Bottom Line: You are guaranteed to get a good chicken sandwich with a kick from Popeyes, and the Buffalo Ranch just adds a new twist.
The chicken sandwich wars are getting ugly out there with more and more chains firing salvos while supplies of poultry breasts are dwindling. Popeyes is the one that got it all started with its extra-thick chicken sammy along with its spicy version, and now it is trying to add a twist to bring customers back into the drive thru with the Buffalo Ranch version. Here’s how they bill the new sandwich:
The sandwich starts with a juicy chicken breast filet that’s marinated in Popeyes seasonings, hand breaded and dipped in their buttermilk batter and cooked up golden brown. This delicious scenario sits cozy in between buttery toasted brioche buns and is complemented with crisp pickle slices and Popeyes’ new Buffalo Ranch spread.
So it is basically their chicken sandwich with . . . Buffalo Ranch sauce. The one I got seemed to be the spicy chicken breast because it had some good heat and I don’t think all of that came from the sauce. The sandwich itself is definitely first-rate and one of the best chicken sammies out there (you can see my full review of that here). The Buffalo Ranch sauce has the expected tang and just a bit of creaminess from the Ranch. So it adds a little bit of a different zing and it all depends on whether you prefer that or the spicy mayo. For me, I think it may just be a coin flip each time I go to the drive thru on which one I pick.
This sandwich does have some heat, about Medium level, and it is definitely filling, so you can’t go wrong with either choice. Word is that the Buffalo Ranch version has not gone over too well, but I think people are just getting too picky. It’s nice to have the option as to which sauce to pick in case you are hankering for one over the other. Calorie-wise, this actually comes in lower than the other two sandwiches at 634 cals. I have no idea why it has about sixty less calories than the others because it seems like basically the same sandwich and you can’t convince me that Buffalo Ranch sauce is low-cal.
This is currently on the limited-time-only menu, though as a perk you get extra points if you are part of the Popeyes rewards program. I’m not certain why they can’t just keep the Buffalo Ranch sauce around all the time to give you an option when you order the sandwich (is it really taking up that much shelf space?), but they don’t pay me the big bucks to make those high-level strategic decisions. This one is worth a try because you know that Popeyes slings a good chicken sandwich, and perhaps before long they will have a new variation on the menu. (How about Sriracha?)
Tale of the Tape:
Calories: 634
Fat: 35g (13g Sat/2g Trans)
Protein: 29g
Carbs: 50g
Sodium: 1667mg