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A great fast-food sandwich pays close attention to each and every ingredient. It’s not enough to have top-grade meat, though that is a great place to start. It also needs the freshest produce, the gooiest cheese, and the most flavorful sauce. Without the right bread, however, a hamburger or sandwich can quickly fall flat. After all, bread is the first ingredient that hits your mouth when you take a bite, so it has to make a great impression. To stand apart, many fast-food sandwiches have swapped out the standard hamburger bun or sourdough bread for Texas toast.
In its simplest form, Texas toast is a thicker slice of bread—typically twice as thick as your standard slice of sandwich bread. It is then buttered and broiled or grilled to a perfectly toasted shade of light brown. There is something magical about high-quality Texas toast that grocery store varieties, often made with low-quality ingredients, cannot quite seem to replicate. So, when a fast-food restaurant gets it right, it is worth noting.
Texas toast doesn’t always come on a sandwich, either. In many instances, it appears as a side dish for various chicken baskets at fast-food restaurants. Fast-food restaurants that serve top-notch Texas toast might be few and far between, but they are out there, so keep these chains in mind the next time you have a hankering for a slice.
It only makes sense that the Texas-based fast-food chain Whataburger is a hot spot for Texas toast. The fast-food chain has stuck to a basic formula since it first opened in 1950, including its commitment to never-frozen beef as well as its thick slices of toast. Any sandwich or hamburger can be served on Texas toast, including the signature Whataburger. It also comes as the default on a few menu items, including the BLT Sandwich and Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich.
Between the two options, one Redditor recommends you opt for the Texas toast over a regular hamburger bun whenever you visit Whataburger. One Redditor also chimed in to comment how “most of the burgers taste better on Texas toast.”
As Raising Cane’s says on its website, “No meal is complete without our Texas Toast – pillowy pull-apart bread with just the right amount of butter and garlic…we’re already drooling.” A simple menu almost entirely comprised of chicken tenders has kept fans coming back for years, and the Texas toast is clearly a part of the secret sauce that its customers cannot get enough of. Each combo comes with Texas toast on the side, or if you are hungry for more, you can order additional slices of toast with any order.
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Fans have attempted to discover recipes on Reddit to recreate the Texas toast from Raising Cane’s, making this one a standout among fast-food aficionados.
Since 1990, Zaxby’s has been bringing its array of chicken dishes to customers around the country, all accompanied by its fan-favorite Zax sauce. When you are in the mood for Texas toast, there is no shortage of options here. Its chicken finger and wing combos come with a slice of Texas toast on the side, and select sandwiches at Zaxby’s come served on Texas toast, including the Kickin Chicken Sandwich. You can also substitute your side of french fries with a side of Texas toast for those days when you just want to carb-load. Even its Kiddie Cheese sandwich comes on Texas toast, so everyone in the family can enjoy Zaxby’s ultra-thick slices.
One Redditor claims that no other fast-food chain’s Texas toast can compare to Zaxby’s, which is good considering how much it pops up throughout the menu.
Do not let the ice cream-centric moniker fool you: Dairy Queen has tons of fast-food meal options to keep you full and satisfied well before you order a single Blizzard. And for fans of Texas toast, you only need to find your closest Dairy Queen to satiate your cravings. Its Chicken Baskets come with a side of toast, whether you choose its classic Chicken Strips or opt to have them tossed in Honey BBQ Sauce. One Redditor noted that the Texas toast from Dairy Queen “hits the spot,” and since Dairy Queen is found nationwide, you may not be too far from a fast-food chain where you can find a solid slice of thick-cut toast.
For a fast-food chain that’s “all about the South,” you would hope to see Texas toast pop up on the menu at some point. Luckily, Jack’s delivers on that promise, with the thick-cut toast available on some of its sandwiches, including the Big BLT. You can start your day on the right foot as well with Jack’s Big Breakfast Sandwich, which includes your choice of bacon or sausage along with cheese, egg, and mayonnaise between two slices of Texas toast. No matter what time of day you visit Jack’s, there will be a slice of Texas toast waiting for you.
In spring 2023, fast-food chain BurgerFi brought a limited-time Texas toast Patty Melt to its menu, according to QSR Magazine. The specialty item featured BurgerFi’s all-natural Angus beef, American cheese, caramelized onions, and Fi sauce, all sandwiched between two thick slices of Texas toast. BurgerFi also recently launched a BBQ Rodeo Melt, also served on Texas toast. Because these are limited-time menu items, it is hard to say just how long BurgerFi will keep Texas toast on the menu. But it is a nice change of pace from the standard burger bun, so keep your eyes peeled during your next visit.
Known for its roller skate-wearing carhop employees, Sonic Drive-In is a go-to fast-food destination filled with novelty as well as tasty menu items. Sonic Drive-In served a patty melt in late 2021 and 2022, which came on Texas toast. The patty melt was only available for a limited time, according to Thrillist, but it is worth noting that Sonic has, at certain points in time, included Texas toast on its menu. Perhaps one day, it will launch another sandwich or other menu item featuring the thick-sliced bread.
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