10 Zaxby's Mistakes You'll Regret Making

Born and bred in Georgia, Zaxby's is among the major chicken finger giants of the South. Chicken tendie lovers all have their number one contender, and in the South, fried chicken is serious business. People are super loyal to their favorite chicken finger dealer just as much as they are to their prefered SEC football team. That loyalty includes Zaxby's customers. Its humble start in Georgia eventually evolved into hundreds of bustling Zaxby's franchises across the country. On paper, Zaxby's is a perfect example of how to do tenders, wings, and even sandwiches right. That statement doesn't even begin to do Zaxby's justice, and I can confirm it from personal experience.

Living in Florida, I have eaten at Zaxby's once or twice (or a lot). As a mom of two, I am also well-versed in solid chicken tender choices, since it's one of the major food groups my children willingly entertain. The chain's tenders deserve all of the good things anyone says about them, but they are just the tip of the fast food iceberg. Zaxby's also has sandwiches, wings, salads, sides, and many other treats to satisfy a variety of cravings, from chicken tenders and beyond. Texas toast deserves a moment. It's a tried and true Southern staple which is why it sits prominently in the basket of most Zaxby's meals. For all the Zaxby's fans out there, old and new, here are some of mistakes you shouldn't fall victim to when putting in your next order.

Everyone knows that dipping sauce is almost as important as the chicken tenders themselves. The right pairing of sauce and tender can make the whole meal that much better. Many food chains have their own signature sauce with a commendable cult following. Zaxby's proprietary sauce is called Zax sauce and it's so revered by patrons that it's become prime fodder for food bloggers and influencers. You know a sauce is legit when people constantly try to recreate the recipe themselves and then share their DIY versions for others to get a taste of Zaxby's without even leaving their home.

The real ones also know that Zax sauce is for more than the chicken items. Tenders, chicken sandos, fries, and even the Texas toast are effortlessly enhanced just by dipping any of them directly into the Zax sauce as little or as much as your heart desires. The combination of ketchup, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, and a mix of spices are the foundation of Zax sauce. It is creamy, smokey, and really does work on just about anything dippable or when spread on a sandwich. The legendary tang of Zax sauce grew so much in popularity that it gained a presence right into the aisles of grocery stores and on Amazon for those who want it to live in their refrigerators at all times. Don't be stingy with your dipping. Seriously, dip the whole meal in Zax sauce and don't even hesitate

Texas toast is a whole vibe, and a good one at that. When you walk into a Zaxby's and place your order, it's important to know that you have choices for your toast. You can take the Texas toast exactly as it comes, toasted with a nice slathering of garlic spread, and have zero regrets. Or, you can let go of any menu confines and customize your Texas toast to make it your own. You can use your free will to order the Texas toast dry, extra crispy, or well done, or even with extra garlic spread on one or both sides. All I'm saying is that there is more than one way to enjoy Zaxby's famous Texas toast, and it's good to have choices.

When you loosen up and use the Zaxby's menu as a canvas to create your own delectable treasures, you essentially win at fast food. That includes dipping sauces. We already talked about using Zax sauce on the Texas toast, but that's not the only option. Zaxby's has more than a dozen different sauces to compliment your thick cut toast, but we will get into those later. From ranch to lemon pepper, you can dip however and whatever you want. In case you didn't know, you can also have Zaxby's transform the Texas toast into a full-fledged grilled cheese sandwich. There's no wrong way to enjoy the Texas toast, so feel free to live a little when you order it.

There are times in fast food settings where you don't want to commit to just one item. If you enjoy a platter of different bites, this one from Zaxby's is definitely right up your alley. Wings & Things is an institution and eats like a little melody of deliciousness. Let's take a quick tour of what's in the Wings & Things order for those of you who have yet to experience it. You get five boneless white meat wings or five traditional wings with your choice of sauce. Then throw in three Chicken Fingerz with Zax sauce. Add Zaxby's crinkle fries, a couple slices of Texas toast, and a drink, and that's what you get with a Wings & Things order. When you can't decide on just one chicken item, this is what you do.

Zaxby's Wings & Things practically has its own fan club and they're not shy about their love and devotion for the popular combo. It's also a way to feel like you are getting much more cluck for your buck since the portion is very generous. It could easily be two meals if you want it to be. As I mentioned before in the earlier plea to customize your Texas toast, there are also adjustments you can make with the Wings & Things combo. For example, maybe you want extra Texas toast instead of fries. Whatever the adjustment, it never hurts to ask because you don't have to struggle with commitment issues here.

I know what you are thinking but I promise you are wrong. Before you pass judgement and decide a salad from a fast food restaurant is not the way to go, try a Zaxby's salad. Technically called Zalads, they are not your typical fast food salad. Instead of a few pieces of lettuce and a tomato or two you often see at any fast food chain, Zaxby's puts just as much TLC into the Zalads as it does everything else on the menu. I have firsthand experience with Zalad's and can tell you that they hit different and have become my Zaxby's go-to. Salads on most fast food menus are an obligatory healthy option. They are notoriously underwhelming and people aren't waiting in lines to devour them.

Zalads are so good that they have a fan base, and Zaxby's menu has an entire section of them. There's an Asian-inspired, a cobb, a blue cheese, and a house salad. There is no bad choice in the Zalad pack so pick your favorite and then top it with whatever protein floats your boat. Choose from grilled chicken, fried chicken, fried shrimp, or veggie egg rolls and any one of them are fit to be fantastic toppers to any of the Zalads on the menu. Zaxby's diners also know how to get creative with their Zalads by bringing in other Zaxby's sauces in addition to the salad dressing to kick things up a notch.

French fries are a pillar of any respectable combo meal from a fast food establishment, and that's just an unspoken rule. Good fries are a big deal and bad ones can strip a chain of any French fry credibility. A fresh, hot, perfectly crispy French fry can heal parts of you that you didn't know needed healing. It's called French fry therapy and you should try it sometime. Basically, French fries are awesome but soggy french fries can and should be prevented. Zaxby's would never and serves its beloved crisp crinkle fries naked for those who are purists, but then takes it a step further for the more adventurous crowd. A big step. Zaxby's loaded fries are an experience worth having. The portion is so generous and packed with delicious items that it can let them serve as a meal or a shareable side.

Please sit back and relax while I educate you on Zaxby's chicken bacon ranch loaded fries. A heaping portion of Zaxby's popular crinkle fries are topped with pieces of delicious hand breaded, fried chicken, melty cheddar jack cheese, hardwood smoked bacon, and, of course, ranch in amounts as copious as you desire. All of the components in the loaded fries are customizable. You can pick your level of seasoning, as well as remove and add ingredients. Do yourself a favor and try the chicken bacon ranch loaded fries at Zaxby's in the name of delicious gluttony.

Texas toast is a national treasure for a reason. The thick slices of buttery bread that toast up perfectly are special. Never skip the Texas toast. Also, never forget that Zaxby's Texas toast can serve more than one purpose during your meal. If you enjoy it as a simple accompaniment to your meal, keep up the good work. However, if you really want to level up your game, there's another hack worth trying at Zaxby's. It's simple, but completely changes the meal, and all you have to do is ask to substitute the sandwich bun for garlicky Texas toast instead. Fast food chicken sandwiches may not be so nutritious, but who is going to a fried chicken joint for a healthy meal? Nobody, that's who. Live your life.

While the Kickin Chicken sandwich on Zaxby's menu already comes outfitted with a slice of Texas toast on each side, it shouldn't get to hog all the fun. There's no good reason it should be the only item that gets to commingle with the craveable Texas toast. For the OG fans, using the Texas toast hack is a way to resurrect the chicken club, a retired Zaxby's sandwich favorite that is still talked about and pined over to this day. Why take the standard old bun for your Zaxby's chicken sando, when you can level up and have it on Texas toast instead? It's a tasty and satisfying no brainer.

One of the best things technology has brought to the fast food table is loyalty apps, and you shouldn't be so quick to dismiss their inherent value. It's hard to find a restaurant that doesn't have an associated app to reward diners in some way these days. Granted, some apps are better than others, but all of them are essentially created to incentivize patrons. Fast food meals are even better when they come with rewards, and Zaxby's app provides quite a number of discounts and promos to further sweeten the dealduring your Zaxby's visits.

Depending on how often you frequent a Zaxby's, it could easily result in perks, like money off meals, great freebies, and other cool stuff you wouldn't be privy to without access to the app. Before you hem and haw about having to create an account for the Zaxby's app, it's worth it. Not using an app that rewards you for purchases is like throwing away free money, or free chicken in Zaxby's case. Get in there and start stacking up those Zax Rewards to see what delights await you in exchange for your loyalty to Zaxby's. If you want to make it even more worthwhile to download and use the app, there are some Zaxby's pros out there who can tell you exactly how to rack up all of the applicable Zax Rewards to maximize the benefits and free food you can achieve.

Everyone has their favorite sauces at whatever fast food chain they frequent. Zaxby's sauce lineup is nothing short of impressive and opens the doors to many flavor profiles. Maybe you are a one sauce kind of person, or perhaps you like to get frisky and play around with a mixture of a few different flavors. The sauce variety is excellent and lends itself to crafting yummy combinations and easy sauce swaps to bump a meal up to the next level. If you're not into the original Zax sauce, or you just want to switch things up, Zaxby's delivers a huge condiment lineup. There are so many mouth watering choices to accessorize your meal and have some fun with your dipping game. 

People are serious about their dipping sauces and it makes sense because it's a cornerstone of any respectable chicken tender empire. A dipping sauce needs to be worthy of your fries, and any other food you plan on taking the plunge for that matter. The chicken tender famous chain has everything you could possibly need, including spicy Zax sauce, Wimpy sauce, Tongue Torch, honey mustard, hot honey mustard, ranch, sweet and spicy, nuclear, bbq, teriyaki, garlic parmesan, Nashville hot, buffalo garlic blaze, strawberry sauce, lemon pepper, and blue cheese. Some double as dressings and there are also other salad boosters, such as citrus vinaigrette, lite vinaigrette, and southwest ranch. There is easily a sauce, or many, for everyone so have fun with them.

Now that you know about the Texas toast sandwich hack at Zaxby's, you should also know that it's not the only tasty trick Zaxby's has up its garlicky little sleeve. Hear me out. Mexican fare may seem out of left field for a fast food chain known for its chicken tenders and strong southern roots. If you haven't already noticed, Zaxby's is far from ordinary. While Zaxby's offers chicken quesadillas on the standard menu, that's not the only dish that gives major south of the border energy. Did you know that you can also create the taco of your dreams with only two standard Zaxby's menu items? Well, you can venture off the menu and it's easy and tasty.

Grab a piece of crispy, buttery, Texas toast, pile on a few Zaxby's chicken tenders, fold up the bread just like a Taco shell, and brace yourself to enjoy your Texas toast taco. Fast food hacks exist because there are people out there brave enough to step out of the box to shake things up. These fast food visionaries walk so the rest of us can run. It's exactly why we know that you can fashion the world famous Texas toast into a makeshift taco shell to house your tendies. There's a reason so many food hacks end up going viral so don't sleep on them, especially this one. You'll never look at toast the same after experiencing a Texas toast taco.

If you are not finishing off every meal with some form of a sweet treat, are you ok? There is always room for dessert and even a belly full of chicken tenders should not stand in the way of the only proper ending to a great meal, fast food or otherwise. Everyone loves a sweet treat and Zaxby's milkshakes are no joke, so don't ignore their existence. If you are on the hunt for the best milkshake, there's something you need to know. There are a bevy of milkshakes on the Zaxby's menu to satisfy a sweet tooth. You can opt for chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peaches & cream, and birthday cake milkshakes.

All of the Zaxby's milkshakes have their strengths, but the birthday cake variety gets a ton of love and a lot of enthusiastic reviews. It's not just the array of Zaxby's milkshake flavors either, the portion is large, and Zaxby's skimps on nothing with its thick and creamy shakes, right down to the huge swirl of whipped cream on top. Don't worry if drinking your dessert is not your thing. Zaxby's also offers chocolate chip cookies and fried cheesecake bites served with strawberry sauce for your dipping pleasure. The bottom line is that it's downright sacrilegious to skip the sweet ending after your Zaxby's meal. Don't you dare leave without one. You deserve it.