I love a good club sandwich in any form, so when I saw that Chick-fil-A was debuting a new take on a club, I figured I might try it. And when I saw that it’s a spicy club, I knew that I would get one. But despite being primed to enjoy the Chick-fil-A Jalapeno Ranch Club sandwich, I was underwhelmed — and there’s no way I’d spend the exorbitant price of $9 on it again.
What’s on the Jalapeno Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich?
Chick-fil-A’s new Jalapeno Ranch Club chicken sandwich has some standard components and some not-so-standard components. It starts with your choice of original or spicy fried chicken filet or grilled chicken, plus a slice of pepperjack cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Pretty basic stuff.
The good parts are the unusual ones: pickled jalapenos, caramelized onion-flavored candied bacon, jalapeno ranch, and the real interesting one, a buttermilk ranch bun.
It’s that bun that really intrigued me, because many of these limited time fast-food items just pile things on the same buns in new combinations. But this one is actually different and not something I’ve ever seen a fast-food chain do.
How Is Chick-fil-A’s New Club Sandwich?
Despite being excited to try it, I found Chick-fil-A’s new club sandwich to be extremely mediocre. Somehow, the individual components of the sandwich are better on their own. Once they’re all put together, they lose their uniqueness and turn into one boring sandwich, oddly enough.
The best parts are both the ranch bits. I wondered how they were going to pull off that buttermilk ranch bun — a brushed-on flavoring? A sprinkled seasoning? — and the answer was adding ranch spices to the bread dough. That makes for an interesting bun with flecks of dried herbs throughout. On its own, it tastes of butter, garlic, and an indistinct herby flavor. It’s subtle, so you probably wouldn’t notice it unless you try a bite on its own.
Jalapeno ranch, which comes in a packet on the side and not on the sandwich, is also a standout. There’s very little heat, but there is a paprika-like flavor, along with the standard garlic and onion. It’s good enough that you’ll want to dip everything in it, including your fries.
While I get no onion flavor from the bacon, it’s still great as a standard, brown sugar-heavy candied bacon. It’s crispy and flavorful enough that you notice it.
But all those tasty things don’t add up to an outstanding sandwich. No flavor or ingredient really stands out. There are too few jalapenos to be noticeable, and the bun’s uniqueness gets lost. It’s really just forgettable and underwhelming, a disappointment considering how good some of the toppings are.
How Much Does It Cost?
Here’s where we fully go off the rails. The new Chick-fil-A sandwich costs around $9. That’s insane for a single fast-food sandwich, no matter how good or bad it is. I won’t be buying it again at that price.
But if you decide that you want to take that $9 gamble and try it, here are a few tips. If you want it to be spicy, you’ll need to order it with the spicy chicken filet, because that’s where most of the heat comes from, despite the pepperjack, jalapenos, and spicy ranch.
Order it with the original fried chicken filet if you want to save money, because it’s the cheapest option — $8.35 at my location. If you’re a grilled chicken person, that’ll set you back over $9.
To get a similar sandwich without paying $9 for it, I’d suggest getting jalapenos on a regular spicy chicken sandwich, then adding a packet of the spicy ranch. Or add those two components to a spicy deluxe sandwich; I don’t think you’ll miss the bacon. That will get you close to the Jalapeno Ranch Club experience for a couple bucks less. Otherwise, I’ll just be sitting here, waiting for Chick-fil-A to bring back the Honey Pepper Pimento sandwich, which was so much better than this one.
More From Cheapism
- I Tried Chick-fil-A’s New Honey Pimento Sandwich And This Hack Makes It Taste Better — The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich is a Southern-inspired mashup of sweet, spicy, and savory.
- Chick-fil-A’s New Test Sandwich Is ‘Absolute Perfection,’ and We’re Jealous We Can’t Have It Yet — Chick-fil-A has created a sandwich so good that early tasters are calling it “absolute perfection,” but all we can do is sit on the sidelines and watch in envy.
- How to Win Free Chick-fil-A for a Year — Without Buying a Stupid $4 Cup — Chick-fil-A turns 80 years old this year, and the popular — and sometimes controversial — fried chicken chain is celebrating all year long.
