Review: Arby's New Line Of Chicken Cheesesteaks Has 2 Winners And One To Avoid

Starting today, Arby's has released a new limited-time Chicken Cheesesteak as a follow-up to its beefy Angus Cheesesteak (which we enjoyed quite a bit). There's three types available (quoted prices may vary depending on location): the regular Chicken Cheesesteak ($7.49), the Chicken Deluxe Cheesesteak ($8.49), and the Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak ($7.99). The chicken cheesesteaks all contain marinated, seared, sous vide-cooked chicken that's put into a toasted sesame seed roll.

The regular Chicken Cheesesteak contains Cooper Sharp white American cheese (which is one of Philadelphia's favorite cheesesteak cheeses) along with caramelized onions. The Chicken Deluxe Cheesesteak adds some veggies in the form of lettuce and tomatoes and the Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak includes a spicy glaze (with heat that comes primarily from cayenne pepper). The Arby's crew offered to send me a set of chicken cheesesteaks to try out, and here's my honest assessment of the new poultry-based sandwiches.

Arby's new Chicken Cheesesteaks were delivered to me in the Chicago area from a local Arby's as part of a preview. I enjoyed them shortly after they arrived, and my review takes into account that they were delivered and not eaten immediately on premises. I've actually had the Angus Cheesesteaks from Arby's as well, so I was able to take my experience with those sandwiches into account while trying the chicken version.

I've had previously had plenty of Arby's to base my thoughts on (including limited-time specials like its Italian beef), so I considered how these new Chicken Cheesesteaks tasted, look, and felt, and put them into a broader perspective of how they fit on the Arby's menu and how they compare to cheesesteaks from other places. Flavor is always my main criteria here, followed by things like execution, texture, value, and novelty, because let's face it: Fast food dishes often need to stand out from their competition.

First things first: all the Arby's chicken cheesesteaks are actually pretty good, so no need to hold your breath on that. Each comes with 4 ounces of chicken and 2 ounces of Cooper Sharp, so the portions are in line with your typical fast food sandwich. The main star of the show isn't actually the chicken (which is soft to the point of being slightly mushy), but rather the Cooper Sharp white American cheese, along with the grilled onions. The flavor pair carries each sandwich, with the soft and gooey Cooper cheese becoming its own kind of sauce and the onions bringing a sweet and distinct flavor. You can still taste the chicken, but it's further off in the background, which isn't a bad thing. 

The regular Chicken Cheesesteak is not that dissimilar from the Angus version in that it's a very simple yet solid creation — you can't really argue with meat, melted cheese, and onion. Overall, the flavor combination is well-balanced and satisfying, with no off-notes or unnecessary distractions.

The Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak is the most interesting one conceptually, because it's coated in a spicy (on the low end of medium) glaze, sort of like a chili oil. It's reminiscent of Buffalo sauce, but without that massive hit of vinegar. If you're looking for something novel, this is it — it's different enough from the rest of Arby's creations to feel like the fun kid of the bunch. But man, is it messy. I can't imagine eating it in the car; this is more of a eat-at-home-alone sandwich.

While I really wanted the Deluxe (which is the base Chicken Cheesesteak with the addition of shredded lettuce and tomato) to be a contender, hot meat and lettuce and tomato do not make a good combo. The lettuce wilts immediately and warm raw tomatoes are a little unappealing. My main gripe with all three sandwiches is the bread — it's almost too soft, albeit with a bit of a pleasant chew to it. It's pretty much just a standard seeded sub roll that could have been tinkered with more before release, in my opinion.

If you're going to order any of them, I'd stick to the rule that simple is best, meaning the classic Chicken Cheesesteak is the way to go. No matter how much you try to dress up a cheesesteak, there's a reason why the regular meat, onion, and cheese combination is the classic version. The Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak is a close runner-up, however, because it's the most fun (skip the Deluxe thanks to those poor wilted veggies). 

All in all, if you like chicken cheesesteaks as a concept, I say go for it, though around $8 is admittedly a bit steep for a chicken sandwich. The Angus version was already surprisingly good, and the chicken one isn't far behind. If you don't eat red meat, this is a worthy substitution that isn't a compromise. So far, Arby's seems to be on the right track with its cheesesteaks, and even though they probably don't compare to the best cheesesteaks you can find outside of Philly, for fast food, they're better than you'd expect them to be. For all the relentless trash talk Arby's gets, it has a pretty good track record of tasty menu items.