The Popular Chicken Chain To Skip Ordering Takeout From, According To Customers

To many budget-conscious consumers, ordering out just doesn't feel worth it anymore – especially if the meal you just shelled out for is a disappointing dud. Even if you (as the jingle says) "love that chicken from Popeyes," chances are you probably won't love ordering takeout from this chain. We understand a craving for fried chicken and Cajun fries, or Popeyes mac and cheese (a favorite of Anthony Bourdain). But when it comes to ordering takeout from the chain, the majority of foodies seem unhappy with their overall experience. The chief issue is problems with orders, like missing or incorrect food, and no way to remedy mix-ups due to unhelpful staff and inadequate online platforms for reporting errors.

One Reddit thread with over 600 upvotes writes, "Popeyes has to be the worst restaurant to pick up orders from. Period." The poster cites recurring culprits like inconsistent projected wait times ("'5 minutes later' always turns into a half hour") and exceptionally rude customer service. As the top comment puts it, "In theory Popeyes is good. Like the food is good. When they have it. But they run out of chicken. A lot. And the service sucks. The idea of Popeyes is good but it's always disappointing." Others chime in, "It's the only fast food place I've been to that actually runs out of food [...] And yeah, the service is the worst out of any fast food place I've been to," and (wittily) "Homie that's all part of the Popeyes brand." 

Another post details a "horrible Popeyes experience" in which, when the customer reached out to the Popeyes website after receiving an incorrect order from a food delivery service, the site rejected their complaint. "Then the ticket was closed automatically without any follow-up. It's beyond frustrating — not just the mix-up, but also how poor the support process is," they shared. 

Money also plays a part in the decision to order out, or where. While some fast-food loyalty apps can help lower per-meal costs for frequent customers, ordering takeout can simply be too expensive to justify. According to a YouGov study, 37% of Americans say they ate out less often in 2025 than in 2024 (44% among low-income households specifically, historically much of fast-food's consumer base), and 69% of those folks say that the rising cost of food-away-from-home is to blame. While Popeyes may not be egregiously expensive, you don't necessarily get what you pay for ... especially when you're handed the wrong meal, which apparently happens all the time. 

Perhaps these experiences are all part of why Popeyes currently has a dismal 2.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. A one-star review on the platform from an apparent delivery courier writes, "I avoid accepting orders from Popeyes because every restaurant I've ever delivered from lacks customer service. The order is never ready. The stores are filthy. Not one employee bothers to acknowledge my existence." If you're craving chicken, we suggest trying Church's (or anyplace else).