Did You Know That Chicken Tenders Were Invented in New Hampshire?

Say what?

Yep, that was this writer's reaction, too. You learn something new every day, and it turns out that the Granite State is the birthplace of a delectable dish straight from the heavens: chicken tenders. Or as we like to call them, chicken tendies.

You know 'em. You love 'em. If you're an adult, you may have been tempted to order a basket of tenders from the kids' menu when out to eat. Heck, maybe you did, in which case we respect it.

But where exactly did this fried favorite originate in the Granite State?

According to USA Today, chicken tenders first came to be at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Epicentre goes on to explain that although the restaurant supposedly invented the famous dish back in 1974, some folks dispute the claim. It's possible that although the Puritan Backroom may have been where the term was coined, other restaurants may have already been serving chicken tenders under a different name.

Whatever the case, if you want to check out what could likely be the birthplace of the chicken tender, the Puritan Backroom offers an assortment of tendies like regular, buffalo, coconut, spicy, and broiled. Besides chicken dishes, the restaurant also has burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizza, and more. You can look at their menu here.

In the meantime, here are some other places in the Granite State to enjoy some pretty killer chicken tendies.

And of course, what's a basket of chicken tenders without fries?