By food editor, Santiago Cardona
People Dedicated to Quality; at first this may seem like an odd name for a place
known for its chicken tenders, but after first try, you’ll realize that the name is
actually a perfect fit for the restaurant otherwise recognized as PDQ. PDQ is an
expanding chain of restaurants that is dedicated to serving high quality food at
reasonable prices while providing the best service possible. True, this is the
philosophy that basically every restaurant tries to adopt, but I can honestly say that
no one is living up to this mission the way PDQ is doing it.
Walking in, I was first struck by the cleanliness of the restaurant. Nothing seems out
of place and there seems to be pure aura emitting from every corner. The employees
live up to this purity aspect, making you feel like a regular from the first time you
step through the door. The experience is meant to be as engaging as possible,
removing the impersonal feeling coming from going to most fast food and casual
restaurants. This even extends to the drive-through, where PDQ has obliterated the
system where a guest will order at one register and pay at another, and replaced it
with a one-on-one encounter with an employee from beginning to end.
PDQ’s menu is consisted of fewer than ten items, sticking to its popular chicken
tender theme and making variations of it to cater to guests’ cravings. Whether you
go for the salads, sandwiches, or just stick to the chicken tender, you will be eating
some of the most flavorful chicken you can find. Although you can get it grilled or
fried, I will always go for the fried tender. PDQ’s tender is the archetype of what a
chicken tender should be, with a crisp and flavorful coating that gives way to a moist
and flavorfully brined interior. Tastes of garlic, onion, paprika, and pepper dominate
the coating, but are not so strong to be overwhelming. In fact, they make for the
perfect vehicle to sample your way through the copious amounts of homemade
sauces, which include honey mustard, buffalo bleu, and chipotle BBQ amongst
others.
Turkey also fills a few spots on the menu, giving customers more options than just
chicken. Walking in, I thought the turkey items would be an afterthought to the high-
quality chicken, but I could not have been more mistaken. There were some
instances where the turkey items catered more to my taste buds than the chicken
items, due to complimenting flavors that I had never experienced in turkey. One of
the must-try items on the menu is the Grilled Turkey Sandwich, which is basically
"Hand-held Thanksgiving" served on an egg bun with traditional spices (such as
sage), seasoned mayo, lettuce and cranberry.
The same attention to detail is put to the side dishes as the chicken and turkey. The
French Fries, which are cut in house and washed at least half a dozen times to get
ride of the starches, are baked in special ovens as a sort of blanche, and then fried to
order. I don’t know about you, but I only know of few full service restaurants, let
alone fast-casual, that put so much effort into making fries. Although the fries at PDQ
are spectacular, I couldn’t help but be blown away by the Apple Slices. Yes, I said
Apple Slices. In an effort to make apple slices as tempting as French fries, PDQ
serves them with a toffee and cream cheese dip that may be my favorite thing on the
menu. I have found myself craving that dip ever since I ate at the restaurant.
Dedication in restaurants is something that is often taken for granted, and PDQ
realizes that the key to their success is maintaining their eyes on quality. Whether it
be on the food or on the service, PDQ’s dedication to being the best is something that
I admire. PDQ is a welcomed addition to the Miami area, and I can’t wait to make it
one of my regular dining options.
10121 West Flagler St.
Miami, FL 33174
305 257 3032
