Texas Toast at Slim Chickens is one of those items that immediately signals to anyone familiar with Southern American food that this isn't a typical UK fast food chain. It's a side dish, but it's treated as something much more central to the meal than most sides at fast food restaurants in this country.
Here's what it actually is.
What Is Texas Toast?
Texas Toast is a style of thick-cut white bread, typically sliced at least twice the thickness of standard sandwich bread, that's been spread with garlic butter on both sides and griddled or toasted until golden and slightly crispy on the exterior while remaining soft inside. The name comes from Texas, where this style of bread became popular in the 1940s at a restaurant in Beaumont that began slicing their bread thick due to a special order mishap - and found their customers preferred it.
At Slim Chickens, the Texas Toast is served as an accompaniment to chicken tender meals and as a side in its own right. It's the bread that sits alongside your tenders and dipping sauces, and it's designed to be eaten with the meal rather than separately.
What Does Texas Toast Taste Like?
Slim Chickens Texas Toast is warm, buttery, and garlicky. The thickness of the bread means you get a satisfying bite - it's not flimsy or insubstantial. The exterior has a slight crispness from the griddle, and the interior is soft and slightly steamy. The garlic butter is applied generously enough that you can taste it clearly without it being overwhelming.
The first time I had it, I ate it on its own before I'd even started on the tenders. That's probably not the intended order of consumption, but it demonstrates that the Texas Toast at Slim Chickens is good enough to stand alone. Dipped into one of the house sauces - particularly Honey BBQ (80 kcal per portion) or Korean BBQ (115 kcal) - it works remarkably well.
How Does Texas Toast Fit Into a Slim Chickens Meal?
At Slim Chickens, Texas Toast is typically included with meal options rather than just solo tender orders. A meal includes the tenders, Texas Toast, fries, and a drink. The toast serves as a bread component in the same way a bun would at a burger restaurant - it's part of the overall eating experience, not just a side.
The calorie contribution of Texas Toast at Slim Chickens isn't isolated in the UK nutrition data (it's included within the meal totals), so it's difficult to provide a standalone calorie figure from our source. What we know is that a 4 Tenders Meal (which includes Texas Toast) runs to more than a 4 Tenders Solo (303.3 kcal), reflecting the additional components including the toast.
Is Texas Toast Available at All Slim Chickens UK Locations?
Texas Toast is a signature element of the Slim Chickens menu and is available at UK locations. It's part of what differentiates Slim Chickens from other chicken tender chains - it's a specifically American South detail that most UK chains don't replicate.
Can You Order Extra Texas Toast?
At most Slim Chickens locations, Texas Toast is available as a side addition to any order. It's worth noting if you're building a meal and want the full Southern experience rather than standard fries alone.
For the full nutritional breakdown of your Slim Chickens order including meal components, use the Slim Chickens calories calculator.
The Verdict
Texas Toast at Slim Chickens is a genuinely good bread item - not an afterthought. If you haven't tried it and you're visiting Slim Chickens for the first time, it's worth ordering as part of a meal specifically to understand what makes the restaurant feel different to other UK fast food options. The buttery, garlicky toast alongside marinated chicken tenders and a dipping sauce is a combination that makes a lot of sense once you've experienced it.