As of 8am on Monday (April 15), the doors of Aberdeen’s first-ever Popeyes branch will be open to the public.
Located on Union Street, in the former ShoeZone unit, the opening date was finally revealed by the Press and Journal on Monday, March 25.
The American fried chicken chain was founded more than 50 years ago in Louisiana and has since launched thousands of outlets across the US, and the globe.
Ahead of the first Scotland branch in Barrhead opening last year, customers queued for more than 18 hours. Yes, 18 hours.
The moral of the story is that there’s a lot of hype around Popeyes.
But is it worth queuing for, or visiting in general? P&J health and wellbeing journalist Andy Morton and I were keen to taste their food and find out for ourselves.
We stopped by the New Orleans-inspired chicken restaurant on Union Street today (ahead of its official opening) to get the inside scoop on what Aberdonians should try from Popeyes.
Read on to see what dishes we tasted, and our ratings for each…
Item 1: Louisiana chicken sandwich
One of the most popular item on the Popeyes menu is its Louisiana chicken sandwich.
According to the brand’s website, it consists of “100% fresh chicken that has been marinated for 12 hours” in Popeyes’ signature blend of Louisiana herbs and spices, which is then battered by hand and served in a fresh brioche bun.
There’s also fresh pickles and creamy mayo in the mix, and you can choose between two options – classic or spicy. We tucked into the classic, priced at £5.99.
It’s a solid burger and, considering the price, is good value for money.
The chicken was juicy and tender, and it was arguably the best burger I’ve eaten from a fast food chain in some time. If the herbs and spices in the batter shone through that little bit more, it would have taken the sandwich to a whole new level.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4/5
- Karla: 4/5
Item 2: Buffalo saucin’ wings
The buffalo saucin’ wings were next. You can choose between a portion of five, eight or 12 priced at £4.99, £7.50 and £10.99 respectively.
Their coating had little crunch – unlike the batter in our sandwich. However, there was no denying the freshness of the chicken.
Drizzled with a thin buffalo sauce, it had a warming heat to it.
There were hints of vinegar coming through which I’m not a huge fan of, but if you like this ingredient and food with a bit of a kick, then they’re an item to add to your order.
Ratings:
- Andy: 2.5/5
- Karla: 3/5
Items 3 and 4: Oreo and Biscoff milkshakes
Let’s take a quick breather from the chicken.
Andy and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into our milkshakes, which were the Oreo and Biscoff flavours. They cost £4.50 each.
They looked and tasted the part. Each one was silky, sweet and packed full of flavour.
Would we order one as part of a meal? Probably not. After all, they’re very much on the heavy side. However, we’d without a doubt order one as a treat or dessert on its own.
Ratings:
- Andy: 3.5/5
- Karla: 4/5
Item 5: Popeyes original biscuit and Cajun gravy
Next up, the Popeyes original buttermilk biscuit – aka, the American word for what is basically a scone.
Andy and I have tried a number of delicious scones over the years, but never from a fast food chain… or one paired with gravy. The concept seemed odd, to say the least.
Well, it turned out to be my favourite item on our order.
The flakey and light treat tore apart with ease and had a salty outer coating. It paired great with the gravy, which was rich and buttery to taste.
For a biscuit alone, it’ll cost you £1. The biscuit and gravy together is priced at £2.50.
Ratings:
- Andy: 4/5
- Karla: 4.5/5
Item 6: Buffalo ranch sandwich
Our second sandwich was the £6.99 buffalo ranch option.
The chicken fillet was great, which came as no surprise to us given how much we enjoyed our first sandwich. The buffalo sauce added a nice level of heat into the mix.
This sandwich also came with fresh pickles, but had ranch instead of mayo.
It was a messier eat with more ingredients and flavours on the go. Personally, I preferred the mayo.
Ratings:
- Andy: 3.5/5
- Karla: 3/5
The final verdict: Is Popeyes in Aberdeen worth the hype or not?
I’m always skeptical ahead of trying out the offering at fast food chains for the first time. However, the ingredients in our dishes at Popeyes were fresh and tasty.
The menu items are reasonably priced too. If you’re a huge fan of chicken, then absolutely check out the new branch from Monday onwards.
Find out everything you need to know about the new Popeyes branch on Union Street (including details on the interior, pricing, opening hours and more) from live news journalist Graham Fleming by clicking here.
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