Huey Magoo's: How Does The Rapidly Expanding Chicken Finger Chain Compare To Its Competitors

Move over Raising Cane's, Zaxby's, and Slim Chickens — there's another rapidly expanding chicken tender chain in town. And while not "new" per se, Huey Magoo's is a regional chicken tender restaurant with many fans swooning with excitement. Having tasted some of the best and worst chicken tenders out there here at The Takeout, we were curious how Huey Magoo's, a Florida-based chain, would compare to some of the other popular chicken tender restaurants out there. What we discovered is very interesting, and we think it's about time to reveal what we've uncovered.

In the following post, we're taking you on a journey through how Huey Magoo's came to be, what the company is best known for, and how it fares when compared to other similar chicken tender chains. We're exploring everything from flavor to pricing to see what makes Huey Magoo's stand out from the rest of its competition. So, without further ado, let's dip through the details as we get you the skinny on how Huey Magoo's stacks up against its Raising Cane's, Slim Chickens, and Zaxby's chicken rivals.

Huey Magoo's was founded in Florida by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens in 2004. The duo went on a quest to develop tasty chicken tenders to serve the public before the former executive for Wingstop (which has weathered the impacts of inflation in prior years quite well, by the way) partnered with the chain to make it one of the most celebrated chicken tender chains in its class.

According to the company's website, Huey Magoo's dishes up chicken that features only the "best" 3% of the chicken, the chicken tenderloin. As a result, the company boldly proclaims its offerings to be the "Filet Mignon of Chicken." The company prides itself on offering stellar service to customers, high-quality food, and ambiance for the ultimate fast-food experience. The chain also has a stealthy fan base with plenty of YouTube, Instagram, Trip Advisor, and Yelp fans vouching for its tasty chicken finger options. But exactly how does the chain stack up against its competitors? Let's dig a little deeper to find out.

If you're wondering whether or not a Huey Magoo's restaurant is dishing out crispy chicken tenders near you, you might be in luck — if you live in the South, that is. The chain has the most locations in the southernmost part of the nation but also has several chains checkering the midwest. You can currently find a Huey Magoo's operating in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Nevada. The company is also rapidly expanding, so don't be surprised if you start to see more Huey Magoo's locations cropping up near you.

When pitted against its competitors, Huey Magoo's may be readily available to its southern fans but may not be quite as accessible as some of the other popular chicken tender chains. Raising Canes, for example, can be found in over 40 states. Zaxby's is also a Southern-based chicken tender restaurant, and though it isn't operating in as many states as Raising Cane's, still has managed to crank out delicious tenders in at least 18 states. Slim Chickens, also known for its tenders and one of the many fast food chains that opened more stores in 2024, has locations in about 35 states. As a result, we can't quite say Huey Magoo's has the others beat in terms of location availability, so if you happen to live near one, you should consider yourself fortunate.

Though similarly priced, Huey Magoo's tends to be a bit more expensive than its competitors. At Huey Magoo's, expect to snag a three-piece, five-piece, or seven-piece tender meal, breaded or grilled, for $8.59, $10.99, and $14.19 at the time of publication, respectively (though prices may vary a little based on location). Prefer a saucier tender? You can request to have your tenders spun in sauce, though be aware that this will cost extra. All meals include Texas toast and your choice of a single side. Huey Magoo's combos don't appear to come with a drink, so if you're thirsty, you'll need to order your beverage separately. A regular fountain drink costs $2.69, so you'll need to factor that into the cost when comparing Huey Magoo's prices to competitors.

Comparatively, at Raising Cane's, you'll cop a four-piece Box Combo Meal for $11.49, which includes two sides (fries and coleslaw), along with a drink. At Zaxby's, a five-piece Chicken Finger Plate costs $11.79 with a drink, fries, and coleslaw already included. Even Slim Chickens has a five-piece combo that comes with one side and a drink for $11.99. No, an extra side isn't included, but Slim Chicken's five-piece offering still comes out cheaper. Even if you wanted to order an extra side at Huey Magoo's, it would cost you $2.99 or more to do so on top of prices already mentioned. With all things considered, Huey Magoo's is the more expensive option when stacked against its competitors.

It's hard to say exactly what type of ingredients Huey Magoo's uses, but this isn't exclusive to this chicken tender company alone — most of its competitors don't disclose their ingredients, either. As far as allergens are concerned, expect most of the chain's chicken tenders to contain the usual soy, dairy, gluten, egg, and sesame ingredients. Still, we find it remarkably encouraging that this company limits the use of MSG in many of its products, with the exception of those containing buffalo sauce at the time of publication. Even the classic chicken dinners don't appear to have MSG included, according to Huey Magoo's allergen information, which is good news for anyone who may have sensitivities to this umami-tasting additive.

Though not very transparent, Huey Magoo's competitors appear to use similar ingredients including common food allergens like soy, gluten, dairy, egg, and sesame ingredients. As far as MSG goes, Raising Cane's isn't quite so specific about whether or not it uses the controversial additive, though Raising Cane's sauce recipe leaked by a former employee on social media seems to include it. Zaxby's also includes MSG in its food as does Slim Chickens. With all things considered, Huey Magoo's wins out in terms of ingredients — we may not know exactly what's inside, but when it comes to the use of MSG, the company isn't nearly as dependent on the ingredient.

When it comes to how something "tastes" things can get pretty subjective. With that said, we've done a bit of research and have scoured several reviews to come to the following conclusion: though Huey Magoo's sells chicken tenders like the rest of its competition, there seems to be more fans that walk away satisfied from this chain than others.

The above statement isn't based on fancy statistics but rather mere observation. The folks over at Reddit go wild for Huey Magoo's, and we rarely see an underwhelming review when it comes to the taste and quality of the chicken. Fans seem to love its flavor and texture and have a special appreciation for its sauce. Sure, the fries and toast could maybe use some work, but the sauces, including the Magoo sauce (which is somewhat similar to the deliciously versatile Cane's sauce, according to some) make it all worth it, according to chicken tender buffs.

From what we can tell, the biggest chicken tender chain competitor for Huey Magoo's would be Raising Cane's since it bolsters an equally impressive fan base, with plenty of folks claiming it to be a more than able chicken finger. Even our staff here at The Takeout can attest to the goodness that is Raising Cane's; it really is that delish. As for Zaxby's and Slim Chickens, well, it depends on who you ask. Both chains certainly have their fair share of devotees, but we've seen enough criticisms from customers to know they aren't everyone's favorite.

As previously mentioned, you won't find Huey Magoo's offering up its fries with complementary coleslaw or a drink with the traditional chicken tender combo meals, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have anything unique to offer. In terms of side dishes, expect to be able to choose from fries, chips, coleslaw, or a salad. In addition to the side dishes, Huey Magoo's gives you the option to sauce its tenders for a small fee, with over four sauce flavors to choose from (and even more dipping sauce options).

Raising Canes' rolls a little differently, with a very simplistic menu and no option for saucy tenders, unlike Huey Magoo's. As of the time of publication, its only side dish offerings were coleslaw, Texas toast, and fries. If you're looking for a place to snag sauced chicken tenders similar to Huey Magoo's, you'll need to head over to Zaxby's where you can at least eight different sauces (not including the ones you'll dunk your tenders in). As for Slim Chickens? Expect to have access to many dipping sauce flavors, as well as the option to get your tenders "shaken" in a sauce of your choosing. The chain also sells a plethora of side dish options, including fried pickles, potato salad, okra, and mac and cheese. Bon appétit!

Considering the pricing, flavor, and options, we definitely consider Huey Magoo's a place worth visiting. Though it doesn't have as many locations as competitors like Raising Cane's, Zaxby's, and Slim Chickens, it does at least feature a high-quality and deliciously popular chicken tender that leaves customers feeling full and happy. We also love the fact that though Huey Magoo's does use MSG in some of its food items, it isn't present in most items, which is a major feat especially when comparing the company to others.

With that said, it's important to keep in mind that dining at Huey Magoo's comes with a price, as its combo meals only come with one side and no drink at the time of publication. Still, because of its high ratings amongst customers, we're willing to overlook the cost as a minor inconvenience and would still recommend giving Huey Magoo's a go if you're lucky enough to have one in your area.

When assessing how Huey Magoo's compares to other chicken tender chain restaurant competitors, we first sought to compare it to others that were the most similar in terms of offerings. Restaurants like KFC and Chick-fil-A are excluded since chicken tenders aren't the main focus of these particular chicken chains.

Instead, we chose to compare Huey Magoo's to Raising Cane's, Zaxby's, and Slim Chickens, all of which focus on chicken tenders as the core menu items. As always, the prices, locations, and availability of offerings mentioned within this post are subject to change.