We ate dozens of meals at restaurant chains in 2017 — here are the 9 absolute best things to try right now

• We ate dozens of meals at fast-food restaurants in 2017. 
• A couple of the big names came through with strange new menu items that were actually good. 
• A few newcomers wowed us, too, and made our list of the best things we've eaten this year. 

A lot happened in 2017.

McDonald's ran out of Schezuan sauce, inspiring riots. Taco Bell served fried chicken. Millions retweeted a teen desperate for free Wendy's chicken nuggets. And some other stuff, too.

As two fast-food reporters and superfans, we've eaten dozens upon dozens of meals at chain restaurants across the country this year. From Filipino fast-food to all-American McDonald's, we've traversed the culinary globe of chain dining. 

Looking back at the year, we wanted to pay tribute to the menu items whose stars shone the brightest. These aren't all new menu items, but they were new to us. Here's the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the crown jewels of quick service in 2017.

SEE ALSO: Walmart and Amazon's long-simmering feud exploded in 2017 — and it's redefining retail

Raising Cane's chicken fingers

We thought we knew chicken. But no man knows chicken until they have tried Raising Cane's chicken fingers. 

Time for a little Cane's theory: by focusing exclusively on chicken fingers, Raising Cane's is able to perfect the form in a way few competitors can even dream of. They're crispy yet light, perfectly juicy, and tender.  

Waffle House's steak melt

Waffle House is an American icon, but one that Hollis had sadly never visited prior to this year. On a trip to Virginia, we decided to right this egregious wrong. 

The entire menu was fantastic, but the steak melt is a hit more so due to its underdog status. As we said at the time, "the gestalt of its harmoniously greasy, cheesy, perfectly tender, and masterfully toasted creation nearly drove us to tears." 

Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa

Taco Bell's stunt menu items are hit-or-miss. This year, we had a runaway hit on our hands with the Naked Chicken Chalupa. To be honest, we were initially incredibly suspicious of a chalupa that uses fried chicken as a shell.

But our suspicions were soon allayed. The Naked Chicken Chalupa showcases surprisingly tasty and spicy chicken and classic Taco Bell fillings, balanced against the crux of the very chalupa itself: a smooth avocado ranch sauce.