The Popular Fast Food Chain Anthony Bourdain Ate Daily When Filming His Cajun Episode Of Parts Unknown

Anthony Bourdain ate a lot of different food over his decade-plus career as a TV host on shows like "Parts Unknown," so when he really loved a chain restaurant, you would pay attention. The man was never a snob; he specifically focused his show on many cheap, local eats and street food that normal people would enjoy, but fast food usually wasn't a big part of his repertoire. Bourdain famously loved In-N-Out burgers in Los Angeles, once saying it was his favorite restaurant in the city; however, in the same breath, he admitted to not liking most fast food. The other exception? Popeye's.

According to a 2018 article from People, when Bourdain was in Lafayette, Louisiana, filming an episode on Cajun food, he ate at a Popeye's near his hotel three times in three days. His order? Spicy fried chicken, with biscuits and gravy, mac and cheese, and a Dr. Pepper from the fountain. Bourdain was particularly fond of the mac and cheese at Popeye's. However, unlike his unabashed love of In-N-Out, he was a little more self-conscious about being a celebrity chef who loved Popeyes. In fact, after talking about eating it on an episode of "No Reservations," he tweeted, "Embarrassed about the Popeyes confession. My hideous secret."

Bourdain's three visits to Popeye's in three days did have some minor anthropological value for his show. He was interested in that specific location because it was the last Popeye's buffet in the country. It also felt like something truly American after a long trip to China, and Bourdain told People, "I was eating noodles and roast goose and Chinese food for the past 10 days. So to be back and eat some Americana food, well, I will weep with gratitude at macaroni and cheese." Sadly, that Popeye's location, while still open, discontinued the buffet during the COVID pandemic.

However, Bourdain should never have been embarrassed because many of his peers have admitted their own love for Popeye's. Kenji Lopez-Alt once suggested Popeye's was one of the best fried chicken restaurants you can go to on TikTok. Momofuku scion David Chang has also sung its praises, with Eater reporting that he sustained himself on fried chicken from the Louisiana chain while reopening a restaurant. While fast food will always get a little bit of bad wrap from people who turn up their noses at it, Popeye's being one of Bourdain's favorite foods is proof that if companies stay focused on quality and doing what they do best, even a big chain restaurant can produce something worthy of the most respected chefs in the country.