by Joseph Sweeney | editor-in-chief

The War on Poultry rages onwards as new competitors enter the scene. After a preemptive strike by the reigning chicken sandwich king, Chick-fil-A, major fast food companies from around the country began readying their forces for the impending battle.

McDonald’s would assemble their team of Earth’s mightiest chickens; Burger King would begin beefing-up, or rather, breading-up their current forces, and Arby’s would do…something, all the while Wendy’s, the reigning champ in the world of corporate Twitter, would plot something much more sinister. 

While rival corporations would focus on strength and numbers, Wendy’s decided it would be best to properly outfit their soldiers for the battle ahead. And so, Operation: Just Jalapeño was launched in February to a lukewarm reception. 

The Jalapeño popper chicken sandwich comes outfitted with the latest, or rather, lamest, in spicy food technology, including hot cheddar and pepper jack cheese sauces, a jalapeño cream cheese spread, applewood smoked bacon and sliced jalapeños, all for the low low price of $6.19. 

While I don’t go to Wendy’s often, when I do it typically is not for the taste of a several hours past expired crispy chicken patty. And with their naming conventions being more convoluted than Xbox’s naming conventions, who could really blame me from being confused over whether I should be ordering the spicy chicken sandwich, spicy ~crispy~ chicken sandwich, or the spicy asiago chicken club? But after taking a chance and soon falling in love with Chick-fil-A’s grilled spicy deluxe, I quickly decided to try Wendy’s offering as well.

I cannot say the same for this sandwich however. While Chick-fil-A was able to turn a relatively uninteresting sandwich into an absolute hit with the help of their new cilantro lime sauce, Wendy’s plays it safe, with their only innovation being the addition of Jalapeños. While the cheesy sauces and cream cheese spread may sound enticing, they end up being nothing more than extra calories to this disappointing sandwich.

It’s safe to say that Wendy’s was the first casualty of the War on Poultry, though with much competition ahead, it surely won’t be the last.