Popeyes’ new chicken sandwich is a bona fide, boneless fried phenomenon.
The fried chicken chain’s new offering has become America’s must-eat sandwich, for those who can find a location where it’s not sold out. The simple meal – battered chicken, pickles and sauce on a brioche bun – has inspired long lines nationwide and endless chatter on social media. A customer at a Popeye’s in Oakland, California, joked about the sandwich’s place in the national conversation: “It’s like Game of Thrones.”
The New Yorker said it was “here to save America”. “True love is a chicken sandwich that makes you feel full, whole, and taken care of,” noted Business Insider, in a meticulously illustrated review. The Los Angeles Times touted the sandwich as an economic indicator.
What has inspired the obsession?
First of all, Popeyes, despite its half-century of history – the first restaurant opened in the early 1970s in New Orleans – is not known for sandwiches. The new offering is thus something of a rarity. And it is an alternative to Chick-fil-A, whose deliciousness was years ago spoiled by homophobia. In 2012, its CEO, Dan Cathy, condemned gay marriage, and his family has donated generously to anti-gay groups, dooming concerned fast-food fans to subpar offerings.
But it’s not just scarcity and ethics that have driven hordes to the sandwich. Popeyes has done a remarkable job promoting it on social media, drawing competitors into an extended sandwich spat. The clever marketing meant that with every angry retort, Popeyes rivals were actually promoting the sandwich.
First, Popeyes tweeted a post alleging that the sandwich was good. Soon after, Chick-fil-A highlighted what it described as “the original” sandwich, leading to some sarcasm from Popeyes: “Y’all good?” Wendy’s soon weighed in: “Y’all out here fighting about which of these fools has the second best chicken sandwich,” which led to another back and forth. By the end, Shake Shack had jumped into the fray with a joke about the “beef” between the chicken vendors.
The exchange sparked both annoyance and admiration, but either way it appears to have worked. And on a recent visit to a Popeyes location in downtown Oakland, the lunchtime line had stretched 30 deep by noon. Many had arrived just to try the sandwich.
“After seeing it on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, I had to come,” said Anthony Wilson, 32, while waiting to order. “Six people at work came in with one for lunch yesterday.”
Wilson said he wasn’t normally a fan of Popeyes but that he “didn’t want to miss out on a cultural phenomenon”.
But it wasn’t Wilson’s lucky day. As customers approached the counter, a hand-written sign tacked near the register announced: “Sorry sold out of the chicken sandwich.”
News spread through the line like a chicken feather on the wind as patrons grumbled and shouted – “No more chicken sandwich? Why do you think we came here?!” – and some walked off, admitting defeat.
“We’ve only had the sandwich a week and it’s been selling out every day. Some people come in and order 10,” said Nayeli Vasquez, a 23-year-old employee.
She added that the outlet was making around 300 sandwiches per day, with supplies usually completely selling out by the evening. “We’ve never had a menu item this popular.”
After a 40-minute wait, sandwiches were made available again. So did they live up to the hype? Well, it’s probably not going to save America and it bears only a passing resemblance to true love, but it is very, very good.
The meat itself is tender, deliciously contrasting with the crispy exterior. The bun is sweet without being overpowering, and the simple mayo-pickle combination complements the spices in the batter. The whole thing is delightfully squishy, in a way that is maybe a little gross but also makes it easy to eat. (NB: This is a review of the “classic” edition of the sandwich, which apparently earned its name despite only having existed a few weeks. There is also a “spicy” version.)
A few hours after eating the sandwich, however, taste testers were grappling with nausea, sluggishness, and the guilt that accompanies a fast-food binge. But they didn’t regret the decision: now they knew what all the fuss was about.