The Glade 4.0

Yeah, you heard me.

For a limited time, Popeye's has a new menu item - Waffle Tenders.

They took the traditional er, "southern" food combination of Chicken and Waffles, and turned it into a single menu item, the Waffle Tender - Popeye's chicken tenders tossed in waffle batter and deep fried to awesomeness.

When I sat down with a box of these, the first thing I noticed was the sweet swirling aroma. As I took my first bite, I was surprised at the lightness and crunchiness of the batter... I thought they might be weighed down, but the batter was very crispy. Then the sweetness hit me - it was like I was biting into a freshly baked donut. Then, it got even better - delicious juicy spicy Popeye's chicken filled this waffley creation. It wasn't fried chicken over here, and waffles over there, it was fried chicken, enveloped in waffle!

I paused for a minute to recollect on the last few seconds of culinary sensory overload. Crunchy, sweet, spicy, juicy, savory. Yep, that'll work. The rest of the tenders soon shared the fate, except that I let my wife have a sample. I wouldn't tell her what it was, because if I said "Chicken and Waffles", she'd just look at me funny. Like when I say "What if we made country fried bacon" or "What about chorizo meatballs?" So anyway I got her to try one, and after the same look of puzzlement I must have had a few minutes earlier, she declared it a victory. My wife, who is not a big fan of Popeye's to start out with, asked to go back the next day to bring some as appetizers to where we were headed.

Is this a gimmick? Probably. In a month after the "new product" rush dies down, will these end up being mushy oversweet chicken fingers that end up getting discontinued from the menu? Most likely. Should I start looking for a doctor's office that has an endocrinologist and a cardiologist in the same suite? Yeah, that too. But for one shining magical day in August, I experienced fast food fried-chicken-waffle-nirvana. I said it on Saturday, and even though I'll probably regret this someday, I'll say it again - this was better than Church's Chicken.

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Mmmmmm food porn.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Huh... I like Popeyes food in general, I might have to see if my local store has these.

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Raell Kromwell

I am saddened that I have yet to try Popeye's food. They don't exist here and when I am travelling I typically don't get a chance to get to one.

Although when I was in Texas one of the locals during a business luncheon did make me try chicken and waffles. I definitely didn't hate it.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

We have two Zaggat rated Popeyes here in the Big Easy.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Going to try these tomorrow. Will report.

Bulletized Report:

- No honey-maple sauce, but I tried them anyway.

- As Vlad noted, the aroma is fantastic

- I envisioned them with a waffle layer similar to a corn dog, but it is much thinner. I would like a thicker waffle.

- Chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy.

- Felt like my arteries were hardening with every delicious bite.

- Need to try again with maple sauce, but otherwise, my preliminary decision is that I'm glad I tried them, but there was not quite enough deliciousness to overcome the unhealthiness for me to eat more often than as an occasional treat.

Tried them. Loved them. Hope they become a regular menu item. And the Honey Maple syrup dipping sauce is excellent, as well.

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"I Live, I Love, I Slay, and I Am Content."
- Conan the Barbarian