chicken and waffles, as well as crispy tenders and wing dishes.

I decided to try the Caesar Salad with grilled chicken, and as I ordered a combo, I also got my choice of a fountain or bottled drink. Also available (for additional cost) was Boba Milk Bubble teas, which are cold milk tea drinks either with or without tapioca “pearls” for added flavor.

Service

The gentleman who took my order was pleasant and helpful, asking me the requisite questions (Did I want a drink? A side? How many tubs of dressing did I want?) He didn’t ask my name or give me a number as I have heard others did, but that was probably because I was the only person in line.

No tips are necessary when paying for your food.

Food Quality

My salad came in a large plastic box and the grilled chicken was mist, surprisingly hot and covered with spices and melted parmesan. There was also plenty of parmesan added to the salad.

The Caesar salad dressing was flavorful without being overpowering. Fresh, crispy, Dark green romaine leaves were used (there is nothing worse than a Caesar Salad with iceberg lettuce) and there were plenty of croutons. A slice of buttered Texas toast was also included.

The total cost was $9.15 for the salad and a bottle of water. Take note that you will be asked if you want one salad dressing tub or two, but one is more than enough for the entire salad.

Value

Overall, I have to admit, the food was rather tasty. I had initially thought that the chicken was a bit salty but some of that could have been due to the parmesan cheese added to the chicken and salad.

In any event, as with most salty foods, after a few bites I didn’t even notice. The meal provided a large enough serving with good quality ingredients.

The meal was thoroughly enjoyable, filled me up, and made for a delightful lunch. It was a $9.15 salad that in my book, was well worth it.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Chicken Now has the world’s greatest tenders, I will say that their chicken is satisfyingly good, and a very good meal for the price.