Many diet-conscious drive-through diners choose grilled chicken sandwiches. With more and more people looking to get their fast-food fix without ingesting three days' worth of fat, these sandwiches are no longer are the ugly stepchildren of the menu. More attention is being paid to flavor and presentation, and the results are by and large good.

However, some chains haven't quite gotten the message, continuing to slap flavorless meat into equally unremarkable buns with not much in the way of amendment. You might be surprised by who the worst offender is in this respect.

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All sandwiches are graded on an A to F scale, with both taste and appearance taken into account. Nutritional information supplied for each sandwich comes from the companies' Web sites.

The sandwiches were all purchased at off-peak hours, giving each restaurant a fair shot at producing a good-quality product. This favors "make it when you order it" places over those using heat lamps, which is a good thing.

Arby's Grilled Chicken Fillet Sandwich: 415 calories, 16 grams fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 914 mg sodium, 36 grams carbs

Arby's is known for its roast beef sandwiches, but this sandwich indicates the chain could make a legitimate play for the poultry side of the market, as well. The seasoning on the fillet, which was actually a fillet, not pressed meat, was excellent, and the bun was very good. The only downchecks were somewhat sparse tomato slices and annoying shredded lettuce. Overall, though, the sandwich earned a solid B+.

McDonald's Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich: 420 calories, 10 grams fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 1190 mg sodium, 51 grams carbs

I'm not sure what's classic about this sandwich, unless the intention is to hearken back to the old days of sandwiches that were light on taste. The bun was quite tasty, and it did get good marks for plentiful lettuce and tomato, but the chicken itself was just … wrong. It had a somewhat rubbery texture that was quite off-putting, and a gelatinous mouth feel when eaten separate from the bun that made me think that perhaps there wasn't a whole breast o' bird in its past. Final grade: C-.

Sonic Grilled Chicken On Ciabatta 340 calories, 12 grams fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 990 mg sodium, 32 grams carbs

This was one of the best pieces of chicken in the test, very tender and flavorful. However, the menu description promised a honey mustard sauce, and very little of that was evident. The ciabatta bun was a bit soggy, but held together well. The lettuce and tomato were very fresh and plentiful. Final grade: B+

Jack In The Box Sourdough Chicken Club: 530 calories, 28 grams fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium, 34 grams carbs

This sandwich looked good, but fell prey to one of the most common sins in fast food today: ready-to-use bacon. The limp, lifeless strips added salt, but not much flavor. The sandwich was drenched in mayo and would definitely not work well as an on-the-go food unless your shirt is seriously stain-resistant. The chicken itself was fairly flavorless, but at least the sourdough bun was tasty. Final score: C.

KFC Tender Roast Sandwich: 380 calories, 13 grams fat, 80 grams cholesterol, 1,160 mg sodium, 29 grams carbs

Remember when airlines used to serve meals? Remember how you didn't really miss it when they stopped? Most specifically, remember the chicken sandwiches that were served with a nondescript bun gummed to a washed-out hunk of whitish meat that might or might not have been chicken? Relive those fond memories at KFC. It's startling that the unquestioned king of the fried chicken business would allow such a depressing sandwich on its menu, but perhaps the lack of frying threw a curve. Final grade: F.

Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill: 320 calories, 7 grams fat, 70 mg sodium, 950 mg sodium, 36 grams carbs.

The chicken was nicely tender and generously sized, but lacked any real grilled flavor. It reminded me somewhat of the boiled chicken I made for my eldest son when he was just learning to eat solid foods. The lettuce and tomato were good and fresh, but the bun was soggy to the point of collapse. Final grade: C+.

Burger King Tendergrill Sandwich: 510 calories, 19 grams fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 1,180 mg sodium, 49 grams carbs.

This was the best of the bunch by a mile. I've paid three times as much at sit-down restaurants for sandwiches that weren't this good. The chicken was firm but tender, the bun and toppings were first-rate, and the overall flavor was stellar. I am a hardcore burger junkie, but I'd buy this one again for the taste alone. Grade: A+.

So, while the overall quality of the chains' chicken offerings has evolved considerably, there are still some throwbacks. The room for improvement is substantial, but if Burger King's new Tendergrill is the wave of the future, the next time I do this comparison the grades will be much higher.

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