I have been going to Popeye’s for my whole life, and with some family coming from Louisiana, I was exposed to the true flavors of the South. Popeye’s is the only fast food chain that can mimic those flavors for me, and since one opened nearby my house, it has become a neighborhood hotspot. However this new menu falls significantly short compared to its counterparts on the permanent menu.
Eating Popeye’s is more complicated than it seems – it’s affordable prices and great spices mean there has to be some trade offs. I have had my fair share of Popeye’s meals that have left me feeling far worse than when I went into the meal. However, typically the food is delicious and convenient enough for me to keep coming back. The key that keeps one coming back is that it tastes better than how bad it makes you feel. This rule did not apply to this meal and I was overwhelmed with disappointment.
My experience started as any other trip to Popeye’s – waiting in a line surrounded by people awkwardly waiting for their food. As I approach the counter, I realise the new menu is not displayed on a board but on a TV screen that changes to display other new items. This slightly worried me as it was a sign that the new menu hadn’t been a big hit. I ordered the complete pickle themed meal – fried pickles, wings with the new pickle sauce, a chicken sandwich with the new sauce, and the pickle lemonade. After about 15 minutes of waiting (much longer than usual) and $22 spent, it was ready.
I first indulged in the pickle lemonade, an idea I was questioning at first but was curious as to how it would be executed. I regret even the first sip, and it was at this point I realized this experience was starting to go downhill. This lemonade was unlike anything I’ve ever had and I must give credit to Popeye’s – it actually tastes like pickles. Your sip starts off like a normal lemonade, perhaps a little bit more sour than usual but still tolerable. Consider this the calm before the storm, you are then soon hit with a strong aftertaste of artificial dill and pickle juice. I am unsure of whether this is from pickle juice being mixed in or artificial chemicals but it is horrendous and not something I would ever order again. The worst part is the dill flavor unpleasantly clings to the back of your throat – staying with you long after your sip. It was dehydrating and undrinkable to the point I needed another beverage and refused to take more than three sips.
I then moved on to the fried pickles which happens to be one of the highlights of this rocky journey. Not the first pickle, though: you had to fish around to find the good ones, like digging through a bag of chips for the perfectly folded, extra-seasoned one. The fried coating was sometimes not crispy or there was not enough pickle, leading to an awfully inconsistent experience. At their best, I would still opt for the cajun spiced fries, but if you insist on trying I recommend eating with ketchup and hot sauce.
After unsatisfyingly moving my attention to the sandwich, I realized the pickles may be the best part of the meal. The special pickle sauce was pooled on one side of the bag, leaving the rest of the chicken breast a desert. I took my first bite and it was indistinguishable from a normal sandwich–slightly worse since there was no spicy mayo. The side I took I bit from was plain and left me disappointed, so I turned the sandwich around and bit again. Surprisingly, this side was not bursting with flavor either, but I did taste the pickle sauce. The best I can describe it is a hot sauce mixed with artificial sweet and sour power on dill pickle chips. This sauce didn’t work well with the sandwich, left parts of the fried breast crispy, and ultimately was worse than the normal option. I took a swig of water and decided to try the wings.
The wings with pickle sauce were rock bottom. The actual wings themselves were too fried and the meat seemed to fall off the bone a little faster than I would have liked. However, they were cooked well and seasoned the best in the meal. The sauce had become an unavoidable pool on the bottom – wings not even tossed in it – and tasted even more saturated than on the sandwich. The flavor was too extreme, to the point of unpleasantness. The sauce had even started to separate into two sub-substances which I didn’t need to try.
I have been eating fast food and especially enjoyed fried chicken establishments for a long time, but I’ve never been this disappointed about a new menu. Even though I only spent $22, it wasn’t worth it and would have enjoyed permanent menu items significantly more. Only indulge in this menu if you are doing it for the adventure, because I can at least guarantee you that.