Tag: PDQ

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.

PDQ

10121 West Flagler St.

Miami, FL 33174

305 257 3032