If you’ve attempted a visit to a local Popeyes lately, you might have been a little peeved at the long line of patrons. Two weeks ago, the New Orleans-born chain released a fried chicken sandwich to rule all others. Most of us were left wondering why the minds at Popeyes just now decided it’s time to put that deliciously spicy and perfectly battered chicken on a sandwich. It seems like this should’ve been a thing a long time ago.
But whatever the company’s reasons, it created an Event with a big rollout and a bigger Twitter war with Chick-fil-A over which fast food chain has the better sandwich. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, this was all an expertly orchestrated marketing ploy.
And boy, did it work. Around Baton Rouge, locals took to social media to report long waits at the drive-thru and certain Popeyes outposts that were already running out of sandwiches. Coworkers held taste-offs between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A sandwiches in office kitchens and tallied the results on whiteboards.
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National food sites started comparing the two, as well, including this review from The Takeout: “Popeyes’ has that popcorn ceiling-exterior, and that seasoning plus fry job contributes to that unmistakable ‘Popeyes fried’ aroma. Chick-fil-A’s chicken pieces tend to be flatter discs, while the Popeyes chicken breasts are downright thicccc—my pieces measured nearly 1 1/2 inches in height while maintaining significant juiciness.”
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We’re feeling that take. There’s no beating Popeyes’ crunchy batter, and the chicken is absolutely juicy in spite of its thickness. The pickles taste fresh, the brioche bun holds its shape and the spicy Cajun spread adds the appropriate kick.
Read on for the rest of The Takeout’s story.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Have you tried Popeyes’ new fried chicken sandwich? How does it compare to other fast food fried chicken sandwiches?