This Lafayette Restaurant Created What Might Be the Wildest Take on the Chicken Sandwich Yet

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Once upon a time, we as a nation watched a battle rage over who had the best chicken sandwich. The war was sparked by the introduction of the Popeye's chicken sandwich, which led to a fast food craze we still haven't quite gotten over.

Now, considering that Popeyes is a Louisiana-based restaurant, you might think it was the pinnacle of chicken sandwich innovation. But don't think that. Don't you dare think that. Because innovation never assumes perfection, or at least that is the mindset that Dean-o's in Lafayette has taken, because they have attempted to top it.

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A True Lafayette Original: The I-Scream

As someone who has written about a lot of the Lafayette food scene (and I'm still learning more every day), I know better than to let myself be surprised. Something new and exciting is always on the way. However, I did not see this coming.

An ice cream chicken sandwich.

The restaurant made the announcement of the new monthly special on its Instagram page Thursday. The sandwich appears to be the result of some diabolical need to push the limits of sweet and spicy while delivering a classic chicken sandwich underneath it all. With Noni's pepper jelly and vanilla ice cream, it's clearly meant to hit all the taste buds at once.

And after a quick poll of foodies in my Rolodex (yes, I have one of those and a rotary phone), many of us have agreed we need to try it.

So that seems to be the move, as the youths would say. I'm not entirely sure how Lafayette will react to this sandwich, but we suspect it's doing its job: Drawing attention to Deanos, a restaurant that has continued to search for new ways to do old classics.

Are the Chicken Wars Over? Not in Lafayette

There is still a high demand for chicken sandwiches in Lafayette, from the fast food giants like Popeyes, McDonald's, and others to local restaurants that have also kept some form of a chicken sandwich (fried, grilled, and even blackened) on their menus through the years.

That's not to say that these sandwiches were spawned during the Chicken Sandwich Wars. But their popularity seems to have been revived since then, and every now and then, someone seems to come along with a new take.

We're certainly excited to see more of it here in Lafayette.