Did You Know That New Hampshire is the Chicken Tender Capital of the World? Not to Mention Their Mudslides

Ya know, we don't like to brag or anything, but New Hampshire is where the first chicken tenders were created.  Yes indeed, those delicious, deep fried, best part of the entire bird, covered with deliciousness, was created right here and you can still get them as they were made in 1974.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of restaurants that have delicious chicken tenders.  Just last week, I ate some that were amazing from Dave's Hot Chicken.  Any pizza shop or pub usually has chicken tendies on the menu.  They have become a favorite for kids and adults alike.  But did they actually start here?

The Owner of This Manchester, NH Restaurant Tells the History of the Chicken Tender

Arthur Pappas, co-owner of the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, according to the Concord Monitor, said that his father Charlie invented the chicken tender out of a desire do something with the "extra" part of the chicken breasts he had delivered to his restaurant.  So, he rolled them in some batter and deep fried those bad boys and a favorite was born.

Arthur also says that if someone else can find information on who may have done this before them, that's fine, but I'm saying and a lot of other people would too, that they have perfected it.  Especially if you dip those tendies in the duck sauce they provide.

This NH Restaurant is Worth a Road Trip From Anywhere

In my formative years, my friends and I would cruise around Nashua to find good food, boys and a good bar, usually in that order depending on what kind of day we were having.  I had heard about the Puritan, but it was in Manchester, which was about a 15 minute drive.  Today, that's no big deal, but back in the day, the gas tank was just above E most of the time.

Curiosity got the best of us one day when a friend said that the Puritan not only had the most amazing chicken tenders, but also MUDSLIDES.  Okay, we were in.

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I admit.  I lived in Nashua where there was no other place to go for chicken tenders except Chicken 'N Chips on West Hollis Street, so I was a little skeptical.  Were they THAT good, but, my friends were going to Manch-Vegas, so I hoped in the car.

The chicken tenders at the Puritan Backroom ARE that good.  From the first time I tried them until today, the recipe is the same and they are absolutely the best.

Here's how you visit the Puritan:  You show up, wait if you have to, (worth it) order the chicken fingers and a mudslide, go to heaven and thank me.

If memory serves me, their mudslides are also incredible.  They will knock you on your #@% tho, if you're not careful.  I remember when there was a 2 Mudslide limit.  Not sure if that still applies. Truly, the mudslides are out of this world, but that's a story for another day.