The 5 Best Menu Items From Popeyes In 2026 So Far

Popeyes built its fame on traditional, no-frills fried chicken and classic Southern-style sides — yet it has never rested on its laurels and quit whipping up new dishes. The chain's menu is home to tempting seafood, sandwiches, sweets, and more, and its selection has grown even more throughout 2026. To help you beat indecision at the drive-thru, Tasting Table hand-picked the best new Popeye's items to definitely try this year.

Popeyes is one fast food restaurant making changes in 2026. As you would expect, Popeye's selection of chicken items has expanded this year, but its new releases have been surprisingly diverse, encompassing seasoned seafood, refreshing drinks, and even a surprisingly upscale-tasting dessert.The following five new menu items received the best reviews and feedback from happy customers on the web, so you know which dishes to spend your money on. 

That said, Popeyes has also won the title of the most affordable fast food fried chicken chain of 2026, so you can easily try all of these delicious munchies without emptying your wallet. Just be quick about it — several of these picks are limited-time offerings that could leave menus at any time.

Popeyes' classic fried chicken sandwich is great as-is, but the chain's new Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich takes it up a notch with extra sticky, sweet, savory goodness. This entree combines a fried chicken filet seasoned with Louisiana herbs and spices with a soft brioche bun, pickle clips, and Honey BBQ Sauce. Since it debuted this past May, customers have given this simple yet delectable sandwich top marks.

The filet in this Popeyes sandwich is juicy and tender, while the new Honey BBQ Sauce balances sweet and tangy flavors, bringing an authentic honey note. The sauce's acidity (plus the sour pickles) cut through the rich fried chicken, yet there's not so much sauce that it drowns it out. The combination of flavors creates a truly balanced sandwich. One TikTok reviewer called it "one of the best chicken sandwiches" they've had from Popeyes, adding that "the honey really stands out."

You can also add bacon or cheese to the Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich for a small fee, and customers say the taste is worth the upcharge. In particular, the salty bacon strips balance the sweet sauce nicely. It's clear that this sandwich ranks among the best fast food chicken items of 2026, and luckily, you can still order it at the time of writing.

When you get a sudden cheesecake craving, skip the wait time at the Cheesecake Factory and head to Popeyes instead, as its Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cup ranks among the best new fast food desserts of 2026. This miniature cheesecake with a graham cracker crust is swirled with blueberry lemon filling for a flavorful, fruity treat that became an instant favorite among customers.

Instead of the artificial, sugary profile you might expect from a fast food dessert, Popeyes' Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cup delivers strong notes of citrus balanced by the sweetness of real blueberries, creating an ideal mix of sweet and tangy flavors. The creamy texture of the cheesecake and tasty graham cracker crust tie it all together. 

"This is the best! So surprisingly refreshing! I need to find a recipe so I can stop going through the drive-thru buying four cheesecakes at a time," one Facebook user said about the treat. Another fan on Reddit said, "It is the ultimate king and queen of fast food desserts. Honestly it's better than most restaurant desserts period. "

Fans agree this treat is better than offerings from expensive restaurants, so why splurge on a top-notch cheesecake when you can get one from Popeyes instead? Don't be slow about it, though — this cheesecake cup is a limited-time offering, and while it's still on menus at the time of writing, there's no telling how long it will last.

Popeyes' classic side dishes are nothing to sneeze at, but the limited-time Cheese Bites have definitely livened up the selection. These tasty morsels are breaded and fried cheese curds that could give Culver's a run for their money. Before they returned in July 2026, they were last seen on the menu in 2025, though at that time they were called "Cheesy Bites" and were served with a side of Marinara Sauce. The 2026 Cheese Bites are served with Blackened Ranch — one of the best Popeyes sauces — though you can swap it for a sauce of your choice.

Reviewers say that Popeyes' take on fried cheese curds is masterfully done — perfectly crispy on the outside and melty and creamy on the inside with that signature cheese curd squeakiness. Though the curds taste like a mild mozzarella, the breaded coating is garlicky and salty enough to kick up the flavor. Fans were stoked to see these melty, savory bites again, with one fan on Facebook exclaiming "FINALLY!!" when the dish returned to menus. Another commenter wrote, "These belong on the menu permanently ... they're spectacular."

A dunk in creamy, spicy Blackened Ranch obviously makes these Cheese Bites even better, but if you miss the tomato-y taste of marinara, one fan on Reddit said the bites are "incredibly good" with Popeyes' Cocktail Sauce. Customers agree that this side dish definitely delivers on the hype, but make sure to try it now before its limited run ends.

Having debuted in early September, Popeyes' Pineapple Cane Sweet Lemonade is quite a recent menu addition, but this tropical drink has already made waves with customers. Made with real pineapple, this limited-edition beverage is available as a classic chilled lemonade with ice or in blended, frozen form — and both versions have earned instant fans at first sip.

Some customers say this drink has a strong pineapple flavor, while others find the citrusy lemon taste to be more prominent, but all agree that the pineapple comes through and the two fruits make for a tasty blend. In particular, the frozen Pineapple Cane Sweet Lemonade has been rated at a 10 out of 10 by multiple taste testers. 

One reviewer on Facebook called the Frozen Pineapple Cane Sweet Lemonade, "Sweet, tangy, icy, and so refreshing! Definitely hitting the spot!" Other fans agree that the drink tastes incredibly fresh and revitalizing, making it a must-order if the weather is still pretty hot where you are.

Popeyes' regular Pineapple Cane Sweet Lemonade is just as well-regarded, with one TikTok reviewer saying the drink "has me in a chokehold." Another fan on Facebook urged fellow customers to "Run go get it NOW!!!" These fruity drinks sound like the perfect way to close out the summer, so be sure to order them before they leave Popeyes on September 27.

Back in February, Popeyes released four all-new flavors for its Butterfly Shrimp to kick up the limited-time Shrimp Tackle Box, which gave customers eight shrimp plus one side dish and a biscuit. Out of all the new shrimp seasonings — Ghost Pepper, Lemon Pepper, Buffalo, and Garlic Parmesan — the Ghost Pepper emerged as a clear customer favorite. When Tasting Table's taste tester ranked Popeyes seafood items, they named Ghost Pepper as the best new shrimp rub by far, with a well-rounded flavor and just the right level of spice. Other customers also named it as the best or second best of Popeyes' shrimp rubs, especially fans seeking some real ghost pepper heat. 

Reviewers appreciated that you can actually taste a hot kick in the shrimp, as many other "spicy" fast food items are just plain wimpy. Beyond just heat, there was also a nice savory flavor that elevated the crispy-crunchy shrimp, creating a top-tier experience, according to reviewers. All of these qualities made for a solid seafood addition to Popeyes' menu. Sadly, the flavored butterfly shrimp have left Popeyes as of September 2026, but don't rule out a comeback. The chain's Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Boxes routinely return shortly before springtime, so keep an eye out next February and see if you can score some ghost pepper goodness.