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I finally got my hands on Wendy’s *New* Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwich. Wendy’s website and advertising have been updated, and this item should now be available nationwide at most locations. There are two versions: BBQ and Buffalo. For this review I’ve chosen the BBQ flavor sandwich and eaten it twice over the past few days.

Let’s get straight to this… it’s a pretty good sandwich. The chicken is tasty, moist and tender, feels natural instead of being over processed. It’s not Chick-fil-A quality, but still a nice piece of chicken. It’s in fact, the same “Homestyle” filet used in the Wendy’s sandwich sold by the same name. It’s breaded with a light crispy coating, seasoned with black pepper. Any piece of processed chicken meat tastes better covered with sauce, but this filet is good enough to stand on it’s own, and that shows.

They take a homestyle filet and dip the whole thing in sauce, like a giant chicken wing. Wendy’s BBQ sauce tasted OK, with a decent amount of tangy sweetness, but it was too weak. More impressive was the way the sauce clings to the chicken filet, providing even distribution of flavor for the entire sandwich. The breading on the chicken seemed to absorb the sauce, ensuring that each bite would provide a small burst of barbecue. As a sauce lover, especially BBQ, I like this “dipping” system. Forget about spreading or pouring it on… just dip the whole damn thing in sauce! YEAH!

There’s less sauce than you might think. Most of the bumps and clumps you see in the photos are the breading underneath, showing thru the outer layer of sauce. It’s also not as messy as it looks. The sauce is thick, and sticks to the sandwich. There’s not many drips, and you won’t end up with a puddle of sauce on your shirt, if you’re careful. Be prepared though, you’ll still going to need a couple napkins with it.

Sitting on top the dipped chicken filet are several thin circles of raw onion and a few pickles. I had minor worries about how these toppings were going to get along with the BBQ sauce, but it turns out everything was fine. It’s a fitting combination. Both were applied in limited quantity, and were just noticeable enough to add a final bit of extra seasoning. They are the same onions and pickles used on their hamburgers.

The bun resembles a large dinner roll, and the top almost looks as if you could tear it apart into sections. It’s thick but squishes down to a perfect chicken/sauce/bread ratio once picked up and bitten. It’s dusted with corn on the outside, and the inside does a nice job absorbing the small excess of barbecue sauce from the chicken.

The BBQ Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwich from Wendy’s is good, but not great. It doesn’t make me forget other chicken sandwiches, but it’s solid overall. Tasty chicken, decent barbecue sauce, and a nice bun. Plus, “dipping” is a winner. I was happy with how the sauce coated and penetrated the breading, chicken and bun, creating a moist and flavorful sandwich from beginning to end, without drowning it. Two sure ways to improve it would be lowering the price, and using a better barbecue sauce.

Price: $4.39 / Website: Wendys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B-

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Nutrition Facts - Wendy’s, Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwich, BBQ.

Calories - 450
Calories from Fat - 110
Total Fat - 12 grams
Carbs - 60 grams
Saturated Fat - 2 grams
Trans Fat - 0 gram
Cholesterol - 40 milligrams
Sodium - 1430 milligrams
Protein - 25 grams