Editor’s note: Things have changed since we published the original version of this article in December 2018, when Louisiana-based Raising Cane’s had just opened its first Hawai‘i store. This new version is an update.
Photo: Terri Inef*cku
A good friend knows how to keep a secret. An even better friend will share allll the secrets so you can enjoy life like a boss.
Fortunately at Frolic, we’re all great friends.
So when Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened its first Hawai‘i restaurant in 2018, I dutifully braved the crowds to uncover top tips to enjoy the popular Louisiana-based fast-food joint. Now, there are eight locations on O‘ahu and one on Maui. And when a little bird recently told me there were even more saucy secrets, I had to investigate and share my findings.
All in the name of friendship, of course.
No. 1: Know your options.
The restaurant’s slogan is “One Love,” and that love is chicken fingers. That’s all it sells: pieces of tenderloin marinated for 24 hours in a brine, then hand-battered in a light egg wash and flour-based batter and cooked to order. There are five combos to choose from.
The Box Combo is the restaurant’s most popular offering and one I always order with modifications. Photo: Terri Inef*cku
- The Box Combo ($12.39): Four chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, Cane’s Sauce and a regular drink. This is the restaurant’s most popular combo.
- The 3 Finger Combo ($10.89): Three chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, Cane’s Sauce and a regular drink.
- The Caniac Combo ($18.39): Six chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, two Cane’s Sauces and a large drink.
- The Sandwich Combo ($11.09): Three chicken fingers and lettuce tucked in a Kaiser roll smothered with Cane’s Sauce, with crinkle-cut fries and a regular drink.
- The Kids Combo ($7.69): Two chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Cane’s Sauce, a kid’s drink (with milk and apple juice options) and an activity.
Give the Sandwich Combo a try! When I first tried the sandwich in 2018, I was disappointed by its dry, flavorless Kaiser roll. It’s since been replaced by a sweet, toasty sesame-seed bun for a rich, buttery note that, dare I say, rivals BOB (see below). Photo: Terri Inef*cku
No. 2: Skip the line.
Schedule your pickup on the Raising Cane’s app and grab your order at the designated pickup area, usually just inside the front entrance. You can also put in group and tailgate orders for office lunches and parties.
Pro tip: Time your arrival. The system automatically spits out the grill ticket five minutes prior so your order is as fresh as possible. If you’re like me and want your food at peak freshness, get there a few minutes early so you can snag it as soon as it’s ready. Don’t feel like getting out of your car? No problem. Select “Curbside” at select locations, park in a designated pickup stall and your order will be brought out to you.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened nine Hawai‘i locations in the past four years, including a restaurant and drive-thru in Hawai‘i Kai Towne Center, featured here. There are also locations at 2615 S. King St. (restaurant only); Town Center of Mililani, Pearl City, Kapolei and Kahului, Maui (restaurant and drive-thrus); and food court counters at Ala Moana Center, Royal Hawaiian Center and Schofield Barracks. Photo: Terri Inef*cku
No. 3: Feel free to swap sides.
With all the combos, you can substitute your sides—coleslaw, fries or toast—for one another or an extra Cane’s Sauce. Personally, I’m not a fan of fries (how un-American, I know), so I’d substitute that for more coleslaw or another slice of Texas toast.
Pro tip: Order fries extra crispy, and if you happen to have leftovers, they taste just as great after a few minutes in the airfryer, if you’ve got one.
No. 4: Always get the sauce.
Other restaurants tend to spice the breading for their chicken. Not Raising Cane’s. Its chicken fingers are seasoned simply because they’re meant to be dipped in Cane’s Sauce for a creamy kick of spice and tang. That’s fine with me—I like the sauce. The recipe is a secret, and only managers are allowed to make it, but a quick Internet search leads me to believe it may contain mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.
No. 5: Splurge on the lemonade or, better yet, opt for half tea, half lemonade.
For 30 cents more, you can get freshly squeezed lemonade sweetened with cane sugar, which is surprisingly refreshing and not overly sweet. My personal favorite is the half-tea, half-lemonade option, mixed with the restaurant’s signature freshly brewed tea so I can enjoy the best of both worlds in every sip.
Pro tip: Custom and “secret menu” orders must be made in person. Okay, okay. I know I said you could use the app to skip the line, but the next three tips can only be done at the restaurant counter or drive-thru. You might have to wait a little, but trust me, it’s worth it!
If you’re dining in, look around! Each restaurant features memorabilia unique to its neighborhood. Miliani has an old yearbook; Hawaiʻi Kai displays a photo of Henry J. Kaiser; and Pearl City features actors Brook Lee and Jason Scott Lee, featured here. Photo: Courtesy of Raising Cane’s
No. 6: There’s a “secret” secret sauce.
If you want a little more variety, ask for the off-menu honey mustard sauce. They keep containers of it behind the counter and provide it only upon request. Both sauces are made in-house throughout the day.
No. 7: When it comes to Texas toast, ask for “BOB.”
On its own, I didn’t find the Texas toast particularly memorable. It’s a thick slice of bread, lightly toasted and smothered on one side with garlic butter that, as a garlic aficionado, I could barely taste. But ask the kitchen for “BOB” or add butter on both sides, and the toast turns into crispy, blissful bites of buttery, garlic goodness.
SEE ALSO: Battle of the Fried Chicken Boxes: Raising Cane’s vs. EARL
No. 8: On a low-carb or no-dairy diet? Order your chicken “naked.”
They’ll cook it without the batter. I didn’t get a chance to try this, though I suspect the meat, given the marinade, would retain the same light flavor and moisture.
No. 9: Score a free Box Combo by joining the Caniac Club.
Ask for a Caniac Club card at the counter and register the card online for a free Box Combo at your next visit. You’ll also get special offers on your birthday, your Caniac Club anniversary and various holidays throughout the year.
No. 10: Be on the lookout for exclusive University of Hawai‘i swag.
Photo: Courtesy of Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s has an online merchandise shop, but the restaurant also partners with the University of Hawai‘i on exclusive, limited-edition items you can only get in here in the islands. During football season, large drinks come in UH-themed cups. The restaurant also gives away UH keychains, koozies and, new this fall, lanyards—but there’s a catch. You can only get them at UH sporting and community events, so keep your eyes peeled for Cane’s around town.
Photo: Courtesy of Raising Cane’s
Pro tip: Limited-edition collectible plush puppies, modeled after the restaurant’s namesake, Raising Cane, are released every year for the holidays (look for them around Thanksgiving) with Hawai‘i’s proceeds benefiting the O‘ahu SPCA. More than $12,000 have been donated since 2019.
Photo: Terri Inef*cku
Finally, did you know: Hawai‘i’s first Raising Cane’s, at Hale Mahana near UH-Mānoa, set records for first-day and first-week sales among the company’s non-drive-thru restaurants.
Multiple locations, raisingcanes.com
