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Although a lot of chain restaurants have introduced chicken sandwiches over the last few years, none have garnered quite as much immediate buzz as the new one served at Popeyes. And now, less than two weeks after the dish’s nationwide release, it seems that battle lines are being drawn between Chick-fil-A fans and loyal Popeyes customers over which chain serves the One Chicken Sandwich to Rule Them All.
What's worse than heartbreak, you ask?
— Phonte (@phontigallo) August 16, 2019
Driving to your local Popeye's only to discover the chicken sandwich doesn't hit your area until Monday.
While Chick-fil-A has generally awful politics — the company famously funneled millions of dollars intro groups that oppose same-sex marriage — the chain ranks #1 in terms of customer satisfaction, and its pickle-laced crispy chicken sandwich is the star of its menu. Popeyes, meanwhile, is a chain that also has a rabid fanbase, and now it too has a chicken sandwich with a similar composition — a crispy fried filet on a cushion of pickles, hugged by a pillowy bun — that fans can enjoy on Sunday or any other day of the week without the guilt that comes from supporting a company with an anti-queer agenda.
Y’all loving that spicy chicken sandwich and y’all know it’s just a mattter of time before it’s wild racist old tweets pop up smh
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) August 17, 2019
The response from Popeyes fans was immediate and overwhelmingly positive on Twitter, and a number of publications — including the Takeout, Business Insider, and Eater’s sibling SB Nation — were quick to declare that Popeyes had pulled a victory over Chick-fil-A with the launch of this new menu item. Not content to leave well enough alone, Chick-fil-A took to Twitter this afternoon to attempt to claim ownership of the pickle-laced crispy chicken sandwich, a move that was instantly dragged by its rival:
... y’all good? https://t.co/lPaTFXfnyP
— Popeyes Chicken (@PopeyesChicken) August 19, 2019
As the chicken sandwich wars rage on, here are the best tweets about the great Chick-fil-A/Popeyes fan feud of 2019:
'you made it a hot line, i made it a hot song," -- popeye's to chick-fil-a
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) August 19, 2019
Chick-Fil-A watching everybody eating Popeyes new chicken sandwich pic.twitter.com/9rH9q3OR0L
— X (@XLNB) August 19, 2019
Popeye’s really made a chicken sandwich so good it made people think “maybe Chick-Fil-A IS homophobic...” lmao
— JuanPa (@jpbrammer) August 19, 2019
— Fiona Applebum Says Don't Give Shaun King Money! (@WrittenByHanna) August 19, 2019
When someone asks me how many times I’ve eaten the Popeyes Chicken sandwich pic.twitter.com/zleFznYAkH
— problemola (@MrMola_) August 17, 2019
— Trey Smith (@SlimiHendrix) August 18, 2019
Me eating Chick-fil-A again after trying Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich
— Rondo (@Rondo_RogerThat) August 12, 2019
pic.twitter.com/riYhQxflxv
Me when I tried the new Popeyes sandwich. pic.twitter.com/TLH9JFq98w
— chocolate milk influencer (@BourbonGhost) August 19, 2019
— X (@XLNB) August 19, 2019
popeyes chicken sandwich twitter is kind of my favorite twitter right now
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) August 19, 2019
And now, as should be expected in this era of INTENSE brand Twitter engagement, every fast food brand with a chicken sandwich is trying desperately to get in on the action:
Customer: Can I get something like Boston Market mac & cheese but mediocre?
— Boston Market (@bostonmarket) August 19, 2019
Other guys: My pleasure
Everybody around here knows the best chicken sandwich is a chicken biscuit. pic.twitter.com/T3fH1mA2B6
— Bojangles' (@Bojangles1977) August 19, 2019
If you're lookin' for a chicken sandwich (without the beef ), you know where to find us. pic.twitter.com/2wtV2POvFf
— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) August 19, 2019
In conclusion:
I mean, damn. pic.twitter.com/Aa9RgQSbn3
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) August 19, 2019
Update: August 19, 2019, 6:08 p.m.: This article was updated to include some bad tweets from brands.
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