In the world of fried chicken, you can say I’m a Bojangles fan. Since I didn’t grow up around here, my favorites used to be Church’s and then Popeye’s. But yes, living in North Carolina, you can bet your bo that I’m all about the Bojangles now. It’s a guilty pleasure but most of my road trips over 4 hours involve a stop at a Bojangles for a biscuit or fried bawk bawk. Oddly enough, I normally don’t do BoJo’s here in Raleigh since it just seems like overkill to me unless…
Yes, I had heard that Bojangles was running a limited three-month special, the Cheddar Bo! Previously limited to a franchise operator in the eastern part of the state, the Cheddar Bo Biscuit was now available in all the Bojangles locations for the start of 2015. A Cheddar Bo Biscuit petition started by Steve McQuaid forced Bojangles hand so we all get to enjoy this lovely treat. It was time for a visit to my local Bojangles out on Western Boulevard!
So while Bojangles is a franchise and chain, there are slight differences at each location that do make a difference. The Western Boulevard Bojangles is a popular haunt for NC State students and its location right next to Cook Out mean you’re in fast food heaven. Heading over to this location, be aware of the sharp, uphill right you need to take into the parking lot. If you’ve got a stick, make sure you downshift into a lower gear to get into that tight uphill. Inside Bojangles you’re met with a lot of orange and wood. I usually do takeout here but today I’m dining in. Plenty of friendly staff on hand to take your order, I do a 2-piece dinner along with the Cheddar Bo, snarf!
My tray is put together in a couple of minutes and the women staffing the counter are super-sweet. Do you need condiments? How about some ketchup? For a fast-food joint, Bojangles is all Southern and polite, it’s definitely appreciated. I drag my food over to a two-top, I’ve got a plate of fried chicken, my biscuit and some sweet tea, yum! I’m just glad I went to the gym this morning! Digging in you definitely appreciate the fast food eats here at Bojangles. $5.79 for the two piece meal with fries, $1.79 for the Cheddar Bo. It’s not elegant eating, it’s not healthy but it’s darn tasty and you’d have a hard time replicating this meal at home. The chicken at Bojangles is extra crispety and crunchy, well-coated with a bit of spice. Paired with the tender juicy chicken underneath, there’s a lot of yum going on here. The Cheddar Bo lives up to expectations. A salted, fluffy biscuit sandwiching warm, tasty cheddar cheese. The cheese overflow is seared on the grill giving it a chewy texture on the edges. All in all it’s a salty, gooey treat which will jack up your cholesterol count but well worth the effort. And yeah the skin-on fries at Bojangles are also solid.
We’re not talking fancy, we’re talking delicious and cheap and I’m glad to have been converted to Bojangles fried chicken over my years in North Carolina. I’m pretty sure it’s some of the best fast food fried chicken in the country and when you tie in the friendly and excellent staff, you’ve got yourself an easy and tasty winner. Rock on, BoJo’s!
Bojangles Fried Chicken- Western Boulevard
3808 Western Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27606
919.664.8613
Ajisai Japanese Fusion in Cameron Village, Raleigh