I finally gave into the hype and volunteered myself in tribute as a taste tester of the new Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich. You’re welcome!

Before I give you my take, here’s a little background…

I grew up with Chick-Fil-A. It was in the mall where I spent many of my teenage years in West Texas. Later locations were less than a mile from where I lived as an adult. I have eaten many, many, many of their chicken sandwiches. A lot. Nowadays, I personally prefer their grilled chicken club, over the standard chicken sandwich.

Popeye’s wasn’t something we grew up with, but it did come to town eventually and we ate there often. We LOVED the spicy chicken and the different sides.

Personally, I go to each spot for completely different reasons. I wouldn’t consider CFA for anything other than a grilled chicken sandwich anymore. And unless I go to the buffet on Pinhook in Lafayette, we are generally buying Popeye’s for their family bucket fried chicken meals or for a quick $5 special, whatever that might be.

My take:

DRIVE-THRU EXPERIENCE: I was in line for a total of 10 minutes and 35 seconds, from getting into line, to driving away. It was no fuss. I was told my total and got a thank you as I drove off. It wasn’t a “my pleasure” or anything outrageously fantastic, but I was acknowledged and moved out of line quick. It was packed when I got there at 11:30am and even more packed when I left.

SIZE: The Popeye’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich I had was HUGE; significantly bigger than any Chick-fil-A chicken I’ve had before. EVER. Seriously. If we’re going on size alone, Popeye’s wins.

APPEARANCE: The Popeye’s sandwich was definitely messier, but I’m assuming that was due to the size of the chicken. The brioche bun is a nice touch. You got the two pickles and some mayo. I’m calling this one for Popeye’s, simply due to the size.

TASTE: Okay, y’all. This sandwich is GOOD! Capital letters, made oooh-ing and aaaah-ing noises as I ate it good. Couldn’t stuff my face fast enough good. If you’ve seen the video below, this was me. Seriously. It was pretty damn good. Was it the best thing I’ve eaten, no. But, it was pretty flippin’ good. Take it from a big girl who likes to eat, this thing is GOOOOD!

FINAL VERDICT: I definitely give this sandwich a pretty big thumbs up. It’s definitely filling and now I want to take an afternoon nap (the rain doesn’t help!). Will I order it again? Possibly, but I’d need to have a craving for it. That won’t be often, but there’s a chance I would.

UPDATED: Because so many people keep asking me to make a black or white choice, I will say this: As far as spicy chicken sandwiches go, Popeye’s takes the top spot for me.

UPDATED TO ADD: After this original post, Popeye’s sold out of the sandwich. They began selling them again on Sunday, November 3.