Yardhouse: Gardein Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

A few years ago, my husband and I went to Nashville and being fans of spicy food, we grabbed lunch from Hattie B’s. Well, he grabbed lunch from Hattie B’s and I launched into a roiling invective about how, “maybe a bitch doesn’t eat chicken and wants some Nashville Hot cauliflower.”

(Being married to me is super fun)

Anyway, he ordered the hot chicken sandwich (where the heat scale runs from mild to "shut the cluck up") and I snagged a bite of the breading. Because let’s be real: a girl cannot live on pimento cheese mac and cheese and crinkle-cut fries alone.

I am an Indian woman who loves fresh green chilis and often mocks the palates of my less melaninated brethren by saying that white people find milk spicy.

But these white people? These white people know what real heat is and it is delicious.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Gardein® Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich at Yard House.

The official menu description promises a crispy, plant-based Gardein patty tossed in “spicy” Nashville hot sauce, topped with a spicy-sweet slaw and white cheddar on a toasted brioche bun, served alongside golden fries and thick-cut pickles.

Here is how the bite actually stacks up for vegetarian dining.

The Gardein® Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich has a crispy, plant-based Gardein patty tossed in “spicy” Nashville hot sauce and is topped with a spicy-sweet slaw and white cheddar on a toasted brioche bun, served alongside golden fries and thick-cut pickles

The Spot: Yardhouse

• Location: 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432

• Vibe: Sprawling sports bar with a large menu, lots of TVs and booths that can comfortably seat eight people.

 

The Bite: Gardein Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

• Price: $17.49

• Vegetarian Status: Vegetarian - vegan might be tricky due to the cheese, slaw and likelihood of dairy in the brioche bun.

The Flavor Breakdown

Firstly, let me shout out my appreciation to Yardhouse for featuring such a huge vegetarian/vegan menu. In addition to featuring ELEVEN Gardein dishes (Gardein is a plant-based protein alternative made from soy, pea protein and quinoa), they also feature numerous other plant-based options on their extensive menu. Literally the best sports bar you could wish to visit as a vegetarian.

However, as soon as my sandwich came out, I knew it wasn’t bringing the heat.

The bun was soft, the Gardein was crispy, the spicy-sweet slaw was more sweet than spicy but the Nashville Hot sauce wasn’t right.

It looked and tasted exactly like the Asian-style sweet chili sauce you get alongside fried spring rolls. You know the one: that reddish-orange, translucent, semi-gelled condiment that leaves you scanning the room to beg your server for a bottle of Sriracha?

Yeah. That.

I think there might have been an error in the kitchen because when we ordered extra Nashville Hot Sauce, the side that came out was slick, dark red, oily and more spicy than sweet.

I ended up dousing my sandwich in it which made for a messy but tolerable experience.

The fries were also fine. Spring for the upgrade and get sweet potato fries instead. I don’t usually like sweet potato fries but I like the ones at Yardhouse.

The Beverage: Prosecco

• Price: $9'

Nothing goes better with spicy or fried food than Prosecco. It was sparkling white wine and it was delicious because it’s always delicious.

One Mouthy Sandwich Girl Rating:

• Flavor & Freshness:

  • Average Rating: 🥪 🥪

  • I really wanted to like this sandwich and I think I would have if it was actually spicy but since I’m not a fan of sweet chili sauce, I’m gonna have to give this sandwich two sad little stars.

  Value for Buck:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • The prices here are a little steeper than what you’d pay at a neighborhood joint like Flanigan’s (my ultimate gold standard for sports bars, even if their veggie options are practically non-existent). But the food quality is consistent, the cocktails are excellent, and the environment is welcoming. It’s well worth the tab, especially if you’re catching the playoffs.

• Vegetarian Variety:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • Yardhouse gets five stars for their vegetarian-friendly options. Rarely do I go to a sports bar and feel spoiled for choice, but between ELEVEN Gardein options, a veggie burger made with vegetables and grains, truly excellent zaatar hummus, spin dip, queso, three vegetarian pizza options, pasta and a whiskey caramel butter cake - you’re living your best life as a vegetarian at Yardhouse. They understand that just because I don’t eat meat, that doesn’t necessarily mean I want healthy food. Sometimes, vegetarians like to be garbage monsters too.

• The Verdict:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 ½

  • Every now and then, you hit a bum note. Do I still love Yardhouse? Definitely. Will I go there again? Undoubtedly. Will I order the Nashville Hot sandwich? Nope. I think I’m gonna stick to ordering spicy food where I know they do it right - Indian restaurants and Nashville, Tennessee.