It’s that time of year again, a time when your favorite streamers actually begin following through on all of those promises made earlier in the season. Yes, when Hulu and Disney+ announced that they would increase their prices (again) we all thought maybe if we ignored it, it would go away, and we would continue to pay our little $10.99 forever. That is not the case, and it has never been the case. One of these days……we will learn. Today is not that day!
After months of preparing, Hulu and Disney+ have officially sent notifications to users that the price increase will start on Thursday, October 12th. Why didn’t they wait one more day and make the increase a fun little jump scare for Friday the 13th? Who knows!
As previously mentioned, Disney+ Premium will increase from $10.99 to $13.99 a month. Hulu without ads will increase from $14.99 to $17.99 a month. For those of us who don’t mind all of those fun shampoo ads, the price for Disney+ and Hulu’s ad-supported tiers will still be bundled at $9.99 per month. Hulu Live also gets a steep jump from $69.99 to $76.99 a month, with ad-free clocking at $89.99 a month.
Last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger Iger explained, “Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies. And we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024.” Now is the time to give out your password and see who your real friends are.
Danny Masterson, best known for playing Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show” from 1998 to 2006, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Thursday, September 7, for raping two women during the height of his fame. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology helped cover up the assaults—an allegation the organization denied.
After Masterson’s sentencing, footage of an uncomfortable 2004 exchange with former late-night host Conan O’Brien went viral on X, formerly Twitter. During the exchange, O’Brien tells Masterson that he will pay for his behavior one day.
The eerie prediction came after Masterson used a strange example to show that his Long Island accent hadn’t disappeared. He noted that his friend, Bodhi Elfman, “always teases me, and he says, ‘Hi, my name is Danny Masterson, would you like to touch my balls?’” saying the last word with a New York accent.
— (@)
Masterson’s reply didn’t help his case.
“I mean, you got ’em, you know what I mean? Everybody should grab,” he says.
O’Brien looks slightly perturbed by Masterson’s example, pauses, and in a serious tone, says, “I’ve heard about you. And you’ll be caught soon. I know you will.”
“I will,” Masterson replies.
It’s unclear watching the exchange whether O’Brien knew of Masterson’s behavior, but interestingly, he pauses to show that he’s not joking before he tells Masterson that he will get caught. Watching the clip in 2023, it’s either an example of an incredible coincidence or the fact that even though television is a big industry, when someone is a predator, word gets around.
Not everyone enjoys flying. The level of non-enjoyment can range from mild discomfort to full blown Aerophobia, which is defined as an extreme fear of flying. While flying is the quickest way to get to far away destinations, for some people being that far off the ground is terrifying and they’d rather take their chances on the ground.
A passenger flying from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina to JFK International Airport in New York confronted that fear while flying with Delta. The woman, who is currently still unidentified expressed that she was nervous to fly according to Molly Simonson Lee, a passenger seated behind the woman who witnessed the encounter. Tight spaces don’t make for much privacy, but in this case, the world is better for knowing this took place.
According to Lee, who posted about the exchange on Facebook, the Delta flight attendant, Floyd Dean-Shannon, took his time to give the nervous traveler his undivided attention. Lee told Upworthy the unidentified passenger, “was very nervous and even before the plane took off, she was visibly shaken by each sound.”
Approximately 25 million people in the United States have Aerophobia according to the Clevland Clinic and most of them probably wish Dean-Shannon was on their flights. “He took notice and began explaining what each [sound] was, with the warmest, calmest tone,” Lee said. That wasn’t even the most amazingly sweet part of the story.
While the explanation of noises helped, Lee said about halfway through the flight the passenger was fighting back tears, which prompted Dean-Shannon to sit on the floor and hold the frightened passenger’s hand. He comforted her for the rest of the flight while sitting on the floor. “His tone was so kind and soothing,” according to Lee.
Dean-Shannon’s kindness didn’t stop there. Lee explained, “the woman next to me was celebrating a birthday and he sang to her and made her a ‘cake’ with all of the goodies he could round up.”
I’m not sure what Delta pays him but he needs a raise immediately and it seems the people of the interwebs agree.
Commenter, Miranda Anderson, tagged Delta Airlines and wrote, “I hope you see this! These are the types of people that deserve raises and make your company worth flying with. This is what pits [sic] you above the others so show these employees this is what you want and what you need.”
“I love this. This is what society is lacking. Empathy and kindness towards people in time[s] of need” wrote Diane Lawrence.
While Mary Beth Acker Ford, said, “I was on a flight with him today. He exudes joy and is intentional about making a connection with each person!”
This level of engagement with passengers is not a common experience but clearly people are happy to see this type of connection between humans. Flying anywhere can be stressful for any amount of reasons. From leaving the house late and having to participate in an involuntary 5k to catch your flight, to making your way through the devil’s backyard, also known as Atlanta International Airport…just for them to change your gate 10 minutes before boarding.
So having a flight attendant like Dean-Shannon is just the breath of fresh air people need. “The way he’s looking at her…letting her know she’s safe!!! This is just one of the many reasons I will always fly Delta Air Lines,” Liz Martin wrote in the comments.
“It was obvious he is just a good, kind soul who shares that generously with everyone he encounters. Such kindness is rare and a true gift when encountered,” Lee remarked. That level of kindness is rare indeed and we sure are happy someone thought to capture it.
George Clooney’s very popular tequila brand, Casamigos (you’ve seen the ads all over the subway), quite literally translates to ‘House of Friends’ so you know that this man loves a good house. Unfortunately for his friends, he seems to be doing away with one of his more popular homes, the one in Lake Como, Italy. You know, the place where Anakin and Padme got married.
Clooney is selling his estate for a whopping $107 million, which is actually less than the amount of money that Clooney’s character steals in Ocean’s Elevenso it seems like a bargain. He bought the home in 2002 for about $10 million. This was right after he had a cameo in Spy Kids, so it makes sense that he was loaded back then. Now he just sells tequila.
Don’t feel too bad for him, though. Clooney still allegedly owns four other estates, most recently purchasing a nice little mansion in France, so he has many more Houses for Friends. If that’s what he chooses to do.
For now, Clooney seems to be laying low as he settles into his other homes. He is slated to star alongside Brad Pitt in AppleTV+’s hitman thriller Wolves, though production shut down in July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Earlier this year he had a minor cameo in The Flash, but we don’t have to talk about that.
Conan O’Brien is one of the good ones. And by that we mean he’s a late-night comedian turned podcast host who doesn’t behave like a total asshole to his employees and fans. Case in point: this story O’Brien shared on a recent episode of his show that proves he’s not above poking fun at himself to earn a few laughs.
O’Brien invited a woman named Kayla on his podcast to detail their meet-cute at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) (which is apparently where she works). O’Brien explained he was in New York for meetings and looking for a restaurant near/in the museum when Kayla caught him creeping after hours. The two had a chat — she’s obviously a fan — but things ended rather awkwardly when the comedian offered up a selfie to which Kayla basically replied, “No, I’m good.”
The two had a friendly back-and-forth about what actually happened after O’Brien told the story about the initial rejection with Kayla clearing up that she initially refused a photo because she didn’t want to impose. “You were so kind and generous to talk to me,” she said. “I felt at that point I was already such an imposition. So I guess what I said was, ‘I’m good. That’s not really my style.’”
But Kayla immediately changed her answer when she saw O’Brien’s reaction.
“Your face just totally fell,” she said as O’Brien’s co-hosts laughed along. “I felt really sad so I said, ‘Why, do you want a selfie?’ And then you said, ‘Yeah, I really do.’”
team coco
As funny as the whole story is, the best bit comes at the end when Kayla reveals that O’Brien misremembered the interaction so badly that he blacked out the part where she actually did take a selfie with him. So, let this be a lesson to all Conan fans: When he asks you if you want to take a selfie, just say yes. It’s really for him, not you.
Instead of giving you a single cocktail to enjoy this month, I’m calling out six bourbon cocktails y’all should learn to make at home. ASAP.
These six cocktails are cornerstones of historical and modern cocktail scenes. Beyond that, they’re very manageable at home. You don’t have to sous vide some herbs or venture into a tea shop. No tinctures. Not even any infusions (even though those are pretty easy!). These are all classics because they’re delicious but also because they hit on the greatest idiom of great cocktail mixing: Keep it simple, stupid. I’d add to that with “… and do it right.”
Below, I’m calling out six cocktails to master this month. I assure you that you can make every single one of them at home, so let’s dive right in!
Zach Johnston
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Here’s an axiom to live by in cocktail making: Always use great spirit as your base. In this case, I’m using Eagle Rare 10-year Bourbon. Yes, it’s a little harder to get but, wow, does it make an amazing old fashioned. The rest is easily available at any liquor store or grocery store.
If you don’t have access to Eagle Rare, then use Micther’s Small Batch Bourbon. It’s a delicious cocktail whiskey that’s very widely available nationwide.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Rocks glass
Mixing jar/glass
Cocktail strainer
Jigger
Pairing knife
Barspoon
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill your glass.
Add the simple syrup, bitters, and bourbon to a mixing glass, and then add two large handfuls of ice.
Stir the drink until it’s ice-cold to touch — about 20 seconds.
Strain the drink into the prechilled glass over a large ice cube.
Express the orange oils over the glass and drop in the peel with a dark cocktail cherry. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is so creamy and delicious. There’s this layer of oaky earthiness (that Buffalo Trace vibe) that shines through the sweetness of the sugar that takes this drink to a whole new level.
Overall, this is one of the best old fashioneds you can drink.
Boulevardier
Zach Johnston
Ingredients:
1 oz. bourbon
1 oz. sweer vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Ice
Large ice cube
Orange peel
Lemon peel
I’m using Eagle Rare 10-year Bourbon again. It’s just a great addition to any cocktail. I’m also using a slightly lighter and more floral vermouth in Noilly Prat. Of course, the Campari is irreplaceable.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Rocks glass
Mixing glass
Cocktail strainer
Barspoon
Fruit Peeler
Jigger
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the glass in the freezer.
Add the bourbon, vermouth, and Campari into a mixing glass, add a handful of ice, and then stir until the glass is ice-cold to touch (about 20-30 seconds).
Fetch the rocks glass from the freezer and strain the cocktail into the glass over a large cube of ice.
Express the oils from the lemon and orange peel over the glass and discard the peels. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is deep and fresh at the same time. The bourbon adds a nice sweet nutty earthiness to the bitterness of the Campari and floral sweetness of the vermoth. The addition of lemon and orange oils really makes the whole thing pop with brightness.
Whiskey Sour
Zach Johnston
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. bourbon
0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 dash of Angostura Bitters
1 egg white
Cherry
Ice
A whiskey sour really is all about that frothy sugar, lemon, and egg white vibe. Still, you’ll want a good whiskey base and Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond is a classic Kentucky bourbon with the exact right spicy sweetness to accent this cocktail perfectly.
Quick note — use a farm-fresh egg. The fresher the egg, the better the froth and taste will be.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Coupe, Nick and Nora, or small rocks glass
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail strainer
Jigger
Fruit peeler
Hand juicer
Cocktail stick
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the glass in the freezer.
Add the bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, bitter, and egg white, to a cocktail shaker. Affix the lid and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds (hold the lid tight as a vacuum seal will not form thanks to there being no ice in the shaker).
Open the shaker, add a big handful of ice and reshake the cocktail for about 15 to 20 seconds or until the shaker is ice-cold to touch.
Strain the cocktail into the prechilled glass, making sure to shake out all the foam.
Add a cherry for garnish and serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is the most refreshing cocktail on the list. It takes a little extra effort with that dry shake, but it’s 100% worth it. You’ll greeted with a soft and almost effervescent sipper that moves from lemon meringue toward boozy bourbon smash vibes towards a bright eye-opener on a hot day. Delicious.
Horse’s Neck
Zach Johnston
Ingredients:
2 oz. bourbon
4 oz. ginger ale
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Orange peel
Ice
Okay, this a highball but it still fits with our bourbon cocktail theme. I’m sticking with Heaven Hill here but adding in a sharper/spicier ginger ale with Fever Tree. It adds a deeper dimension than your average over-sugary ginger ale.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Highball glass
Straw
Fruit Peeler
Jigger
Zach Johnston
Method:
Fill the highball glass with ice.
Add the bourbon and Angostura Bitters to the glass and then top with ginger ale.
Express the orange oils from the peel over the glass and then drop the peel into the glass. Serve with a straw.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is dangerously easy to drink. It’s amazingly refreshing while having a spicy orange-forward brightness that makes it beautifully quaffable. This is so easy to make that it might well become your new house pour.
Paper Plane
Zach Johnston
Ingredients:
0.75 oz. bourbon
0.75 oz. Aperol
0.75 oz. Amaro
0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel
Ice
While the original recipe for this cocktail calls for Amaro Nonino (which is a lighter amaro), you can use any amaro really. And I like dark amaros in this cocktail so I’m using Ramazzotti. It adds a more spicy/botanical vibe and just gives it that extra layer of depth. Like the Campari in the boulevardier, the Aperol is irreplaceable here too.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Coupe, Nick and Nora, or cocktail glass
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail strainer
Hand juicer
Pairing Knife
Jigger
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the glass in the freezer.
Add the bourbon, Aperol, Amaro, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Affix the lid and shake for 15-20 seconds until the shaker is ice-cold to touch. Don’t shake endlessly. This is a delicate drink
Fetch the glass from the freezer and strain the cocktail into it. Express the lemon oils over the glass and discard the peel. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is the perfect end-of-summer cocktail. It’s light but so freaking deep with dark botanicals and spices accented by light and almost fun bourbon and lemon vibes. This is a crusher.
Manhattan
Zach Johnston
Ingredients:
3 oz. bourbon whiskey
0.75 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Orange peel
Cherry
Ice
The star of the show in a Manhattan is the base whiskey, so I always make it a killer one. In this case, I’m using Michter’s 10-year Single Barrel Bourbon. Yes, it’s expensive and rare. But it makes an extraordinary cocktail. Again, if you can’t access the Michter’s 10-year, replace it with the Michter’s Small Batch Bourbon. It’ll get the job done.
And since it’s still warm out, I’m using a lighter French vermouth. If we were deep in winter, I’d replace that with a darker and more syrupy Italian vermouth, but we’re not there yet.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Coupe or cocktail glass
Mixing jar/glass
Cocktail strainer
Jigger
Pairing knife
Barspoon
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the glass in the freezer.
Add the bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass, and then add two handfuls of ice.
Stir the drink until it’s ice-cold — about 20 to 30 seconds.
Strain the cocktail into a prechilled glass, express the orange oils and discard the peel, and then add the cherry. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is the drink to master. It’s uncutious, dark, and delicious. It goes down so easily. I guarantee that you’ll be making more of these throughout all of Bourbon Heritage Month.
Donald Trump has never had trouble picking favorites. Favorite child? Ivanka. Favorite sport? Golf. Favorite condiment? Ketchup. It’s practically effortless, and the same can be said for his many indictments. Only in this case, favorite means the one that’s ruining his life the most.
According to CNN reporter Kristen Holmes, the RICO charges levied against the former president in Georgia “angers and agitates” Trump the most and his aides “know how serious this case is.” Holmes has personally seen Trump’s anger while talking to him about the situation in Georgia.
“After the arrest in Georgia, he was upset… and angry and lashing out,” she said. “This is the case that has continually plagued him. Now, he maintains that he did nothing wrong when it comes to this case, and that he has every right to say that the election was stolen, and to question the election. But again, we know specifically this case is one that makes him particularly angry and agitated when he is looking at the legal landscape.”
Holmes’ revelation arrives on the heels of the unsealed grand jury report that showed just how close Lindsey Graham came to being included in the indictment. The jurors overwhelmingly voted to charge Graham for his involvement in Trump’s election meddling scheme, but District Attorney Fani Willis opted not to include the South Carolina senator.
Instead, Willis focused on Trump and 18 codefendants, five of whom have already flipped on the former president as of this writing.
Cardi B has finally addressed her microphone-tossing incident. Today (September 8), during an appearance on Power 105.1 FM’s The Breakfast Club, the “Bongos” rapper shared a few choice words about the incident while performing at Drai’s Beachclub, dating back to July 29.
When host Charlamagne Tha God asked outright if she regretted throwing the object at an onlooker, she hesitated. After taking a few seconds to gather her thoughts, she said, “It was really like [just] a quick reaction.”
She continued, “And let me tell you… I didn’t want to address it because a b*tch thought I was going to go to jail. But I’m not,” referring to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s decision not to pursue the battery charges initially filed.
Cardi then went on to tell the story from her perspective: “It was hot as f*ck! That Vegas hear ain’t no joke. It was hotter than a motherf*cker. So, there was a part of the show where I told people to splash me [with water]. But even when I told them to splash me, I told them to be careful with the face… Four songs later, which was 15 or 20 minutes later, this b*tch threw water and ice on my face. So I just automatically reacted.”
“When I looked back at the video [clips], I see that she intentionally threw that sh*t in my face… I felt very violated.” Cardi then turned her attention to the concertgoer, “You were trying to be funny, but b*tch, I’m hilarious.”
The microphone from the show was later auctioned off, raising almost $100,000 for charity.
Watch the full interview above.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
When Donald Trump was slapped with his fourth indictment in Georgia, there was a surprising omission from the long list of codefendants: Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina senator has been a dutiful Trump soldier and made phone calls to Georgia officials on Trump’s behalf. Those phone calls earned Graham a subpoena, forcing him to testify to the special grand jury, who apparently did recommend that the senator be indicted.
According to the unsealed grand jury report released on Friday, Graham earned an “overwhelming number of votes” to be indicted on RICO charges along with Trump and 18 others. District Attorney Fani Willis chose not to indict Graham, but legal analyst Clark Cunningham of the Georgia State University finds it “astonishing” that the jury was ready to pull the trigger.
“The grand jury listened to him testify under oath and then decided he was a criminal.”
Lindsey Graham was recommended for indictment in the Ga. election case but never charged. Georgia State University Chair of Law and Ethics, Clark D. Cunningham, discusses with @AnaCabrera. pic.twitter.com/WtaX2PuQDN
“He came out, he said he answered all the questions he was asked, which suggests he did not take the 5th [Amendment],” he continued. “And the special grand jury listened to him under oath and then decided he was a criminal.”
“That’s astonishing,” he added.
Naturally, Trump has been raging about the unsealed report on Truth Social where he accused Willis of wanting to “indict anybody who happened to be breathing at the time.” Except the reality is that Willis chose not to indict Graham or Mike Flynn, who was also recommended for charges. That decision earned Willis praise from Fox News for her restraint.
Fried chicken is dominating fast food. With the abundance of chicken sandwiches, tenders, and full-on hot chicken chains popping up across the fast food landscape, there is no doubt that fried chicken is just as popular (or maybe even more popular) amongst the masses than the mighty cheeseburger. But don’t forget, we wouldn’t live in this world if it wasn’t for the chicken nugget.
Back in 1983, McDonald’s dropped the heavily processed Chicken MgNugget and took the nation by storm, starting an obsession similar to what Popeyes’ chicken sandwich did in 2019. Now, forty years later, chicken nuggets are better than they’ve ever been — even McDonald’s chicken nugget is composed of all-white meat chicken, and for every heavily processed mystery meat nugget out there, there are whole pieces of chicken battered and fried on-site (shout out to KFC and Chick-fil-A).
Chicken sandwiches and tenders, with their bigger cuts of meat, might be more satisfying but the nugget still holds its own as the best fried chicken snack and the easiest to dip. So we’re going to help guide you to the best chicken nuggets in all of fast food by launching the biggest chicken nugget ranking on the internet. We tasted and ranked over 20 different chicken nuggets in search of the very best. Here is how they rank and which dipping sauces serve them best.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Food Rankings From The Last Month
Yeck! Whose idea was it to make these? The word “rotisserie” is used very generously here — this chicken is dry as a bone with a salt and cheap onion powder flavor with an overly fragrant rosemary aftertaste.
Part of what makes rotisserie chicken special is the bone-in roasting, which leads to a tender and succulent perfectly cooked chicken. I guarantee there is none of that here.
Luckily, most Dairy Queen locations don’t even offer this snack option, which means there is less of a chance of your curiosity tempting you to give this a try.
The Bottom Line:
Go with the fried tenders instead. These aren’t even worth tasting for curiosity’s sake. They may just be the worst nuggets of all time.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Country Gravy. It makes the most sense with this non-fried chicken.
This chicken nugget has a few good things going for it — the breading is light and super crispy (think cornstarch-based rather than flour), it’s well seasoned, and it features a mix of garlic and pepper. But the actual chicken meat itself is weirdly flavorless.
It has a spongey wet texture, but no real flavor. So I wouldn’t exactly say these nuggets are tasty, but I can’t say they are gross either.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Frank’s Red Hot.
The Bottom Line:
Great batter, weird texture, flavorless chicken. If you like the breading of fried chicken more than the chicken itself, you might like these.
Crispy, moist enough to not be off-putting, with a strong black pepper-forward flavor. True to its name, these nuggets are pretty jumbo, big enough that you’ll need to at least take two bites before you’re finished. That makes it a bit more tough to dip, so make sure you ask for extra sauce with this one.
Here is the issue though, as fine as these are, Sonic has a lot better finger food — mozzarella sticks, chili cheese tots, and jalapeño poppers among them. Order those instead.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Sonic Signature sauce. It’s a little bit of lemon, a little bit of mustard, a little bit of mayo, and a little bit of BBQ resulting in a whole lot of flavor.
The Bottom Line:
Not bad but easily one of Sonic’s weakest snack offerings.
18. Sonic — Honey BBQ Sauced Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
Sonic
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Better than Sonic’s non-sauced popcorn chicken but I find the level of sweetness here a bit off-putting. There is a slight sense of smokiness that pairs well with the black-pepper-forward flavor of the chicken, but the sweet aftertaste makes even a single nugget overwhelming.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Doesn’t need one. Any other sauce added just puts a stronger emphasis on the sweetness.
The Bottom Line:
As I said before, Sonic has plenty of better snack options. Get mozzarella sticks!
Dry with a soft texture, a strangely dusty breading, and an enjoyable black pepper-forward flavor. This nugget’s weak point is its spongey texture and the weird appearance of the meat. It looks like something you shouldn’t be putting in your body.
This tends to be the problem with Burger King. The chain’s food has some great flavors, but the quality always holds it back.
Best Dipping Sauce?
BBQ. Not only is it Burger King’s best sauce, but it’s also the best BBQ sauce in all of fast food. I know, I’ve tried them all.
The Bottom Line:
I’m always rooting for Burger King to up its quality. They still haven’t, but I’m hoping this fast food chain can turn itself around one day. At the end of the day, I’m going to suggest you skip these.
16. Sonic — Buffalo Sauced Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
Sonic
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
A huge improvement over the non-sauced version, these nuggets are tossed in Sonic’s Buffalo sauce adding a spicy tangy dimension to the flavor profile. Sonic’s buffalo sauce is great offering a nice balance between acidic, spicy, and savory flavors.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ranch, or your wing sauce of choice.
The Bottom Line:
I still think Sonic has better side options than the chicken, but these are a huge improvement over the non-sauced and Honey BBQ version of these chicken nuggets.
Crispy and dusty breading dominated by pepper and garlic powder housing tender white meat chicken. These are good but Rally’s only sells them as a half-pound box with fries. That’s too many chicken bites!
An order of this just comes across as overwhelming, spend your money instead on a Mother Cruncher chicken sandwich.
Best Dipping Sauce?
An even split between Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce or BBQ. If you want spice, hit the Frank’s, if you rather have smokey notes with some sweetness, do BBQ.
The Bottom Line:
Good, but we wish Rally’s offered a smaller side order so we wouldn’t have to treat this box of food as a meal.
A medley of pepper, onion, and garlic flavors with heavily processed white meat chicken. Do these Chicken Rings count as nuggets? I think so. Sure, they don’t have the iconic shape, but it’s still processed chicken that is battered and fried, so this is essentially a nugget.
It disturbs me that these are shaped like rings though. Why, White Castle? Did you somehow think that would be appetizing?
Best Dipping Sauce?
Zesty Zing Sauce. This mustard-based sauce is tangy and sweet and pairs well with the flavor of the chicken rings.
The Bottom Line:
Good, but barely mid-tier. If you can’t look past the shape we don’t blame you.
A bright buttery flavor with a heavy sharp textured breading and weird spongey chicken “meat.” These are disturbing on every level, the way they’re shaped like stars, the weird light color, and the strange meat slurry texture. And yet… I kind of like these?
Hear me out, sure they don’t exactly taste like chicken, but the flavor the crunch are good enough that ordering these as a side to any meal is an easy way to elevate said meal. Having said that, ordering this as your meal, that’s not something we can suggest.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Buffalo sauce, hot, buttery, delicious.
The Bottom Line:
If you can look past the star shape, these are a fine addition to any meal.
I don’t love the breading here as much as what Carl’s Jr or White Castle are doing, it’s powdery, dry, and pretty one note (black pepper) but the quality of the chicken is a significant cut about the cheap processed stuff.
True to its name, the chicken comes across as premium here, it actually tears, tastes, and looks like actual white meat chicken, rather than a slurry of meat.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Bronco sauce. It’s a mix of fruity apple and cherry notes. It’s an anomaly amongst dipping sauces, and for that novelty alone, we like it!
If you’re looking for something a bit savory, go for the Horsey Sauce, which is like a spicy mayo.
The Bottom Line:
Good, but from Arby’s, a place that “got the meats” we expect a little better.
I’m not sure where Arby’s gets off calling these things “boneless wings,” they are, as far as I can tell, Arby’s chicken nuggets tossed in sauce. It’s an improvement, sure, but calling it a wing is misleading.
Yes, I’m aware that boneless chicken wings are essentially just chicken nuggets, but boneless wings tend to be a lot larger than these tiny bite-sized nuggets.
The buffalo sauce adds a buttery quality to this chicken, but it underdelivers on the heat you might expect from buffalo.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ranch, it’s a natural pairing with buffalo sauce.
The Bottom Line:
They’re only available for a limited time so if you’re a fan of Buffalo sauce and Arby’s, we think this is worth a pick up.
A bit buttery but the nugget itself is strangely airy as if actual air was pumped into the weird meat slurry to make the nuggets appear thicker. I find that off-putting (who wouldn’t), but the buttery and black pepper flavor and crispy texture are enjoyable.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ghost Pepper Ranch, it’s creamy with buttermilk elements, black pepper, and a hint of heat for a kick of spice on the backend.
The Bottom Line:
Good, but it’s hard to justify ordering these when Wendy’s has a better nugget option.
No, these aren’t ranked too highly — they’re f*cking delicious. Sure, grilled nuggets aren’t anyone’s first choice but what you have here is a nugget of chicken that is juicy and flavorful with charred notes, a hint of lemon, and a dose of black pepper.
They’re also relatively healthy, ordering an 8-count box of these feels like cheating they’re so tasty. Are they as good as Chick-fil-A’s fried nuggets? No way, but they’re damn good and will not disappoint.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Polynesian! Sweet, tangy, citrusy — a perfect pairing with chicken.
I wanted these to be better, but they’re just not that great. The flavor and texture of the breading is significantly better than most of the competition. It’s crispy, light, crunchy, and the blend of garlic powder, salt, and pepper is perfect. The chicken inside is also very very juicy, offering one of the best mouthfeels of any chicken nugget in the fast food universe.
So what holds them back? The texture of the meat. It’s awful, biting into it breaks up the meat into cubes, it has this artificial texture to it that comes across as rubbery, making it Popeyes weakest chicken offering on the entire menu.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Honey if you like sweetness, Blackened Ranch if you’re like some heat and tang.
The Bottom Line:
It has that familiar Popeyes flavor that makes the brand so delicious and iconic, but the texture of the meat is so awful that we couldn’t put this chicken in the top 5.
The breading here is that boring powdery black pepper-heavy flavor, but where this nugget excels is the chicken itself. It’s tender, flavorful, minimally processed, and super meaty — which makes up for the sub-par breading.
Pair this with your favorite sauce and it makes up for the lack of interesting flavors in the breading.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Classic BBQ for some smoke and tang.
The Bottom Line:
They are the sort of nuggets that need sauce, but once paired they become a high-quality chicken nugget.
Airy and crispy batter with a salty flavor and a hint of white pepper. I like the texture of the breading a lot, but this nugget sort of falls flat. It desperately needs sauce to elevate it.
McDonald’s Chicken McNugget is one of McDonald’s top sellers, and I think a side of these things is a must-order. But nuggets have come a long way since these first paved the way and in 2023 they come across as a bit lacking compared to some of the competition.
Best Dipping Sauce?
The Sweet and Sour adds some nice tang and sweetness to this otherwise flat-tasting nugget. The texture of the airy breading is nearly unbeatable though.
The Bottom Line:
The nugget that started it all is still very delicious, but there are better options out there that are significantly less processed.
Truly spicy at first bite. This nugget will ignite your palate with a strong cayenne pepper kick that finishes with some earthy black pepper notes. Even if you have a strong tolerance to spice, these nuggets come across as pretty damn intense.
The texture is crispy with a great mouthfeel. The big issue with these is that they are heavily processed. If you can look past that, these are some of the best nuggets in the game.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ghost Pepper Ranch. It helps to emphasize the heat while adding some buttery and tangy counter notes that keep it from spinning out of control.
The Bottom Line:
The best heavily processed nugget in all of fast food.
A crispy light cornstarch-based breading that is akin to McDonald’s with tender juicy chicken that is minimally processed. The breading is seasoned with a mix of onion powder, garlic, and a gentle dose of black pepper. Altogether, these nuggets are great and high quality — being made from antibiotic-free whole-muscle chicken that is sous-vide cooked.
Unfortunately, as good as these are, in my experience, the quality is incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes I order these nuggets and they’re the best in all of fast food, but a majority of the time they’re a soggy mess with a breading that falls off the chicken too easily. For that, we have to knock it back a few spots.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Shack Sauce. It’s wonderfully flavorful with some sweetness, savory elements, a bit of tang, and a hint of spice. A natural pairing with chicken.
The Bottom Line:
Great when they’re great, but more often than not they’re soggy and dry and travel worse than any other nugget in the game. Once enough time hits these nuggets, they fall apart in the worst way.
2. KFC — Original Recipe Chicken Nuggets
KFC
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
I love these. The meat is tender and juicy, and the breading is crispy with that familiar 11 herbs and spices flavor profile that made KFC famous. There is a hint of garlic, onion, thyme, and black pepper all joining forces to produce a wonderfully flavorful result that takes the tastebuds on a journey.
KFC’s chicken nuggets were released this year and they’re easily our favorite new fast food chicken item
Best Dipping Sauce?
Honey BBQ. It adds a sweet counterpoint to the flavor profile which enhances the experience.
The Bottom Line:
Easily one of KFC’s best new menu options. I hope the brand adds Original Recipe tenders to the menu instead of forcing us to eat the less delicious Extra Crispy flavor profile.
Meaty, juicy and tender with a strong blend of onion, garlic powder, and pepper flavors with an earthy floral paprika smokiness at the aftertaste. Chick-fil-A’s chicken is marinaded in pickle brine which helps to add a dark sort of tang to the flavor that makes the whole thing come across as more savory and also helps to lock in the juiciness, putting these nuggets in a different class than everything else in the fast food universe.
The nuggets are also fried in peanut oil which has a high smoke point and helps to get the chicken crispy and golden brown, without drying the meat out. If these nuggets were just a bit crispier, they’d be significantly better, but there is no real need to improve upon these already near-perfect nuggets.
Here is to hoping Chick-fil-A drops a spicy version of these soon.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Polynesian for some interesting fruity tang or Chick-fil-A sauce to up the savory qualities.
The Bottom Line:
Easily the best chicken nuggets in the fast food universe. Chick-fil-A is so far ahead of the competition that it’s… kind of crazy.
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