I received an email from Arby’s about a week ago asking me to try their new Market Fresh Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad Sandwich. They didn’t just want me to try their sandwich however, they also wanted me to try Subway’s Orchard Chicken Salad Sub and then write about which one I thought was better. Seeing as how I always hate to pass up a free meal I immediately replied and told them I’d be more than happy to write a review.
A few days later I received an Arby’s gift card and a Subway gift card in the mail and I got to thinking; how could I be impartial in a taste test like this when I knew who was sponsoring it? That’s when I decided to hit the streets of downtown Milwaukee to find someone to eat the sandwiches for me and pick a winner.
On my way downtown I stopped and picked up a Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad Sandwich and a Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad Wrap from Arby’s and a Footlong Orchard Chicken Salad Sub from Subway. Arriving downtown I stopped at Walgreens to buy some gum and that’s where I came across Johnny. He asked me for some change and I offered him the sandwiches instead.
Over the next fifteen minutes we shared a couple beers, talked about life and Johnny tried the sandwiches. The winner? Arby’s. His reason why their chicken salad is better than Subway’s? “It just is.” So there you have it, according to my completely un-official chicken salad taste-off Arby’s is better than Subway because well, “it just is.”
Wanna try the new Arby’s sandwich for yourself? If you head over to their Facebook Page you can get a coupon for a free Market Fresh Chicken Salad Sandwich with the purchase of a 22 oz. drink, which is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. They’re also donating $1 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign for every Chicken Salad Taste-Off vote on their Facebook page. As if all of that wasn’t already enough Arby’s was also nice enough to give me three $5 gift cards to give away to my readers, so if you want one just leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered!
Update: Leave it to the lawyers to make everything a little less fun. The Arby’s legal team has asked me to blur the logo on the beer cans in my pictures below and to remove the reference in my blog post to what type of beer Johnny prefers. If you’re really wondering what beer it was though it rhymes with “Ratty Dice…”
Chris G.
May 9, 2011 at 10:24 am (13 years ago)Do you make this stuff up? Where did you find the homeless guy?!
Nick
May 9, 2011 at 10:41 am (13 years ago)Milwaukee has tons of homeless people Chris, you just need to leave Wauwatosa to find them! Just kidding. I met him down near 16th and Wisconsin hanging outside of Walgreens.
EatWisconsin
May 9, 2011 at 10:58 am (13 years ago)Dear Nick –
Thanks a lot, now we have homeless people hanging out in front of our restaurants wanting Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
Eat Shit,
Arbys
Rebecca
May 9, 2011 at 11:13 am (13 years ago)Well, if a homeless person likes it, it MUST be good!
Tony
May 9, 2011 at 11:30 am (13 years ago)Very cool free sandwich for buyin a soda… Love your blog…nice job!
Briana
May 9, 2011 at 11:34 am (13 years ago)As a fellow participant in the face-off, I have to admire your impartiality (is that a word?) and creativity in choosing a winner. I just rode my bike around and stuffed my face.
Lisa
May 9, 2011 at 12:14 pm (13 years ago)Nick, I am proud that you spent your birthday feeding the homeless. Good job!
Julie
May 9, 2011 at 12:15 pm (13 years ago)Hah, I love it! Great idea. This is how all taste tests should be done.
Aunt Jenny
May 9, 2011 at 4:51 pm (13 years ago)How could you see Johnny – he’s camouflaged?!
AJ
May 9, 2011 at 4:52 pm (13 years ago)natty ice… haha
Daniel
May 10, 2011 at 2:30 am (13 years ago)Haha I love how you set up this taste competition. And how can someone argue with that type of reasoning for why Arby’s is better?
Zachary Jacob Zblewski
May 10, 2011 at 2:54 am (13 years ago)This may be the greatest taste test I’ve ever seen. Its interesting that Johnny preferred Natty’s over Walgreen’s own “Big Flats 1901” ($2.99 per sixer).
If Johnny Marquette likes the Arby’s, that’s the only one I’ll buy from now on!
Erin
May 10, 2011 at 9:48 am (13 years ago)this was a great story! im glad that homeless dude got a free meal out of it! love this blog!
Mel
May 11, 2011 at 10:47 am (13 years ago)I love Johnny!! Will we be seeing more of him?
Nick
May 11, 2011 at 11:09 am (13 years ago)Ha ha, maybe if I can find him again!
kolpin
May 13, 2011 at 10:47 am (13 years ago)of course arbys is better..it’s basically a big mayo jar with 44 grams of fat and 850 calories! now that dude’s gonna have have a heart attack!
Nick
May 13, 2011 at 10:54 am (13 years ago)Mmmmmmm… Mayo jar…
Tampa Bay Food Monster
July 14, 2011 at 7:37 pm (13 years ago)this is brilliant, and you are a god.