By Christine Garcia
In a multiverse of sauces, the Thousand Island dressing has many different adaptations. Whether thick or thin, the sauce can carry any chicken strip, french fry, or burger, guaranteeing that each bite is a symphony of flavors.
The Thousand Island dressing originated from Thousand Islands in Ontario, Canada. There have been speculations as to how the sauce came to be. Some say that a housewife named Sophia Lalonde served her husband and a famous actress, May Irwin, after a fishing trip. Then, Irwin urged Lalonde to serve the sauce in the Thousand Island Inn, in Ontario. However, others argue that a chef at Boldt’s Castle landmark, Oscar Tschirky, served the famous sauce to George Boldt and Louise Boldt on a yacht.
Regardless of its history, the sauce’s recipe spread like wildfire. There were reports of a creamy and pink salad dressing among the locals. The sauce consists of a mayonnaise base with ketchup, relish, and Worcestershire sauce.
The Thousand Island sauce quickly became a staple for fast food places, after the Reuben burger, a deli sandwich created in the 1950s, paired well with the sauce. Each fast-food place has perfected its version of the Thousand Island sauce. From In-and-Out to Canes, companies refer to the well-known condiment, as their own “special sauce”. So, naturally, as a sauce enthusiast, I was curious to find out which one was best.
- Raising Cane’s
In all its glory, the Cane’s sauce is made with mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic powder and black pepper.
Aside from their bland chicken, Raising Cane’s has created the best condiment to drench chicken into. It has a smooth texture with a robust peppery and sweet flavor. The sweet honey mustard flavor melts on your tongue and everything it touches turns to gold. I’d give up my lifelong favorite condiment, Jollibee’s gravy, for the Cane’s Sauce.
- Chick-fil-A
In the 1980s, a Chick-fil-A employee created the Chick-fil-A sauce, after accidentally combining mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, mustard and honey, together.
Chick-fil-A’s most iconic sauce is its classic flavor. However, the Chick-fil-A sauce is quite underwhelming next to the Cane’s sauce. Still, the Chick-fil-A sauce topples the rest of the Thousand Island variants. This condiment is a game-changer from its mild smoky flavor to its vinegary kick. It pairs well with Chick-fil-A’s clean-cut waffle fries.
- In-N-Out’s Spread
California’s national treasure, the In-N-Out “spread”, has mayo, ketchup and sweet pickled relish.
The In-N-Out sauce is slightly mediocre against all its other competitors. However, I have to say that the sauce is not the best nor is it the worst. The spread lacks creativity as it has the same flavor profile as the original Thousand Island sauce. The spread includes a creamy texture with hints of vinegar and tangy, tomato. However, the flavor doesn’t stand out. Also, there is never enough sauce on animal fries, so you have to painstakingly rip through multiple packets to dip your soggy fries into a cold sauce.
- McDonald’s Big Mac sauce
The Big Mac sauce was once available for dipping in 1986 and it was discontinued as a side condiment until it was resurrected on April 27, 2023. The sauce includes a Mayo-base, pickle relish, onion, mustard and seasonings.
I was interested so I tried out an online recipe. The sauce was weak at best because there was nothing special about it. To me, it tasted like In-N-Out’s spread with less flavor. The Big Mac sauce is best served on a burger rather than for dipping fries and chicken nuggets. And is it even qualified as a dipping sauce?
As a result, it’s no surprise that Raising Cane’s not-so-secret sauce is the best out of all of them. Every bite of their crinkle-cut fries or crispy chicken is simply delectable because of the sauce’s addictive flavors. The Cane’s sauce is the king of all sauces.
