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Popeyes


BarbaraY

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First time that I had eaten at a Popeye's was yesterday. My sis and I noticed it as we drove down the street in a nearby town so we decided to give it a try.

Spicy chicken strips for both of us. I had red beans and rice for a side and she had slaw. We didn't have the Sweet Tea as neither of us can stand sweet teas but had it plain.The whole thing was tasty and not greasy. Not gourmet cuisine but we agreed we would eat it again.

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One of my favorite books, What to Drink with What You Eat, actually has an entry for Popeye's Fried Chicken. Paul Grieco, general manager of Hearth in NYC, says, "Popeye's should offer [dry Spanish] sherry at all its locations! It helps cleanse the palate, and that salty tang to it mirrors the saltiness of the fried food. It's a staggering match."

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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One of my favorite books, What to Drink with What You Eat, actually has an entry for Popeye's Fried Chicken. Paul Grieco, general manager of Hearth in NYC, says, "Popeye's should offer [dry Spanish] sherry at all its locations! It helps cleanse the palate, and that salty tang to it mirrors the saltiness of the fried food. It's a staggering match."

I've actually tried this once and it was excellent. I don't visit Popeye's much (last time I did was to try it with sherry...). Now I do reach for sherry to go with my fried chicken though-I like a bone dry, flinty fino. Definitely a pairing to try, but you can do it with any slightly spicy fried chicken (I use Old Bay in my flour and sriracha in my yogurt/buttermilk marinade).

nunc est bibendum...

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Are we really talking about Popeye's here????

Hey, if we can have a forum about the Best Fast Food Burger, why not one about Popeye's? :cool: For what it is, it's good stuff. According to their web site, there's one not too far from you, in Roslindale. Give it a go and let us know what you think.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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The first time I went to a Popeye's I was informed they were out of chicken. This has colored my opinion of Popeye's ever since: I have since managed to actually get some Popeye's chicken, but I fail to understand the cult-like devotion of the acolytes. It's decent fried chicken, sure. But not transcendental!

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Hi,

I have never had any allegiance to fast food restaurants but fell prey to Popeyes. What's not to love about beautifully spiced chicken pieces that are never overcooked. Two pieces of spicy dark chicken with a nice bisquit for $1.99; my wife loves the mashed potatoes and I go for the red beans and rice. As you cans see, I was captured as a customer.

The worst thing is that the restaurant is clean, the people are friendly, I love the zaydeco music, and the wall paper is worth studying. My only disappointment was when they stopped serving the wonderful gumbo and the crawfish etuffee. Those dishes were incredible!

Tim

ps: Full disclosure requires me to admit that little Dicky Lynch grew up in my back yard. He became their Marketing Manager two years ago, long after my love was perfected. He was an incredibly sweet 5 year old little brother of my best friend and a wonderful and decent person as a marketing executive. I wish him and his company all the best.

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From the standpoint of flavor that will satisfy a fairly discriminating customer, fried chicken overall tends to be the best fast-food option. Although KFC is not good, the fried chicken at Popeye's, Bojangles, Church's, and some of the smaller chains is surprisingly tasty.

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Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I grew up in South Louisiana and have known and loved Popeye's since Mr. Copeland open the first few stores. They were a small and close chain as the original chicken coating was shipped refrigerated and wet.

I miss the onion rings the most.

Dwight

If at first you succeed, try not to act surprised.

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Popeye's closed in Manila years back, much to my regret. But our local KFC has a hot and crispy style that sort of takes after Popey's spicy chicken so that's what I get when I have the craving. I was so happy to get some Popeye's while passing through Atlanta's jackson airport last April, actually it was a feast for my five kids who just love it!

I'm a plant-rights activist... I only eat meat!

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  • 1 month later...

I treid it for the first time a while back because of a thread posted here. I've been a Popeye's girl ever since. Love their mashed pitatoes and gravy, their dirty rice is good too.

I always have to make a stop at KFC for the coleslaw and then head to Popeye's as I don't care for Popeye's coleslaw.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 8 years later...

Reviving this surprisingly ancient discussion to post this tongue-in-cheek offering from Popeyes:

"Popeyes launches 'Emotional Support Chicken' carrier at Philadelphia airport"

Quote

For a limited time, the fried chicken chain is offering travelers at Philadelphia International Airport an “Emotional Support Chicken” carrier when they purchase a 3-piece chicken tender combo meal.

The promotion, which starts Tuesday, will provide guests with a carry-on box in the shape of a chicken and a sign boasting about its chicken’s “comforting” effects for travelers.

 

 

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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  • 11 months later...

Late start to the country meant that hunger set in before our usual lunch haunts.     Husband ask's "Popeye's, ?"    Never been but why not?   
Walked into a "fried chicken" smelling dining room.    Not in a particularly good way.    Aware of the current super-sizing these places are giving their featured sandwiches, we ordered ome spicy chicken combo to split.   

1116581987_ScreenShot2019-12-10at7_20_53AM.thumb.png.8aeb3960ead4c142d8fdc169ab34e175.png

 

Making like a Frenchman, husband pulls our his trusty pocketknife and halves the sandwich.

362241808_ScreenShot2019-12-10at7_21_28AM.thumb.png.9324517a321470bfebf1179c459f2d81.png

 

Verdict:    Gummy, perhaps ersatz brioche bun, thick slab of white meat, thick crust.   Husband didn't like the heat level; I thought it was the  only saving grace.    Dill pickle seemed to be the only veg.    A half of this sandwich was plenty for me; I left a quarter of that.    Fries were "tasty" but soggy.   

 

I think Popeye's is not our thing.    Next time, better to suck up hunger and drive 20 miles more to Lodi.

 

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eGullet member #80.

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I luuuv Popeye's fried chicken (legs only) and fries 

 

I thought their breast meat is super dry 

 

The breast in the chicken sandwich wasn't super dry when I had it but I do agree that it was cut too thick - like a giant chunk of meat without the needed juice and seasoning and not that good texture 

 

If they cut the slab of meat thinner and pound it out - maybe have more than 1 thin slice of course - then it would be much better 

 

But it's so popular that it created lines at the one near me 

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"Popeyes’s Riff on the Art Basel Banana Is a $120,003.99 Duct-Taped Chicken Sandwich"

Quote

Popeyes, a chain with its own experience of transforming viral buzz into real money. Over the weekend at Art Basel in Miami, Popeyes taped one of its chicken sandwiches on a canvas and called it The Sandwich, billed as a “mixed media work of art.” The piece, which has been seen by “thousands of visitors” at San Paul Gallery Urban Art, per Popeyes, is on sale for $120,003.99 — the cost of Comedian, plus $3.99 for the sandwich. The company plans to donate any profits to its charity arm the Popeyes Foundation.

They're quick-witted at corporate Popeye's.xD

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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And they're in the seasonal news again...

"Popeyes debuts a chicken-inspired ugly Christmas sweater"

Quote

...A Popeyes holiday sweater exists now, and it's bestrewn with stitched sandwiches.
It's available on UglyChristmasSweater.com, though as far as ugly Christmas sweaters go, this one is fairly tame.

xD

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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I finally tried the infamous chicken sandwich last night. I enjoyed it.

Yes, the breaded cutlet in the sandwich is huge. I saved half of the sandwich for my lunch today. What I liked about the sandwich was how it "steamed" a little in the bag so the bun was really quite soft in contrast to the very crispy breading. I ended up with crunchy and soft in every bite. My sandwich did come with some mayo so it wasn't too dry at all. I like the Popeye's breading & spices so I enjoyed the sandwich.

KFC used to be King of Fast Food Fried Chicken but I think they have reduced the amount of herbs and spices in their breading so much that what used to make it special is just a memory now.:sad:

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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  • 11 months later...

"Popeyes has a new dessert: Chocolate Beignets arrive Monday — but only for a limited time"

Quote

For a limited time starting Monday, the fast-food chain will serve Chocolate Beignets following an October market test in Boston and Baltimore.

The deep-fried pastries are stuffed with melted Hershey’s chocolate and covered in powdered sugar and come in three sizes. Recommended prices are three for $1.99, six for $3.99 and a dozen for $7.49, but the company notes price and participation may vary.

 

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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23 minutes ago, kayb said:

Why in the name of God would anyone want to screw up a beignet by adding chocolate?

 

Exactly! It is powdered sugar only to me. One of the guys at Cafe du Monde - that is powdered sugar all over him and in the big tray ;)

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Popeye's Chicken Sandwich will just have to move over...

"Popeyes' Cajun Flounder Sandwich debuts Thursday ahead of Lent and is like its Chicken Sandwich"

Quote

The fast-food New Orleans-style chicken chain announced that the new Cajun Flounder Sandwich will be available in restaurants and for delivery nationwide starting Thursday, Feb. 11. It costs $4.49.
Popeyes said the fish sandwich is similar to its popular fried chicken sandwich, which debuted in August 2019 and started the Chicken Sandwich War. The fried filet is served on the same buttery toasted brioche bun with pickles on the poultry sandwich.

I hope it is just as crunchy as their Chicken Sandwich.

If anyone takes one for the team, please post your opinion here.

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“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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