WARNING: there might be a little controversy at the end of this review, but I can explain.
For my 22nd Basket Review, I strolled over to Sidestreet in downtown Fargo. This was the first chicken strip basket I ate since being written about in The Forum (shoutout to Emma). So for any new readers, welcome to Thrills With JMills and thank you for being here.
Sidestreet’s basket was quite good.
The chicken itself was good quality and was covered in a very crunchy breading. These were some of the most satisfyingly crunchy strips I’ve had so far. They reminded me of Dairy Queen’s, but better.
The fries were decent, but the seasoning was wildly inconsistent. Some of the fries had an ideal amount, while others had the seasoning caked on to the point where I could barely taste the fry itself. But nonetheless, the fries that weren’t over-seasoned were quite enjoyable.
The ranch was nice too. It was one of the thickest sauces I’ve had so far, which isn’t a good thing nor a bad thing. I prefer just a standard consistency, but as long as it tastes good I’m all for it.
Overall, I give Sidestreet a 7.7. OK so here’s where the controversy comes in. Remember when I said it was like Dairy Queen, but better?
Yeah, it is. Dairy Queen, the standard, the OG, scored an 8.3, which is too high. DQ’s chicken strip basket is good, but it’s not an 8.3.
Listen, it was my fifth Basket Review, I was a rookie back then. I’m still in the early stages of my career, but I’ve become wiser since my first reviews. It’s not an 8.3. It’s more like a 7.1. It’s still the standard chicken strip basket, but it’s not elite. Being above an 8 puts you in elite company.
So some of the scores in my early days, like DQ, are too high. I was just so pumped to bring groundbreaking content to the people who need it. The testosterone and adrenaline running through me was just too much and it impaired my judgement.
I hope you can understand and forgive me for my wrongdoing. Sidestreet – 7.7.
thrillswithjmills.com 