As a Louisiana food writer, I didn’t fly to England to consume American fast food. However, when I found myself near a Popeyes in London — accompanied by a real British person, no less — a sense of professional obligation kicked in.
I’m back in Lafayette after a week of exploring old haunts around London and Oxford, where I previously lived as a student. My foodie goals on this trip were simple — share pints with old friends, enjoy a traditional Sunday roast, eat my fill of British Indian cuisine, and start the next day with a hearty English breakfast.
Fortunately, that left plenty of room for a little culinary diplomacy, courtesy of New Orleans’ iconic fried chicken. Popeyes made the jump across the pond in 2021, opening a London location that saw hundreds of people line up (or “queue”) for some of that Louisiana flavor.
Wings and chicken sandwiches from Popeyes in London.
BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Now, Popeyes has hundreds of locations across the UK, and they are in the middle of a major expansion in France. I saw crowded Popeyes restaurants in London, Oxford and Cambridge, full of people ordering items like “Cajun citrus” wings and “superstack” sandwiches. The menu was a little different from what I’m used to, but the atmosphere felt like home.
The chicken tasted pretty great too. I’ve been going to Popeyes my whole life, so standards were high going in — but I was nicely surprised by how well Popeyes UK has translated the brand’s flavor dominance (their seasoning is some of the best in the game) in innovative ways. It’s always interesting to me to see how American brands like McDonald’s, KFC and Domino’s tweak their signature dishes for local palates, and at this Popeyes, that was expressed through chicken sandwiches stacked with hash browns.
Honey BBQ Superstack sandwich from Popeyes London.
BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
You won’t find the “Honey BBQ Superstack Sandwich” at Popeyes around here, at least not yet, although the company recently rolled out its new Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich at both U.S. and UK locations. The Superstack version comes with a hash brown, pepper jack cheese, fried onions, jalapenos, pickles and ranch, with a fried chicken filet dripping in barbecue sauce. It was messy, kind of glorious, and I really liked it — almost as much as British people love hash browns.
Speaking of, my friend Will gave the sandwich a rave review, noting that it was a “very delicious dish, with very strong barbecue flavor coming through.”
“Not up to Lafayette or New Orleans standards, in my view,” he added, in a nod to his own travels through Louisiana and the U.S. I appreciated his take, but I was surprisingly pleased with the sandwich. For as much as the Superstack has going on, it all works together in a balanced, flavor-forward way — and that’s the Popeyes I know and love.
I felt the same way about the Cajun citrus wings, another flavor profile you won’t find at an American Popeyes. This location didn’t have wing flavors like the ghost pepper or buffalo dry rub, or sweet and spicy sauce — but it offered wings tossed in a garlic parmesan or honey barbecue sauce, or a “Cajun citrus” dry rub.
Cajun citrus wings from Popeyes London.
BY JOANNA BROWN | Staff writer
Not sure what “Cajun citrus” was, I decided to try it, and was again impressed with the rather restrained flavor impact. No one element came through too much, although I thought the taste of Creole blend mixed with lemon pepper was a bit odd. The chicken, however, was delicious, perfectly fried, and carried the seasoning well.
Next time you’re abroad and come across a Popeyes, know that they are representing Louisiana with pride. And next time I pull into the drive-thru for a 3-piece or a spicy chicken sandwich, it’ll come with a side of great memories in one of my favorite cities.