While I wouldn’t consider myself a chicken sandwich expert, I will say I am at least a fan of the sandwich type. Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches are, in my opinion the best fast food chicken sandwiches- until I’ve tried this sandwich.
Let me note that I never bother with mild chicken sandwiches, as I’ve always found them to be bland, inferior versions of the spicy variety. So if you’re looking for an opinion of the mild version I can’t help you there. As for this spicy sandwich, I’ll say that it’s hardly spicy, but that’s to be expected from a chain restaurant. I’ve heard Popeyes in Louisiana is a whole other beast compared to the national chain outside of it, but even here in the Bay Area it’s pretty solid.
The texture is crispy due to the breading that’s much more pronounced compared to the Chick-fil-A spicy sandwich, but not so much that masks the chicken taste like other breaded chicken sandwiches do. The brioche bun is excellent, and fits well with the sandwich. The pickles, while I’m normally not against them, I found out of place and it added nothing, so at least for me I opt to remove them. The sauce, which adds more spice, is great and keeps it from being dry. The patty? It tastes like they ripped it off a spicy breast piece, and it works so damn well.
For $4 you can’t go wrong; make it a combo with a side of Jambalaya and a Coke and it’s god-like. 10/10