I really love boneless chicken.

Honestly, lives were forever changed in 1983 when the Chicken McNugget was introduced.

Hey Man! Chicken Fingers is a new eatery in Moss Bluff, just off Sam Houston Parkway. The location was once a Checkers burger stand. One would never know this from the outside since Hey Man! looks resembles a chain restaurant in its own right.

My co-worker Michael Cooper and I ventured out to Moss Bluff to give it a shot. When I told other people at our office where we were going, the common response was that Hey Man! is similar to Raising Cane’s.

I ordered the Hey Man! I’m Hungry Box, which comes with eight chicken fingers, french fries, cole slaw, Texas toast, four dipping sauces and an order of banana pudding. I decided to try the Hey Man! Sauce and the Parmesan garlic dipping sauce. I love chicken salad, and I asked for a small cup of the Hey Man! version to try.

The chicken fingers were juicy and the crust crisp. It was seasoned well, with a bit of a kick in each bite. The crust on the chicken may be a bit too much for some.

Two of the things that Hey Man! has over Cane’s are the coleslaw and fries, which are both more seasoned.

If you like Cane’s sauce, then the Hey Man! Sauce is definitely for you. At Cane’s, I always end up dipping my Texas toast in the sauce, and I found myself doing the same thing at Hey Man!

I’m not much for fruit in my chicken salad either, but it works for Hey Man!

I was full, but I knew I had to have the banana pudding and it made the entire trip completely worth it. Made every morning, it felt like something that couldn’t be bought from a restaurant.

Michael ordered the grilled chicken breast sandwich and the mixed-greens salad.

He said he was happy to see a chicken joint offer health options for a change. He said he doesn’t like to eat fried food a lot and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and speed of the food from Hey Man!

He said the chicken sandwich was fresh, juicy and flavorful. It reminded him a lot of the burger he used to get from Wagon Wheel Barbecue years ago.

The salad was the highlight of his meal.

It was a mix of iceberg and spring lettuce, cheese, candied walnuts, sunflower seeds, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, cucumbers, bacon bits and croutons.

He said the walnuts and cranberries balanced out the bitter lettuce pieces and that the cucumbers were as fresh as they come.

He said it was one of the better salads he’s had in years and by far the best he’s ever had from a fast-food establishment.

The salad was large and would have been enough for a full meal, even without the addition of grilled or fried chicken.

With our two drinks, our order was $23.25.

Mike and I had an opportunity to talk to one of the owners of the Hey Man! Chicken Fingers restaurant. He said that he did get the comparison to Raising Cane’s quite a bit, and to combat that, he offers the sandwiches and salad items.

If you’re not sold on the whole chicken finger craze you need to try Hey Man! Chicken Fingers.

They’re much more than chicken fingers … man.

Hey Man! Chicken Fingers (Michael Cooper / American Press)

Mixed greens salad (Michael Cooper / American Press)

HeyMANSALAD