Butterfingers are gross. There, I said it. They stick to your teeth, they somehow make even peanut butter taste fake, and those orange shards of brittle blah are covered with cheap chocolate that I wouldn’t feed to a trapped miner.
I mention this candy nemesis of mine because today I’m reviewing Chick-O-Stick, a candy that might remind some people of Butterfingers (since both contain peanuts and sugar, both are partly orange, and both have an unusual texture). But I want you to rest assured that I have nothing against peanutty orange candy per se. Just awful peanutty orange candy.
In contrast, Chick-O-Stick is strangely toothsome. They have a chewy peanut-butter-esque thing going on inside, and a quite pleasing toasted coconut-coated exterior.
But what’s with the name?
Here’s what Atkinson’s website says: “Oh, why is it called a Chick-O-Stick? Well, you can thank our founder, Grandaddy, for that. He came up with the name one day, and well, it just stuck.†Wow, thanks for nothing, Atkinson website of banality.
A little more digging revealed, however, that this kind of rolled candy was known as “chicken bones†in 1930’s Texas because of its shape and density (Atkinson’s been in Lufkin, TX since 1932), and somebody thought the crispy coconut of this candy’s exterior made it look like fried chicken. Hmmm. Okay, maybe I like the first answer better.
Back to the eating. What I really like about these is the mixed texture, and the unexpected goodness of toasted coconut with peanut butter. Chick-O-Sticks are crispy and crumbling on first bite, but nice and chewy on the interior. (Like a real chicken leg, maybe? Sorry.) As for the flavor, now that I think about it, I love Thai dishes with coconut and peanuts, so no wonder I enjoy this flavor. In a way, Chick-O-Sticks are the sweet candy and chewy version of that taste combo.
So just remember: there’s no chicken in a Chick-O-Stick, they have a crazy name that doesn’t make much sense, and they’re far better than Butterfingers. Of course, most things are.
Buy Chick-O-Stick Online:
- at Candy Direct
- at Old Time Candy
- at Amazon.com
What great timing on the review, I just enjoyed one of these yesterday afternoon. Since I love peanut butter and coconut, and despise mockolate, these are vastly superior in every way to Butterfinger. Plus you get the added bonus of supporting a smaller business and not a huge candy conglomerate.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:56 amI love Butterfingers… would I like these?
October 7th, 2008 at 10:20 ami remember buying chick-o-stick at 7-11 when i was about 10. it was super cheap, so even 10-year-olds had enough money for these. i don’t remember them being that delicious. just cheap and crunchy and sweet. Jeni-might as well give this a try. it surely costs less than a butterfinger.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:28 amBite your tongue! Butterfingers are delicious!
October 7th, 2008 at 12:32 pmif you give me to choose between the delicious butterfinger, and the tasteless sugary favlor of chick-o-stix…..
I remember I used to buy those in a little store right after school. I used to love them….but then I met Butterfinger I was love at first bite….
Luv candy!!!
October 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pmi think that 5th avenues beat both butterfingers and chick o sticks. I think Hersheys must use higher quality ingredients cause you ca taste the difference.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI heart fingers of butter.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:21 pmI too am a fan of Chick-O-Sticks (and the coconut-less version, Peanut Butter Bars) over hard, fake tasting Butterfingers. However, I prefer Clark Bars, which are everything a Butterfinger tries to be and fails at. I also love Zagnuts, which actually remind me of a giant, flakier Chick-O-Stick with a slightly softer coating.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:13 pmMmmmm, Chick-o-Sticks. I love the coconut-y-ness. I dislike Butterfingers just because they are so messy to eat. The insides shatter when you bite it, then the flakes get all over and the chocolate-covered bits melt on your clothes on contact.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:23 pmI love these! When I lived down south, they were my candy of choice at the 7-Eleven. I always prefered them to butterfingers but wished they had chocolate on them too. I just worry that given the fact it’s novelty candy, I’m sure the chocolate would suck. Love the blog!!!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:07 amI hate Butterfingers. Argh!!! I loved Chic-O-Sticks as a kid. I havent had them in a very long time. I didnt know they were coated in coconut. I hate coconut!!
October 9th, 2008 at 3:36 pmYou know, I saw these for years and never tried them until I saw a special on them on the food network. I must say these far exceeded my expectations and I too enjoy these a great deal.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pmOn the basis of this review, I bought one of these today. It was so much better then a Butterfinger! I’m so glad I picked it up, and now I have a new candy to throw into my rotation.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:32 pmI am a candy lover from way back and my favorite is Chick O Stick. But looks like they have disappeared from store shelves. I say Bring back the Chick O Stick, its also a great stress reducer.
Joke:
October 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pmWhat is the scariest part of Halloween?…Its All that Candy LOL
Butterfinger – BAD!
Chick-O-Stick – GOOD! (I haven’t had one in years, but they are SOOOOO good! I really should pick one up later)
November 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pmChick-O-Sticks are one of my favorites. Except when they get old and too hard or too chewy to eat. 35 years ago they seemed to have trouble with breakage – at least all the ones at our local 7-11 seemed to be broken – but they seem to be shipped more carefully now.
Sometimes I find bags of bite-size Chick-O-Sticks at grocery stores. Full size sticks seem to be more easily found at convenience stores.
Zagnuts are pretty excellent also.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pmMmm yeah, these are way better than Butterfingers. The dollar stores around here sell the bite-sized pieces by the bagful, fortunately for me. C:
January 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pmI like butterfingers better. The inside is hard, so you can bite off all the chocolate before eating the orange, peanut-ish center. Chick-o-stick is okay, though.
March 14th, 2010 at 1:14 pmWOah…. BUTTER FINGERS R FREAKING AMAZING :D
November 25th, 2010 at 9:42 pm