The Region’s Best Chick-fil-A Alternative Is Expanding
If you love Chick-fil-A's food but not its reputation, Crisp Chik'n has what you're looking for.
The Lansdowne storefront of Delco’s Crisp Chik’n, the Philadelphia region’s best alternative to Chick-fil-A (photo courtesy Crisp Chik’n)
There are some people out there who stopped patronizing Chick-fil-A long ago, boycotting the company over donations made to anti-LGBTQ groups and past statements made by Chick-fil-A’s CEO. But there’s a big problem with boycotting Chick-fil-A. And it’s that you can’t get those delicious Chick-fil-A sandwiches or those oh-so-good Chick-fil-A waffle fries, assuming you’re a waffle fry fan. I tried to jump on the boycott bandwagon at one point, but just couldn’t stay strong. (Sorry!) The good news here is that the Philadelphia region has the perfect Chick-fil-A alternative — and it’s expanding.
Crisp Chik’n opened its doors in Lansdowne, Delaware County in March 2021 with a menu that features some remarkable similarities to what you’d find at Chick-fil-A. That chicken sandwich? Yep. Chicken tenders? Those too. But what about waffle fries? They’ve got them. And, yes, milkshakes. All closely reminiscent of the tastes and textures you’d find at Chick-fil-A.
The other thing that Crisp Chik’n seems to have imported from Chick-fil-A is that impossibly cheery customer service that makes you wonder what’s in that Chick-fil-A lemonade that the employees are drinking.
“I definitely used Chick-fil-A as an inspiration,” says Crisp Chik’n owner Musa Kajdomqaj, who has been involved in the food industry in one way or another for as long as he can remember. “People get really excited to go to Chick-fil-A, and I really wanted to provide not just the same kind of food but the same kind of experience.”
Crisp Chik’n’s menu also features burgers of a style that Five Guys fans would appreciate.
Kajdomqaj says response has been “incredible.” He explains that some of his customers drive from more than five miles away to visit. They even pass Chick-fil-A restaurants in the process. Crisp Chik’n won a 2022 Best of Philly Food award for its chicken. And the Inquirer recognized the restaurant for serving one of the best chicken sandwiches in the entire Philadelphia area, one of only two Delco shops to get that nod.
“Our customer base runs deep in Delco,” he insists. “But I’m actually not shocked. People appreciate when you offer them quality food and when you treat them well. I have to commend my staff for the way that they carry themselves. They really care.”
If it sounds to you like Kajdomqaj takes a lot of pride in Crisp Chik’n, he certainly does, for good reason. He also takes pride in keeping a close eye on his prices so that his food remains affordable to his customers. When he opened Crisp Chik’n in March 2021, his chicken sandwich cost $7.19. Today, it’s $7.99.
“You see a lot of these restaurants with these huge price increases,” he notes. “But that’s just not me. The quality of my food has actually gotten better with time, and I’ve raised some of the prices only slightly. I don’t charge fees. I’m not going to nickel and dime my customers.”
Kajdomqaj is hard at work on a second location for Crisp Chik’n. This one is set to open later this spring at 124 East Market Street in West Chester. I asked Kajdomqaj if he’d consider bringing his sandwich a little closer to Philly. He pointed out that his Lansdowne location is just over two miles from the Philadelphia border but added that he wasn’t ruling anything out.
