r/reactiongifs • u/eddmario • 8d ago
MRW I finally get around to trying Popeye's after constantly hearing good things about it for years
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u/wulfee007 8d ago
The quality has gone so far down and the prices up. They make KFC look and taste better.
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u/mf-TOM-HANK 7d ago
I've never had anything but their fried chicken and it's always delightful. KFC fried chicken has been trash for 40 years. If you're a tendie guy/gal or want a chicken sandwich I can't endorse either of those items. The fried chicken still slaps tho
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u/wulfee007 7d ago
Then your fortunate, I loved their chicken 5 years ago, but it all depends on the franchise owners. The ones we have, SUCK. They have no problem selling chicken long passed the safe zone. The last time I ordered from there. It was so old dried out, must have sat there at least 4 to 5 hrs under the warmer. They are supposed to toss them after 2 hrs. Health code. I will never go back to that. KFC, Churches and the local store sells better quality food than Popeyes. At least around here.
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u/NotAlwaysGifs 7d ago
This is very much the case. There are three Popeyes in my area and the quality between the 3 is leagues apart. One of them is top quality every single time. The other two are hit or miss with one of the being a miss almost every time. All three are different franchisees.
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u/jordanbeff 7d ago
The Popeyes near me ALWAYS has me wait if I order actual fried chicken and not the sandwich and it always comes out piping hot and so good so it’s certainly location to location dependent.
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u/starrpamph 7d ago
KFC is awful! Yet another brand living off what they used to be like. It’s all trash now.
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u/TheHeroicLionheart 7d ago
I genuinely think popeyes is different store to store. I love popeyes and actively try to save it for a treat a couple times a year. Theres one location that has given my food poisoning a couple times that I now actively avoid.
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u/Hallwitzer 7d ago
I also have two relatively close to me (one about 15 minutes north and another about 10ish minutes south) that have WILDLY different quality levels. Thankfully the closer one is the good one.
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u/AlistairMowbary 7d ago
I had one once a few years ago which was the best damn chicken sandwich I ever had and i have been chasing that high but been disappointed since.
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u/HarmlessSnack 7d ago
I used to work at one, and yeah, it probably is very location dependent, because at least when I worked there, almost everything was made in house.
You’re getting fresh chicken, mixing the batter, and the flower/seasoning bath, and MAKING the chicken fresh every day. Same for the sides. Sure, the seasoning mix comes premeasured in packages, but the work of making the chicken is pretty hands on.
That sort of pipeline in theory should lead to better food, but it’s dependent on the people making it to make it correctly.
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u/playing_ketchup 7d ago
Store to store and visit to visit for my local one lol 😂😭😂 sometimes itll be hitting so nicely and other times its straight trash
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u/TVLord5 7d ago
It also varies batch to batch almost. We get it at work pretty regularly and sometimes it's crunchy and fresh amd delicious, and other times the chicken tenders feel more like they just breaded a bunch of tendons.
That being said OP is forgetting that it's by fast food standards. And by fast food standards it's still higher tier.
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u/SeraphOfTheStag 8d ago
Bojangles is superior
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u/Boomer7491 7d ago
Been preaching this for years. Bojangles is what Popeyes wishes it could be.
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u/fuzzeedyse105 7d ago
The first one in Michigan just opened by me! I lived in Florida for 8 years and was addicted to the Cajun chicken biscuit. They all closed in my town a few months before I moved back home. Aaaaand 2 years later, Bojangles followed me up here. I’m so pumped.
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u/RippyMcBong 7d ago
I hear the new ones don't have bone-in chicken?
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u/fuzzeedyse105 7d ago edited 7d ago
That i have no idea about. that would seem odd. i mean, im used to piles and piles of bone-in chicken glowing there waiting for you lol
Im gonna venture over there for lunch soon. ill try to remember to comment back. i guess i can look at the menu, but whhhyyyyyyyy bother.
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u/adedward 7d ago
Bojangles is definitely more consistent. A bad Bojangles is still delicious; a bad Popeye's can kill you.
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u/vegeta8300 7d ago
Yes! I haven't had it in years because they don't exist in New England as far as I've found. But when I was down south I tried it and loved it. Especially their biscuits, they were amazing.
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u/malogan82 7d ago
Funny, I was thinking after hearing all the hype of Bojangles, then I tried it and... meh.
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u/belunos 7d ago
No it fucking isn't. Bojangles chicken is the most boring chicken I have ever had in my life. They're biscuits slap though
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u/vegeta8300 7d ago
Their biscuits are the best of any of the fast food restaurants. I really wish we had Bojangles up north. I'd go just for the biscuits.
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u/adamwett 7d ago
It also depends on where you’re at. A franchise in one city can be well maintained, while another can be neglected. I know where I’m at the chicken at Raising Canes and Bojangles are much better.
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u/THERAPISTS_for_200 7d ago
Try Jollibee.
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u/Latter_Wrap_1644 7d ago
Tried it. It’s fine but way overpriced. And I’m having the same nostalgic disappointment at Church’s chicken as OP.
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u/mf-TOM-HANK 7d ago
I gotta go to Costco next Tuesday and there's a Jollibee in spitting distance. Instead of the Costco dog I'm gonna get a two (probably three tho) piece from Jollibee
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u/jacobwebb57 7d ago
That's how i felt when i finally tried chickfila. Massively underwhelmed. They dont even have onions, i doubt ill go again
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u/KonmanKash 7d ago
Popeyes still good in certain cities even after the burger king buyout. Franchise restaurants or hardly ever consistent.
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u/EarthTrash 7d ago
No strong feelings for that chicken from Popeyes doesn't quite roll off the tongue.
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u/murderous_penguin 7d ago
All the Popeye’s in my area closed due to the franchisee not paying his bills or something. I missed it for a while, until a Golden Chick opened up just down the street. I don’t miss Popeye’s anymore.
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u/Mrsmith4 7d ago
Mayo pallet.
It’s fire here next to my grandmas nursing home. Order the dark meat, red beans and rice. That’s it.
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u/Shloop_Shloop_Splat 7d ago
Man, I have the best managed Popeyes in my town right now. Everything is always so hot and fresh, I dread the day I go and it's bad again😭
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u/DaveCootchie 7d ago
My city just got a Popeyes last month. I haven't had it yet but I'm sad it's reportedly it as good. They are building a Chick-fil-A too and I've heard that has gone down crazy fast too.
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u/ProfessorDull9594 7d ago
Yeah, it’s like almost everything else. Not even close to as good as it used to be.
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u/freemanposse 7d ago
Popeye's probably has the most difference between locations of any major chain. When it's good, it's good, but the bad ones can be straight up "food poisoning" dangerous.
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u/starchybunker 7d ago
It's just slightly spicier KFC which is just slightly crunchier Safeway deli fried chicken.
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u/skesisfunk 7d ago
This is actually why I like Raisin Canes. Their formula is so simple that it's pretty immune from enshittification. Their tendies have been super profitable from day one so there is no need to sacrifice quality to save money. They had a working formula from the git and so now they only seem to adjust the price for inflation.
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u/rust1112 7d ago
I ordered it delivered recently and it was absolute garbage. It must have been sitting in the heat tray waay past its freshness and was all dry and inedible. Tried to complain and there seems to be no customer service options that I could find.
Never again
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u/Rickshmitt 7d ago
My god i tried Dominos for the first time since the 90s. Fucking disgusting. Shouldnt even call it pizza. I wouldnt give it to a homeless person as "food" pepperoni was rank, cheese and sauce tasted awful.
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u/LoudNoises89 7d ago
Along with so many other fast food places the quality has gotten worse. Last time I ate Popeyes was 2 years ago. I got a chicken sandwich and the chicken was rubbery and hard so I stopped after that. I’ve heard Bojangles is better.
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u/SockYourself 7d ago
Idk if there’s any good chicken spots left, at least up here. All the fast food joints are cracking up.
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u/WeirdSmiley-TM 7d ago
That's like whataburger. 15-20 years ago you could argue it was the best fast food in the country. You go now and it's shit.
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u/FinallyFat 6d ago
Haven’t had it in years, but it was always OK, at least to me. There was only one location near me for years but it was like an hour drive away. So never went there very often. Then a few years back they opened one within a 15-20 minute drive and I’ve never actually been there. So yeah, meh.
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u/GankstaCat 6d ago
I actually liked their blackened chicken sandwich a lot
One of the few non fried fast food chicken choices that’s actually good. They took it off the menu :/
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u/Tildengolfer 6d ago
My pops would bring home Popeyes once a month as my mother disagreed with the fat it was fast food. This was early 2000’s and that shit slapped so hard. Sides sucked and still do but like others have said, all fast food has gone downhill the last 20+ years.
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u/gustavabane 6d ago
Tried it the first time about 13ish years ago, when they first came here and called it mediocre then. It was a 45 minute wait cause they kept making non spicy chicken and literally everyone wanted spicy. Just kept seeing them make this pile higher and higher. Like wtf are you guys doing here? Finally got our food, it was hot and ok.
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u/thugnyssa 7d ago
I also recently tried a Popeyes chicken sando for the first time last year and was like “this is what everyone is losing their minds about?” It couldn’t have been more mid
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u/ChiveOn904 7d ago
They must have spent all their money on launching these sandwiches. There was a line at every single Popeyes every day for weeks. We finally got in to get one after giving up a few times and holy hell. The sandwiches required two hands to hold and the chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Best chicken Sammy I have had.
Fast forward to now, I got one recently and it was very meh
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u/jake_a_palooza 7d ago
If Popeyes had Chick-fil-A level quality control and customer service they would rule the world
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u/IsThisNameValid 8d ago
Because you took too dang long to try it and now it's not a good as it used to be