59 replies to this topic

[Kanishka]

Popeyes?!?

[MelGold]

Popeyes?!?

They make some damn fine biscuits!

[amyblues]

They make some damn fine biscuits!

And their spicy fried chicken is pretty good too!

[TedE]

Popeyes?!?

Tom's expressed his love for the Popeye's chicken on many an occasion. I just wanna know when we'll see the review

[Al Dente]

Tom's expressed his love for the Popeye's chicken on many an occasion.  I just wanna know when we'll see the review 

I wonder if the employees manning the deep fryers go into high alert-- SIETSEMA IS HERE!

[Kanishka]

Tom's expressed his love for the Popeye's chicken on many an occasion. I just wanna know when we'll see the review

I've never had Popeye's delivered, just had carry out. And in B-more, where my service was never, ever good. Maybe DC area Popeye's are just superior and I'm missing out.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

The red beans and rice at Popeye's is good too.

[Capital Icebox]

The onion rings are the best thing on the menu. And for fried chicken in a bucket, it's a reliable source. Just take some immodium before you go to bed.

[MelGold]

So who's bring Popeye's to the Picnic?

[mdt]

So who's bring Popeye's to the Picnic? 

Sietsema!

[Nadya]

Please, people. Popeyes biscuits were my greatest comfort during lonely College Park grad school days. I will not hear any malice against them.

[brr]

Popeyes?!?

Popeyes is great - we get it all the time.....theres one in Tenleytown

Edited by brr, 24 August 2005 - 01:00 PM.

[MelGold]

Please, people. Popeyes biscuits were my greatest comfort during lonely College Park grad school days. I will not hear any malice against them.

Absolutely no malice was intend on this one...there are days when I anxiously wait for 10 AM to arrive for a fix!

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I sense a separate Popeye's thread coming on.

[shogun]

I just don't see what fried chicken has to do with a sailor. Sorry.

[jm chen]

It goes so well with spinach.

[Edit: wow. Ventworm already? Don't tell my boss.]

Jael

[hillvalley]

I can't tell you how strange it is to read this thread and not know which thread it was split from

There is crack in those biscuits. And the fries. I love the fries. yumm

[Kanishka]

I thoroughly heart the transfatterific curly fries at Arby's so I should not throw stones.

Edited to add: thread split from the Sietsema Chat thread, wherein Mr. Sietsema stated that Popeye's is is favorite national chain.

Edited by Kanishka, 24 August 2005 - 02:57 PM.

[Barbara]

I can't tell you how strange it is to read this thread and not know which thread it was split from

There is crack in those biscuits.  And the fries.  I love the fries. yumm

The strange thing was reading this in the Seitsema chat thread (he mentioned his fondness for Popeye's chicken) and then having a whole page disappear. Thought I'd lost my effin' mind. A lunch of a single, spicy breast w/ biscuit fills my bill an awful lot of the time.

[DCJono]

Despite our good moderator's disgust and unnecessary maligning of it, I'm a big fan of Popeyes.
I grew up on Popeyes back when there were a handful of locations in New Orleans with a sprinkling along the Gulf Coast. You used to be able to get fried chicken livers as well as gizzards. That probably doesn't have much national appeal (those are hard to find most anywhere these days... some would say for good reason.)
I strongly associate the smell of Popeyes with large informal gatherings. Helping neighbors with home repair projects, moves, big games, street flooding, hurricanes - somehow, a box of Popeyes and some biscuits would appear for whoever might drop by.
Sure the service is awful and you probably take days off of your life with each mouthful, but it is really the only sure-fire way to taste a bit of home for a lot of people.
And honestly, I've had fried chicken at some of the best southern and soul joints in and out of the South and the best fried chicken I've had is usually only marginally better than regular Popeyes spicy.
Although slightly heavy on the liquid smoke, the red beans are better than most anything available up here (and much cheaper too). Beware though - the red beans contain whipped rendered pork fat. Not very veggie/kosher/heart friendly. But yummy... and at the end of the day, that's what counts.

[Sthitch]

I pass a Popeye's on my way to Flavors when I need a fried chicken fix, the smell has never inticed me to stop there instead.

[Stretch]

...whipped rendered pork fat...

I just wanted to see that in print one more time.

[DonRocks]

Despite our good moderator's disgust and unnecessary maligning of it, I'm a big fan of Popeyes.

This is what happened to the last dude who ran off with DCJono's chicken.

(NB - the restaurant was named after the triggerman in this picture. Honest!)

[tenunda]

There's a Popeye's across the street from best friend's apartment, and we constantly find ourselves sitting on her balcony staring at it, smelling the smell of fried, and watching how many cops run through there. It's like that scene in The Dark Crystal where they strap that girl gelfling to a chair and hypnotize her with that weird light-emitting furnace.

Anyway, it's always a struggle not to go in. Since she's a vegetarian, we can usually manage, but sometimes we cave. The food is actually pretty good, but it definitely gives you that *ugh* feeling one gets after eating fast food. We've dubbed this the "Baja Not-So-Fresh" feeling. This alone keeps us away for a couple months or so, but their popcorn chicken is the secret weapon against my defenses.

[alan7147]

Sure the service is awful and you probably take days off of your life with each

One breast of the regular fried chicken has 30 grams of fat, 11 of saturated fat and 130 mg of sodium. WOW.

[DonRocks]

One breast of the regular fried chicken has 30 grams of fat, 11 of saturated fat and 130 mg of sodium.  WOW.

1380 mg - Cluck

Determined to save humanity,
Rocks.

[johnb]

One breast of the regular fried chicken has 30 grams of fat, 11 of saturated fat and 130 mg of sodium.  WOW.

mmm mmmm good!

Truthfully tho, my fast food chicken preferences lie elsewhere (no, NOT KFC)

[Capital Icebox]

One breast of the regular fried chicken has 30 grams of fat, 11 of saturated fat and 130 mg of sodium.  WOW.

Yeah, but Cosi's Tuna Cheddar sandwich has 54 grams of fat, 112 mg of cholesterol and 1857 mg of sodium. And one breast of Popeye's has 1380 mg of sodium, not 130. Which I see has already been noted.

Edited to add: a Baja Fresh Steak Burrito Ultimo has 52 g of fat, 22 g saturated fat and 2220 mg of sodium. Just some perspective, y'all.


Defender of Grease Traps,

Terrence

Edited by Capital Icebox, 24 August 2005 - 04:06 PM.

[alan7147]

Yeah, but Cosi's Tuna Cheddar sandwich has 54 grams of fat, 112 mg of cholesterol and 1857 mg of sodium.  And one breast of Popeye's has 1380 mg of sodium, not 130.  Which I see has already been noted.

woops, that 8 key is a little tricky

[alan7147]

Yeah, but Cosi's Tuna Cheddar sandwich has 54 grams of fat, 112 mg of cholesterol and 1857 mg of sodium.  And one breast of Popeye's has 1380 mg of sodium, not 130.  Which I see has already been noted.

That is true about Cosi, but one tends to eat more than one breast when eating Popeyes. You know... all the the 2 & three piece meals. Add a biscut to that and its time for a bypass.

[Capital Icebox]

Two pieces of Popeye's is roughly equal to a steak burrito at Baja Fresh. As an indulgence, neither is that bad. As your daily lunch, I'll see you at fat camp.

[johnb]

Amazing how any mention of chicken, burgers, or pizza stirs up such a frenzy on just about any food board.

[DCJono]

Don was right-on about where the Popeye's name came from.
I invite everyone to have a chicken history moment and read up:
http://www.popeyes.c...opeyesstory.asp

[Joe H]

In 1979 I flew to New Orleans to visit my best friend from college who was living in the French Quarter. He had raved about Popeye's chicken and onion rings, even added that he'd never eaten jalapeno peppers until he started eating their chicken. We went to the Popeye's on Canal street near Chartres. There was a line. I hadn't seen a line in a fried chicken restaurant since Tops Drive Inn sold KFC in the early '60's here! And it smelled. Really good. Gloriously, greasy good. My friend told me that Popeye's changed their grease two days a week, Monday and Thursday. All other days they only filtered it. For him and his friends who shared his addiction they only shared fried chicken on these days. Because of fresh grease.

Fifteen, twenty minutes after standing in line our number was called and we sat down with our cafeteria tray filled with spicy chicken, dirty rice, onion rings, bbq beans and a half dozen jalapenos. To this day that was a great meal! A GREAT meal!!! In fact when the first D. C. Popeye's opened at 12th and H, N. E. in the early '80's I was there 15 minutes after they opened on their first day.

[Barbara]

One breast of the regular fried chicken has 30 grams of fat, 11 of saturated fat and 130 mg of sodium.  WOW.

Whoopsie. And, yes, I saw the correction to the sodium. FYI, I DON'T eat this every day, by any means, and when I do, I actually just get a single piece of chicken. I don't even want to know how many calories or fat was in that dinner we just ate at Firefly. Salad, anyone?

[LoganCircle]

In 1981, when I was seven years old, I had my first taste of Popeye's. I was attending Camp Nautilus, a month-long nautical themed summer program for boys, tucked away on Black's Island, a private 11-acre sandbox in the Gulf of Mexico. Near the end of my stay a small group of us took a four-day excursion on an 80' sailboat.

I don't remember where it was we ended up, but I do remember the meal we took the last night we docked. All of us kids ate a belly full of fried chicken, and it was the spiciest thing my young, rural Georgian palette had ever encountered. I wasn't to have Popeye's again for more than a decade, but, to me, it's still hypnotic. These days, I eat the 3 chicken strip meal at least once a week, usually with fries or corn on the cob.

And for those of you who think the food at Popeye's inedible or the restaurants unclean, I could tell you stories about a couple of Bojangles in North Carolina that would make our favorite cajun chicken joint seem like The French Laundry.

Edited by LoganCircle, 24 August 2005 - 10:09 PM.

[lackadaisi]

I stopped by a popeye's for the first time in many years yesterday and was very pleased with the spicy fried chicken. So much better than the KFC I had a few months ago. The cole slaw, mashed potatoes, and biscuit were fine too. But, I was displeased by the red beans and rice; there were no actual beans, just sauce. Is that normal?

I was shocked by the size of the "medium" drink. Do all fast food places encourage people to drink that much soda? Seems incredible. Now I understand the obesity epidemic.

[The Hersch]

But, I was displeased by the red beans and rice; there were no actual beans, just sauce. Is that normal?

There are never discrete, recognizable whole beans in the red beans and rice. I don't know if they actually puree them or they just break down from long cooking, but that's how they always are. I think they're delicious, myself. I, like some others, think Popeye's is the best fast-food chain, in fact the only one that I ever patronize.

[jpschust]

There are never discrete, recognizable whole beans in the red beans and rice. I don't know if they actually puree them or they just break down from long cooking, but that's how they always are. I think they're delicious, myself. I, like some others, think Popeye's is the best fast-food chain, in fact the only one that I ever patronize.

Most likely they are dehydrated and then rehydrated.

[JLK]

The television ads Popeye's is running presently are incredibly annoying. Sounds like Fran Drescher singing. Make 'em stop!!!

[deangold]

Being in a near suicidal mood waiting for my anti-anxiety drugs to kick in, I stopped off at a Popeye's for some chicken and red beans and rice. It was the Wheaton location on GA Ave. The problem with the meal is that it isn't the unadulterated crap of a taco hell, but nor is it real food. It is too good for the self inflicted wounds of a true fast food run, but it is not good either. In fact, the next time my decrepit body longs for greasy crust and some chicken like substance, I will pull in across the way to the H Mart and get a pile of fried chicken wings from the hot case. Cheaper, less redeeming qualities (ie more grease and a gloppy/spicy topping) that really lets me know I am shortening my life expectancy, but doing so with far more taste and pleasure.

[Waitman]

Was walking out of the Popeye's on Bladensburg and Eastern and I said to myself, "no they can't be playing that song." But I walked back in and sure enough, amongst the nastiest songs ever written, sung by a bluesman who could make a weather report sound like an unnatural act. Howlin' Wolf and "Spoonful." Made my night.

[Lola007]

There must be something in the air. I hadn't set foot in a Popeye's for 10+ years until a few days ago. I was doing errands in Tenleytown, and was suddenly very thirsty. I popped into Popeye's for a sweet iced tea (which was OK, but not great). Was hungry too, but I couldn't bring myself to eat anything there. A little while later I passed by Crisp & Juicy where I could have gotten an Inca Kola. The crowd there was even more bizarre than Popeye's--several people slumped over their food, seemingly passed out or taking a nap. A little while later I met a friend at Guapo's where we had a rather disappointing meal. Maybe eating something at Popeye's wouldn't have been that bad after all.

[The Hersch]

amongst the nastiest songs ever written

This is way dirtier. But speaking of Popeye's, the closing of the Columbia Road location was a sad loss for Adams Morgan. Not as sad as Pollo Primo's closing, which must have been 15 years ago by now, but sad all the same.

[Soup]

I love popeyes. It may be my favorite fast food chain and certainly the best widely available chicken. The only problem is the health issue so I only get to eat it couple of times a year.

[durwoodx]

Now I want some Popeye's biscuits. Thanks a lot.

[juliusc91]

Easily my favorite fast food.

[frogprince]

Hell yes!

[Twinsdaddy]

I love popeyes. It may be my favorite fast food chain and certainly the best widely available chicken. The only problem is the health issue so I only get to eat it couple of times a year.

I will second this on all counts. Popeye's chicken is always fresh and hot. The meat is moist, the breasts are huge ( ), and the coating is always crunchy. The "Lousiana spicy" is actually spicy. Plus, things like shrimp etouffee, fried crawfish tails, dirty rice, the biscuits, are simply a cut above the offerings at other fast food chains, most of which, to me, are firmly in the "vile" category.

[TheMoonwalker]

Onion rings, Cajun fries, Cajun rice - all AWESOME!

And is it just me, or were the biscuits fluffier, butterier, and overall just better in the 80s?