Calling all 7-foot chickens, there’s a new restaurant in town!

Big Chicken, located at 448 E. College Ave., underneath the Oliv Hetzel apartment building, opened its doors for a grand opening on Thursday, February 5. The establishment teased a soft opening all week, and our staffers made their way in to get a taste of what Shaquille O’Neil’s restaurant chain has to offer.

The menu offers a variety of crispy or grilled fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, and wings with a choice of sauces, as well as a salad and kids’ meals. Sides include mac and cheese, fries, and jalapeño slaw. For something sweet, it has shakes and sundaes.

And who are we kidding? Maybe the real reason we all ventured over was to see if Shaq himself was going to stop by. Regardless of the rhyme or reason of our visit, get a glimpse of State College’s newest chicken joint with our staff’s reviews.

Holden Mostofsky: Original Chicken Sandwich & Vanilla Milkshake

When I walked into Big Chicken, there weren’t too many people there, but it definitely had a decent crowd, as many others wanted to try State College’s newest fast food establishment. I was able to find a table without any problems, and didn’t wait long for the food to come out.

For my order, I decided to get the original chicken sandwich meal and a vanilla milkshake. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the Big Chicken sauce and pickles created a nice blend of flavors. I find myself to be a little critical of fast food fries, and I had some disappointment with Big Chicken’s. The fries were pretty hard, their flavor didn’t stand out, and they didn’t stay warm for too long. However, I believe portion size is one of the most important factors of fast food restaurants, and they weren’t shy with the portion of the fries.

I also had a vanilla milkshake, which my friend was kind enough to buy for me. I enjoyed the drink and thought it had a nice custard taste while also being very filling. I paid around $10 (would’ve been around $17 with the milkshake) for this meal and will definitely go again. I recommend going for anyone having a craving for chicken, and definitely make sure to get a milkshake!

Ashley Connington: The Big Cali Meal & Cookies & Cream Milkshake 

I love a good chicken sandwich, so of course I headed over to try out Shaq’s place. I got the Big Cali, which had chicken, mayo, avocado, bacon, tomato, and onion (of course, I took the tomato off immediately). The sandwich was pretty good, but when I got to the end, the chicken was too thick and a bit odd, so I ended up throwing away my last few bites.

I really enjoyed the fries, but this might be one of the only places I’ve seen a meal not include a drink! My boyfriend and I split a milkshake instead, which I liked better than I usually do, but it was SUPER thick, so we had to let it melt first. I’d go back if I need a quick meal, but I’d rather make my own version of this at home instead of spending $15.

Michael Zeno: Five-Piece Tender Tray & Chocolate Milkshake

I’ve heard good things in the past about Big Chicken, but I had never had it. Shaq owns a lot of businesses, some better than others, so where would this one fall?

The chicken tenders were solid. The breading gave it a solid kick that gave it flavor, rather than being on the blander side. The crinkle-cut fries were crispy and had a good amount of salt. The toast surprised me, as the texture and flavor made me think I was in an Italian restaurant eating garlic bread. It was still pretty good. The milkshake came out pretty good as well. 

The meal itself was very good, but there were two hangups I had. For one, it was expensive. There are cheaper options on the menu, but this one rang me up to over $21. Maybe next time I’ll just get a $10 chicken sandwich combo. The other problem was the sauces. I only got ketchup, but all it came with were two measly packets, which barely lasted two tenders. 

Overall, it was a good meal, and I’ll be coming back. I just may have to change some of my choices.

Oscar Orellana: Smoke Show

I ordered the Smoke Show from the Shaq Snacks portion of the menu. Normally, I’d go for some chicken tenders by themselves, but I wanted to branch out and see what this sandwich had in store. 

I made the right decision. 

Bread? Delectable. Chicken? Tasty. Cole slaw? Give me more right now.

And don’t even get me started on the fries. Perfectly salted and just the right amount of crunchy. Big Chicken will definitely be seeing me in the future.

Jack Kelly: Three Tender Plate

Let me start by saying the picture was taken halfway through my meal as I dove straight in. I will say they have a great atmosphere here at Big Chicken. One employee was very excited as they yelled welcome to Big Chicken as soon as I entered the place. They have two tvs in the dining area, both on ESPN.  The menu is very well-themed with multiple basketball references on the menu, shoutout to Shaq. I went with the classic three-tender plate, as I just ate lunch a little bit ago and was still planning on dinner.

The service was very quick for me, though my roommate, who ordered at the same time waiting an extra 10 minutes for the same meal. The proportions were okay for $14 in my opinion, not much size in the tenders. I was very pleased to see two pieces of Texas Toast plus the coleslaw, as that’s not something competing places do. 

I’ll start with the fries, I do like the crinkle cut, but nothing special, well salted, and an overall solid fry. The ranch was good, but only one sauce for 14 dollars is a bit stingy. As for the Texas Toast, I do think it was a bit soggy, compared to places like Raising Canes have better in my opinion. Now for the main attraction, the chicken. I think it is better than most competing fried chicken places in the area, though the portions are fairly small. Very crispy and doesn’t necessarily need a sauce to work. All in all, I would recommend, and I am very intrigued and interested in their other options.

Ally Eaton: El Shaquito Meal & Cookies & Cream Milkshake

I can say without a doubt that I have been one of Big Chicken’s biggest fans since I heard it was opening underneath my apartment building. A quick, indulgent, fast food meal seconds from my doorstep? Say less.

My roommates and I all tried to get different things from the menu, so I opted for the El Shaquito with lots of elote corn and a piece of chicken tender wedged right in the middle of two pieces of toast. It was a little cold, but I’ll chalk that up to the grand opening and give some grace. The fries that came with the meal were perfectly crinkled and very well-seasoned. I also tried a milkshake, not pictured, which was the perfect custard thickness.

Overall, having this establishment so close to me is going to be very dangerous. It was Shaq-alicious, to say the least.