Only 749 locations in the United States, open until 1AM on the weekends, and a famous location for fried chicken lovers. Raising Cane’s is a staple to the Penn State student body.
Informally known as “Cane’s,” this restaurant is located just a short walk from South Halls on E. College Ave. As a Penn State student, I appreciate the excitement of Cane’s and their late-night availability; however, as someone with celiac disease navigating gluten-free dining, Cane’s is a questionable choice.
I’ll set the scene: you’re a gluten-free eater and you walk into Cane’s. The bright ambiance and bustling energy is enthralling, until you look up to the limited menu to see the most daunting words to a celiac: “fried.” Suddenly, your heart starts racing and you panic about what food item you could possibly enjoy during this meal with your friends and settle on the safety of a fountain drink.
This summarized my first visit to Raising Cane’s. Their menu in the store offers no allergen information, making it a terrifying guessing game for diners who require ingredient transparency. After a Google search, I was informed that some locations do offer unbreaded chicken tenders, but saw this option nowhere on the ordering kiosk screen. I opted to order in-person and was indeed granted the order of the “naked chicken fingers,” as I had uncovered an item from their secret menu.
Unfortunately, my meal was served to me with their famous Texas toast (full of gluten) sitting on top of my chicken. I made sure to specify no toast during my next visit and was pleasantly surprised by the status of my meal. Although the unbreaded chicken is not advertised, available to order at the kiosk, or even listed on the Cane’s allergen website, it is available at the State College location.
Fortunately, Cane’s sauce is certified gluten-free. Conversely, there is much confusion surrounding the friers. The allergen sheet provided on their website says there are trace amounts of wheat and gluten, but the status of whether they use a shared frier with the chicken is debatable depending on location. Regardless, cross contamination is certainly a valid concern at any fast food restaurant, Cane’s included.
The lack of transparency in the Cane’s menu, having to identify a secret item, and take the gamble on the friers perfectly encapsulates the uncertainty of gluten-free dining. It is incredibly difficult to know what is safe or take any risk when you know the alternative could be prolonged illness.
Although there is a limited menu and questionable allergen information, unbreaded chicken was available and quite delicious, especially when compared to other restaurants who specialize in fried chicken. Due to these factors, Raising Cane’s earns a 2 star GF rating.
Sources:
tmd6040
April 12, 2024 — 2:23 pm
It’s nice that Cane’s was able to cook your chicken without breading even though it wasn’t an option in their ordering system. I think many people would be discouraged from asking for unbreaded chicken if they didn’t see it on the kiosk, so I doubt they get that request often. I think it would make more sense if they did include it on the menu, just as a small side note. It might prevent others from doing what you did the first time you went there.
Kate Chiulli
April 12, 2024 — 2:29 pm
Can you believe that in my nine months in State College, I’ve never been to Raising Cane’s? One would think that for such a popular restaurant (catering to THOUSANDS of students), there would be a more transparent menu listing potential allergens. It’s highly unfortunate that the “naked tenders” are part of the secret menu. I can understand some of the other items on the secret menu–special sauces, extra crispy chicken, etc. However, putting an allergen-friendly item out of plain sight puts individuals with a gluten intolerance at a disadvantage. Cane’s should definitely move their naked tenders to the main menu!
Vivienne Booz
April 12, 2024 — 2:50 pm
I have also never been to Canes, but your post made me curious and I’ll have to give it a try! I am not gluten free, but I do have several family members who prefer to eat gluten free, so it’s good to know that they’ll have an option if we go to Canes. I’m always a little frustrated when gluten free options aren’t clearly labeled on menus, even if they are available. It always makes my family members’ ordering experiences a little more complicated. They generally have to make special requests which are sometimes turned down. If gluten free options were clearly offered on menus or kiosks, it would prevent so much hassle for diners who have dietary concerns!