Grilled version of the KFC Double Down tasty — but messy!

Of course, I had to have one.

On Tuesday, Jordan Guinn, a reporter for the News-Sentinel, and I spent our lunch break feeding our curiosity with breadless, vegetable-free sandwiches.

Jordan chose the original recipe fried chicken Double Down, and I got the grilled chicken variety.

As the grilled chicken Double Down sat on the platter in front of me, I noticed a couple things right off the bat. The size. It was smaller than I expected, which explains why the calorie count of 460 seemed relatively low when reading the nutritional facts. And this being the fast food industry, it didn't look quite as appetizing in real life.

But when it comes to fast food, it is taste and value that matter to me, and the taste was good.

This also being my first time having KFC's grilled chicken, I was hesitant but pleasantly surprised. The chicken was fairly moist and tender, making it easy to bite through. The flavor was what I expected it to be: mild seasoning and not too salty.

Between the chicken filets were two pieces of Monterey jack and pepper jack cheese, bacon, and an orange substance called "Colonel's sauce." Two of these things I can never get enough of: cheese and bacon. If there is any food in the world that could improve any meal, it's bacon. The Double Down could have used more bacon.

The Colonel's sauce was a bit tangy. I could easily go without it on the next Double Down.

Eating the sandwich was a bit of a chore. It slides apart pretty easily and makes the whole affair a mess. One thing I hate is eating food that gets all over my hands. That is the biggest turnoff for me with the Double Down.

Value? This has very little. Sure, you get a regular drink and a side — I chose mac-andcheese — but at more than $7 after tax, it's not worth it for me.

In the end, the KFC Double Down was an enjoyable sandwich. Good taste despite costing too much for what you get. I would like to try the original recipe fried chicken version — but only if someone else is buying.

Contact photographer Dan Evans at dane@lodinews.com.