For three years, Bruins walked past construction barriers.
Now, they’re walking out with Box Combos.
As of Monday, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, located on the corner of Broxton Avenue and Weyburn Avenue in Westwood, is open for business. The fast-food chain, known for its chicken fingers, Texas toast and crinkle-cut fries, operates nearly 1,000 locations across the United States. With doors finally open, the Daily Bruin tried Cane’s to see if its long-anticipated arrival lived up to the hype – and how it measured up against Westwood’s established favorites.
[Related: Raising Cane’s opens Westwood location after three-year wait]
Stepping inside Raising Cane’s on opening week felt like stepping into a celebration: three oversized disco balls twirled overhead, Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” blasted through the speakers and every table was packed with groups of friends digging into chicken fingers and fries. The lively atmosphere felt fitting for one of Westwood’s most anticipated restaurant openings in recent history.
The celebratory spirit extends beyond the crowds and music to the restaurant’s design, which leans heavily into Bruin pride. Gold-and-blue booths, “Go Bruins” lettering stretching across the ceiling and framed UCLA memorabilia make the location feel curated for its Westwood clientele. A mural of Cane, founder Todd Graves’ yellow Labrador retriever, sporting sunglasses with the Bruin Bear reflected in the lenses adds another playful touch.
Clearly, Raising Cane’s knows exactly who it’s trying to attract. Fortunately, the food and dining experience largely justify the years of waiting.
Despite the crowds, service never faltered. With three staffed registers, three self-order kiosks and what appeared to be dozens of employees working behind the counter, orders moved swiftly. An order placed at 7:35 p.m. was ready by 7:37 p.m. – before there was even time to grab napkins and ketchup. Whether that speed survives the inevitable rushes of the academic year remains to be seen, but Raising Cane’s opening-week operation – in terms of efficiency – was difficult to fault.
In addition to the lively main dining room, a patio seating area separated by large plexiglass panels offers a quieter space with fresh air. Decorated with a larger-than-life statue of Cane, the space is conducive for easier conversation, with window-bar seating overlooking the busy street corner.
The classic Box Combo contains four chicken fingers, one coleslaw, one Texas toast, crinkle-cut fries, a container of its signature Cane’s sauce and a regular 22-ounce fountain drink or tea. The combo is priced at $13.59 – $14.92 total after tax – making it among the cheaper meal options in Westwood, a few bucks above a burger combo at In-N-Out Burger.
The fingers arrived sizzling hot and fried to a triumphant golden brown. The white meat was tender, moist and considerably flavorful in and of itself, even before the addition of sauce. The breading was also quite tasty – lightly seasoned with hints of paprika, garlic powder and plenty of black pepper – but the tender lacked crispiness. For those who prefer a softer breading, these tenders win across pretty much all categories. The softer exterior may have been a byproduct of preparing large batches to keep up with opening-week demand, but on a return visit, ordering the tenders extra crispy would likely be the way to go.
The French fries were also straight-out-of-the-fryer-hot and cooked to a delightful pale amber color. The inside of the fry was fluffy, starchy and rich with fresh potato flavor. The fries were generously salted, crispy and held their shape rather than going limp like the fries offered at In-N-Out. However, like the fingers, they also lacked crunch despite their structure. But the quarter-inch thickness and crinkle cut shape made them the perfect vessels for Cane’s famous ketchup-mayo sauce.
The sauce, a favorite among Raising Cane’s cult following, leveled the entire meal up. The creamy, mayo-based condiment had a black pepper-forward flavor balanced by ketchup and whispers of garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Unlike sweeter sauces like Chick-fil-A’s, Cane’s sauce was satisfyingly savory, complementing the chicken rather than masking its flavor. It proved equally delicious coating fries and even spread across Texas toast.
A generous serving of the coleslaw – mayo-based with finely chopped green and red cabbage and shredded carrots – offered a fresh contrast to the fried meal, bringing a cool sweetness and mild tanginess. However, it lacked the seasoning and acidity of a truly memorable coleslaw.
Customers might be better off substituting coleslaw for the Texas toast, an unbeatable standout. Thick-cut slices of pull-apart white bread were lathered with garlic butter, sprinkled with sesame seeds and toasted until golden perfection. The soft, sweet interior of the bread combined with the crisp, salty, buttery exterior and hint of nuttiness from the seeds made the toast a show-stealer.
The sweet tea was an unexpected star. Unlike McDonald’s saccharine sweet tea with an artificial aftertaste, Cane’s sweet tea had the clean flavor of freshly brewed black tea sweetened with real sugar. With airy, crunchable pebble ice, the drink was a refreshing and tasty accompaniment.
[Related: Raising Cane’s gives rise to a new chicken shop in Westwood]
Among its Westwood competitors, Cane’s has strong value. Bruxie charges $16.10 for three jumbo tenders and fries. Hangry Moon’s sells a three-tender combo with fries for $18.99. A large order of fingers, fries and a medium drink at Fat Sal’s totals $16.99 before tax. Though Cane’s fingers are admittedly smaller than the hefty tenders at Bruxie and Hangry Moon’s, the Box Combo with all of its accoutrements is one of the most substantial chicken-finger meals at one of the lowest prices.
Raising Cane’s menu is quite simple, revolving around chicken fingers served in varying quantities – or in sandwich form – with the same handful of sides. Instead of offering several dipping sauces like Chick-fil-A or encouraging endless customization like In-N-Out, Cane’s has chosen to perfect its single formula. And that approach largely succeeds.
Cane’s straightforward menu, dependable service, convenient open hours from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily and relatively competitive prices make it well-suited for weekday dinners and late-night runs with friends. The grand-opening craze will die down, but the restaurant’s prime location and devoted fan base will not go with it.
Cane’s was worth the wait and has all the ingredients to become a student staple.
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