After getting in two wrong lines and waiting for nearly an hour on opening day, I found myself with a Three Finger Combo and a lemonade from the brand new Raising Cane’s on South Ridge Road. 

While I wasn’t dedicated enough to camp out 15 hours before opening time like three high schoolers, I took a late lunch at my internship with the assumption that most people had somewhere better to be on a Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. 

I soon realized I underestimated the people’s love for Raising Cane’s, with its famous fried chicken, iconic bread and sauce. 

I ordered online well before I planned on arriving. I ordered a Three Finger Combo with lemonade and extra toast, and I left work for my one-hour lunch break. 

As I arrived, I was met with a line that, according to Apple Maps, was .3 miles down the road from the parking lot entrance. 

I proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes sitting in line before making it to the parking lot and realizing I wasn’t in a line for parking, but rather the line for the drive-thru. Eventually, I found a parking spot, which was easy to find after I got out of the drive-thru line. 

I then got in line to go to the door, which I soon found out was only for dine-in. 

I was in the wrong line again. 

Finally, I found two nice workers to ask if my order was ready. They told me my order was no longer on the shelf because it was too far past my pick-up time. 

Instead of making me order again or sending me to the back of the line, one worker pointed to a corner off the walking paths and told me to wait there. 

In less than 10 minutes, I had my order. 

The two workers who helped me with my mess-up were a highlight of the experience. 

I’ve never worked on the opening day of a famous restaurant, but I can’t imagine it is easy. Despite all the chaos and stress, the workers remained efficient and kept smiles on their faces.

As I walked out, part of me thought I must have missed signs or directions telling people where the different lines were, but there were none in sight. 

The biggest downside to my visit was the lack of direction, which was intensified by the fact that every line was superbly long. As time goes on, hopefully, Cane’s will slow down, and there should be less overall confusion.

I can imagine you can ask a worker, “Hey, where is the online order pick-up line?” 

Then the worker will point you in the right direction. 

But at the time, I was stuck in a line, scared to leave and give up what I had waited so long for. Because of the lack of direction, I decided it was best to keep my spot and ask workers as I got to them. 

After all the turmoil of finding the correct line, I finally had my food in hand. While the food wasn’t necessarily better than any other Cane’s I’ve had, it was still very good.

The chicken was crispy and hot, and none of the strips were small. The two pieces of toast (reminder: I paid for an extra piece of toast) were buttered well and not too burnt, not too soft. The fries weren’t super crispy, but they weren’t soggy either, and the sauce was just as good as Cane’s sauce always is. 

Cane’s has consistency each time you go. Cane’s is always Cane’s. 

I’ve actively avoided a certain McDonald’s or a certain Sonic because the specific location has poor service and/or food, but I’ve never had to do that with a Raising Cane’s. Each time I go, I know the food will be just as good as any Cane’s I’ve been to. 

An issue I have with all Raising Cane’s restaurants is that the small cup of sauce is never enough. An extra cup of sauce is 39 cents, which isn’t a lot, but I believe Cane’s should include two sauce cups automatically. 

My meal cost me $12.43 for a three finger combo, extra toast and extra sauce. Compared to other fast food chains, I believe this is a fair price for what you get. 

I hope that Wichita becomes home to more Cane’s restaurants in the future, and maybe Wichita State will one day have its very own Raising Cane’s. 

Although the restaurant had unmarked lines that made for a longer experience than planned, the service and food made me quickly forget about the lines. Even though the experience was long, I was able to make my way back to work within my hour break (although I did have to eat the food at my desk).