KFC is doubling down on the Double Down.
The iconic fried chicken chain has revived one of its most infamous items. The KFC Double Down, a chicken sandwich in which the bread is replaced by pieces of fried chicken, is back for the first time in nearly a decade.
KFC says it is back for just a month. That’s probably a month too long.
This sandwich literally started as an April Fool’s joke. That tracks, because why would anyone actually want something like this? Two greasy pieces of fried chicken with bacon, cheese and mayo in between? That’s not a sandwich, that’s a monstrosity. But they actually made it, and it was wildly popular when the joke came to life in 2010 before being discontinued in 2014.
Even though the Double Down made its debut when I had the bottomless stomach of a college student, I never had one. Partially because I (rightfully) preferred Popeyes to KFC, and partially because even as a dumb college kid I was smart enough to know the Double Down was a bad idea.
Replacing bread with chicken? To paraphrase to paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm in “Jurassic Park,” KFC’s chicken scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should. It is a perfect poultry personification of American fast food overindulgence.
Not only is it too much chicken, it’s just logistically a mess. Chicken wasn’t designed to hold toppings, and it wasn’t designed to be held like a sandwich. There would be chicken grease everywhere! And I don’t want to start up the “is it a sandwich” debate again but ... is this even really a sandwich?
Still, with the Double Down returning, I couldn’t deny my intrigue. It must be coming back for a reason, right? That optimism was dashed as soon as I saw the thing, though. The chicken was pale and unappealing, there were grease everywhere, and the toppings were slipping out of the chicken. It wasn’t McRib-level ugly, but it was close.
To my surprise, it tasted a lot better than it looked. The chicken was hot and flavorful — though not crispy enough — and the bacon, mayo and cheese on the inside added creaminess and smokiness to the bite. I’m not saying it was the best fast food thing I’ve eaten this year, but it tasted better than I expected for sure. When you really break it down, there’s nothing not to like in the Double Down other than the way its constructed.
I also ordered a spicy version of the Double Down, which comes with spicy mayo. I love spicy mayo! But man, that topping combined with the chicken had this thing so salty that my lips were burning. A rare case of the classic being better than the spicy variation.
But no matter how good this tasted, it was still a nightmare to eat. My hands were soaked in grease. Why? Because chicken was not designed to be held like sandwich bread!
I commend KFC for not only being deranged enough to make this Frankenstein of a sandwich in the first place, to bring it back nearly 10 years later. But I don’t think I’ll need another one until 2033.
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.