food is great, but it's crazy how slow they are. It's truly incredible how slow it can be. Been. Waiting for an hour

Ordered the hot honey sauced chicken sandwich and added lettuce/tomato. AMAZING sando!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fresh, sweet with a little kick. Overall it's now my favorite local chicken sandwich. Can't wait til next time... read more

Great Togo spot for lunch. App is easy to use. Food is always ready at the promised time. Great chicken sandwich. But I miss the hand cut fries of yore. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]This place is so dirty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]From the floor tiles which are stained brown and cracked, to every white door that has been painted and has a brown circle where people have put their hands, to the bathroom door which doesn't close completely.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's disgusting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Never again. read more

One star only because the thats the least I can do. I tried to order food for my staff today and it's a mess. I ordered directly from the website. When food was delivered, a lot of things were wrong. I called and the manager was not helpful. She was offended that she made mistakes. She did not want to listen...she just kept saying "I packed this myself". 12 oz cheerwine instead of milkshake. Not enough honey mustard was given, just ranch. Oatmeal craisin cookies instead of chocolate chip. And the person who ordered the 32oz cheerwine was just take the 12oz bottle. I offered to send her pictures, but she declined. So I'm posting the order recirpt vs what was received here. She said she would refund one meal and the cookies. read more

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The family and I went to eat a quick lunch here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was clean and roomy on the inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff were all extremely polite, knowledgeable, and professional. The food was excellent and ready fast. We got tenders, nuggets, and fries. A lot of food. When asking for to go boxes, the staff offered extra sauce/condiments. Would definitely recommend. read more

We have been huge fans of PDQ for many years but we haven't had a chance to have any since we left Florida. I rerouted some errands yesterday to swing by the Tenders PDQ in Cornelius, and I was not disappointed. Because this was the first store in the chain, it did not look like any PDQ I had ever seen before. It resembles more of a country restaurant than a chicken fast food joint. I went inside to use the bathroom and everything was spotlessly clean. After, I went to go through the drive-through, and discovered they don't have one! Instead, they have drive ups. I pulled into a parking spot with the menu board and umbrella, and started talking to it before I realized there was no microphone. A young lady quickly came out with an order pad and took my order. She was quite a lovely young lady and took my payment as well. The food came out quite quick and I was on my way. Less than a mile later I realized that part of my order was incomplete. I turned around and went back. The young lady was taking another order stopped, waved at me and said "We forgot your zucchini fries!" She ran inside came back out and then offered me a free shake to compensate for my troubles. I went ahead and got the chocolate one, my favorite. She brought it out quickly. By the time I arrived home, I was surprised that most of the food was still warm (not the shake, that went straight to the freezer). All the food was absolutely delicious. The chicken tenders were moist and yes, tender. The zucchini fries were so good, as was the Parmesan broccoli. I had the Buffy blue sauce and ranch, and both were as great as I remember. I highly recommend Tenders PDQ for the delicious food and the honesty of the workers. (Btw, the shake was fabulous, even though it did melt. Hah!) read more

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Open til 10pm & excellent service til close. While other nearby chicken places that are open until 10pm lock the dining room in your face at 9:20, these guys offer fresh food and excellent service right up to the end! Thanks for serving us hot dinner on a cold soccer night! Food is always excellent!!! read more

After Tender's sold to PDQ we stopped going as the chicken sandwiches didn't seem as good with biggest issue being the chicken just always seemed tough. A few years later, we've given them another try and are back on the Tender's train. Good sandwiches, tenders and pretty good lemonade too. The zucchini fries are also tasty but can trend towards the slightly greasy side. Only thing I've found not as good are the dressings as they taste more mass produced vs house made. Overall though, good to feel like they're back in rotation. read more

Tenders is a great spot for chicken and shakes. PDQ is an expansion of Tenders but this was the original! read more

Tenders Fresh Food - fried chicken and waffles - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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Chicken was really good, waffle fries were cooked hard. The zucchini fries were very good. Fast friendly service. read more

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PDQ / Tenders is one of my favorite places to eat and this one is absolutely amazing. We come here a LOT and the food is fresh and the service is lightning fast. We ordered today and by the time we got our drinks from the fountain they were calling my name and the order was ready. Love the service and the app associated with this place. If you haven't tried this place, you really really MUST!!! read more

No need to do an online to-go order. They don't start it til you arrive. I don't think that's the way online orders work. I thought the purpose of an online order was to have meal prepared so when you arrive to pickup it's ready. They don't do that here. read more

The food is ok. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The cleanliness could improve.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff is ok. I think for the price there are better chicken places to go to. read more

Late Friday night we decided to order PDQ to-go. We have passed by this place for months and decided to try it. Good thing we did! This place is SO good. We ordered the chicken tenders, spicy chicken tenders, zucchini fries, and waffle fries. The chicken was the best chicken tenders I have had in years! The spicy was a little too spicy for me but overall so much flavor and so good. Zucchini fries were ehhh but the waffle fries were to die for. The sauces were all good too. Ranch, honey mustard, poq sauce, and siracha. Wish there came with more sauces. I used both of mine on 3 out of 5 tenders. Still overall an amazing place and some of the best chicken tenders I have ever had in my life. Will definitely be a go-to now and we will be back with some people. Thank you! read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

Chicken is amazing, very juicy and flavorful. Their signature sauce has a kick to it. Mac and cheese was disappointing and lacked flavor. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Some of the tables were a bit dirty and sticky, but most of them were fine.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food came out very fast. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Mac and Cheese - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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I would say, as a P. F. R.™ (Professional Food Reviewer), the food was delicious! I do admit the service was a bit slow. But overall it was pretty good. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - My food - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

The breaded chicken tenders were great. Nice krispy breading and moist not dried out chicken. The waffle fries were actually krispy. Usually waffle fries are limp and under cooked. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT is that we really went for the zucchini fries. They are still prominently shown on this web site. THEY DON'T HAVE ZUCHINI FRIES ANYMORE. Big bummer. read more

We've always loved this place and until recently it was a fairly regular family staple. We picked up an order tonight and just couldn't believe the prices. We understand everything has gone up in price... but we took a look at past menus (we were that surprised by our total) and found most items are almost 90% higher than when we first started going there regularly. That's just too much of a price increase for us to justify going forward. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]They need to mop the floors and fill in the potholes there floor is starting to look ad nasty as the parking lot[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] you would think for this being the 1st PDQ they'll take care of it but nope. read more

The quality is down at what was "Tenders" in Cornelius but is now just another PDQ! And they eliminated the zuchini fries! They used to be the best, but now I'll just stick with Chick-fil-A. read more

The food and service were great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was casual[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and you get your food fast and with friendly customer service. I recommend for a good, quick lunch. read more

They know how to make great chicken tenders and they keep the menu simple! Tenders, spicy tenders, and a few sandwiches and shakes. If you like heat the spicy tenders are great - tried them for the first time today. Otherwise the normal tenders are very good too. They offer a variety of sauces and I'm a fan of the creamy garlic. The food is great and you will not leave hungry! read more

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You might think a fast food restaurant that serves chicken fingers isn't worth your time, you'd be wrong. We stuck with the classic tenders and then also tried the seasonal pumpkin spice milkshake. The chicken fingers were some of the best I've had. They didn't need any sauce, but they have great sauces too. We tried the buffalo blue and sweet sriracha. They were both delicious, but the sweet sriracha was my favorite. The pumpkin spice milkshake was fantastic. It was the best fast food milkshake I've had. I think if they expanded more, they would put Chick-fil-a out of business. It's definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Pumpkin Spice Milkshake - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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My friend decided we should go here for a quick bite before a concert. She grew up in the area and said it is the original PDQ! We ordered online with super fast pick up. However, part of our meal was missing and we were too far away to go back after noticing. Such is life in the Covid to-go world. The food was fine but definitely not worth the pricing structure. Give it a try and see what you think! read more

Tenders Fresh Food - To go order-super fast! - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

USED to be one of our favorite fast food restaurants. We stopped there yesterday and found the menu changed and not for the better. Our favorite sides have disappeared including what used to be amazing fries. Salad selections have dwindled to no real selections. The tenders themselves HAD been the best around. Now the breading is heavy and tasteless, chicken itself was pretty dry and over fried. Part of our order was for plain tenders and one part spicy. Both tuned out to be spicy and since it was a takeout order...didn't discover until we got home. Restaurant itself did not have the cleanliness it had before it became a PDQ. WON'T be back. read more

Ok. I am torn here. I love the food, but they need to CLEAN the chairs and tables in the dining area, and the bathrooms! I went to wash my hands....oh my. I probably won't be back if they continue to have these conditions. 2 stars for the food! (Would be higher but how do the associates have clean hands when this is what they use? ) read more

Been in once or twice since the big event and I still like it! Chickens grilled or crispy-fried; sandwiched, bowled, or tendered; sides include taters, corns, zucchini, rice-n-beans, and more, plus a soda-matic drink dispenser! Dining outside was out because of the rain so we sat in the addition enjoying a glimpse of sunshine without getting weathered at. MLB selected the Thai Peanut bowl - grilled instead of crispy, sauce on the side. I stuck with the Pimento Crunch plus fries and a beverage. Yummy chippy cheesey chicky with a side of fries and a mellow-peacho. Fries are a little skinnier than I like but still so good. Got a 5-piece tender meal to go for breakfast or maybe lunch but yeah, it's still good out of the fridge cold. read more

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I go here frequently since it's close by, and it's pretty good. The Chicken is crispy, and their buffalo blue sauce is creamy and flavorful! The staff is always happy to help and the inside looks nice. read more

I had a lot of trouble deciding between a four and a five. I was hesitant to give a place dependent on frying a five but it was so great otherwise I had to round up. The place looks great just out of the road food architecture of the fifties. There is even car hop service. Beware, this place gets very busy and the parking lot gets really jammed making an accident seem very probable. The lines of kids, teenagers, professionals and retirees move fast but are rather long. Head there before noon or after 1:30 yo be sure you get a table. Lots of great chicken sandwiches and tender platters plus salads. The sides are great tater tots, fries or zucchini fries. Cool machines with hundreds if soda choices. Homemade lemonade and absolutely fantastic milkshakes. I can't wait to get back and hope my arteries don't.harden too much! read more

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so we stopped by since we were in the area which we hardly are. We checked in with Yelp and clicked on the $5 combo coupon. The young man behind the counter got the Manager and said they DO NOT HONOR IT anymore and cannot get Yelp to take it down/off. They did not offer anything else. He just walked away. Then the young man asked if I still wanted it. Well yeah I need to eat! Frustrating. read more

Food was hot fast and delicious. Will definitely be making another visit the service was amazing and the atmosphere of the drive thru was amazingly quick. read more

Liked the check-in offer. The seasoning on the chicken gave it an odd taste and seemed cooked too long. Two drive through lines next to dining building. Outdoor seating available. I guess they are connected to PDQ as the package stated. Never had PDQ. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Crispy chicken sandwich combo with a tea - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

Really disappointed again, I just left from ordering at the drive thru. The boy who took my order must have gotten it incorrect because another guy came out to ask me and I reconfirmed. It's the same thing I've ordered for four years. I explicitly said no bleu cheese anything... I order the Buffy bleu sandwich without the buffalo bleu sauce sub buffalo sauce. When he asked me for sauces I told him and then when I got the bag- no sauces... had to go around and park and run in leaving my child to get sauces. Should have checked the sandwich because we get home and it's buffalo bleu sauce. Waste of $12. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

It's my family's favorite. When we are out and about and have no idea what to do for dinner, everyone in the family agree on this place and that's not normal. Our family serve in the military, so they provide military discounts. My daughter loves the milkshakes...her favorites are cookies and. Cream and strawberry read more

I have driven by this place many times and one Sunday I decided to stop in. I wanted to try to fried chicken because I heard it was awesome. Too bad when my order was ready I was given grilled tenders. Due to the fact I was on a time restraint, I just took the grill ones. Now from the time we ordered the time we got our food, it probably took about 10 minutes. Why was my tender's cold? And the fries had no flavor whatsoever. This was a major letdown. And the dining area was filthy. It looks like they clean between every 5th customer, and it wasn't even crowded. The people that I was with, we all set in the very back. There were two other tables being occupied. In the front room there was one table being occupied. It was not busy so there's no reason why they could not keep this place clean. If I ever decide to go back to try their food again, best believe I will be going through the drive-thru. read more

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This location is BOMB! It's the original location before PDQ became...PDQ, hence why it's still called Tenders. It's a between-ish 2 exits off i-77. They have a "drive-thru" and outdoor seating here. Food: Aside the chicken TENDERS (lol) with creamy garlic as dip my go to here are the Queso Crunch Bowl. They make their queso sauce in house. It comes with 2 cut up tender strips. This bowl fills you up nicely, but I still would order a side of fries...because of my favorite house sauce: CREAMY GARLIC! They have the ferrari designed soda machines (Bonus!), but my favorite here is their lemonade. House made, lightly sweetened, tart-y refreshing! I wish they had a closer location to the south-end. This is my treat going up north to Statesville. They have a location in Concord, which is a bit out of the way, but en-route north towards Statesville, I sure make it to stop by. read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Queso Crunch bowl with a side of fries for my creamy garlic sauce - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

Tenders is a popular fast-ish food joint in Cornelius, NC.  It is a on the corner of the beaten path, but you still have to know what you are looking for.  Hint: Follow the crowds, because this place is always jacked. The food here is very fresh, and all of the ingredients are homemade.  Hand-breaded chicken tenders, not frozen and fried.  The fries are hand-cut and fried, not frozen.  In fact, they have NO freezers at all on premises.  The sauces are not processed bottled sauces, they whip them all up on site.  It's a huge change from chains and you can taste the difference. Another thing I love about this restaurant is that it is dine in, carry out or drive up.  Sometimes you just don't want to get out of your car, you know? OK, so by the name of the restaurant, you know you are getting some chicken fingers.  And you won't be unhappy.  That's what they do, and they do it well.  The chicken fingers are nuclear hot when they are delivered to you, and you get to choose your own sauce from about 8 homemade varieties.  You know I chose Ranch.  Delish! *Original review on my personal blog at Barenakedchefsaidso read more

Tenders Fresh Food - Chicken Sandwich. Look at that hunk of lettuce. YES! - Fast Food Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

In the past 6 months, something has changed here. The service has gotten slower, the service has not been nearly as good, and even the portions have gotten smaller and smaller! We don't usually go through the drive thru because it takes so much longer than just walking in. When we order in person, we have been greeted by an irritated young person. We've ordered my favorite item (zucchini fries) and we have consistently received less than HALF the old amount. Once, we ordered the zucchini fries and thankfully we were eating in the restaurant because they were SO over fried and burnt that they were inedible and we had to return them. I stand by the freshness of the chicken, and I do like the variety of sauces. But something has changed at this location, and it's quite unfortunate! read more

Got food from there today and pretty sure the Waffle Fries were cooked back in the 70's. They were cold and tasted like oil. The chicken nuggets weren't good either. read more