This article is a pseudo-comprehensive guide to chicken sandwiches in Capitol Hill. Three restaurants were judged for their most classic offerings; Dave’s Hot Chicken, Mt. Joy and Bok a Bok. If you feel that there is any chicken spot missing from this list, let us know by emailing The Spectator! I would take any opportunity to do this again. 

It is important to note that judging chicken sandwiches purely off of taste is impossible. When one goes to experience a chicken sandwich, one does not do so in a sensory deprivation tank. Eating a chicken sandwich is a holistic experience. 

Dave’s Hot Chicken

The first stop on the chicken tour was bustling at 12:30 on a Friday afternoon. It took 12 minutes for our single medium spice slider to be ready and the presentation was lackluster. At Dave’s, having a tray filled with two sliders, a side of fries, sauce and pickle slices is the way to go. Ordering a single slider isn’t a meal, nor did it look amazing on our tray. 

Chicken tenders being Dave’s expertise, it was difficult to not laugh at the oblong chicken sitting inside of the small slider bun. Nevertheless, toppings of slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce helped make the chicken tender on a bun into a sandwich. 

The part that truly sets Dave’s apart from the other chicken sandwiches on this list is its spice options. Ordering medium spice in an attempt to stay neutral, the chicken still had a red tint and the flavors were impressive, seeming out of this world compared to the spicy chicken sandwiches at common fast food stops such as McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. Dave’s seven options, ranging from no spice to reaper, allowed for a personalized eating experience.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, my napkins were a translucent yellow ball by the time I finished eating. Greasy, spicy and perfect for an order of two or more, Dave’s Chicken Sandwich is likely best enjoyed on a late weekend night.

Overall, the business and wait times coupled with a sandwich of affable dimensions failed to outweigh the undeniable enjoyment brought by a piece of juicy, spicy chicken, squashed between a bun with pickles, slaw and sauce. 

7.5/10

Mt. Joy

The next stop was Mt. Joy, another recent opening, and a place I had previously avoided under the impression that it was vegan or vegetarian. (Mt. Joy, along with Dave’s, has vegetarian options in the form of portobello and cauliflower respectively)

Walking in, Mt. Joy had the vibes. Self-advertised as a place to find fresh, clean and organic food, everything felt like what a quintessential Capitol Hill chicken sandwich shop should be. There were local farms listed on the wall, a chic couch in the center of the dining area, a pair of iPads to order off of and shades of green and white everywhere. 

To further compliment this aesthetic, their white meat chicken sandwich was about as picturesque as chicken sandwiches come. Carefully wrapped in parchment paper, the sandwich itself came with lettuce, tomato and fry sauce, to complement the decently sized breaded chicken breast. However, no chicken sandwich is complete without pickles, so I was a bit let down. 

Upon first sniff, I was reminded a lot of a McChicken, given the combination of lettuce and a mayonnaise-based sauce, but my first bite gave way to something tender and fresh. The sandwich was much lighter than Dave’s, but not nearly as flavorful. The breading was crumbly and there was enough lettuce left on the parchment after eating to garnish a whole other sandwich. 

All in all, Mt. Joy was a very pleasant experience, but nothing to write home about. The sandwich looked like a dictionary definition (minus pickles), and the flavors were by book as well. 

7.0/10

Bok a Bok

Bok a Bok is different from the previous two restaurants given its walk-up window, Korean-style fried chicken and feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. 

The sandwich we ordered was their “The Classic” Chicken Sandwich, made up of a double fried chicken breast, sweet pickles, shaved romaine lettuce and a green onion remoulade. After your first bite, it is clear why Guy Fieri visited this place. The sandwich knows what it wants to do and does it well. Not reliant on the spice of Dave’s or the aesthetics of Mt. Joy, Bok a Bok’s sandwich has a crunch and quality that is simply hard to compete with. 

The chicken fit the bun, the pickles complimented the remoulade, and the romaine was not piled on. It is not your classic chicken sandwich, but it is also not trying to be. If there was an interior and better drink options at this location, it would be very hard to fault the chicken sandwich experience at Bok a Bok. 

8.4/10

(Zam Ortega)