(Not Quite Healthy Eating) -- Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

[Boosted52405 | 178]

1 hour ago, jonebone said:

Would I wait in crazy lines, no.  Would I recommend the sandwich to anyone who likes a chicken sandwich?  Hell yes. 

Ah good point, I worried lines would be out of control but happy to report that nope relatively normal wait times as well!

P.S. -  I mentioned I had mine plain, well they originally gave me a regularly dressed one and when I got the corrected one they told me to keep the old one.  Chopped the chicken up into a nice little treat for my 2 old pups, they also approve

[guillavoie | 1,213]

Not a single one Popeyes in my province

But good news, the KFC restaurants are almost all closed out. Actually, the one near my house closed no later than Yesterday. I hope something better open up in that place.

[arnpoly | 203]

I tried the chicken sandwich on Sunday!  The drive-thru line was out all the way to the street, and it's a real busy street.  I had to park next door and walk inside.  Though the line was not that big of a deal inside, the place was definitely busy and packed.  I got the normal chicken sandwich and I thought it was really good.  Next time I go I'm getting the spicy chicken sandwich ... seems like that's the one I really should have tried.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

22 minutes ago, guillavoie said:

Not a single one Popeyes in my province

But good news, the KFC restaurants are almost all closed out. Actually, the one near my house closed no later than Yesterday. I hope something better open up in that place.

Sounds like a business opportunity! 

[trj22487 | 350]

I saw on the news there was a stabbing death in Maryland over one of these sandwiches........fack

[LtCasual | 27]

I'll give it a shot if/when the madness dies down, but I'm a little concerned because the closest Popeye's to me is a little sketch. 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

Worth dying for? Yes.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

11 minutes ago, LtCasual said:

I'll give it a shot if/when the madness dies down, but I'm a little concerned because the closest Popeye's to me is a little sketch. 

Unless you're in an airport, pretty much EVERY Popeye's is "a little sketch". 

Like Long John Silver's, I don't particularly care about the cleanliness of the dining area, because I'm not planning to eat there...and I just trust that the fact that everything comes out of the fryer hot, it's "clean enough" when it goes in the bag

[Boosted52405 | 178]

All our Popeye's here in Iowa, I believe, are all fresh/new builds so they are pretty nice and clean from my limited exposure.

Funny story of a Popeyes visit like a year ago.  I ordered some chicken and a large pop - the drive-thru guy goes "Hey, for 40 cents more we'll upgrade that to a gallon of pop".  I'm like what, seriously, okay sure whatever.  Sure enough, they hand me a plastic bag/jug with a screw on cap.  Certainly couldn't drink it all lmao. 

Don't even want to think of how many calories that was!

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

13 minutes ago, Boosted52405 said:

All our Popeye's here in Iowa, I believe, are all fresh/new builds so they are pretty nice and clean from my limited exposure.

Funny story of a Popeyes visit like a year ago.  I ordered some chicken and a large pop - the drive-thru guy goes "Hey, for 40 cents more we'll upgrade that to a gallon of pop".  I'm like what, seriously, okay sure whatever.  Sure enough, they hand me a plastic bag/jug with a screw on cap.  Certainly couldn't drink it all lmao. 

Don't even want to think of how many calories that was!

Ha!

I have never heard of being offered a gallon jug of soda, but they definitely offer gallon jugs of lemonade or sweet tea in my region (since fried chicken is popular picnic food to share with a group).

 

[mbd39 | 2,043]

All of this hype over a fast food chicken sandwich is ridiculous to me. A guy was even stabbed to death over it. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/05/us/popeyes-sandwich-stabbing/index.html

 

I live about 30 minutes away from Popeyes and haven't tried the sandwich. I'm in no hurry to either. Nor will I wait in a long line because of the stupid hype.

 

[mbd39 | 2,043]

19 hours ago, guillavoie said:

Not a single one Popeyes in my province

But good news, the KFC restaurants are almost all closed out. Actually, the one near my house closed no later than Yesterday. I hope something better open up in that place.

 

I'm not a fan of KFC's regular chicken but I like the strips and the sandwiches. The Nashville Hot strips are excellent.

[Mega Tank | 996]

I was in the area of a Popeyes that said "Grand Opening." I asked some employees that were outside if they had any sandwiches they said yes. I stood in line for 30 min when they announced they ran out of ingredients. I almost feel like they don't stock enough ingredients on purpose. A brand new location with not enough ingredients? They only sold about 30 of them before they ran out of ingredients. I am skeptical about how good the actual sandwich is, but I guess I won't be finding out any time soon.

[Punkr13 | 20]

I ate 3 of these yesterday and got one in the fridge hehe

last time they came out I lucked out on getting one 

Its def crazy to see how much business they are getting 

[doner24 | 1,204]

Stopped in last week and they were out of all chicken at the one close to my work! 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

20 hours ago, mbd39 said:

 

I'm not a fan of KFC's regular chicken but I like the strips and the sandwiches. The Nashville Hot strips are excellent.

The first time KFC offered Nashville Hot, they were awesome.

The second time they were released, at least in my area, the sizes of the strips were noticeably smaller and made for a much worse deal.

[Link | 2,822]

On 10/29/2019 at 5:16 AM, arch_8ngel said:

If you like KFC more than the spicy tenders from Popeyes then we apparently live in a different reality from each other and this sandwich isn't for you.

I will try KFC once every few years to see if they have gone back to what I remember from when I was a kid, but they disappoint me every time, and their prices are terrible on top of it all.

Maybe it varies by market, in terms of the quality of the franchisees, but KFCs in my area are just not that good anymore. 

And I definitely agree that you can get good quality buns from the store for better homemade burgers than any restaurant will serve.

But in my experience, fried chicken is an entirely different challenge to do at home at all, let alone to do "better" than other options, compared to burgers.  I have done fairly decent fried chicken sandwiches at home before, but it is extremely hard to do it with the consistency that a large chain can manage with a full-sized deep fryer.  (though at home it is easier to do a specialty side like sweet potato fries)

So part of specifically getting restaurant/fast-food fried chicken is the enormous convenience factor versus something much easier to do well like burgers.

So I will offer this caveat to my post:

If you like KFC more than the spicy tenders from Popeyes, just ignore this entire thread and move on with your life

On 10/30/2019 at 8:25 AM, arch_8ngel said:

It isn't an unusual thing for a particular combination of food items to be noticeably better than those same items individually...

If you haven't had fried chicken or a fastfood chicken sandwich in 10 years, I don't quite understand why you're bothering to even post in the thread

This thread is for the people that eat this kind of food once in awhile and for if they were wondering whether the Popeyes sandwich lives up to the hype of being massively better than Chik Fil A.

It does.

 

 

Oh my god. Fine. Here I am.

 

 

 

I tried to get it last week, but they were “sold out”, at 11 am.

 

 

First of all.

FYI.

I do not never eat fried chicken, or never eat fast food. I did, in fact, have a fried chicken sandwich on October 2.

 

 

That’s from CJ’s.

 

 

 

I have a mental list of one-off fast food joints in my city to check out (or revisit to try a different item). Once in a while, I pick one and indulge. I guess I’m not getting national chain store fried chicken sandwiches because I’m busy going to other kinds of fast food places. Not that I've thought about it, but point being—just so it’s clearly stated—which I clearly need to ensure—is that I clicked on this thread because I do in fact like fast food, including fried chicken sandwiches. I just get it rarely, for health and budget reasons. aka Once In A While, as you stated. I’m sorry I haven’t gone to Popeye’s in a decade. They got to jump the line today. I hope that makes up for it 

 

Somebody ITT asked what’s the deal, and I described what I’ve heard in all the buzz. But apparently I can’t comment that “it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me” without trying it myself? I don’t have to eat a Luther burger to know that I don’t want to do that. Sounds gross. Popeye's sandwich sounds average. I know what sounds like what.

 

But. OK. I am now experientially qualified to talk officially about the Popeye’s sandwich.

I bought it and ate it on location.

 

I went early again, about 11:15a, and didn’t have to wait. Although there was a pretty good line shortly after that.

 

 

This would be better with LTO. It would also be good with extra crispy skin, which is what I liked about KFC. Maybe you are the one who “ignores” breading. I bet extra crispy is even harder to make at home than regular fried chicken. Just saying.

 

 

Speaking of which, the skin is pretty soggy. Major points off for that. Even regular fried chicken skin should have a little crunch to it. This did on the sides, zero on the top and bottom. Call it a tactical error, but still. Not good.

 

But, it is indeed a large piece of meat. Pretty moist flesh, so that’s a good job on cooking breast, which is often too dry. Although there’s not a whole lot of flavor to the interior flesh. Chicken breast this thick shouldn't rely wholly on the skin for taste. They should brine it before frying. But they can't keep up with demand as is, so I guess nobody else cares.

 

 

The mayonnaise does taste really good. Must have absorbed something from the skin while it was waiting for me in its steamy foil prison. That's about it for me, though.

 

Again, can't say if it's "massively" better than CFA 'cause I won't patronize bigots. Pretty good deal (4 bucks for a pretty big hot sandwich prepped by a stranger) if you don't have to wait, yeah. Worth the hyoe, no way.

 

 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Your data point seems to prove variability by location, which is too bad

 

At my local Popeyes the chicken is always as crispy as extra crispy at KFC.

 

Sorry to set the bar so high when you appear to have a substandard Popeyes in your town.  (No wonder you haven't gone there in 10 years)

 

The buns were toasted at mine, as well, so overall a much crispier texture than you seemed to end up with.

Edited November 9, 2019 by arch_8ngel

[Tanooki | 4,976]

Link you had me until you got into 'patronizing bigots' so I really can't take that post as much value.  From my experience they still have the best chicken sandwich and it's pretty tiresome so many want to cry like know it alls about CFA just because of the CEOs feelings which aren't those of the company on the whole.  The closest of them to me here, the franchise owner employs homosexual workers and his general manager over 2 locations is part of a couple of married men.  But hey, it's hate food right?

I'd put the Popeye's over KFC, but not CFA as they have the most consistent quality and flavor of the fast food chicken joints.  Your issues about things being soggy and flavorless inside on that sandwich aren't a thing there.

[Pats1717 | 62]

On 10/29/2019 at 6:16 AM, arch_8ngel said:

If you like KFC more than the spicy tenders from Popeyes then we apparently live in a different reality from each other and this sandwich isn't for you.

 

I will try KFC once every few years to see if they have gone back to what I remember from when I was a kid, but they disappoint me every time, and their prices are terrible on top of it all.

Maybe it varies by market, in terms of the quality of the franchisees, but KFCs in my area are just not that good anymore.  

 

 

And I definitely agree that you can get good quality buns from the store for better homemade burgers than any restaurant will serve.

But in my experience, fried chicken is an entirely different challenge to do at home at all, let alone to do "better" than other options, compared to burgers.  I have done fairly decent fried chicken sandwiches at home before, but it is extremely hard to do it with the consistency that a large chain can manage with a full-sized deep fryer.  (though at home it is easier to do a specialty side like sweet potato fries)

So part of specifically getting restaurant/fast-food fried chicken is the enormous convenience factor versus something much easier to do well like burgers.

 

 

So I will offer this caveat to my post:

If you like KFC more than the spicy tenders from Popeyes, just ignore this entire thread and move on with your life

I used to love KFC almost all of them closed around us and two are now with combined franchises one has a Taco Bell and the other is a Long John Silvers.

I ate at Popeyes once it wasn’t very memorable. I may try the sandwich if I think about it on the way by. 

[Link | 2,822]

On 11/9/2019 at 6:53 AM, arch_8ngel said:

Your data point seems to prove variability by location, which is too bad

Sorry to set the bar so high when you appear to have a substandard Popeyes in your town.  (No wonder you haven't gone there in 10 years)

Two locations are easy to get to in my usual rounds (I pass them frequently) (Within a mile radius). Dunno if they are owned by the same entity or not. I think I’ve got another one or three not far if I should ever go that way.

When I went, like I said there was a sold out situation and a line before noon. And I heard a guy ordering a bunch (like your six packer) I’m sure by his clothing he was buying for coworkers at a certain nearby facility as well. The hype is here too. 

I just don’t think it’s warranted, and it’s not because I’m against fast food or fried chicken. That’s all I wanted to say and I really didn’t want to make a federal case out of it. 

Speaking of federal cases...

On 11/9/2019 at 9:28 PM, Tanooki said:

Link you had me until you got into 'patronizing bigots' so I really can't take that post as much value.  

People can think whatever they want. They “don’t like to talk about politics”... except when they do. When they make public that they don’t think gay marriage should be allowed, I as an individual am going to make public that I take issue with that. Dan Cathy can hold private opinions as much as anybody else. When he makes them public, that invites a public response. I wish I could check out CFA, since they have a great location here (next to one of the busiest train stations) and people rave about how great their food is. But Cathy and family actively, and more importantly financially, greatly and powerfully financially, take a religious stance that I’m just not with and force that religious stance into the public sphere. That’s bullshit and I’m not going to ignore it and contribute to their funds that they use against the freedom of others just because their chicken and lemonade are supposed to be so good. I guarantee my homemade lemonade is better than theirs, anyway. 

[Tanooki | 4,976]

It's not politics you're baiting, it is about accusing a business of something it never did.  Sure the owner Cathy did, but you're laying blame down on tens of thousands of employees that have lives, jobs, and opinions of their own that rely on that place to get by.  'They' didn't make that public, the owner did, on his own, in his own time in his own life, but people who hated hearing such things just rolled up the business into it as one giant hate factory which is laughable.  You're skirting over what I said about the general manager locally here which seems to spit in the face of the 'hate group' tag the restaurant gets.  It makes no sense if the company on the whole was anti gay, anti gay marriage, that they'd keep someone like that around and not just that but treat the guy with respect and care like anyone else on the payroll.

I'm saying there should be a public response, but bashing the company because of one idiot is the wrong message and wrong thing to do.  Hey if you want to be full of that self righteous cancel culture type of people, have at it, but it's not going to win you any head way with more people than not which is evidenced in CFAs case by the business they do despite the petty attacks.  When CFA decides to cross the line and make that their corporate policy written or otherwise to shame out people from working there and dissuade them from even patronizing their business then I'd have a problem with the business and want nothing to do with it.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

No need to get into a back-and-forth over CFA.

If Link doesn't want to eat there, that is his prerogative.

 

Another contender I hadn't considered lately was Zaxby's. 

Their chicken is overall the best out there for chain restaurants, but they don't quite make the bar for "fast food", given the variability in their service time.

Their sandwiches are their tenders on Texas toast, which is a great combo.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

5 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

No need to get into a back-and-forth over CFA.

If Link doesn't want to eat there, that is his prerogative.

 

Another contender I hadn't considered lately was Zaxby's. 

Their chicken is overall the best out there for chain restaurants, but they don't quite make the bar for "fast food", given the variability in their service time.

Their sandwiches are their tenders on Texas toast, which is a great combo.

Is Zaxby's a regional chain? I saw a commercial during one of the college football games Saturday, but I've never seen one in the area.

[BriGuy82 | 806]

I'm not really into fast food-chicken sandwiches, usually they mess my stomach up. But I might have to give this one a shot. I don't think popeyes is that big in NJ though. There's only one location I've ever noticed and it's in a mall. So I can't even go through a drive through to grab one. I have to actually get out of my car.

Edited November 11, 2019 by BriGuy82