Midtown Lunch » Popeye’s

The Rest of the City is Going Fried Chicken Crazy

Zach Brooks — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:30:40 +0000

Fancy fried chicken is all the rage these days, with Eater, New York Magazine and Serious Eats both putting together lists of the best fancy (aka expensive) fried chicken in the city. I can’t think of any fancy fried chicken in Midtown that should have been included on these lists (can you?), but NYMag did put together a taste test of the best fast food fried chicken, and Popeye’s was crowned the king (completely deserved.) In fact, I think they’d even beat some of the fancy spots in a blind taste test. Popeye’s is (still open) on 40th btw. 7+8th.

Please Don’t Forget That Popeye’s is Still Open

Zach Brooks — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:10:13 +0000

I twittered about this earlier last week, but Lunch’er “Joseph” wants to see more!

“I was desperate – I forgot my lunch and had no cash today. Couldn’t think of a decent card-only idea so I searched for Midtown Popeyes. [The one on 40th btw. 7+8th] came up on Google, but the lead posting was the one about the bankruptcy declaration. Luckily I went anyway and they were open and good. I’m not sure if it warrants another posting to remind people that they really are open – might help show them some business and improve the likelihood of someone taking over the franchise??? I’d have to go to 14th or harlem on my lunch hour for popeyes if they close. :(“

There are some decent fried chicken alternatives in Midtown, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we don’t want to lose Popeyes.

Popeye’s on 40th Files For Bankruptcy

Zach Brooks — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:37 +0000

Terrible news from Lunch’er “MychaelS” on Friday: Crains is reporting that Franchise Kings of Midtown (which owns the Popeye’s on 40th btw. 7+8th) is filing for Bankruptcy protection. The owner “aims to pay off her debts and sell the franchise and lease for the store.” The location is still open for now, but it’s not entirely clear if it will remain open in the future. (Hopefully somebody will come in and save it!) Also unclear is whether the bankruptcy is directly related to the location itself, which was always packed during lunch, or just a failure of the parent company. Of course this isn’t the first time Midtown has lost a Popeyes. There used to be one on 34th Street, and one on 46th Street. Both are now closed. The block itself, which is located right next to the New York Times Building appears to be jinxed. The Sophie’s Cuban located directly next door, closed last year despite always being full during lunch.

Things I Wish I Knew Earlier in the Day

Zach Brooks — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:30:57 +0000

From Lunch’er Daniel: “If you haven’t heard by now, Popeye’s is doing 8 pieces of chicken for $4.99 today only. At the one on 40th St (btw. 7+8th), the line had to be 30 – 40 people long around 1 p.m.” I guess there is always dinner…

Midtown’s Only Popeye’s Gets Shut Down On Fat Tuesday

Zach Brooks — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:45:23 +0000

Terrible news from Midtown’s only branch of Popeye’s (on 40th btw. 7+8th): “The location… was shut down due to a tax/rent levy issue. The notice on the door had yesterday’s date. First MG in many years without Popeye’s red beans & rice.” That is very upsetting. Nobody answered a call to the location… we’ll keep an eye out, and let you know as soon as it reopens. (Thanks to nolafunknyc for the tip, they are always appreciated.)

Celebrate Fat Tuesday With a Fried Oyster Po’Boy

Zach Brooks — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:17 +0000

If you’ve been reading Midtown Lunch since the beginning, you know that I never pass up a chance to talk about how amazing New Orleans is (for example, my senseless, nothing to do with Midtown, live blogging of Jazzfest). And since today is the final day of Mardi Gras, it’s time for my obligatory “this is where you should eat lunch on Fat Tuesday” post. I suppose you could go to Bourbon Street Bar & Grill for the faux N.O. atmosphere and not authentic at all muffuletta, but if food is what you care about there is really only one choice: the under-appreciated, not mentioned nearly enough, take out window of the Grand Central Oyster Bar (just off the under ground food court in the basement of the Grand Central Terminal).

Sure, the restaurant is super expensive, but the take-out window has got a bunch of sandwiches under $10… including a fried oyster po’boy ($8.25) that doesn’t quite transport you to New Orleans, but gets you pretty damn close. (And is certainly the best option in Midtown.) I had it last year on Fat Tuesday (along with a good buddy of mind originally from Nawlins), and the only other place I’d recommend on a day like today would be the Popeye’s (on 40th btw. 7+8th), which incidentally enough is celebrating its 2 year anniversary today! (Provided you count years from one Fat Tuesday to the next.) Either way it’s going to be a fat tuesday…

8th Avenue is the Fried Chicken Corridor of NYC

Zach Brooks — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:15:33 +0000

I have never met a piece of fried chicken I didn’t like. Sure, there have been some transcendent fried chicken moments. My first visit to Roscoe’s Fried Chicken and Waffles in L.A. comes to mind (although you may say the waffle had a little something to do with that.) And of course there was Dunbar’s in New Orleans, which is still the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. Hopefully the rumors of its return are not exaggerated. But I don’t mind slumming it either, and it doesn’t take much to please me. Hot Oil + Chicken (+ Salt & Pepper) = Good.

There is some damn good fried chicken in Midtown. I’ve mentioned Cafe Cello as one of my favorites (on 46th btw. 5+6th) and even KFC has gotten the obligatory mention on the site. But if you want to be at ground zero for NYC fried chicken there is only one place to go. Eighth Avenue. The stretch of that road between the Mid 30’s and Mid 40’s is jammed packed with fried chicken goodness. Here is your guide to navigating the corridor. (A Fried-Chicken-Palooza if you will)

Chicken House

Nickname: El Sucio
Location: 36th btw. 7+8th
Price: 2pcs w/ french fries, $2.50; 2pcs w/ french fries, rice & beans, $4.50
I like a good adventure, and while NYC Fried Chicken is mildly scary this little fried foods diner is a real horrorshow (in the best possible way.) It may even be the cheapest fried chicken in all of New York City. The big downside: they don’t season their chicken at all- but it’s nothing a little hot sauce can’t fix right quick. Read more about Chicken House here.

Church’s

Nickname: The Newbie
Location: 8th Ave. btw. 44+45th
Price: $6.49 for 2pcs, biscuit, side dish & drink
Ok, so maybe it’s not new to some of you- but Church’s is new to the Midtown Lunch landscape. This small branch opened in a strange food court on 8th Ave. a few months ago, and while I don’t think it’s quite good enough to unseat the King (aka Popeye’s) it is a suitable alternative for those who don’t want to walk the extra 5 blocks south. The thing that will set them apart from the competition: a honey glaze on their biscuits, and fried okra as a side dish. Nice.

Golden Krust

Nickname: Homestylie
Location: 8th Ave. btw. 38+39th
Price: $6.99 for 2pcs, rice, beans, and plantains
Golden Krust, the Caribbean chain, is not exactly known for their fried chicken- but if you happen to order it you might be delightfully surprised. Nicely seasoned, and served with rice and peas and plantains, it’s the one place where you feel like you’re getting some good homemade fried chicken. Because as much as I love Popeye’s and the rest of the chains, it’s tough shaking the feeling that you’re eating some kind of processed food that comes out tasting the same every time.

NYC Fried Chicken

Nickname: The Bastard Son
Location: 8th Ave. & 39th Street
Price: $4.25 for 2pcs, mashed potatoes and a roll
It’s hard to beat the price at this Midtown eyesore that has been serving fried chicken on the same corner for god knows how long. Most common response expected at the mention of NYC Fried Chicken: “I’ve always wondered about that place!” Skip the terrible rolls, and the strange looking mashed potatoes and gravy… you’re not there for side dishes. You could only be there for one reason… price, price, and price. Well that, or if somebody dares you. The fried chicken is fine, and it’s fun for the adventure factor, but with other better options so close (i.e. Popeye’s) I wouldn’t bother more than once.

Piece of Chicken

Nickname: The Real Deal (will also answer to “Variety Central”)
Location: 45th btw. 8+9th
Price: $1 for each piece of chicken, $1-3 for side dishes
What Popeye’s and Church’s try to replicate all over the country, Piece of Chicken actually is. Out of the ashes of Jezebel, an upscale soul food joint, this little window hit the scene, serving up fried chicken, collard greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, and more. And it’s modeled after the McDonald’s $1 menu. What more could you want? Read more about Piece of Chicken here.

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits

Nickname: The King
Location: 40th btw. 7+8th
Price: $5.99 for 2pcs, biscuit & one side dish
I’m sorry, but Popeye’s still reigns supreme in my book. They just know how to make damn good fried chicken. They offer spicy or mild, but who would order the mild? Their biscuits are amazing (you may say the secret ingredient is a shitload of butter), and their red beans and rice will remind you why people who live in Louisiana still eat at (and love) Popeye’s. Read more about Popeye’s here.

It’s a great time to be a fried chicken lover in Midtown… I only wish Ressie Mae’s Soul to Go had lived to see the day.

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Popeye’s is a Madhouse; Bonus Fried Chicken Reveal

Zach Brooks — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:30:58 +0000

Popeye’s is freaking good. Anybody who has ever lived in New Orleans will tell you that, and it appears as if New Yorkers are privvy as well. I stopped by the Popeye’s on 40th btw. 7+8th (the only one in Midtown Lunch’ing range) and couldn’t believe the madhouse (despite other fried chicken options in pretty close proximity.) People love Popeye’s.

Bonus Reveal: Why was I at Popeye’s? All will be revealed in a post next week that Midtown fried chicken lovers won’t want to miss…

The New Popeyes

Zach — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:54:23 +0000

I finally made it down to the brand new Popeyes I reported about on Fat Tuesday. If you hadn’t heard, Popeyes is back in Midtown with a location on 40th btw. 7th & 8th Ave. I ate there on Friday, and felt pretty disgusting the rest of the day. But you know what? It was worth it. Sure in retrospect the third piece of chicken and second biscuit may have been overkill… but hindsight is twenty twenty. Popeyes is awesome.

Like fried chicken, alot is written about great hamburgers in New York City. People argue all the time over who makes the best burger in the city. Shake Shack and Burger Joint are always on the list, and new places seem to open up every week. Then of course there are the expensive burgers, with truffles and foie gras and the such. In the end, a $3 Big Mac tastes good, but it’s no competition for a real burger, made with quality beef.

Fried chicken is a whole different ball game. I don’t care what kind of prejudice you have against fast food places, I’m telling you, Popeyes is frickin good. If you want delicious fried chicken, you will be hard pressed to find some that tastes better than the spicy chicken at Popeyes. Sure, your extra money might buy you better side dishes, a fancier atmosphere and organic chickens that were treated very nicely before they were dipped in batter and fried up crispy… but in the end, when you are just talking about taste- Popeyes can hold its own with the best of them.

Pictures and a +/- after the jump…

Alot of people don’t know this, but in many parts of the country (like New Orleans), Popeyes is an institution. For those of us who grew up in the North East, or in my case- Miami (New York South) Popeyes was always thought of as the second rate chicken place. New ones never opened, so the franchises that did exist, were always old and in crappy locations, totally dilapidated, and they didn’t have popcorn chicken! (I always went to KFC.) In New Orleans, Popeyes is like Starbucks. Everybody eats there, and most of the locations are suprisingly well kept. And if there is one thing I’ve learned about New Orleans- they know their fried food.

Like most fast food fried chicken places Popeyes has two versions of their chicken (regular and spicy), chicken sandwiches, boneless strips, a few seafood dishes, an assortment of side dishes and of course- biscuits. I went with the three piece meal (or as I like to call it, the “Fat Guy” special) with Cajun Rice and a biscuit. The breast was a tiny bit dry (as breasts can be), but the spicy crunchy crust that covered the whole thing, made up for that. The cajun rice was fine (meat filled dirty rice), and the biscuit of course was delicious. You may say the “secret ingredient” is lard.

My co-workers got the boneless chicken strips, and the fried chicken sandwich- both of which came with a totally different crust than the fried chicken. Very curious. It was a lighter color than the fried chicken crust, and isn’t spicy- but I believe you can get a spicy version. Both were good, but nothing special. The spicy fried chicken is what makes Popeyes worth going to.

With a new location of a fast food place, you are always going to have some service issues- and this one was no different. They have plenty of cashiers, so the lines move pretty quick, but it took about 15 minutes for the order of chicken strips to come out (I guess they didn’t have any ready)… but they fully made up for it by giving us some free chicken and biscuits for having to wait. What I didn’t realize was that, extra chicken and biscuits is more of a curse, (especially when you are stupid enough to look up the nutritional information online after you eat). I don’t know what is wrong with me.

Lucky for Popeyes, I didn’t notice any of these service problems, because I was too busy getting pissed at these three people for stealing the table I had been waiting 10 minutes for. (They hadn’t even ordered their food yet, and didn’t seem to care when I told them I had been waiting 10 minutes for the table. Fun fun. I guess I was supposed to stand directly on top of the lady who was finishing her lunch, so I could sit down at the first possible second she was done…) And that is other the problem with the new location… seating. There are only 5 or 6 tables, and they were all full (despite it being the first week open). The manager informed me that they have the maximum number of tables allowed for a restaurant that does not have a bathroom for customers. So, unfortunately you need to be prepared to take your food to go- a huge bummer if it’s cold out, and you have a long way to walk.

All in all, it’s a great re-addition to Midtown (there were a few Popeyes that existed over a year ago but are now gone). Popeyes is delicious fried chicken…. but whatever you do, don’t eat the second biscuit (or a third piece of fried chicken) (or look at the nutrional information).

THE +

Delicious, spicy, and crispy fried chicken

Awesome biscuits

Cajun flavored sides like Red Beans & Rice, & Dirty Rice

It’s fast food, so it’s cheap

THE -

They have regular fried chicken, but it’s the “spicy” chicken that sets Popeyes apart from the rest (so if you don’t like spicy, you may not be into it- although it’s not that spicy)

The biscuits are made with lard

Everything is super greasy (including the biscuits made from lard)

You may not feel so great after lunch

The nutritional information is bad

There aren’t alot of seats at the location, so you may have to take your food to go… something you’d like to avoid with a food like fried chicken

Service may be spotty

Popeyes, 240 W. 40th St. (btw. 7+8th)