Airport food. The thought conjurs images of bad meals at high prices in rushed circumstances. That's actually not too far off from most experiences. The last several years have seen an attempt to curb that expectation. Nicer spots. Local spots. Fresher food. Popeyes is none of those things. It's the original thought: overpriced food in rushed circumstances.
Look, I've been to Popeyes a few times before. About ten years ago I discovered it out of town and actually really liked it. It's much better than the colonel's, I thought, and with a southern flair I really appreciated. So I thought I knew what to expect. But this really missed the mark, even for marginal airport food.
I had some time. Not a ton, but enough that I could have eaten somewhere a little nicer. But hey, it's been several years since I had Popeyes and it sounded good. I arrived, and even though there was a line it moved quite quickly. I ordered a five-piece tender basket (spicy) and even though it was going to be a few extra minutes, as they let me know, I went ahead with the order while they made a new batch.
For value, I actually think you're doing okay here. It's close to 12 bucks or so for this, but it's a lot of food--you get five impressively large tenders, a biscuit, and one side. If you opt for the full combo, you get a drink for an extra couple of bucks.
Unfortunately, quantity far outpaced quality. Yes, they were piping hot when I got them, but the tenders were not good. Even though I had waited for the spicy, there was no spice like I've tasted at Popeyes before. They were long and stringy, and I actually had a hard time biting through a couple of them, as they were spongy and bouncy. Not exactly the adjectives one would want to use when describing fried chicken. Twinkies, maybe, but not tenders.
The saving grace was the biscuit, and maybe the red beans and rice. They were both standard and dependable, and helped me get through some tenders. But I made a bad decision to eat here, and I'll own it. After I was done I had a bad taste in my mouth--literally and figuratively--and went elsewhere in the airport to find a smoothie to wash it out.