Here I am featuring some old junk food in another edition of Retro Ramblings. I just can’t help it. Old junk food really tickles my nostalgia bone. And today’s topic is one of my all-time favorites from the past.
A couple of years ago, in the background, the TV was on and my daughters were watching some show that I usually care nothing about. The show went to commercial and I carried on with what I was doing. All of a sudden I was hit by a bolt of delicious lightning! For on the tv behind me, I was hearing a commercial for KFC’s return of the Chicken Little sandwiches!!! I bolted to the tv just to see and hear the end of that commercial that advertised the return of the greatest hand-held chicken sandwich in history. I immediately started making plans to visit my local KFC to once again dine on this fine treat.
I was horribly disappointed when I unwrapped the precious sandwich that I had longed for many years. What is this? This isn’t a Chicken Little. What kind of sick joke are these people trying to pull here?
You see, in the ’80s, when they were known as Kentucky Fried Chicken and not the metro-sounding KFC, they had the perfect sandwich. The original Chicken Little was the size of a common White Castle Slider or Krystal Burger. In fact, it featured the same kind of bun. It had a simple, thin chicken patty on it along with a pickle and a thin spread of mayo. It was simple. It was perfect.
As I’ve stated before, my mother and I ate out a lot when my dad traveled. At the time these were in stores, I want to say you could pick up Chicken Littles for 3 / $1.00 or something like that, which made it a simple choice to say yes to for my mother.
I had these little squares from heaven every couple of weeks. If she mentioned in the morning that we would be stopping by there in the evening, I would count down the minutes until I held them in my hand. But much like my disappointment with McDonald’s McPasta, I was saddened one day when I ordered my Chicken Littles and was told they were no longer available. I didn’t dwell on it though and figured they would be back one day.
That day came several years ago, and led to the story I started this tale off with. Today’s chicken little is on a different bun, features a different cut of chicken, and is nowhere near the super cheap price you could once obtain them at. Actually, the thick piece of chicken tender on the modern version throws the taste completely off. And throw in the fact that the lettuce is usually wilted due to the heat of the chicken, it’s really not a good sandwich at all anymore.
Just add it to the long list of junk foods we lost well before their time.
The original chicken littles that came out in 1987 did not have pickles on them. I worked for them from 1986 to 1995. The only thing that changed about them during that time was that at some point they switched from regular Mayo to a pepper infused Mayo.
I loved the original Chicken Littles! I hate the new ones they need to get rid of them!
Loved the original chicken Littles from the 90s I would buy bags full of them. I could eat 10 of them at once . so disappointing when ordering them one day and said they weren’t on the menu anymore and I agree the new ones suck and shouldn’t even be called chicken Littles . Why would kfc do this to us??
Because the KFC corporation doesn’t love us like the Colonel did.
Back in the 90^s I bought the chicken Littles sandwiches buy the bag loads love them for every mode in your life.
THE BEST SANDWICH FOR ANYTIME OF DAY OR NIGHT! THEY SHOULD OF NEVER LEFT THE MENU PLEASE BRING THE LITTLES BACK…
OMG I was just talking about these today. I LOVED Chicken Littles! I know KFC was carrying them into the early 90s. SO good. I hope they’ll bring them back.
I’m always hoping that they will return, but with each passing year, I lose a little more hope.
Loved Chicken Littles back in the day probably mostly because of the price.