Popeyes Just Changed the Game With New Chicken Sandwich

While Popeyes famously launched its chicken sandwich in 2019 with much pomp and circumstance, the chain's latest offering is getting off to a quieter start. Popeyes is testing Blackened Chicken Sandwiches in some markets, reports Chew Boom. The success of Popeyes' original chicken sandwich kicked off the ongoing chicken sandwich wars, which has seen each fast-food chain try to one-up its rivals with new sandwiches.

The Blackened Chicken Sandwich features a non-battered, non-breaded all-white meat chicken filet fried in a blackened seasoning mix between a buttery brioche bun. It includes two barrel cured pickles and mayonnaise. There is also a Spicy Blackened Chicken Sandwich option, which replaces the regular mayo for spicy mayo. YouTube food reviewer Peep This Out! already posted his reviews of the sandwiches. He paid $3.99 each at a Popeyes in Southern California.

Popeyes is only testing the new sandwich in select markets for a limited time. "We appreciate all the love we have seen from fans around this product offering," the company said in a statement to Thrillist. "Here at Popeyes, we are always looking to innovate with a wide range of seasonings and flavors. We have tested variations of our beloved chicken sandwich in markets around the world, but this is not a permanent menu item at this time."

The company did not say where you can find the sandwich, so Popeyes fans will have to just keep checking their local restaurants to see if they add it to the menu. Social media users have reported seeing the sandwich in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania notes Insider.

While Popeyes has made headlines for its new offerings, this past week, one location in Lake St. Louis, Missouri attracted attention for another reason. Earlier this week, someone noticed a sign on the drive-thru lane reading, "Effective 6-1-21 this restaurant is under new management and will reserve the right to refuse service to white people. We apologize for any inconvenience. Signed, general manager, Mason." Photos of the sign went viral, and the restaurant was even forced to close for a day out of fear that people would pack the drive-thru lane to look at the sign.

Lake St. Louis Police Lt. Pet Doering told KMOV4 that investigators believe the sign was posted by someone who did not work for the restaurant and was a bad prank. The restaurant's manager also said there is surveillance video showing it was not an employee who put up the sign. "That's good for the Popeyes, they didn't do that, but a community you shouldn't do anything like that that's going to stir up more problems," Kats Berryhill, who saw the sign, told KMOV4.