OPINION

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By Henry Bush

Since 1967, Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwich has been served throughout the country, and it quickly became the most popular item on their menu. No other fast-food restaurant was able to provide a fried chicken sandwich with the same quality and impeccable service. In 2019, there were over 2,300 Chick-fil-A locations throughout the U.S. 

In August, Popeyes released their chicken sandwich. The menu item quickly became a news headline. One man was even killed in Maryland after a fight involving one of them. Everyone is obsessed with the new chicken sandwich. The question is: Which sandwich is better? 

Chick-fil-A’s sandwich.

Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite fast-food restaurants. For $3.05, it is possible to chow down on a delicious fried chicken breast placed between a warm bun with pickles. Chick-fil-A has mastered the product they have advertised for almost over 50 years. Every time you order a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, you can expect the same thing: a delicious meal. 

It was hard for me to believe that any fast-food establishment could even come close to matching the astounding flavor and freshness of the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, but after eating a Popeyes sandwich, I have become a believer. 

Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes is a New Orleans-style fast-food restaurant that has grown exponentially since its opening. Popeyes boasts over 2,600 restaurants in the U.S and around the world. 

The announcement for the upcoming sandwich came through their Twitter on August 12, 2019. When they announced the chicken sandwich, they claimed it was their “biggest product launch in 30 years.” 

After the initial release, everyone wanted to see if their product could come even close to the Chick-fil-A sandwich. This lead to lines out the door at almost every Popeyes location and resulted in me not getting to try one for over three months. On August 27, Popeyes tweeted that they were sold out of their chicken sandwich, but there would be a return. 

I have eaten Popeyes in the past, but I walked into their West Broad Street location hoping to indulge on their new chicken sandwich. There were few people in line, but it took very long to begin my order. There was only one cashier at the time, and my three friends and I waited almost twenty minutes to receive all of our food. The cashier seemed irritated for my friends and I to be dining there. Also, all of the sodas in the drink machine produced flat and dreadful beverages. For my meal, I decided to try their Strawberry Fanta. However, it tasted more like fruit punch. Heth Alexander (‘21) chose to drink Dr. Pepper to wash down his meal, but after a few disgusted sips he decided a flat soft-drink was not bearable and didn’t drink any more. 

The Popeyes version.

My initial opinion of the Popeyes sandwich was that it looked delicious. The chicken breast was very large and crispy. It was placed in between a beautiful brioche bun with an abundant amount of mayonnaise and pickles. When I took a bite, the flavors and juices from the chicken oozed out, filling my mouth with wonder. The scrumptious chicken breast, along with the crunchy pickles and mayonnaise, was a perfect combination. It took less than three minutes for me to finish my sandwich. Reflecting on my visit, I was glad that I was able to truly understand the hype. I agree that the Popeyes chicken sandwich is exceptional, but was not convinced that it is better than the Chick-fil-A sandwich. When reflecting on my visit to Popeyes, the service was more memorable than the chicken sandwich. 

“I was very displeased with the service. I believe they had problems behind the counter and obviously wasn’t very organized. The workers didn’t appear ecstatic to take my order,” says Alexander.

“Overall, the sandwich was very good, but the service made the experience much worse. The sandwich is just as good as the Chick-fil-A sandwich, but the service that was provided at Popeyes makes me want to return to Chick-fil-A,” says Will Hanson (‘21). 

According to Dani Walpole, a writer for Reader’s Digest, Popeyes has a better chicken sandwich because of their buns, size, pickles, and simply better chicken. “The Popeyes chicken sandwich is still manages to stand out with its buttery brioche buns encasing crispy chicken, and customers are enjoying the sweet flavor,” says Walpole. 

Serious eating.

I believe that Chick-fil-A is the superior fast-food establishment. The combination of incredible service and delicious menu items allows every customer to be pleased after their visit. When eating Chick-fil-A, it is easy to expect perfection, and you receive that every time. The workers are always respectful and welcoming. I have not visited enough Popeyes locations to understand if all of them offer the same sub-par service, but the service when I dined there left something to be desired.

Popeyes and Chick-fil-A both serve phenomenal chicken sandwiches. They both have distinct characteristics that make them stand apart from each other. I cannot pick which one I like more, but I can choose which establishment I would rather visit. I believe that while dining it is important to take into account which store provided you with quick and nice service. Unlike Chick-fil-A, Popeyes did neither of those things. Both of their products are fantastic, but Chick-fil-A has far better service.

All photos by Henry Bush.