Okay, this is something that is near and dear to my heart. I have a deep and everlasting love for chicken strips, and I was recently inspired to come up with a definitive list of these blessed restaurants in order of their deliciousness. This is the sum of a very complicated equation that involved the chicken, sides, size, friendliness of staff, price, and crave-ability. Here is the definitive ranking of the top five chicken restaurants.

5. Slim Chickens

As a student at the University of Arkansas, Slim's is a huge deal. There is one at every corner and it's very available, especially because there is one on campus. To be completely honest, the chicken is all right. It doesn’t blow my socks off but is edible. The saving grace of Slim's is definitely the sauce. God bless Slim sauce. They offer many different options when it comes to sauce, which is definitely a plus. The best seller is the Slim's Plate which comes with a good amount of food – but like I said, the chicken is just about par for the course.

4. Chicken Express

As a Texas boy, I have had my fair share of Chicken Express. I grew up in a small East Texas town with limited options when it came to food so Chicken express was always a go to. Listen, the chicken is bomb. It’s crispy, delicious and everything that you look for in a chicken strip. As for sides, they give plenty of options but none really stand out as stellar.

Many people know Chicken Express because of their sweet tea. Like I said, I am a southern gentleman so I am very well versed in the subject of sweet tea and their sweet tea is not good. It is so sweet that you would think you were drinking straight maple syrup. Some people will go to the grave thinking that it is the best sweet tea around but they are simply diabetics. This is a Texas staple and I will always love Chicken Express.

3. Zaxby’s

I first tried Zaxby’s when I went to college with high expectations and, boy, were they met. The best seller comes with four chicken strips, fries, cole slaw, toast and a drink. The chicken is awesome, the fries are good, the toast is tasty, and the sauce is 10/10. My personal favorite is the Nibblerz Combo. It is three-miniature chicken sandwiches with Zax sauce and I am pretty sure it is a gift from God. They sure do rank high on the crave-ability scale.

2. Popeye’s

I have a special connection to Popeye’s. It is, honestly, the most underrated of all the restaurants on this list. It sort of has a bad reputation, and I have no clue why because it is glorious. The chicken is delicious and they give you three more strips than you even asked for, which is always a plus. This being said, the reason that Popeye’s is such a Godsend is the student special that they offer. If you are a student, you can get a three piece (they give you five) with a side and a drink for $5! God bless Popeye’s and the brilliant Louisiana native who created it. The employees also end every transaction with, “Have a blessed day.” I will have a blessed day thanks to this box of heavenly fried chicken.

1. Raising Cane’s

Alright, we have come down to this. The number one chicken restaurant is the total package. Raising Cane’s is the ultimate joint for fried delectability. The combination of crispy, golden fried chicken, crunchy crinkle cut fries, toast and cole slaw is the ultimate deal. If you are smart like me you can trade the cole slaw for extra fries, toast, or Cane's sauce, which is out of this world. It is reasonably priced and expertly crafted which is why it makes it to the number one spot on the list. Whenever I want fried chicken, my mind automatically goes to this place. If you are ever looking for me I will be at Raising Cane’s with a box combo, no slaw, extra toast and a sweet tea.

This list does not include the restaurant of Chick-Fil-A because it falls under a completely different category. I don’t know exactly why, but that deliciousness is entirely different in its own way, so it makes the honorable mention list.

So, there you have it, the definitive ranking of chicken restaurants. I have researched (a.k.a. eaten my body weight in fried chicken) to come up with this list and I think it is pretty fair. I know, of course, that some will disagree with me and that is their right, but everyone has the right to be wrong, right?