KFC South Africa periodically introduces special items under the Kentucky Town branding. These offerings sometimes appear in exclusive popup locations, but for mid-2024, they are available at select regular stores. However, not every branch participates, so it’s wise to call ahead before visiting. We did exactly that this past weekend, purchasing each item to share our thoughts on what’s worth trying.
This Kentucky Town lineup includes five items, with prices ranging from R30 to R65. Interestingly, a regular order of chips is advertised as an add-on for R20 with three of the food items. It’s unclear why KFC didn’t bundle one of these items with a drink and chips as a meal, but you can always create your own combo by ordering separately.
It’s Gravy Baby
Among the specialty items, “It’s Gravy Baby” is the least exciting. It’s essentially a standard cheeseburger with a hash brown, plus a side of gravy intended to be poured over the burger.
The gravy comes in a small container, and it’s worth noting that there’s no mashed potato—just the gravy. Since we’ve had KFC’s cheeseburger with a hash brown before (previously marketed as the “Tower Burger”), there was nothing new here except for the addition of gravy, which was just okay.
The Tower Burger is already quite savory, so adding gravy doesn’t necessarily enhance it. We found that saving some gravy to dip chips into was a better use. Overall, “It’s Gravy Baby” isn’t particularly thrilling, and given that it’s mostly familiar territory, it’s not worth rushing out to try.
Doughnut Zinger Burger
The Doughnut Zinger Burger is the most visually striking of the three food items. This burger replaces the buns with glazed donuts, a staple of the Kentucky Town series that often appears at other limited-time events, like Comic Con Africa.
This burger lives up to its hype, balancing the savory Zinger patty with the sweetness of the donuts. However, it is a bit dry, as it consists of just two donuts and a piece of fried chicken with no additional sauce. A little sauce would have gone a long way.
Despite this, we recommend the Doughnut Zinger Burger, even if just for its novelty. If you’re out with friends, consider ordering one and splitting it into smaller portions so everyone can have a taste.
Crunch Double Down
The Crunch Double Down is another unique take on a sandwich, where fried chicken breasts replace the bread rolls. Inside, you’ll find a slice of cheese, a hash brown, “Hot and Spicy sauce,” a tomato, and some onions. Unfortunately, our order was missing the hash brown, which meant we didn’t get the full experience.
Aside from the missing hash brown, we were surprised by how small the Crunch Double Down is. It’s noticeably smaller than the other items on this list. This could be due to the natural variation in chicken breast sizes, which are harder to standardize compared to bread rolls or donuts.
Despite its small size, the Crunch Double Down is a winner. The flavors are well-balanced, and the chicken doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. While hot sauce tolerance varies, it was mild enough for this writer, who generally avoids spicy foods.
We had a laugh thinking this might appeal to those who want a burger experience while cutting down on bread. It’s definitely not a diet option, but this unique fast-food creation is tasty enough to consider making it a permanent menu item.
Cherry Cola Boba
As the name suggests, Cherry Cola Boba is a cherry-flavored carbonated drink with boba balls at the bottom. However, KFC’s standard straws aren’t wide enough to suck up the boba, so you’ll need a different straw to enjoy it properly.
The cherry soda itself is quite generic, while the boba has a mixed berry flavor. The combination results in an unusual experience of carbonated bubbles and boba, which isn’t something we’re accustomed to—more commonly, boba is served in teas or juices.
The carbonation also tends to interfere with the boba, occasionally causing the liquid to shoot out of the straw. While it’s not unpleasant and might be worth trying if you’re a boba enthusiast, we wouldn’t go out of our way to get it again.
Pink Citrus Krusher
The least interesting item on the list is the Pink Citrus Krusher, another carbonated drink that tastes like a generic, overly sweet mixed fruit soda. There’s not much to say about the flavor other than it’s forgettable and overly sugary, placing it at the bottom of our list.
It’s worth noting that we ordered both the Cherry Cola Boba and the Pink Citrus Krusher without ice, and neither cup was filled to the top. While this is a common practice at many fast-food places, given the high prices, we expected more drink for our money.