I had just seen a movie at Regal La Habra and wanted a bite to eat. I was hoping to stop by Rubio's to take advantage of a deal, but was met with some window decal showing The Kebab Shop. I got confused until I remembered the unfortunate closures of many Rubio's locations in SoCal, and the decal implied that The Kebab Shop was taking over that spot soon.
Then, I noticed a Chick-fil-A further west!
Though not doing too well this year, the Anaheim Ducks had just scored 5 goals in a recent home game, which meant a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich if you opened the app later that evening.
Before I came in, I witnessed an employee leaving his shift, but also having a bit of an argument with a co-worker. Not a good way to start, but Kai at the front counter made me forget about that. He was pretty cool and even caught on to what I was trying to say when I told him I didn't want the Chick-fil-A sauce, but rather, something similar. It's something I usually do on my first visit to any Chick-fil-A location to get a feel for service, and Kai knew I wanted the Honey Roasted BBQ even before I could finish describing it. Impressive I must say!
In addition to the free Chick-fil-A sandwich courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks, I also asked for a water cup, all to go. Unlike the other Chick-fil-A locations, Kai didn't get me my water cup. Instead, it was handed to me alongside my takeout bag. Kind of unprecedented to do it that way; I almost thought I would have had to ask for my water cup!
The wait was a little longer than usual. It was about 4 PM, which I thought wouldn't have been too busy since it's kind of early for dinner, but definitely too late for lunch. However, there were a handful of customers inside, either dining in or waiting for their orders. The interior did look pretty nice with one or two motion-sensor trash cans as well as a cute little red truck holding a couple of stuffed cows. That truck was sitting on a counter that also housed some mustard, mayo, napkins, salt, and pepper. However, if you want some of the sauces that traditionally come in rectangular tubs, you'd have to ask at the register.
I still had to wait over 5 minutes for my complimentary chicken sandwich and water cup.
I walked back to my car to enjoy my sandwich, which was parked in front of Regal Cinemas, so it was a pretty long walk. The sandwich was nice and crispy, just like how a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich should be. Went even better with that Honey Roasted BBQ sauce!
The water cup was a little taller than what I'm used to, but didn't have an insulated sleeve. I wanted to save it for the next day, and I didn't get home until about an hour and a half later. All the ice had melted by the time I got home.
This Chick-fil-A is located at La Habra Marketplace on the north side of Imperial between Beach and Idaho. Unlike the other locations, this one has only one drive thru lane, so parking in the adjacent lot may be a little tricky. Parking elsewhere at La Habra Marketplace isn't since it's a pretty large shopping center.
Overall, it was a satisfying trip to Chick-fil-A for a mid-afternoon post-movie snack. It's the only Chick-fil-A in the City of La Habra, and the next closest is 3 miles away in Whittier. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to see it that busy even at an odd (or even, in this case lol) hour between lunch and dinner, but they are about as competent as the other locations I've been to so far. Good solid 4 stars! read more