Popeye’s is better than KFC but still not all that great. For fried chicken chains I prefer Church’s by a wide margin. The first time I had Popeye’s 15 years ago or so it was great. Then they suddenly popping up around me and it seemed almost as corporately mediocre as KFC, so I don’t know if it changed as they started rapidly expanding or I did.
But where I am it isn’t that hard to find some local fried chicken place that’s better so I don’t patronize any of them all that much.
For the record, it used to be that the quality of KFC seemed pretty different between U.S. and Canada locations. Something different about it. But it has been 20 years since I ate at a Canadian KFC so that may be different now too.
I grew up with Roy Roger’s chicken! It is still, to me, the fried chicken that tastes “right,” even though, objectively, Popeye’s is probably superior, though I’m not sure how that would be measured or why it would matter to me. Luckily, my soon-to-be BIL lives in Frederick, MD, which is home to a large percentage of the remaining Roy’s (they’re everywhere there; like they never went away).
Buy the Red Beans and Rice by the quart(a bit less than a litre) and a few spicy pieces plus a biscuit, pull some skin off and dip in beans, dip biscuit in beans, eat and repeat. Eat chicken as well.
Bliss ensues and artery blockage but all good things have a price.
The only real problem is it seems they dumb it down in some markets.
I’ve never been to Church’s or Lee’s, but I’ve been to Bojangles and while the chicken was fine, the pieces were tiny. I almost suspected they were cooking pigeons, the pieces were so small. Maybe it’s just that one location, but that experience has not enticed me to return.
I love Popeye’s. I used to like KFC, but then they built a Popeye’s 5 minutes from my house so we tried it just for comparison. We hardly ever go back to KFC anymore–the combination of KFC’s changing their recipe (and I’m convinced they have, because the chicken used to be better) and Popeye’s just being tons better has changed our fast-food chicken habits. I love the mild version; spicy, not so much, but then again I don’t like spicy stuff.
We don’t have a Church’s Chicken in our area so I can’t compare that.
I had access to Popeye’s when I lived in L.A. But at the time, I liked Pioneer Chicken. This was back when KFC still cut their breasts into three pieces. Pioneer Chicken was closer than Popeye’s, so I usually went there.
Having said that, I did try Popeye’s a few times. Good chicken, good sides. The store was just a little less convenient to me. Also, I discovered El Pollo Loco. I wish there was one up here! (Note that El Pollo Loco’s chicken is grilled, not fried.) I had an opportunity to go to the nearest Popeye’s, which is about 47 miles away from here. I ate while driving home. The chicken was very good (I got the spicy, of course). I don’t remember what sides I had – I remember there was a buttermilk biscuit – but they/it were/was good as well. It was less greasy than KFC. I like Cajun food, and I would eat there more often if it was convenient. It’s not ‘real’ Cajun, but whaddya want from fast food? I make my dirty rice with filtration units as God intended; they don’t. But when I make Cajun, I make Cajun! Enough for a week! Popeye’s is good for a little taste, and it’s less of a ‘production’.
Given the choice, I’d go to El Pollo Loco before Popeye’s. Given the choice, I’d choose Popeye’s over KFC. (Any San Diegans remember Picnic n Chicken on Genessee and Balboa?)
If you ever get the chance (if you haven’t already), try Pollo Campero. It’s Guatemalan fried chicken, and they have Latin sides and sauces. It’s definitely a different take on fried chicken, and I really like it (though it is a little bit more expensive than the Southern-style joints, at least in my area).
I LOVE Popeye’s red beans and rice, and their friend chicken is damn good too. Not health foods by any means, but damn tasty. One thing that has not been mentioned yet … KFC gives you some pretty weird and unidentifiable chunks of chicken the way they cut them up. I’m not sure what I’m eating with them. But Popeye’s is nothing but legs, breasts, thighs and wings … clearly identifiable Good Stuff.
Not many Church’s around where I live but I used to live near one, and they made pretty good chicken. They used to keep a jar of jalapeno peppers on the counter and I would buy a big, fat jalapeno, then take a bite of chicken and get my mouth and throat all greasy, then take a big bite of jalapeno, getting that great jalapeno flavor without getting my throat burned. Very similar to Homer Simpson’s approach in the Chili Cook-off episode where he drank candle wax to coat his throat so he could eat Chief Wiggum’s chili made with Guadalajaran Insanity Peppers.
I personally don’t care all that much for Popeye’s - but my husband and son love it I DID prefer KFC (and husband was ok with it) so we’d go there for chicken until it went all stupid on me and shut down but there’s a Popeye’s on another street that’s next to an Arby’s so, when husband wants chicken he gets Popeye’s, and I get Arby’s. I don’t care much for chicken to begin with so I’m not missing out on anything.
Me too!
In my “broke college student” days I would often get just RB&R and a biscuit for lunch. It was sorta funny/ironic, a dedicated carnivore like me getting a vegetarian meal at a chicken joint. (And I’m aware that their beans probably involve lard and aren’t actually vegetarian, but you get my drift.)
I think Church’s has slightly better chicken, but not enough to offset the fact that I don’t really like their honey biscuits (and Popeyes biscuits are probably made with crack or heroin or something, they’re so damn good) and Church’s doesn’t offer the beans/rice side.
I lived in Cajun country before Cajun food became a fad. Fried chicken there was not spicy - either at Church’s or at a local place called Mama’s. That’s just the cajun=spice rubbish. But Popeye’s chicken is indeed better than KFC.
And their dirty rice is quite acceptable for a fast food place, as is their jambalaya. However I don’t think corporate holds franchises to high standards any more.
I don’t think the comparison to KFC is a good one. KFC’s breading is thick, bumpy, and hard. Popeye’s coating is flaky and light. It’s miles better. They do have non spicy chicken too, and my wife was able to eat it so it has to be pretty mild.
Sides are also much better and more varied than KFC’s.
Popeye’s is my default stop when I’m connecting through Atlanta’s airport. I usually get the chicken tenders and red beans and rice. There was a brief period a couple of years back when they moved from their old “slot” (think it was in Terminal C where Five Guys is now). There wasn’t a sign directing traffic to their new location so I nominated the title of HISTORY’S GREATEST MONSTER to the person who closed the Popeye’s at ATL on Twitter that day. Regardless, Popeye’s now has two locations (B and D, if memory serves).
Today is Tuesday, which is the day for Popeye’s $.99 2-piece (leg and thigh) special.
… or, uh, so I just recently read.
I make better chicken, but of the nationwide fast food chicken places Popeye’s is the best.
Church’s isn’t bad, but they are variable - some restaurants are good, some are awful.
Bojangle’s? Yech. Haven’t had a good piece of chicken from Bojangle’s my entire life.
Haven’t been to KFC in a long time, not since Popeye’s started popping up all over the place.
El Pollo Loco is OK, but expensive. And it’s not difficult to grill and season chicken at home, whereas frying can be a be-yatch, worth going out and purchasing just for the clean kitchen alone.
Seriously, Pollo Campero is one of the things I miss the most about the DC area. Lots of Peruvian chicken places, too, and they’re incredible, but Campero and its salsa bar are awesome! This is what I imagine Gus Fring’s restaurant served.
Luckily, my soon-to-be BIL lives in Frederick, MD, which is home to a large percentage of the remaining Roy’s (they’re everywhere there; like they never went away).
