Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits on MLK in Lansing.
Who doesn’t “love that chicken from Popeye’s?” I freakin love Popeye’s Chicken. I know that’s really unlike me since Popeye’s is a chain, but I’ve never found chicken anywhere that I like better. I’ll try to search out the local chicken joints, but I always end up back at Popeye’s. Well, that’s not entirely true. There was one place in Joliet, IL that I did like better, but out of hundreds of examples, that’s the one exception. We’ve been looking for this store for quite a while. The day we moved to Lansing, we drove around forever trying to find it. We tried calling 411 and they said there was no listing in Lansing. We put it into the GPS and nothing came up. We were trying to feed not only ourselves, but our families who made the long trip to Michigan to help us move into our new place. A few months ago, I drove down MLK just looking around and we finally found Popeye’s Chicken.
J doesn’t agree with me. She grew up in Chicago where Brown’s Chicken reigns supreme. When I lived in Joliet, IL there was a Popeye’s and a Browns right next to each other. I tried both but always went back to Popeye’s. Popeye’s aren’t really that prevelant in the Chicagoland area so the first time J had Popeye’s was right after we started dating in Peoria. I had to work late and she had a box of chicken and a six pack of Budweiser’s waiting for me when I got to her house.
The Popeye’s in Lansing is located on MLK just as your getting ready to leave (or enter, depending on which direction you’re traveling) the commercial area. We’ve been tossing Popeye’s around as an option for a while, but I indulge when we go there so I’ve kind of been pushing it off. Finally, one Saturday night, all I wanted to do was sit on the couch, watch a movie, and eat chicken, so we made a run to Popeye’s.
Like all national chains, the stores are set up the same. Popeye’s theme is a Louisiana kitchen so there are murals depicting New Orleans-esqe scenes on the walls. There were a few people hanging out in line in front of us when we got there and, like all other Popeye’s I’ve ever been to, the folks working behind the counter didn’t seem to be in a hurry to take our order and get people moving. I love the chicken, but the service usually leaves a lot to be desired.
J doesn’t like dark meat, so she would rather upgrade to all white meat so she can get more wings. We ordered the eight piece family meal which comes with 4 breasts and 4 wings after the upgrade, 4 biscuits and a side. Other than the Cajun battered fries, I don’t really do sides and since we were already getting fried chicken, I didn’t need fries. J ended up ordering the green beans. You get a pretty large serving and the beans have chunks of ham mixed in. She was even looking forward to eating the leftover beans for lunch the next day.
The chicken is delicious….the best chicken…anywhere! We ordered the spicy and Popeye’s spicy is what I was hoping KFC’s chipotle would be. It’s surprisingly spicy. You wouldn’t expect fried chicken to have that much kick to it. The biscuits are the best in the business. There’s no place that has the soft, flaky, buttermilk biscuits like Popeyes. J says she could go there and just eat a meal of the biscuits. I eat them as is, but J prefers to add a touch of honey.
The eight pieces lasted through two meals. I had two breasts for dinner and two breasts for lunch. J had the same but with wings. The biscuits were lucky they even made it home. We inhaled them pretty quickly. Even with the upgrade to all white meat, our chicken was under $20. I love Popeye’s chicken. There’s a KFC within walking distance of our place, but I would rather drive a few miles to Popeye’s if we’re going to do chicken. It’s odd for me to love a chain restaurant, but Popeye’s is one of the few that I will admit to eating at regularly.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
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