Deep Fried Turkey Sandwiches Have Arrived at Arby's

As far as fast food chains are concerned, Arby's has always been a bit of an anomaly. That was kind of the point: In 2014, co-founder Leroy Raffel said the company was founded in 1964 because they "wanted to do something different," focusing on an item no other fast food joint was serving… roast beef. Over the years, Arby's dedication to being different has led to mixed results. Even the company itself would probably admit it's been through some highs and lows over the past 60-plus years. But recently, America's second largest sandwich chain (after Subway) has been revisiting its "different" roots—and the strategy appears to be paying off for the brand.

Last week, the meat specialist made headlines by becoming the first major restaurant chain to take a venison sandwich nationwide. And this week, the brand has been rolling out another group of unique products: Arby's has introduced three deep fried turkey sandwiches in its buildup for Thanksgiving—a Deep Fried Turkey Club, a Cajun Deep Fried Turkey Sandwich and, the Thanksgiving coup de grace, a Deep Fried Turkey Gobbler, described by the chain as "all the flavors of your favorite Thanksgiving meal in a sandwich."

Just to clarify, the sandwiches themselves aren't deep fried. But as anyone who's spent Thanksgiving with a family member with a large pot, a big backyard and a zeal for deep frying everything they can get their hands on, deep frying an entire turkey has become a growing Thanksgiving tradition across the States. Now, Arby's is putting slices of this fried bird onto its new seasonal sandwiches.

Since the sandwiches are so new, the requisite YouTube review videos are only beginning to start rolling in. But the couple that have been posted are positive. Additionally, in a video on the channel Whitfield's Food Revue, host Nicholas Whitfield says something very telling. "One thing that's great about Arby's," he remarks, "they offer things that you just don't get in other places." Taste aside, that sentiment would seem like a big win for the brand that was founded on being different.