Fast and Casual Summer Special

Oh how I've been remiss on getting the word out concerning this restaurant and this great summer contest. It's been more than a week since I first set foot into a PDQ (US41 in Fort Myers). It's funny to hear people who don't know, guess what it means. While you can still play the game, I'll give you the answer:   People Dedicaed to Quality.

The new PDQ on US41 in Fort Myers

This newest chicken chain is the brainchild of some former top brass in the Outback Steakhouse operation; immediately lending credibility. Beginning in Tampa in 2011, there are now 43 restaurants around the country. Each location has the proprietors name on the door; inspiring pride at the top almost always filters down the line.

A fast casual restaurant, don't lump this into the "fast food" category you may have stored in your brain. Everything at PDQ is fresh and made in house. I toured the kitchen and can vouch for that claim. I did not see one microwave, nothing frozen, no plastic bags of premixed anything. It is evident in the taste of the food; chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches and decadent hand-spun shakes.

Even the fries are hand-cut and go through quite a process to get them tasting just right. They are cut and rinsed over and over to get the starch out, then blistered and fried in soy oil just before you order. You can actually taste the potato flavor!

Washed and blistered, these guys are waiting for the fryer

There's a hand washing basin by the drink station, making it fun for kids and easy for adults to wash up before and after meals. The self serve drink machines offer 155 flavors, there are fresh brewed teas including the house special, a jasmine clover green tea. It is made fresh and taste tested every day. So is the lemonade. The PDQ on US41 in Fort Myers hand squeezes as many as two cases of lemons a day, mixing the fresh juice with simple syrup and water: so refreshing!

The chicken tenders are big and juicy. The choices for dipping sauces range from sweet sriracha and chipotle BBQ to creamy garlic, buffalo blue and more.

More than a half-dozen dipping sauces will delight your taste buds

The kitschen is wide open, you can even see all of the way through it to the drive-up window, full disclosure. Ordering at the drive-thru is face to face with an employee, virtually eliminating any chance to mess up your order do to a squeaky microphone in a plastic box.

Sandwiches come with fresh cut fries or blueberry coleslaw

Giving back is an important part of the PDQ SOP (standard operating procedure). Charity nights and other fundraising opportunities abound, along with reward cards. The staff seams to really enjoy being here and will go out of their way to make sure you do too.

Now here is why I need to be whipped for the delay in passing along an great summer promotion....it ends July 31. If you eat at PDQ ten times in the month of July you qualify to win food for a year and other sweet prizes!

Sign up here. You can still count the times you dined earlier in the month, as long as you have the receipt for reference information. Each restaurant will have a party at the end of the month and draw the winners name. If you frequent any of the newer locations, you're chances might increase as the word might not have gotten around.....until now!

Pick up some tenders for dinner tonight, delicious sandwiches for the office or fool everyone at your next party by serving PDQ's mouthwatering apple slices and toffee dip. You still have time to win so sign up today.