On what felt like an unusually hot September day in New York City, I trekked across a grassy field, my stomach empty and churning in anticipation of what lay ahead.
In front of me loomed a large stage with a DJ blasting music, tents set up with picnic tables, and a VIP area that beckoned me to come inside.
This wasn’t a music festival — it was ChainFest, a food festival with pop-up events in New York City and Los Angeles. ChainFest collaborates with Michelin-starred chef Tim Hollingsworth and chains like KFC, Cracker Barrel, Red Robin, and Red Lobster to create elevated versions of fan-favorite menu items.
I got the opportunity to try all of the dishes, including new menu items coming to chains soon. Most of the food I tried was included in the standard tasting ticket, which started at $99.99 and allowed guests to try each ChainFest menu item once. The items were all portioned on the smaller side so that guests could try every menu item without feeling overly stuffed.
However, in order to try the exclusive Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits-inspired butter-poached lobster biscuit, you had to purchase a VIP ticket, which started at $399.99 and included unlimited access to all ChainFest booths, early entry to the festival, an open bar, and other perks. I received a media pass to attend the festival.
Overall, I left feeling well and truly stuffed.
Here’s everything I ate at ChainFest, ranked from my least favorite to my favorite.
9. Country-fried Steak ‘n Gravy Biscuitwich from Cracker Barrel
The first menu item I tried at the festival ended up being my least favorite. The sandwich featured a miniature country-fried steak and seasoned gravy sandwiched between a plain biscuit.
This item was a spin on Cracker Barrel’s biscuits and gravy and country-fried steak, which are permanent fixtures on its menu.
The steak was well-fried, but the gravy was a little congealed by the time it got to me.
While the texture of the gravy was slightly off, this could have just been due to the preparation conditions — it was a hot day, there were thousands of guests to serve, and the chains were operating out of outdoor tents.
I liked the biscuit’s flavor and thought the steak was perfectly crispy, but I think I would have preferred a fried chicken biscuit rather than a country-fried steak biscuit. The steak was a little too chewy and dense for my liking.
8. Cheddar Bay Biscuits-inspired Butter-poached Lobster Biscuit from Red Lobster
Only those holding a VIP ticket had access to this menu item, which was being passed around in the sectioned-off VIP area. However, I wasn’t quite sure that this single menu item made the more expensive ticket worth it.
I personally thought the texture of the poached lobster was a little rubbery.
However, I thought the biscuit, which was inspired by Red Lobster’s iconic Cheddar Bay Biscuits, was very crumbly, buttery, and flavorful. The arugula also added a touch of freshness to the dish.
The lobster, however, simply didn’t wow me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture or the flavor.
7. Elote dog from Hot Dog on a Stick
Next up was the Elote dog from Hot Dog on a Stick, a chain that specializes in gourmet corndogs.
I’m admittedly a huge fan of Elote, so I was intrigued to try this corndog drizzled with chamoy and lime crema and topped with cotija cheese, charred roasted corn, and cilantro.
Biting in, this was the most flavorful corndog I’ve probably ever had.
The batter held its shape without being too thick and was packed with a salty, fried flavor. The beef hot dog also held its own, and the additional toppings certainly made this menu item stand out to me.
Things were looking up in terms of the food offered at ChainFest.
6. Everything bagel with pizza schmear from Pop-Up Bagels
It wouldn’t be a New York food festival without some bagels and schmear, and Pop-Up Bagels certainly impressed me with theirs.
They offered two different flavor variations: an everything bagel with pizza schmear, which was the one I got, and a salted bagel with cheesecake-flavored schmear.
This menu item took the idea of a “pizza bagel” to a whole other level.
The bagel was perfectly seasoned and was the perfect balance between fluffy and chewy. The cream cheese tasted like regular cream cheese with a tomato topping that gave the perfect amount of pizza flavor.
5. Pumpkin spice original glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme
This was one of the few sweet options available at the festival. It was a perfect choice for early autumn in New York, so I was excited to try this variation on Krispy Kreme’s classic glazed doughnut.
The doughnut was fluffy and had a subtle pumpkin spice flavor.
It tasted like a classic Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut with just a hint of pumpkin spice. I would definitely get this again, so I hope that it will one day be added to menus.
4. Jalapeño Heatwave burger from Red Robin
The only burger I tried during the day was a take on the Jalapeño Heatwave, the newest burger added to Red Robin’s menu.
The burger I tried varies slightly from the one you’ll find in restaurants but has the same flavor profile.
The ChainFest version came with an American wagyu beef patty seasoned with umami powder, hatch chili and avocado salsa, caramelized onions, jalapeño sofrito, pepper-jack cheese, and chicken-fried jalapeños on a potato-brioche bun. The mini burger also came with crispy onion rings.
I thought this burger was packed with flavor.
I can’t remember the last time I ate at a Red Robin restaurant, but this burger might just be worth a trip. It had the perfect amount of heat and jalapeño flavor and slightly reminded me of my favorite burger when I tried every burger at Chili’s.
3. Haute Dog from Portillo’s
My third-favorite item I tried was the “Haute Dog” from Portillo’s, a hot-dog chain with locations in the Midwest and on the West Coast.
Inspired by a Chicago dog, the hot dog came with mustard, onions, relish, pickles, tomato, sport peppers, celery salt, cheese sauce, and potato chips.
This hot dog really impressed me. I loved the crunch of the potato chips.
Texturally, this hot dog was a winner in my book. The hot dog itself was beefy and juicy, and the sesame-seed bun added a lot of flavor. I loved all of the toppings, including the salted potato chips, which added a delicious crunch to the hot dog.
2. Blazing Bourbon Chicken from Panda Express
This was the last menu item of the day that I ate, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.
The Blazing Bourbon Chicken is one of the newest additions to the Panda Express menu and came with green peppers, onions, and sesame seeds.
The chicken was sticky and sweet, with a slight kick.
It reminded me slightly of General Tso’s chicken, which is usually what I order from American-Chinese restaurants. However, this dish had a slightly more molasses taste to it thanks to the bourbon.
1. Chicken tender and waffle from KFC
A play on chicken and waffles, this was by far the festival’s most popular menu item, judging by the seemingly mile-long line that stretched in front of the KFC booth all day.
The dish came with KFC’s newest menu item, the original recipe tenders, which will launch nationwide on October 14, a ChainFest-exclusive potato waffle, and a choice of sauce.
I tried the chicken tender and waffle with KFC’s new Comeback Sauce and a spicy mango sauce.
This menu item had me seriously excited about the chain’s new chicken tenders launching next month.
It was juicy on the inside but perfectly crispy and seasoned on the outside — the hallmark of a truly great chicken tender. The Comeback Sauce, which is also coming to KFC menus soon, was tangy and the perfect complement to the chicken and waffle.
The waffle, which I wished was coming to menus, was light and fluffy and provided the perfect vehicle for soaking up the extra sauce. If I had had more room in my stomach, I definitely would have gone back for seconds — and maybe even thirds — of this menu item.
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