Known for it's chicken, but the Zensation Zalad is back by popular demand

Customers don’t have to look much farther than the plaque on the wall to see how upbeat the atmosphere is inside the Zaxby’s restaurant at 3251 N. College Blvd. in Fayetteville.

It was voted Most Spirit Team at last year’s annual Wingfest, an award that speaks for itself. But when the freshness and quality of the food is added, it is easy to understand why the chicken franchise has become a popular dining destination in Northwest Arkansas.

“I think it is just our approach to customer service and serving a quality product that sets us apart,” explained District Manager David Jackson, who started as a Zaxby’s cook 17 years ago. “That’s why I chose to stay. I fell in love with the concept of what we do.”

Zaxby’s opened its first Arkansas restaurant at 3510 SE J St. in Bentonville in 2006. Fayetteville got its first one in 2008, at 1670 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The College Avenue restaurant was opened in 2012. There are also locations at 400 S. Thompson St. in Springdale and 190 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs.

“We plan on expanding more in the future,” Jackson said. “But for now, we just want to continue serving the customers we have with the best service and food possible.”

Blake Hulse has been with Zaxby’s restaurants for four years and is currently the general manager at the North College location. He makes a conscious effort to hire prospective employees who meet the standards of customer service expected by Zaxby’s.

“You can train skills pretty easily, but you can’t train people to be good people and provide good service,” Hulse said. “I look to hire people that are respectful, confident and happy to be here. We want our customers to leave here with a good experience and a smile on their face. And as more of a fast-casual restaurant, we try to take care of customers at their tables as well.”

A popular item that was re-introduced the the Zaxby’s menu in April is the Zensation Zalad, an Asian-style salad which includes Zaxby’s chicken fingers, drizzled with honey sesame glaze and mixed with red cabbage, carrots, fresh greens, and crispy wonton strips, then topped with Asian slaw and served with citrus vinaigrette dressing and veggie egg roll for $7.49.

Zalads have long been one of Zaxby’s signature menu items, custom made to order and served with fresh produce. There are several options, including the house, the Cobb and the Caesar. The Blue Zalad includes mixed greens, shredded carrots, red cabbage, Roma tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, fried onions, Buffalo Fingerz or blackened-grilled chicken, and Texas toast for $7.29.

“Our Zalads are very popular, and we take a lot of pride in that,” Hulse said. “We don’t pre-package anything. We cut the produce fresh every day, and we make our Zalads to order for each individual customer.”

Chicken is still the staple of the menu, both wings and Fingerz. Boneless wings, traditional wings and the Fingerz are served in 5-, 10- or 20-peice servings. They are served with the sauce of choice, which includes five levels of wing sauce, from wimpy to insane on the heat meter. The can also be served in teriyaki, BBQ, hot honey mustard or sweet and spicy.

“We are also transitioning into some new tenders, which are a lot bigger than what we had before,” Hulse said. “Our chicken is soaked in a special marinade, then fried in a simple seasoned breading.

The menu also includes 10 Meal Dealz, ranging in price from $5.79-$7.29, that are served with a small beverage and crinkle fries.

The four Zappetisers are all $3.49 and include onion rings, fried white cheddar bites, spicy fried mushrooms and the ever-popular tater chips, which are fried fresh to order.

“I think the chips are probably the most underrated item on our menu,” Jackson admits. “They are my personal favorite.”

The three Kidz Meals are $4.29 each and include the Kiddie Fingerz, Kiddie cheese sandwich and a Kidz Nibblerz, which is a chicken finger and Zax sauce on a toasted nibbler bun. All Kidz meals, for ages 10 and younger, are served with a Kidz drink, crinkle fries and a treat.

Zaxby’s also has weekly specials, with Tuesday’s Nibblerz Day, which offers 99-cent Nibblerz. Wednesday is family night, offering four Meal Dealz and six cookies for $20 from 5-8 p.m. Thursday is Kidz night and offers 99-cent Kidz meals with the purchase of an adult meal from 5-8 p.m.

The location on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard also offers student night on Mondays, offering college students a meal deal for just $5.

Zaxby’s is open 10:30 a.m. until midnight all seven days of the week.

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