I tried 'the Chick-fil-A of Saudi Arabia.' I was more impressed by the value than the taste.

I visited the Al Baik branch inside the Mall of the Emirates' food court.

I'd only had Al Baik once before, back in 2021, when the brand first opened in Dubai Mall, and the hype was so intense that the outlet was serving just a few items to keep up with demand. I'd tried the nuggets and fried shrimp then, along with sweet corn and the famous garlic sauce. But I did not remember much from my experience.

This time, I found the branch in a corner of the food court, smaller than its Dubai Mall counterpart, but impossible to miss because of the barricades set up to manage the line and the people spilling past them.

While waiting for my turn, I noticed most people didn't even need to look at the menu.

Most people ahead of me weren't looking up at the menu boards. They already knew what they were ordering.

There were no self-order screens, as is common at most other fast-food chains in Dubai. Everyone waited for their turn to reach the counter, where a staff member took orders one by one.

The crowd queuing up with me was a mix of mall employees finishing their shifts, families, teenagers, and tourists. Despite the slow pace, no one seemed restless.

For a place known for fast food, the line seemed to move far too slowly, and yet everyone seemed perfectly fine with that.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of choices.

From shrimp sandwiches and fish burgers to fried chicken meals and double baik — a double-patty chicken sandwich — there are over 30 menu items and combos to choose from.

I toyed with the idea of a fish burger and fried chicken combo, but settled on some of the most popular items on the menu, as suggested by the employee taking my order.

I had to wait about 20 minutes after I'd placed my order to receive my full meal, which I thought was quite a long wait for a fast-food chain.

The first item I tried was the four-piece spicy chicken meal.

I started with Al Baik's four-piece spicy chicken meal, priced at 23 United Arab Emirates dirham (AED), or $6.26.

When mine arrived, piping hot, it came in Al Baik's familiar red-and-white box with fries, a sesame bun, garlic sauce, and ketchup.

Inside were four different pieces of chicken, a mix of cuts rather than identical portions, which felt thoughtful given how particular people can be about their favorite piece.

I wasn't as impressed with the chicken as I'd hoped to be.

When I opened the box, the aroma was different from what I associate with fried chicken. It wasn't unpleasant, just unfamiliar.

I tried the leg piece first.

The coating was crispy but flatter than what I'm used to at places like KFC. Inside, I noticed a spicy, oil-infused seasoning that sat on the chicken rather than blending into the crust.

On its own, the chicken tasted milder than I expected — almost broth-like — and I could taste the meat more than the seasoning, which isn't usually what I look for in fried chicken.

It tasted better with the bun, garlic sauce, and fries, but even then, this wasn't my favorite of the items I tried.

Next, I tried the 10-piece spicy chicken nuggets.

The chicken nuggets box, which cost AED 19, or about $5.17, came with fries, garlic sauce, and ketchup on the side.

Unlike the round or irregular shapes I'm used to from other fast-food nuggets, Al Baik's nuggets were long, rectangular pieces with a uniform shape.

They were coated in the brand's signature breading — a layer of breadcrumbs, flour, and spices like paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper — giving them a slightly golden-orange hue.

The portion felt generous for the price, especially with fries included.

The nuggets were better than the fried chicken, but still not my favorite.

These were easier to eat than the bone-in chicken, and overall, I liked them more.

But they felt different from the nuggets I'm used to. The breading didn't cling tightly to the chicken — after a bite, I could see a small gap where the coating had separated slightly from the meat, almost as if the chicken sat inside a crispy shell rather than being bonded to it.

The flavor again leaned toward a mild, chicken-forward taste rather than a well-seasoned crust.

That said, 10 nuggets with fries for about $5.17 felt like excellent value. For comparison, a nine-piece nuggets box from McDonald's costs about $4.90 without fries, and about $8.17 as a meal, which includes fries and a drink.

These nuggets were long, filling, and easy to share, even if the taste wasn't my favorite. They just didn't compare to Taco Bell's crispy nuggets, in my opinion.

The last item I tried was the spicy big baik.

The Spicy Big Baik was priced at AED 19, or $5.17.

It looked more like a Subway sandwich than a typical burger. It was long, filled edge to edge, and noticeably bigger than what I'd expect from McDonald's or KFC.

Inside was a flat, breaded chicken patty — think the Al Baik nugget but oversized — topped with cheese, coleslaw, jalapeños, and Lebanese pickles like the ones you'd find in a chicken shawarma.

For the price, it felt like a substantial meal on its own.

The spicy Big Baik was my favorite item among the three.

Of the three things I tried, the spicy Big Baik tasted the best.

The sandwich was large and filling, and the mix of coleslaw, jalapeños, cheese, and pickles helped balance the flavor of the breaded chicken patty inside.

It still felt different from the crispy fried chicken sandwiches I'm used to at places like Chick-fil-A or KFC — the patty was flatter and less crunchy — but the toppings made up for it.

The bun was slightly dry, but overall, it was the easiest and most enjoyable item to eat.

After trying three of Al Baik's most popular items, I understood why the value draws crowds, even if the taste didn't win me over.

After hearing about Al Baik for years, I expected bold, heavily seasoned fried chicken. Instead, what I got was chicken where the flavor sat more on the surface than in the meat.

The broasted style meant the spices didn't seem to seep into the chicken the way I'm used to, leaving a stronger "chicken" taste than a seasoned one.

The garlic sauce — essentially toum, the same one used in shawarma and shish tawook wraps across the region — was excellent. Even in its packaged form, it tasted close to the fresh version and improved everything I paired it with.

In total, I paid AED 61, or about $16.61, including tax, for three items that could very well each be a whole meal.

I didn't love the food, but I could see the appeal. The portions were generous, the prices were hard to beat, and the experience felt very different from typical fast food … not least because of the wait.

In the end, I realized the brand's draw isn't just the taste, but it's the value, the history, and, for some, the ritual.