It's no secret that some Popeyes' menu items are so obsession-worthy that customers are
lining up for hours, but there are other items that leave much room for improvement.
After taking a closer look at some of the more popular offerings, we believe there are
some that warrant a warning.
An acquired taste but beloved southern delicacy, fried chicken livers are typically only found
at more traditional mom-and-pop type restaurants, at your nana's dinner table,
or at some Popeyes locations.
The fact that these deep-fried nuggets are not widely available is probably a blessing
for your health.
The 10-piece meal from Popeyes is packed to the gullet with 1190 calories, 2070 milligrams
of sodium, and 5 grams of the dreaded trans fat that most are trying to avoid.
Bottom line?
Avoid these.
The hearty mixture of grain and fiber-rich beans can stand on its own or serve to boost
the nutritional substance of a meal, and that's part of what makes the Red Beans and Rice
at Popeyes so attractive, along with the affordability.
The problem is that, for a dish that seems hard to mess up, Popeyes' version of this
New Orleans favorite falls short of what you would expect, even from a fast food chain.
Sure, Popeyes' signature seasoning is on the rice, along with almost everything they sell,
but it only manages to prop the dish up to passing standards.
Speaking of not-so-yummy rice-based side dishes at Popeyes, the Cajun Rice is another good
example of something simple gone wrong.
While traditional New Orleans' Dirty Rice is made using broth, celery, onions, garlic,
peppers, and various leftover meat parts, Popeyes' version of the dish, apparently,
uses ground beef and ground chicken gizzards.
The result is a somewhat mushy concoction that leaves a strange aftertaste.
And what is really shocking is that a large order of this stuff rings in at 548 calories,
which is just 60 calories less than the Red Beans and Rice side.
This makes for an unimpressive dish that can't stand on its own.
When made fresh from actual boiled potatoes, divinely merged with cream, butter, and salt,
mashed potatoes are delicious.
Unfortunately, instant versions of this classic dish tend to leave much to be desired.
We aren't saying that Popeyes' mashed potatoes with gravy is made from just-add-water dehydrated
spuds, we're just saying they taste like they could be.
For a side dish, it would seem that mashed potatoes with Cajun-spiced gravy is not a
bad option.
With the regular size ringing in at just 110 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 590 milligrams
of sodium, it makes this side one of the more nutritionally sound choices at Popeyes.
However, for what it lacks in bad stuff, it also sadly lacks in good stuff.
While some people are enthusiastic about ordering fish from absolutely any drive-thru window,
others tend to avoid it.
"Two golden menus."
"Thank you."
However, these warnings seem to have more to do with the lack of popularity of the items
and how long they can sit before they're served, rather than the actual quality of the fish.
Though we can't be sure how long the Cajun fish filets we tried at Popeyes were actually
sitting, we can say that they lacked flavor and were dry and tough.
Those are not words that one should be using when describing fish, so best play it safe
and give this one a miss.
The truth is there really isn't anything wrong with Popeyes Spicy Chicken, it just so happens
to be one of the less popular items on the menu.
For this reason, it has been said to often sit around for longer than 30 minutes, which
has a negative impact on the taste.
This could explain why the batter on the spicy chicken seemed to be a little soggier than
the regular signature chicken, and why the regular signature chicken is just so much
tastier.
It also seems like the batter isn't actually that spicy, and that sort of defeats the point.
When you order something spicy, you're expecting spicy, and Popeyes version of spice just falls flat.
For many, it is quite the culinary bummer to be on the receiving end of an order of
soggy french fries, which appears to be the main affliction of Popeyes Cajun fries.
A soft, floppy french fry is to be somewhat expected when ordering poutine, french fry
nachos, or some other fries-based dish that involves wet toppings.
But the Cajun fries at Popeyes are essentially just regular fries adorned with a Cajun seasoning,
so there's no good reason for them to lack the crispiness they do.
If you happen to still really like Popeyes Cajun fries despite their lackluster form,
we suggest ordering them well done.
This actually did help add to their crispiness, but only a little.
We really don't want to undermine the proclivities of the late and great Anthony Bourdain on
this one, but in our opinion, Popeyes macaroni and cheese is not the breakfast delicacy that
the Parts Unknown host claimed it to be.
While the presentation of this dish most likely varies from location to location, our experience
of the macaroni was that it was both overdone and rubbery, perhaps from sitting out too long.
While the cheese-to-noodle ratio on Popeyes macaroni and cheese was good, others have
agreed that the cheese sauce itself lacks flavor and texture.
"I have a very sensitive gag reflex...oh dear."
We will be the first to say that Popeyes handcrafted chicken tenders are unconditionally delicious.
They deliver on everything that Popeyes is famous for, juicy, tender chicken engulfed
in just the right amount of Popeyes famous batter,
deep-fried into crispy chicken tender perfection.
However, like many of life's great pleasures, Popeyes' delectable battered and fried chicken
tenders should only be enjoyed in moderation.
While the regular three-piece order offers what you might expect in terms of nutritional
violations, the larger five-piece order full-on criminalizes the fast food eating experience.
This size of Popeyes handcrafted chicken tenders is essentially a feast of fat, cholesterol,
and carbs that also comes with twice your recommended daily intake of sodium, and 710
no-joke calories.
And while the dish does serve up a hefty dose of protein, it's simply not enough of a reason
to justify this cordial invitation for deep-fried heart failure.
Adding the highly revered Popeyes Chicken Sandwich to our list was not without careful
consideration, as the mass obsession with this menu item, which caused it to sell out
in record time, could render this choice quite unpopular.
Nevertheless, we feel it is our responsibility to brave the storm and tell you that while
the Popeyes chicken sandwich is undoubtedly delicious, it is also bad for your health.
This 700-calorie sandwich is loaded with 42 grams of fat, 1443 milligrams of sodium, and
50 grams of carbs, turning lunch into a rapid flush of toxins into your system.
We aren't saying that one little chicken sandwich is going to kill you, and we're not even saying
we're never going to have one.
There's a good chance we might be putting on our shoes and getting ready to head out
the door right now.
But this is one time that moderation should definitely be key.
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