Slim Chickens – A Pearland Visit with Hits, Misses & a Lot of Sauce Potential

Slim Chickens is one of those spots you see scattered across Houston—often enticing enough to spark curiosity and high expectations. This Pearland visit, however, delivered a mixed experience: a few standout bites, a few letdowns, and a whole lot of room for improvement. While the concept is promising and the menu broad, not everything hit the mark this time around.

The fried mushrooms were the star of the meal—crispy, warm, and full of satisfying texture. Unfortunately, the rest of the plate didn’t follow suit. The tenders lacked crispness, the fries leaned soft rather than crunchy, and the Texas toast was serviceable but unremarkable. The much-hyped Slims sauce, said to resemble Cane’s, leaned more toward creamy tomato soup than tangy dipping bliss, making it a surprise mismatch for the meal. To top it off, the ranch—requested as a backup savior—never made it into the to-go bag.

Still, Slim Chickens offers a wide selection of sandwiches, wraps, and comforting desserts, leaving the door open for a possible revisit at another location. And for dessert lovers, the pudding jars and cheesecake cups may be the hidden gems worth exploring—especially on a hot Texas day.

Hit or Miss Menu Notes: 

Hits:

• Fried mushrooms — warm, crispy & delicious

Misses:

• Soft fries

• Not-so-crispy tenders

• Slims sauce (unexpectedly tomato-forward)

• Missing ranch from the order

Worth Trying Next Time:

• Sandwiches & wraps

• Pudding jars & cheesecake desserts

Reviews

Sara I. (Jul 18, 2023):

 “Hmm Slim Chickens! More like the bare bones of it. A place that I had high expectations for, but to be honest, those expectations fell flat upon first sight and bite.

I was excited to try this spot and have noticed it in different parts of Houston but happened to be out in the city of Pears and found it out of happenstance. Twas' evening time and the hunger pangs began for a snack. Something not too heavy, but not too light. My initial thoughts were to visit Canes because I was craving their sauce and tenders, but didn't know which side of Pearland it was at. Slims popped up during my excursion and I thought.. well why not? I've seen this spot before so let’s give it a shot.

Ordered their simple meal of tenders that came with fries and texas toast. Also ordered their fried mushrooms as well. The fried mushrooms were bomb! Incredibly warm and crispy. They had good texture and taste. I wish I could say the same for the rest of my meal, but everything else was OK (fries and tenders). The tenders weren't that crispy, maybe because of all that buttermilk batter? They were also a bit small. Fries weren't crispy, mostly soft. Texas toast was buttery and garlicky, it was average in taste.

I was excited to try their Slims sauce, which I was told was similar to Canes. At least that's what the drive thru staff said. With excitement I asked for 2 orders of their Slims sauce. To my surprise, it did not taste anything similar to Canes sauce. Instead it was very creamy and tomato flavored in taste. Almost like a cream of tomato soup which did not pair well with any of the items that were ordered. I also asked for ranch sauce as well which they forgot to add to my order when I left - that would have been the saving grace to those tenders.

With a plethora of sauce that this place has to offer, I'm sure that I would have a better experience with a different flavor profile. But will I be back? I'm not too sure. I do like how they offer other items on their menu such as sandwiches and wraps. Might visit another location within the Houston area. I was just left unimpressed. Thankfully the meal wasn't as salty or aggressively fried in flavor as other fast foods spots. Slim' ranking for this spot. But might revisit if having a hankering for some tenders. Unless I'm cravin' for another kinda sauce. Until next time.

PS - they are serving up cheesecake desserts & various pudding jar desserts... perhaps something sweeter and cooling in this heat would be nice.”

Category: Southern, Comfort Food, American

Location: Pearland, TX 

Tags: Slim Chickens review, Pearland comfort food, chicken tenders Houston area, fried mushrooms Pearland, fast casual Southern food, sauce lovers Houston