The collective internets has been up in arms this week over chicken sandwiches. Nope, you didn't read that wrong. Popeye's tweeted out a promo about their new chicken sandwich, which immediately ignited a Twitter war with other popular fast food chains like Wendy's and Chic-fil-A. As a New Orleans native, I l-o-v-e me some Popeye's, but I was also really confused at the stir this created, because the sandwich has been out for at least a month now (maybe just in certain locations like Nola?), and this also isn't the first time Popeye's has had a chicken sandwich featured on their menu - real og fans will remember the older version that was available years ago.
I've tried the Popeye's version a couple of times over the past month, and I have some opinions on which chicken sandwich is actually the best. Of course it's all just a matter of preference, and taste (haha) all outlined in detailed below. And if you happen to want to get a good laugh from the pettiness of fast food Twitter accounts, all the deets are here for your pleasure.
Popeye's
Ok, so I might eat Popeye's a little bit too much, because I've definitely tried both the spicy and classic versions of their chicken sandwich in the past few weeks. Honestly...truly...the hype about this sandwich is well deserved. It was love at first bite for me. Let's talk about the bun - it's brioche and pretty perfect. I tried the spicy version my first go round, because spicy = better to me in almost all instances - but surprisingly I decided that I preferred the classic version best after trying out both.
Don't get me wrong, the spicy version was yummy, but to me the spice overwhelmed the other flavors of the sandwich. The pickles are a bit thicker than what you'd usually get on a fast food chicken sandwich, and I was totally here for it. Let's not forget the star of the show - a HUGE perfectly crispy piece of fried chicken that hangs off of the bun. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
My Grades: Spicy Version A-, Classic Version A+
Chic-fil-A
So good. Reasons to love them - it's a kid friendly place to bring my toddler, the customer service is always on point, the lemonade, and the Polynesian sauce are bomb af. Reasons not to love them - not open on Sunday's. Need I say more? Also, the company very clearly supports anti-LGBTQ policies, which will never be ok with me in any shape or form. I'd actually prefer their chicken sandwich over the competition, but their values really turn me off. If that isn't your sort of thing, then this is the bomb sandwich, and the original consumer favorite for good reason, when going solely off of taste.
My Grade: D - when values are factored in.
Wendy's
Confession - this one isn't my favorite. It seems like no matter what Wendy's I'm frequenting, they always manage to get my order wrong. Is it just me, or does anyone else have that issue too? Get it together sis.
I've only eaten here a handful of times in the past couple of years, since one of the most vivid recent memories I have of them messing up my order was back when I was pregnant with Sebastian and the employee didn't put all of the food I ordered in the bag. Needless to say, I was enraged lol. Don't eff up a pregnant lady's food, ok. When I went back to complain, they did give me a free Frosty...but still. Just no.
Otherwise, it just seems like the freshness of the food I get from Wendy's is just a bit off. My general feelings range from thinking maybe the sandwiches have been sitting on the warmer too long, or maybe the lettuce is just a littleeeee bit old, but the taste just always feels off. Wendy's is good for a drunken night fix though since they stay open so late, and you can get the 4 for $4, to avoid having to make so many decisions while intoxicated. Small wins.
My Grade: C+
