Without a doubt, Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich is one of the best out there. If you have not tried it – you must. Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich is a crispy, savory, fried chicken cutlet on a buttery brioche bun, topped with spicy mayo and tangy pickles. It’s a very large chicken breast too – believe the hype with this one. That said, I have become addicted to another Chicken Sandwich.
Buffalo Wild Wings’ Southern Chicken Sandwich is not new – it’s been around since 2019, but I only discovered it in April – and I can’t get enough of it. B-Dub’s Southern Chicken Sandwich is a beer-battered and deep-fried chicken breast (of possibly tenders) topped with Swiss cheese, bacon aioli, slaw, and pickles on a challah bun. It comes with fries (though I sub tater tots).
On a Sunday in April, I went to the Buffalo Wild Wings at Village Crossing in Skokie for a pre-movie meal with my good friend Joe. We went to see The Batman, so it ended up being a night of a great meal and a great film. Anyway, I was still only a month into the Nutrisystem diet plan, and with a 1500 daily calorie limit, I knew I’d be blowing past that with dinner and a couple of beers. My go-to is usually a burger and tots, which is never a disappointment at Buffalo Wild Wings, but I decided to go with chicken for a lower-calorie binge.
I’m telling you, after two bites, I was out of my mind at how good this sandwich tasted! I’m sure it’s the whole ingredient package contributing to the wonderful taste combo, and afterward I had to look up what the hell aioli is (an emulsion of garlic and olive oil). I’m not even a big fan of slaw, but I know it needs to be there for the full taste of it all. All I could think about the rest of the night was that awesome sandwich. I mean, “Hey, The Batman is beating the crap out of that guy – I wish I had another Southern Chicken Sandwich”, “Wow, I can’t even tell that that is Colin Farrell, but damn do I want another Southern Chicken Sandwich”.
The published calorie count for the BWW Southern Chicken Sandwich is 870 (Popeye’s is 1227!), and add 650 from the tots plus 320 from a couple Bud Lights totaled 1,840 for that meal alone – well past my daily 1500 target. The thing is, the next day I did not gain a pound – my weight was flat. While it is true that not all calories are the same, this leads me to believe that the published 870 is the high end, and my subsequent experiences with the sandwich also do not show the kind of weight gain I get when I have 2 large slices of Giordano’s Stuffed Sausage Pizza (usually +2.5 lbs next day). So, bonus! It’s (my) diet-friendly.
The following Saturday, I got another sandwich to go and when I ate it at home, I felt the same way. It was absolutely delicious, and I was hooked. I don’t want to over-do things, so I just get the sandwich every 2-3 weeks, but it’s a meal that I look forward to and savor. I highly recommend this sandwich.
As with all food, YMMV, but if you like chicken sandwiches, I suggest trying the Southern Chicken Sandwich from Buffalo Wild Wings. Worst case, it’s just another chicken sandwich to you – best case, it becomes one of your favorites.
