8 Unwritten Rules To Know Before Visiting Popeyes

There are plenty of fast food chicken chains out there, from Chick-fil-A to KFC. But if you're craving Cajun-style Louisiana chicken, there's one fast food restaurant that rises above the rest: Popeyes. It got its start in 1976 in New Orleans, and now, it stretches across most of the East Coast and beyond. But if you're not already a seasoned Popeyes pro, then there's a chance you might be making a few mistakes when you visit the popular chicken chain. These mistakes can result in a less-than-ideal order or a more negative dining experience overall, which makes them important to avoid. By learning about these common pitfalls, your next Popeyes run is basically guaranteed to be more delicious.

We'll take a closer look at some of the menu items you may want to skip and extras you should request, even if they're not clearly listed on the menu. You might even learn about more delicious ways to order your chicken and how to upgrade your favorite Popeyes side dishes. Once you internalize these unwritten Popeyes rules, you'll feel like an ordering pro every time you go.

There are two different situations in which most people opt for fast food. The first is when they're actually craving a specific menu item — that's when they want to get a particular dish from their favorite fast food joint. But it can also make sense to grab some fast food when you're busy and need to grab something quick. In those cases, you may be interested in food that feels marginally healthier and lighter. If you're at Popeyes during one of these times, you should consider ordering the blackened chicken. Because it lacks the breading you'll get with other types of Popeyes chicken, you're looking at fewer carbs.

The blackened chicken comes in chicken tender form, although there was once a blackened chicken sandwich on the menu as well. The tenders are quite popular, with Redditors claiming that they're keto-friendly and that the calorie count makes them a good option for when you're watching your food intake. Honestly, though, they're excellent because they're delicious. It's not every day you find non-fried chicken at a fast food joint, so we love that this is an option at Popeyes.

If you're trying to order fast food, chances are that you want things to be as easy and as seamless as possible. After all, if you wanted to go out of your way to do a bunch of work to get food on your table, you'd probably just cook some chicken yourself. That's why it may make sense to take advantage of Popeyes' app. Like many fast food chains, Popeyes has an app that makes it a lot easier to place an order — and ensure that you get exactly what you want every time. You can spend as much time as you like browsing through different order options, and you don't have to worry about holding up the line behind you as you deliberate over the possible choices.

You can also choose whether you want to order your meal for pickup or delivery. Picking up an order you already placed is exceptionally easy — just say you placed an order on the app at the counter or drive-thru, grab your meal, and get on with your day. And for an extra fee, you can even get your meal delivered right to your doorstep through a third-party app. Another reason to use the Popeyes app? It also gives you access to exclusive deals that can save you money on your food. Plus, it gives you access to the rewards program for even more savings.

Are you getting Popeyes to feed your whole crew, beyond a few separate entrees? That's definitely one way to start the party (or cozy group get-together). But you shouldn't assume you can place this order like any other at the drive-thru. Because you're ordering so much food, it's going to slow the line down considerably, and the people behind you in line might have to wait a long time for their food to be ready. It's just not good drive-thru etiquette. The same is basically true when you order at the counter, although the offense is slightly less egregious.

So, how should you place a large order from your local Popeyes? When one Redditor posed this question to the Popeyes subreddit, another responded that the best way to go about it was to call the store and place the order about 30 minutes before you plan to pick it up. That way, the staff has more time to prep everything. And if you don't want to call, you can always place the order online through the app. That way, you can double-check to ensure that you ordered everything you meant to.

Popeyes offers spicy chicken, which is a great way to get even more flavor in your meal. However, whether the spicy chicken is actually spicy or not is up for debate. Some say that it's not very spicy at all, and we agree. Sure, it has a bit of a Cajun kick and a mild heat that makes the spicy chicken dishes a bit more interesting. But a lot of people who really, really like spicy food, actually want it to come out tasting as hot as possible.

So, if you generally have a high spice tolerance, you may want to look for ways to amp up your spicy chicken at Popeyes. Luckily, the chain offers a few different spicy sauces to choose from. There's the sweet heat sauce, which introduces a hint of sweetness to your dish, as well as the signature hot wing sauce, which offers that extra kick you're looking for. Additionally, you can ask for the Bayou Buffalo sauce, which is a bit milder but also provides a nice tang to your dish. Once you add these sauces to your favorite Popeyes chicken, you may never want your chicken un-sauced again.

Years ago, it was really difficult to find vegan or vegetarian items at a normal fast food restaurant. Most of the time, there were only a few side dishes to choose from, most of which were probably pretty lackluster. These days, though, it's much easier to find vegan- and vegetarian-friendly food at many fast food joints. There are some excellent chains for vegetarians, and you can find plant-based foods at a lot of popular fast food restaurants. Unfortunately, though, Popeyes isn't one of the restaurants that offers many veggie-friendly options.

Take a look at the chain's menu, and you'll notice that there's basically nothing at all for vegetarians to eat. There's a seafood option — the butterfly shrimp — which pescetarians could order, but for those who abstain from both meat and seafood, the options are thin. According to the chain's allergen information, the red beans and rice don't contain dairy or eggs, which makes them seem like they'd be vegan, a claim that PETA also makes. Some sources, though, say that they're cooked with pork fat, so call ahead to your local Popeyes if you're considering ordering this dish and want to avoid animal products. And some vegetarians may be open to eating the chain's Cajun fries, but since they're cooked in shared oil, they're not technically vegetarian. At least you can still order a drink?

Lots of restaurants out there that have their own secret menus. But secret spice blends? Popeyes might be unique for that one. It's a relatively well-kept secret that Popeyes has a seasoning blend called Cajun Sparkle. The catch is that you won't just get some of this stuff in your bag when you pick up your food at the drive-thru. Rather, you have to ask for it specifically. Some have claimed that they've seen the seasoning blend on the app, but that the restaurant was charging $1 for a small packet of the stuff. Others said that they've asked for it before but haven't been able to get any, so it looks as if availability varies from store to store.

If you do get your hands on one of these little packets, you might find that it tastes like other Cajun or Creole seasoning blends you've had in the past. Others compare it to a seasoned salt. Whether you end up loving it and asking for it every time you go to Popeyes or you sprinkle it on once and then decide it's not for you, just trying Cajun Sparkle is part of the fun.

When you eat out at an especially high-end restaurant, the food is presented on purpose and meant to be tasted exactly how it arrives at your table. That's why you're not going to find salt and pepper shakers on the tables at most Michelin-starred restaurants. But Popeyes is a far cry away from a Michelin-starred restaurant, and that means you don't have to feel bad about doctoring the sides to make them even more delicious than they already are.

For example, why settle for plain old mashed potatoes and gravy when you could order a side of Cajun gravy and Cajun fries to make a sort of Cajun disco fry situation? It adds an interesting twist to the typical potatoes-and-gravy combo. You could also add fried pickles to your mac and cheese for a tangy twist, or even add some gravy to your Cajun rice. Don't be afraid to experiment with any interesting combos you can dream up.

Popeyes isn't exactly known as the best place to work. Working in a fast food setting can already be challenging, but many workers claim that Popeyes is especially bad. Redditors say that they barely received the training they need to do their jobs well, management generally isn't helpful, and they have to work with too few employees. Some former workers have claimed that they've been fired for attempting to unionize in the wake of problematic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's not just the company that makes Popeyes hard to work for, apparently — it's also the customers. Redditors who claim to have worked at Popeyes say that customers can be extremely rude and that they sometimes get cussed out.

Therefore, when you go to Popeyes, try to keep this in mind. There's a possibility that the staff member you're interacting with has had a difficult day, so try to be extra kind. It might bring a little extra brightness to someone's day.