GrubGrade

Anyone that knows me, knows that I do not like spicy food.   Popeyes is famous for their Louisiana-style of cooking with an array of Cajun seasoning and spices.  A visit to Popeyes for me has always been a very rare occasion when I am in the mood for the Popcorn Shrimp meal.  I do love the flavor of Popeyes breading even though it lights my mouth on fire (I know, I’m a wimp).   Because of the spiciness, Popeyes has never been a preferred place for me. I tried the Loaded Chicken Wrap recently and it quickly became a reason to stop by Popeyes more often.

The Loaded Chicken Wrap is on the Popeyes “Big Deals” menu. (more…)

There used to be a time years ago when the only time I’d feel compelled to stop at Popeyes was when there was an advertisement that “Crawfish is Back!”  Heavily breaded morsels of those tiny lobster-like creatures were a once a year, limited-time type of thing.  No different now as the Crawfish Tackle Box is here and won’t be around too much longer.

Popeyes Crawfish Tackle Box is described like this:

Nothin’ says Louisiana cookin’ like Popeyes Louisiana Crawfish.  And right now during Popeyes First Annual Crawfish Festival, you can get a spicy, crispy crawfish tackle box with Cajun fries and a biscuit for only $4.99.

The Crawfish Tackle Box is part of Popeyes First Annual Crawfish Festival.  Not really sure what that means, but I’m guessing it’s just a nice promotional name.  As I mentioned before, Popeyes Crawfish isn’t anything new.  Some out there might be wondering what exactly a crawfish is.  This isn’t something you see everyday on a fast food menu board.  Sometimes referred to as a crayfish or crawdad, a crawfish is a fresh water little creature that usually resides around and under rocks in creeks and streams.  So how does it taste?  Well, when it comes to Popeyes, you’ll be dealing with a lot of crunchy breading and Cajun seasoning so the best way I can describe it without that in mind is a slightly “fishier” shrimp.  The bottom line, when it comes to the taste, is the dominant flavor of Louisiana spices.  It seems like everything at Popeyes is coated in it.  It’s a good thing though… I’ve had deep fried alligator bites before and it’s easy to look passed most anything when it’s breaded and fried enough .  The Popeyes Crawfish is actually seasoned and breaded just right and is served with a Creamy Horseradish Sauce. The Horseradish sauce was surprisingly sweeter than I expected and it went well with the crawfish and even made it’s way to my heap of Cajun-seasoned fries.  The Popeyes biscuit is a little salty but goes great with the rest of the food.  Not overly flaky or dry but not as big as I’d like.  But I have a soft spot for Popeyes biscuits…  Everything in this box is a hot, greasy pile but it’s packed with flavor and I was able to forgive and forget knowing that this is a once a year thing.

I actually enjoyed the Popeyes Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box (review done last March, Friday the 13th too….weird) a little more than I did the Crawfish Box.  Both will sit in the Very Good category for me but the Crawfish being smaller than the Butterfly Shrimp, I was grabbing a lot more crusty breading than actual Crawfish. This wasn’t a big enough issue to be a big problem for me, it’s just that the Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box was a meatier meal.  It’s hard to put an actual number to how many Crawfish will be in your box, but I’d guess around 10 full Crawfish morsels.  Don’t fear the unknown people.  Try a Crawfish Tackle Box ($4.99) now before it’s gone.  Or just wait a year for the 2nd Annual Crawfish Festival.

• Pros:  A lot of food.  Cajun seasoned everything.  Nice ventilated packaging.  Horseradish.
• Cons:  Greasy box of fried grub.  Calories/Fat.

Taste:  8.25/10

Value:  6.00/10

Grubbing on the Go:  4.50/10

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GrubGrade:  8.00/10  (Very Good)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $4.99

Popeyes.com

Nutrition Info – Crawfish (not available on Popeyes website at the time of writing this…but I’m guessing fattening )

Once upon a time, the only reason for me to get Popeyes would be when I saw the sign that “Crawfish Is Back!”.  Nowadays, a trip to Popeyes is few and far between but I do like most of their grub.  I don’t think I’ve been to Popeyes since I reviewed the Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box back in March and it looks like I’m due for a visit.  $4.99 gets you the Crawfish Tackle Box, complete with Cajun Fries and a biscuit.

Nothin’ says Louisiana cookin’ like Popeyes Louisiana Crawfish.  And right now during Popeyes First Annual Crawfish Festival, you can get a spicy, crispy crawfish tackle box with Cajun fries and a biscuit for only $4.99.

Chicken nuggets are an obvious staple of any fast food menu.  Every place has their own version, some better than others.  My personal favorites are nuggets at Chick-Fil-A, but  one of the better nuggets out there are the Louisiana Nuggets from Popeyes.

The Popeyes description:

Premium white meat. Available in 6 piece or 9 piece servings.

Chicken nuggets are pretty simple, chunks of chicken with some type of breading, and these nuggets are no different.  They are made from premium white meat chicken and available in either spicy or mild varieties.  When at Popeyes, I always go for their spicy chicken.  (more…)

Something new to Popeyes and it seems like a can’t miss delicious item.  I’m a fan of Popeyes and the latest to join the Louisiana Travelers family are the new Bonafide Wings.  Priced at $2.99 for for a 5-piece.

For a limited time only, you can everything you love about Popeyes Bonafide Chicken in the new Louisiana Travelers wings.  These are bite-sized pieces of bonafide heaven!

This is not your ordinary Popeye’s. Located in heart of Dresden, Ohio, this little restaurant was originally opened in 1963 by Dave Longaberger, the founder of the Longaberger Basket Company.  It was originally named the Midway Dairy Bar.  People kept calling it by Dave’s nickname, Popeye’s, so the name became Popeye’s Dairy Bar.  In 1981, the restaurant was sold so that Dave could finance his basket company.   It re-opened in May of 1990 in its current location as Popeye’s Soda Shop.

As you walk through the door, you are transformed back to the 1950’s. The restaurant is set up as an old time soda shop with bright colors.  Teal, pink and white cover the chairs and some of the other decor along with black and white checkers.   Some of the displays include old 45’s, classic pictures and a large gumball machine.   The layout is very spacious with tables in the middle and booths surrounding the outside perimeter.   The back of the restaurant has a small bar with bar stools where you can drool over their delicious desserts which are made fresh and changed up each day.

Popeye’s Soda Shop Menu consists of your normal soda shop fare.  Baskets of fries, sweet potato fries and their signature onion rings made with their homemade batter are available.  You’ll also find soups, salads, sides, cold sandwiches, burgers and chicken sandwiches and desserts.  Some notable items you’ll come across:

• The “Popeye’s Orginial” (Thinly sliced ham stacked on a Kaiser roll. Served with a cup of homemade bean soup and cornbread with red pepper relish on the side.  Price: $8.00)
• “Wimpy Burger” (Two juicy hamburger patties smothered with our own special sauce and melted American cheese.  Served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion.  Served on a Kaiser roll.  Price: $7.25).

Everything on the menu is under $10.00. They normally serve their coleslaw with your meal, but they were out the day we visited, so they substituted a side salad or applesauce.   The orders at our table were a side salad, Popeye’s Hamburger, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and the Grilled Chicken Salad.

Side Salad

Hamburger and Fries

• Popeye’s Hamburger: A 6 oz. hot and juicy beef patty right off the grill topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.  Served on a Kaiser roll.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Fries

• Popeye’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich: A juicy grilled chicken breast topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.  Served on a multi-grain bun.

Grilled Chicken Salad

• Popeye’s Grilled Chicken Salad: A bed of salad greens, topped with slices of grilled chicken, parmesan cheese and croutons.  Served with crackers and your choice of dressing.

Popeye’s has a famous sundae called the “One-Bite Sundae”. The One-Bite Sundae is described as “A Miniature sundae topped with chocolate, whipped cream and sprinkles.”   You may think that this isn’t very big for a sundae, but the trick is that it comes with a mini spoon.  Taking the mini bites helps make it feel as though you are eating a regular sized sundae.   See the picture below, the sundae compared to a glass of tea.  This is a great sundae for those wanting to indulge yet are still watching their weight.  The One-Bite Sundae will only set you back $0.50.

Although times have changed, the great food and fun atmosphere that Dave created 40 years ago continues.  If you are ever in the Dresden area, stop by to experience this wonderful flashback to the 50’s.  Popeye’s Soda Shop is worth the stop.

• Recommendations: The Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich, Any Burger, Grilled Chicken Salad, The One Bite Sundae
• Food: 7.25/10
• Menu Variety:  8.00 /10
• Atmosphere:  Casual/Family
• Price: $$ Moderate $7.01-$14.00
• GrubGrade: 7.50/10 (Good)

8 piece chicken mixed for $4.99 today only at Popeyes.  Why is chicken completely dominating this blog lately?  Let’s put a completely non-chicken picture to accompany this post.

It’s Friday the 13th, time for another seafood review.  On Fridays, during the season of Lent, GrubGrade will feature and review some tasty fast food ocean options. Today we will spotlight a fan favorite from the “Lousiana Kitchen”.  It’s back and returns with a new packaging.  Introducing the Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box from Popeyes.

The Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box (also known as the Seafood Tackle Box) comes packed with a nice combination that is sure to fill you up.  It features eight butterfly shrimp, Cajun fries and a buttermilk biscuit.  You can substitute the fries for a different side item but, on this occasion, I kept it standard.  The Cajun battered fries are spiced just right, so I find no need for added salt or ketchup.  The Cajun spices pack a lot of flavor in each bite.  They are crisped just right and are plentiful.  The fries act as the bed for the fried shrimp and biscuit.  The shrimp is heavily breaded to the point where it may be difficult to determine what exactly it is that you are eating by the looks of them.  You might mistake the shrimp for chicken nuggets they are coated so thick.  This doesn’t take too much away from the shrimp as the breading does provide a nice flavor of sometimes-spicy Louisiana seasonings.  Also notable, of the eight shrimp, some may have tails and some may not.  The biscuit, as always, is crusty on top and soft inside.  Popeye’s biscuits have always been a favorite of mine and they are lightly coated with seasoning.  With your platter you will receive cocktail sauce if you wish to dunk your shrimp.  I would be fine without since there is already a lot of flavor coming out of this loaded box of food.

As the Lent season ends, the Popeyes’ Butterfly Shrimp Tackle Box will be taken off the menu.  This limited time offering will be missed.  Like the occasional Cajun Crawfish Platter that makes an appearance from time to time, these shrimp will end up taking a backseat to the chicken.  

• Pros- Delicious cajun spices on everything.  Plump, flavorful shrimp.  A lot of food for $4.99.  Nice, sturdy, portable, ventilated box. 
• Cons- Some shrimp have tails still on.  Shrimp can be a tad over-breaded and spicier than others.  Very fried, very greasy box of food.  860 calories and 49 grams of fat according to the Popeye’s website nutrition facts.  A ton of fries, could have been replaced some with a couple extra shrimp although it would have increased the price.

Taste: 9.25/10

Value: 8.50/10

Grubbing on the Go: 7.75/10

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GrubGrade: 8.75/10  (Very Good)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $4.99

Popeyes.com

Nutrition Facts – Butterfly Shrimp (Grams-102)

Calories – 310

Total Fat – 19 grams

Saturated Fat – 8 grams

Trans Fat – 1 gram

Cholesterol – 90 milligrams

Sodium – 800 milligrams

Carbs – 22 grams

Dietary Fiber – 2 grams

Protein – 13 grams  

Nutrition Facts – Fries (Grams-88)

Calories – 310

Total Fat – 17 grams

Saturated Fat – 7 grams

Trans Fat – 1 gram

Cholesterol – 7 milligrams

Sodium – 660 milligrams

Carbs – 35 grams

Dietary Fiber – 3 grams

Protein – 4 grams

Nutrition Facts – Biscuit (Grams-60)

Calories – 240

Total Fat – 13 grams

Saturated Fat – 7 grams

Trans Fat – 0 grams

Cholesterol – 0 milligrams

Sodium – 490 milligrams

Carbs – 26 grams

Dietary Fiber – 1 gram

Protein – 4 grams

Note:  The Popeye’s Nutrition Page showed portion size as 1 for the shrimp, 1 for fries and 1 for the biscuit.  It doesn’t seem as precise as some other sites so keep that in mind.  This platter contains 8 shrimp, a ton of fries and a biscuit.