Saturday, July 12, 2014

Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen Food Review II


Something (biscuits) keeps drawing me back to Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen. It's hard to put a finger on (biscuits) but whatever it is (biscuits) I keep coming back for more. Today's visit (post haircut... thanks Roberto!) was for Popeye's new Cracked Pepper Butterfly Shrimp (with fries and a biscuit) for just $4.99.

The Tenleytown Popeye's has been making steady improvements of late, including a new (modern) menu display and a sincere effort to provide better customer service. Add frequent specials to the mix; and is it any wonder the place is almost always packed? I'm on record, as being in love with Popeye's biscuits and mashed potatoes with cajun gravy; but today's visit was all about the fishies.


I was waited on almost immediately (a second cashier magically appeared when I got close to the counter) and placed an order for "the special in the window," a request that was instantly understood and processed by the aforementioned (and friendly) sales cashier. I asked for a small fountain drink as well ($1.89) and walked away, out a mere $7.62 including tax.

Dispensing Diet Coke was another matter altogether: It was obviously on the fritz, and sputtered in all directions. To their credit, Popeye's doesn't rush your order... My food was sizzling hot, when it arrived over five minutes later. I took a seat in the surprisingly clean dining room (yet another improvement at this location) and "dug in."

That's when I noticed a table sign for a FREE 2-PC chicken and a biscuit with the purchase of a large drink. All you need to do, is take part in a brief survey; but in order to do that, you need your receipt (which I wasn't given.) Not the end of the world, but a reminder of how things used to be around here.

Lucky for me, I was about to devour my biscuit (at which point, all is forgiven.) It was... in a word, amazing. They never, ever disappoint. The shrimp (all eight of them) were breaded perfectly, nice & plump with an extra bold kick, I never saw coming. Popeye's wisely pairs them with Blackened tartar dipping sauce, the ultimate "coolant." Cajun Fries are better than plain, but not by much: I prefer crispy to soft, and these are the latter.

Before I wrapped up lunch, a sales associate (pretty sure he wasn't a manager) stopped by each table (including mine) to see how our meals were going. Nice touch. I like the direction Popeye's appears headed in; and so long as they keep serving their biscuits and mash, I'll keep coming back!