Sorry, totally missed this (I’ve been on travel a lot lately):
[QUOTE=asterion]
Since when did Albuquerque have a Popeyes? I remember KFC and Church’s, as well as Grandy’s, which was my favorite of the three. And if Roy Rogers counts for this poll, Grandy’s should as well. It’s in just as many states and has more locations.
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It’s actually in Rio Rancho near the mall (Cottonwood). I think it’s on old Coors, but basically it’s on the restaurant row right next to the mall if you are ever in the area.
I haven’t seen a Roy Rogers since I was in my 20’s. I thought they had all gone out of business years ago or been taken over by (IIRC) Hardy’s. Like I said, I really used to love their roast beef sandwiches…MUCH better, IMHO, than Arby’s (especially the BBQ sauce).
Honestly, no. I grew up on KFC and I’m utterly addicted to their mashed potatoes and gravy. Mashed and gravy is simply one of the finest food stuffs known to man and while KFCs version is admittedly artificial tasting and perhaps only contains 15% potato, it’s a primal need. KFCs cole slaw is truly wonderful and when their mac and cheese is freshly made it’s pretty much the ideal mac and cheese. Toss is a fresh biscuit with a honey packet and I’m a happy, happy boy. KFCs chicken is fine, I like it, but it’s perhaps only the 3rd or 4th reason I’d go there and if I got all sides and no chicken I’d be perfectly content.
I’ve never eaten Popeyes that I can recall. It’s likely that someone picked some up at some point in my life but I have no recollection of it. There’s 2 reasons that I’m unlikely to ever make a habit of visiting them over KFC, they don’t have KFCs sides, specifically the mashed and gravy, and their stores here in Chicago are so horribly ghetto and bordering on dangerous. It’s very possible that their chicken blows away KFC, but really that’s not a big selling point for this guy.
I too would have voted for Browns at the top of the list if it had been listed. Their fried chicken was amazing and was about the only kind we ate growing up. My dad drove past one on the way home from work and it was a pretty regular treat for us when no one was up for cooking. Their website only lists 32 locations as of now, all in the Chicago area, and they were really hurt by the gruesome murder at one of their locations back in the 90s and a recent legal battle over ownership has put them in more jeopardy. Maybe one day I’ll make a trip to one of their remaining locations to see if they are still as good as I recall. Chances are they aren’t.
I also don’t get the Chicago love for Harolds. I understand that there are a bunch of franchises and their relative qualities vary substantially so perhaps my sojourns to their loop locations are a poor measure but all in all, they are a colossal disappointment.
Hmm, thicker mashed potatoes sounds ok.
[QUOTE=Saint Cad]
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy 10 points
KFC loses 1/2 point for the potatoes a little too creamy and another 1/2 point for not enough gravy.
Popeye’s - WTF! Cajun sauce? I should not have to chew my gravy. The only reason Popeye’s gets any points is because the taste was good but it is not mashed & GRAVY
KFC - 9
Popeye’s - 4
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Chewy gravy?!?! Hells no.
I was curious about Chick-Fil-A and when one opened up here in Chicago I was eager to try it out and see if the hype was justified. I disagree that their stuff is bland, but I’ve never noticed fried chicken on their menu and I haven’t a clue why they are on this poll. They have crispy chicken breasts for sandwiches but so does Wendy’s and McDonalds. That’s not fried chicken.
Off-topic, I always get the grilled chicken sandwiches at Chick-Fil-A and I like them quite a bit when I’m looking for a marginally healthier fast food option. Their grilled chicken sandwiches are better than McDonalds version and their side salad is actually pretty edible for fast food. All in all I’m a fan of Chick-Fil-A as an option, but they have no place in this thread.
I voted for Popeye’s, but like some of the other posters I remember KFC as being much better “back in the day” than it is now. I would still give Popeye’s the edge even over old KFC, but the coating on old KFC was much tastier and lighter than it is now. The few times I’ve gone back in the past couple of years, it’s seemed much heavier and greasier than it used to be (I only get Original Recipe).
However, of the sides I eat, I prefer KFC’s potato wedges and Little Bucket Chocolate Parfaits to Popeyes’ sides (I usually get either corn, which tastes…like corn. It’s pretty hard to ruin corn on the cob) or macaroni and cheese, which is bland but good.
Now if I could have a Popeye’s mild breast with KFC potato wedges and a Little Bucket…mmm, mmm, finger-lickin’ good!
I voted Popeyes, but only because there’s not a Pollos Hermanos in my area. I don’t know what their secret ingredient is, but I cannot get enough of their Blue Fry Special.
Not only is Popeye’s my favorite fried chicken, it’s my favorite food PERIOD. KFC, yikes, every time I go I have to say to myself, “this is disappointing, this has got to be my LAST time here.” Soggy crust, bland, salty chicken.
That’s my issue with it in a nut shell. Every time I’ve gotten it in the last few years, even the ‘extra crispy’ has been a soggy, greasy mess. It tastes like crap, the breading just oozes off of it and it gives me serious indigestion. That could be just the local KFC, but I’ve had such bad experiences with it that I’ll never go back.
I agree with others who say that the old days KFC fried chicken was the best, hands down. But sadly those days are gone, and in my area the only fried chicken worth buying from a fast food place is Popeyes.
Well, you guys did it, you inspired me to hit Popeye’s on the way home today. I must say that you folks are right, Popeye’s chicken is pretty excellent. I ordered a 2 piece meal with 2 sides. In an unlooked for bit of good fortune they accidentally gave me a original leg and a spicy thigh so I got to taste both. They were both solid, the original leg was pretty much perfect. I also grabbed a red beans and rice and a mashed potato and gravy side. The red beans and rice were quite good, but probably not something I’d crave enough to draw me back. The mashed potatoes were very good too, thick and fluffy and potatoey. The gravy was weird, it has a nice spicy cajun kick to it and tasted good but it wasn’t gravy in the usual sense. If I were craving chicken I’d be happy to have this as a side. If I were craving gravy I’m going to KFC. If only I could get KFC gravy on Popeye’s taters! A man can dream.
Church’s is similar to Popeye’s, but Popeye’s has waaaay better sides so they beat Church’s in my book. Never had the mashed potatoes there, though - the red beans and rice are too good. I’ve occasionally gone to Popeye’s when I was not hungry enough for a meal and just wanted a little snack: red beans + a biscuit or two.
(Yes - a vegetarian order. Though I’m sure there’s lard in the beans to make 'em taste so damn good.)
As a matter of curiosity: There are two Popeyes in town, one near my work and across town, and both have good food (for fast food fried chicken) and utterly incompetent service. Is this true of the service every place or just the ones here? (Much of the problem is they can’t handle anything at all like a rush- if there’s more than two or three people in line your order is going to be messed up 5 different ways and they’ll forget to give you utensils, napkins, or a straw.)
My local Popeye’s doesn’t have incompetent service, but they do have one incredibly annoying trait that doesn’t seem to be Popeye’s-wide: they only take cash. I don’t know what’s up with the owner–I complain about this on about every fifth visit, asking if they’ve caught up with the 21st century yet and plan to take credit/debit cards any time soon; the people who work there tell me I’m by far not the only complainer, but still the guy refuses to listen to reason. So every time we go there we either have to remember to bring cash (which we rarely carry) or use their in-house ATM and pay the fee. All of which is annoying enough, but the worst is when the ATM goes down. There’s nowhere else nearby to get cash. This is when I complain the most. Damn it, I want chicken! And I don’t want to have to make a 10 minute trip to the market to get cash. So I have to settle for McDonald’s, who has caught up with the 21st century.
I discovered Popeye’s Fried Chicken in Amman, Jordan on a teaching assignment there for two years.
Although my wife and I enjoy the healthier Middle Eastern cuisine, we loved Popeye’s. Even today, while I am a 90% vegan, I go off the reservation a bit and have a piece of Fried Chicken from Popeyes.
Damn, it’s good! Fortunately, out here in Oregon they are very few so I don’t get tempted.
On the off hand chance you’re still coming back to this zombie chicken thread, sounds like in the old days you were eating extra crispy and when you tried it decades later you were eating original recipe.