Chick-fil-A — Restaurant in Rochester

It hurts me to feel I need to write about two negative experiences I’ve had at the Chick-Fil-A in Rochester, MN. I live in SC where Chick-Fil-A’s are almost everywhere. I’ve been eating at and enjoying their food and service for decades. My wife and I have been traveling to Mayo Clinic since January 2019, spending 5 months of 2019 in Rochester and have been there over 20 times. We have eaten at Rochester’s Chick-Fil-A since it opened. It feels like home when we’re there. There were some new restaurant opening issues, but typically the food and service is good.

HOWEVER, I are there last month (December, 2021). I ordered Mac & Cheese and 4 chicken tenders. Within 15 minutes I knew something was wrong. It didn’t take long to realize I had food poisoning. It lasted 6 days!! I was very sick. My wife and I returned to Rochester this Wednesday 1/12/22. I couldn’t eat there the first few days but I decided to give it another try as I’ve not had bad experiences at any other Chick-Fil-A’s I’ve eaten at for decades. So, I ate there tonight (Saturday 1/15/22) and ordered an Original Chicken Sandwich combo and 12 chicken nuggets. For the nuggets I asked for Chick-Fil-A Sauce, Buffalo Sauce & Ranch and Mayo for the sandwich. I was asked to pull into a parking spot and wait. No problem. I only waited a couple of minutes. A staffer brought my order out and off I went to the hotel 3 miles away. To my disbelief, the fries were old and cold. The nuggets were dry and obviously had been cooked for a while. AND I DIDN’T GET ANY sauces or mayonnaise. They are listed on my order ticket that was stuck on the bag. I’m done with Chick-Fil-A in Rochester, MN. There needs to be more training on food safety, quality and attention to order details. I will however continue to enjoy Chick-Fil-A at...

I was very excited to finally get a chick-fil-A here in Rochester. But I think the 4th time I have eaten here will be my last. After dealing with the manager (short little guy, reminds me of Lumberg from Office Space) too many times. First time. Which was months after the place opened. Our order was so mixed up I don't even know what I ended up eating. 2nd time we ordered gluten free sandwiches for my wife and daughter. We wee told the chicken was GF. So the buns came separate. One of them had mold all over it. The manager was walking around cause it was busy. We showed him and he quickly replaced the bun like it was no big deal. Just a quick hmm interesting.. After eating half the food then he came around and we asked if the sandwich was GF like we heard. He left and came back 10-12 mins later to inform us that no, you had to get the grilled chix. Smiled, said hope that's ok and just walked off..?? Havent eaten there since. So just the other day I came through there with my kids. We had 4 coupons for free sandwiches. Ordered some fries to go with them. I asked for the gluten free bun and plain grilled for my daughter. The girls at the drive through said that would be fine. Got up to the window and Lumberg was standing back there. He then denied that request after he saw the coupons I gave the gal working the window. Said we had to pay for that one. I looked at him and said Really?? YEP! So I think that's about it for us. It just rubbed me the wrong way and just the way he has handled things I have lost all respect. ...

The sauce is like no other. This stuff is great for fries, chicken, salads, burgers (took some home), and probably anything else! The customer service was great. When I sat down and had a nice lunch with friends, they even offered more waffle fries without charge! I've never experienced anything like that in many years. How stoked would you be if the Golden Arches suddenly just walked around offering free fries! And who doesn't love the fresh free breadsticks from Fazoli's? More companies need to give out free cheap food for sit-down customers. It just creates such a positive experience and personal touch!

The chicken is good - and I mean all of it. I've tried the sandwiches, nuggets, grilled (naked), salads, and I've liked them all. Breading is not too much, but not too little. The frying is timed very well, with the chicken still succulent on the inside, not dry like nearly everyplace else. It's like they still care about quality. Frankly, that's a rare quality in fast food restaurants these days. Im a fan.

Unfortunately, the price is a bit high IMHO, but then, I believe all fast food places have outpriced themselves. Or maybe Im just a crotchety old man where $5 footlong was the expected price, not a "sale" and you could get a Super Sized meal still under $7. Anyway, here you get what you pay for - a fast food option that's a head...