KFC or Popeyes?

[MarketStEl]

I tried Popeyes once when I was like 18, but didnt know it was going to be spicy...everything was spicy, even the gravy I think it actually made me cry (could have been the first day at a scarey office job too) I have never gone back.

I will try to find one, now that I like food with flavor

tracey

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you can get it mild.

and really, the spicy isn't that spicy.

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What jsmeeker said.

I was about to say "Remind me never to invite you over for dinner" until you added that coda about liking food with flavor now, Tracey. (Did you read the thread about Baby Boomers' fading taste buds over in Food Traditions & Culture?)

Years ago, KFC used to make a spicy-crispy that was pretty good.  If they still make it, I wouldn't know, because I now favor Popeyes.  What I think is funny is that Popeyes is listed in the NOLA Zagat guide.

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Hey, if Wendy's can slap stickers on their doors boasting about their listing in the Zagat Fast Food Survey, why shouldn't Popeye's be listed in the Zagat Guide for its home city? What they serve is several notches above fast food in overall quality -- probably one of the best meal bargains around.

I still remember Popeyes as one of the things that got me through a summer of selling dictionaries door-to-door in a dirt-poor part of central NO.

I started the thread and if you recall I said this:

"Are there any other Fried Chicken chains out there?"

So its perfectly okay with ME if you mention OTHER Fried Chicken Chains.

At the time I posted it I didnt remember any other FG Chains.

I WANTED you to list others as well

So...

There are:

KFC

Popeyes

Churchs

Bojangles

and ?

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Well, it's really not a "chain", as the stores are all independently owned*, but I know some people (most of them Penn students in times past) who swear by Crown Fried Chicken, whose outlets are found mostly in working-class African-American neighborhoods in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Their birds are also pressure-fried; they're greasier than Popeyes but tastier than KFC by far.

As for my choice for best, I too "Love That Chicken from Popeyes." Spicy, of course. (Relevant trivia: The company that franchises Popeyes outlets is called AFC Enterprises; the acronym originally stood for "America's Favorite Chicken." The name appears justified if this poll is any guide. The company used to franchise Church's stores as well, along with Seattle's Best Coffee, Cinnabon, and Torrefazione Italia, but they've shed all of those to focus on their best-known brand.)

*edited to add: or perhaps more accurately, it's a chain in the sense that those associations of independently owned grocers supplied by a common warehouse and trading under a common name are chains.

Edited October 10, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[Jane Die]

To reach the nearest Popeye's, which is nearly 30 miles away from my home, I will pass more than a dozen KFC's without hesitation. Maybe once a year I'll make the drive if I'm asked.

KFC sells the nastiest chicken product I've ever tasted. I can't imagine that is the way the Colonel intended it. Perhaps he's spinning in his grave? KFC chicken leaves a disgusting aftertaste in the mouth. I just won't eat it, original or extra crispy or supergreasy or whatever. I recall the last time it was purchased, I had to finish cooking it in the oven because it was pretty rare in spots. And what's with the size of those chickens? A fryer chicken should be just around 3 to 3-1/2 pounds. KFC chickens are freakishly GIGANTIC.

Edited October 11, 2007 by Jane Die (log)

[MarketStEl]

To reach the nearest Popeye's, which is nearly 30 miles away from my home, I will pass more than a dozen KFC's without hesitation. Maybe once a year I'll make the drive if I'm asked.

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There are two Popeyes near me.

One is in the Gallery mall, which is real convenient if I should want to get a Popeyes fix on the way home -- the mall is attached to Market East Station.

If it's after 7 at night, though, the next closest one is at Broad and Catherine streets, about 3/4 mile from me. To get to it, you walk past a KFC two blocks closer to me.

Make that a former KFC. The store closed right around the beginning of this year. There's a sign on it promising something else in its place, but that something else hasn't yet materialized.

I guess that's proof positive of people's preferences around here.

[GlorifiedRice]

Well, Im on a diet and all I want is Popeyes Fried Chicken, a big Banana Nut Muffin and a Slice of Frozen Chocolate Cool Whip!

[LindsayAnn]

Well, Im on a diet and all I want is Popeyes Fried Chicken, a big Banana Nut Muffin and a Slice of Frozen Chocolate Cool Whip!

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I LOVE frozen coolwhip - I haven't tried the chocolate one though (frozen or thawed) - I will add it to my list. I have some frozen coolwhip right now in the freezer - now I think I will retrieve it! Wait wait - I also have eddy's loaded choc. chip cookie dough ice cream in there - hmmm....decisions decisions!

Okay to keep this post on topic - on to chicken....

I tried Churches for the first time while visiting grae-grae (my grandmother, that is her nickname - don't ask) in Tampa...I must have been about 11 years old. I still remember it....I LOVED it. I am not sure if I happened to get a 'rare' batch (i.e. good batch) - but it was good.

I haven't had churches since - so I couldn't tell you if it's always good!

my fiance LOVES Popeyes - he loves spicey food and proclaims popeyes the best fried chicken ever. I haven't tried it....now I really want to after seeing ALL of these positive remarks.

Greg, aka the fiance, hasn't had Popeyes in a long long time (hence, why I haven't tried it even after living with a man who loves the stuff) - so maybe we will make out way there soon!

[jsmeeker]

CoolWhip?

The only way you can redeem yourself as an eGullet member is to consume some quality fried chicken ASAP!!

dark meat

spicy

red beans and rice

It's all you need to know.

Edited October 13, 2007 by jsmeeker (log)

[LindsayAnn]

Jeff - Not JUST coolwhip - frozen coolwhip. BIG difference....lol. I could take the stuff or leave it in it's normal state- but freeze me a tub o' the white stuff and I proclaim coolwhip pretty damn good. Although, I must add this note of caution - you do have to be in a particular mood for the stuff to enjoy it. My tun sits in the freezer for a while and then all the sudden, *BAM* - its all gone...just like that!

I do love fried chicken.....but then again anything fried is good (well, nnot anything, but you get my drift). Somehow though, I am sure you will all agree, chicken is especially good when fried. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm - now I really want some fried chicken. Too bad I am leaving in an hour for a bachlorette party....I will have to deal with pizza, endless cupcakes, puppy-chow mix (I am one of the bridesmaids so I know that the host - another bridesmaid, is making the stuff), and other delightful treats...poor poor me!

[WiscoNole]

Fried chicken chains begin and end with Zaxby's.

[MarketStEl]

Fried chicken chains begin and end with Zaxby's.

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Cute backstory for this Southern regional chain:

Step into the way-back machine and set the dials to 1990. Step into a world where Seinfeld isn't a hit, Starbucks aren't on every corner, and Michael Jackson is the world's most eligible bachelor. But something is missing. There is no Zaxby's.

That's because childhood pals Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hadn't invented it yet. They were still hanging out playing basketball at Zach's, talkin' trash and imagining it into being. They didn't know much about the restaurant business. But they knew this much: the chicken they could find in Statesboro, Georgia, was okay, but not really fresh or zesty. And the local wing joints were good, but couldn't touch the wing joints where they went to school. Plus, none of the local chicken places were fun or had any personality. So they dreamed up Zaxby's. Right there. On the basketball court. Between Zach's missed foul shots and Tony's bricks from 3-point land. The rest, as they say, is chicken history.

But tell me: Where did Zach and Tony attend college? I'd want to head there to try the wings first before passing judgement on Zaxby's.

[prasantrin]

But tell me:  Where did Zach and Tony attend college?  I'd want to head there to try the wings first before passing judgement on Zaxby's.

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University of Georgia and Georgia Southern.

[GlorifiedRice]

Yumm!

I was naughty and had Popeyes!

You all are right, the biscuits are delish!

[rockandroller]

I want you all to know that because of this thread, I sought out Popeye's. Imagine my surprise when I found there was one less than 15 minutes away from where I live, which I had driven by on several occasions and never gave it a 2nd glance as it's among several other fast food places, and generally speaking, we don't eat fast food. Good fried chicken would be the exception, but we didn't know where to get any until I read this thread. All I could remember was that the sides were not the greatest so we just got a box of chicken (I did remember to get the spicy). MAN. It was greasy of course, but not as greasy as KFC and the chicken definitely seemed to be a better quality. Next time we'll add biscuits too.

Thanks everyone!!

[jayejo]

I grew up on Popeye's. We lived in Slidell when I was younger and Saturday morning cartoons were sandwiched into a show that was sponsored by Popeye's. You'd see all the Brownie, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troupes sitting in the audience with their box of chicken.

My dad would always go get boxes of chicken for us to eat as it was his favorite thing too.

When I was going through chemo last summer, I ate it up (along with a lot of macaroni and cheese and Whataburger. What is it about chemo that makes you want to eat really bad food?).

I still eat Popeye's about once every couple of months, usually on Sundays when I don't feel like cooking. I used to be a dark meat, mashed potatoes girl, but now I'm a dark meat, green beans girl.

KFC just gives me the willies.

[hummingbirdkiss]

well we have this Click here for fried chicken goodness

so I have not that I can remember eaten either KFC or Popeye's in at least 20 years!!!

My husband says Popeye's is better however he has had both in the past year and does not like KFC says it is still horrible in his opinion ...

Ezell's hands down the best fast food fried chicken around here I think

Edited November 4, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[viva]

Available where I am now: Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit

Fond memories of chicken chains past: Harold's Chicken Shack chain (Chicago, South Side)

[Susie Q]

"THE FAMILY " always went to KFC. Why? We just did as kids and continued to do so as adults. But lately it seemed that their original chicken with their umpteen secret spices was a soggy mess with a pool of grease in the bottom of the bucket. While I liked their coleslaw, I hated their mashed potatoes.

I tried Popeye's after reading this thread. WOW! I preferred the mild. Crisp and flavorful with hardly any grease in the bottom of the bucket. What was nice was that the chicken didn't have to be heated the next day. I could eat it cold without having to worry about biting into a knob of cold grease as I did KFC. Popeye's mashed potatoes were wonderful. I even ate a second serving. I'd never touch KFC's. While I really like KFC's cole slaw, Popeye's was just as good. The biscuits were great too.

Thanks for thread.

[duckduck]

Popeye's for chicken and beans and rice. We even drive across town for it to satisfy the occassional craving. KFC for boneless honey BBQ wings. They're even good cold out of the fridge in the middle of the night.

[jumanggy]

Wow. I'm really surprised! Granted, there may be huge regional differences, but I found Popeye's chicken to be overwhelmingly salty. Could not pick up any other flavors. The breading was a little hard. The chicken meat was tender, though, and the size of the pieces huge for the most part. Popeye's in the Philippines has shut down for a while now. I did love their jambalaya.

KFC does have a tendency to be greasy and the chicken pieces tiny, but they do know how to work that black pepper! I don't care much for the (other) sides of either.

Here in the Philippines, all McDonald's outlets sell fried chicken (Fried Chicken McDo) for more than a decade now. It's been through a lot of recipe overhauls but it is a perennial favorite, more commonly ordered than burgers and chicken nuggets (and McSpaghetti, another Philippine McDonald's offering). They went through a black-peppery phase and I thought that was their best. Now it's just okay. All fast food chains here offer fried chicken (Wendy's, Jollibee for those familiar, A&W when they were still open), except for Burger King.

[DTBarton]

Available where I am now:  Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit

Fond memories of chicken chains past:  Harold's Chicken Shack chain (Chicago, South Side)

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When I was a kid in Delaware ('60s) we had a chain called Chicken Delight that delivered fried chicken (jingle: Don't cook tonight, call Chicken Delight! Yes Sir!). The delivery vehicles had big plastic chickens on top.

Too long ago to say whether the food was any good, but my folks ordered it occasionally.

[Pam R]

Chicken Delight (and the jingle) are still alive and well here, but I wouldn't plan any trips up here just to check them out. (A&W is still going strong here, as well. They brought fried 'chubby' chicken back several years ago but I don't know if they still have it.)

I've never been nor seen a Popeye's. In what regions can you find them?

[JimH]

Make that a former KFC.  The store closed right around the beginning of this year.  There's a sign on it promising something else in its place, but that something else hasn't yet materialized.

I guess that's proof positive of people's preferences around here.

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When I was young there was a place in Philly that sold fried chicken called Chicken Delight. Is it still around? I was my first fried chicken, "Don't cook tonight call Chicken Delight" was their ad on the radio.

Popeye's hands down with red beans & rice.

The other chain I can think of is Hartz but I've never tried their chicken.

[MarketStEl]

I also remember Chicken Delight, and those ads, and that jingle, from my childhood in Kansas City.

There was exactly one Chicken Delight in the city, at 43d and Main. The location was mentioned in the ads.

My guess is that this was also a franchise operation. Sure enough, it was, and still is today -- though it's now a largely Canadian phenomenon.

[Pierogi]

Chicken Delight was a Southern California thing too. I think they got taken over in the late 60's/early 70's by Pizza Man (He Delivers ! was their slogan), and then it all went defunct. But I sure do remember them from when I was a kid. Don't know if the chicken was any good, the fam never ordered from them for some reason.

[moreace01]

Available where I am now:  Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit

Fond memories of chicken chains past:  Harold's Chicken Shack chain (Chicago, South Side)

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Harold's is still here, isn't it? I swear I just ate there sometime last year. Can't imagine they are all closed.

[Toliver]

I've never been nor seen a Popeye's.  In what regions can you find them?

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Pam, I found a locator on the Popeye's web site but they require that you enter your zip code (as opposed to just showing you where all of their locations are). That might be the easiest way of finding out where the nearest Popeye's is in your area (if they are even in your region).