Jun 27, 2023 - Food and Drink

Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken is serving up fried goodness in Gilbert

Jeremy Duda

Two halves of a sandwich with friend chicken strips and melted cheese on a metal tray next to basket of wide and flat French fries. — A Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese and fries from Big Chicken in downtown Gilbert. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios

As longtime readers know, I'm a hot chicken fan who's always on the lookout for a good, new restaurant to try.

So when Shaquille O'Neal opened the first Arizona location of his Big Chicken chain in downtown Gilbert in March, I knew I'd have to head out to the East Valley to give it a try.

What I ordered: I opted for a non-spicy option that looked too good to pass up. The Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese was listed as the house favorite, so how could I say no?

It featured fried chicken tender strips with three kinds of cheese and chipotle barbecue sauce.

The verdict: The Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese delivered everything it promised — the gooey cheese went great with the juicy chicken. And there are a handful of extra sauces you can try on the side. I was partial to the Carolina honey mustard.

1 great throwback: If you've got a hankering, you can play NBA Jam on an old-school arcade game they've got in the restaurant.

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Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken is serving up fried goodness in Gilbert

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