I attended the much hyped ChainFEST at Randall Island Park the other weekend, which is billed as a gourmet chain food festival. For $120 and above per ticket, you will get a ‘passport” to try 8 food items from participating restaurants like KFC, Panda Express, Cracker Barrel, etc. TL,DR I don’t think the experience was worth the ticket value. The venue was crowded and full of long lines to get food. Some groups split people into different lines to minimize wait times but if you came alone like me you had to wait at all the lines. I spent 2 and a half hours until the fest closed and got to try 7/8 items. Most of the mini-bites are just okay, nothing better than what you would get at the restaurants themselves with a bigger portion. Among them I like the spicy chicken from Panda Express and mini-burger from Red Robbins the most. You’ll come away full but not fulfilled. Besides that the music was very loud while you wait in the sun, just not a good vibe to enjoy food. I received my ticket for free as a gift from my friend but on my dime I probably would not come back. ChainFest NY 2024 | Randall's Island Par...