Who needs to read the rest of the article when I've explained everything right there, in the title? With that being said, let's get right to it.
Lately I have been on such a weird food-kick. Most people end up on health-kicks, I'm on a "gotta-try-everything-that-sounds-interesting-or-bad-for-you" kick. Quite the opposite of a health-kick. That's fine. Everyone navigates this pandemic differently, right? Right. Glad that's established.
Last week I wrote about the four different subs I tried from Subway. A fun journey but that was more about all the fun builds and customizations you can do. This week it's straight up VERSUS! We are comparing chicken sandwiches from Burger King and Popeyes, this time! I have been weirdly loving Burger King recently which is strange because, up until moving to the location I'm at now, this year (2021), I don't think I had ever eaten Burger King previously. It's way better than I expected... Why does everyone hate on BK? We all know Popeyes is a cult classic and favourite. Not quite in competition with KFC but definitely a heavy hitter in the fried chicken game. (I say they're not in competition with KFC because I feel like both styles of fried chicken are so different! However, I know in "real life" they are very much competitors.) Okay, I'm getting carried away here. This is about chicken sandwiches, not other fried chicken joints. However, I realize it would have been very ideal to compare the Popeyes chicken sandwich to the KFC chicken sandwich but, I don't live that close to KFC, I had limited options.
Pictured above are both sandwiches in their packaging. This is how you'd get them from either restaurant, of course. The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich from Burger King was $7.67 after tax and the Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich was $6.77 after tax. Originally when I purchased the two sandwiches, I didn't notice the Burger King one was actually more expensive. Shame because something I was going to include in this review was, "the BK one is good, it's just the less expensive version of the Popeye's sandwich" which... Now is false. WELL THERE YOU GO, THERE'S MY REVIEW. END. FIN. BLOG OVER. Just kidding. But, now that I am comparing the prices, I am actually disappointed--*insert pity laugh* :(
Below are the two sandwiches out of their wrappers, in all their glory. Something worth mentioning, you (very clearly) get a happy, hefty, healthy portion of chicken in the Popeye's sandwich and, what looks like the budget-friendly, off-brand version when you go to Burger King.
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| Burger King Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich |
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| Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich |
I love spicy food so I ensured I got the spicy version at both places, for consistency. Now, I must admit, I was
mildly confused when I went to Popeye's as they have a "Chicken Sandwich" which you can get as "original" or "spicy" but they also sell a "Spicy Chicken Sandwich." I ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I'm not sure if these actually are two different kinds of sandwiches or if as time went on, they gave the spicy sandwich it's own spot on the menu? I'm not sure. Regardless!
First things first, as a sandwich that markets itself as a NASHVILLE HOT sandwich, it was a far cry from Nashville spice, heat or any kind of spicy. HOWEVER, that does not mean this sandwich was not good! It just... Was not spicy. I might as well have ordered the regular chicken sandwich! The spice on the chicken is nice, gives it a little something-something, makes it look promising but, it just wasn't enough to save it. As I mentioned above, after learning this sandwich is more expensive than the Popeye's version, I'd save the money and go to Popeye's! Not only was it a better, spicier sandwich, but I feel like their sandwich gives you way more bang for your buck. I must admit, the best thing about Burger King chicken in general is, they always make it to order. I probably waited almost 10 minutes for the chicken to be cooked. Which is fine, I'd rather something hot, out outta the frier than something sitting in a warming tray.
Pictured below is the mostly-eaten chicken sandwich. I wanted to get a picture of what the chicken looks like on the inside, and capture some of that pickle-glory.
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| Eaten BK Nashville Hot chicken sammy ft. mayo and pickles |
Also, something worth noting, as someone who is a bit of a pickle aficionado, that was definitely something I noticed between the two. Popeye's and Burger King use different pickles for their chicken sandwiches! Burger King definitely uses traditional dill pickles. Popeye's tastes like they're using bread and butter pickles! I'm not sure if this is entirely true but, eating both, they did not taste the same! I will look into this to see if I can confirm or deny this... Upon some further investigating I have established the pickles Popeye's uses are actually "sweet and sour" pickles! Burger King does use dill. Great!
Now, the Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich... This, was incredibly delicious. Upon first bite I could hear the crunch of the breaded chicken, the chicken was hot and moist (yes, I said it) inside, and the spicy mayo compliments the sandwich without taking away from it. The sweet and sour pickles on top add the perfect kiss of sweetness at the end. All in all, a really delicious chicken sandwich! The spice on this one is definitely there but it's not unbearable. If you like spice, but not "too much" spice, this sandwich would be great for you. I'm not really sure what else to write about this sandwich other than it was excellent. When the sandwich sucks, I guess I have a lot more to say about it. Isn't that the way it always goes? Anyone who writes a review always has lots to say when it's negative and next to nothing to report when it's great.
Below is a picture of the half-eaten Popeye's chicken sandwich. Unfortunately no pickles were present at the time of the picture taking...
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| Eaten Popeye's spicy chicken sammy. not pictured: pickles! |
Even in the photo (above) you can see how juicy and plentiful the chicken is. You can barely see the chicken in the Burger King chicken sandwich (maybe for the better?).
IN CONCLUSION:
NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH FROM BURGER KING, 4/10
POPEYE'S SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH, 10/10
When I was writing out the reviews out of 10, I thought, am I really going to give the Popeye's sandwich a 10? Then I thought, could I really give it anything less? The spicy chicken sandwich from Popeye's is definitely worth the price and it is super delicious! I'm sure the original would be just as good, given the fact that it uses all the same ingredients, they just sub the spicy mayo for regular mayo! The Burger King Nashville chicken is incredibly mediocre. It's very similar to a junior chicken from McDonalds but for about, triple the price. Ultimately, if you're looking for a great, inexpensive, potentially spicy chicken sandwich, definitely head to Popeye's!
Have you tried either of these before? I was trying to get my hands on the McDonalds spicy chicken sandwiches but they're all sold out! Where's your favourite chicken spot? What's your favourite chicken sandwich??
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