I taste-tested fried-chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A, KFC, McDonald's, Arby's, Shake Shack, Burger King, Popeyes, and Wendy's to see how they compared.

I judged the chicken sandwiches based on their buns, texture, and flavor, and my overall impression.

With its juicy, crispy chicken and well-balanced flavors, Popeyes' classic chicken sandwich was far better than the rest. It was also the cheapest sandwich, at $4.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Chicken sandwiches are a privilege.

My dad did not eat a chicken sandwich until he immigrated to America in his mid-20s. His first chicken sandwich, which was later also my first chicken sandwich, was a McChicken.

There are no McChicken sandwiches in this taste test.

The culture of immigrants is a culture of always trying to do better than the generation before. My dad ate McChicken sandwiches. As a member of the next generation, I had to find a better chicken sandwich — maybe even the best fast-food chicken sandwich out there.

Read more: I taste-tasted the signature breakfast sandwiches from 6 major fast-food chains, and the winner was clear

I put together a list of the chicken sandwiches from the eight fast-food chains closest to Business Insider's office in Manhattan. If a chain had more than one chicken sandwich, I chose the one that seemed most like a classic chicken sandwich. I also avoided kid-sized or dollar-menu items like the McChicken and the Chicken Jr.

My methodology, as usual, was as scientific as my bachelor of arts degree. I judged the sandwiches based on texture, flavor, bun quality, and overall impression.

The contenders in this taste test are: Arby's buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich, KFC's Crispy Colonel sandwich, Wendy's homestyle crispy chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A's original chicken sandwich, McDonald's buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich, Burger King's crispy chicken sandwich, Popeyes' classic chicken sandwich, and Shake Shack's Chick'n Shack.

All prices listed are what I paid in the New York City establishments I visited for this test.