Greetings all, and welcome to this new weekly feature here on WC Street, the Tuesday Taste! Basically every week I'll be trying a different food item and reviewing it on here. This will be slightly different than my ongoing "East End Eats" series as that focuses on smaller, local restaurants. Here on "The Taste" (catch it!) I'll more often be tackling fast food chains or junk food and such, while also providing various other thoughts and updates on stuff I'm working on.
With that intro out of the way, it's time to sink my teeth into this inaugural edition with the Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich, because damnit seven months too late is better than never.
This particular sandwich "arrived" in Canada last summer with notable buzz and excitement, as it seems to have been very popular in the US beforehand (now if they opened up an In-N-Out Burger in Canada, I'd be excited). Anyhow the initial hooplah has fizzled out and the sandwich has settled in as a regular menu item at Popeyes now.
For the record, this is the third time I've tried one of these and I will say it certainly satisfies that fried chicken craving. The dominant presence is the chicken, as it should be, and I like how the portion of the meat doesn't exactly conform to the shape of the bun (as you see with many over-processed fast food chicken sandwiches). The texture is solid, not too dry even in the thicker areas, and the breading gives it that addictive crunch you really want in one of these. Unlike my recent experience with Hero Burger, the chicken itself has some spice (seasoning) to it and while not overwhelming in any way it slots in as an accessible level of heat.
It has its flaws as well. Beyond the chicken the other elements are very generic: the bun very mushy and fast foody, the sauce hardly a presence and the sliced pickles... well this might be a personal taste thing but I would've much preferred a thicker, juicier pickle with some presence to it, instead of a thin watery trio of slices that just sog into the bottom bun. Something creamy or with some crunch, like a coleslaw, would really improve this thing a lot and make a good contrast with the greasiness of the breading.
Overall... I'd say it's pretty ok. 6/10? Not great, but not disappointing. It's a shame at the lack of creativity though, since the chicken is fairly tasty. The supporting elements just don't meet that same standard.
Anyhow, that does it for now. Tune in next week for another one! By then I'm sure I'll add some new quirks and or segments to this format. I am working on a couple of bigger, non-food related writing projects, perhaps I'll reveal some more details next time? Until then, support your locals and don't spill your mustard!
(sorry, couldn't think of a better sendoff).
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