Popeyes Launched a New Pickle Menu & I Tasted It All—Here's What to Order ASAP

Fried pickles are one of my favorite apps to order whenever I go to a restaurant that is brave enough to have them as a regular staple on their menu. I had high hopes for Popeyes iteration of fried pickles because they're known for their crunch, and while they were tasty, left me a little underwhelmed. I think this is due to the fact that the coating was more bready than fried, and it might have too much coating for fried pickle enthusiasts.

Served up with a side of buttermilk ranch, these flavorfully spiced pickles are not actually spicy, but rather pleasantly mild. The ranch is really the star here, as it adds depth of flavor to the fried pickles and offers a nice cool down to the spices of the other items on the menu. Overall, this side is ideal for the spice-averse, as they're the most mild part of the menu. If you're itchin' for some cronch though, I'd say make your way down to number one...

Because I am not the biggest fan of bone-in wings, I was hesitant about trying these. But, for science and the greater good, I decided to to dig in, and I'm glad I did. As the spiciest item on the menu, the wings have a solid kick to them. After biting into the incredibly crunchy outer coating, the chicken falls right off the bone. They're saucier than the boneless wings, but have wonderful briny, dill notes as well as a blend of spices that balance each other out quite nicely. Wash it down with some pickle lemonade to hydrate and mellow out the heat.

Speaking of pickle lemonade, which comes in iced and frozen varieties, it's the hydrating, refreshing, electrolyte-filled bev that rounds out this pickle-themed menu. If a sweet lemonade and a pickle-back shot had a baby (sans the alcohol), this would be it. Briny, slightly sour and very pickly, I was reaching for this throughout the entire tasting. Though you might expect a pickle/lemon combo to be quite sour, the lemonade cuts through the acidity and leaves you with a sweeter finish. I did find that the iced version is more 'pickle-y' than the frozen, overpowering the lemon just a bit, so you may want to opt for the frozen for a toned-down version of the drink.

You'll be doing some major finger licking after trying these boneless wings. Made with a crunchy, fried exterior and juicy, moist chicken, the boneless wings are perfectly bite-sized. Pickle-y with just the right amount of brine and dill flavor, you're in for a tangy-yet-still-crisp-and-country-fried experience. Just be sure to lap up all the sauce, as it ends up dripping off the side of the wings.

Everything you know and love about a Popeyes sandwich, but better. Yes—better. This is the crown jewel of the pickle menu. I'm bestowing upon it, a pickle-person badge of honor. The first note that I wrote down while testing this sandwich was "DELICIOUS!!!" The hand-battered chicken is juicy and crisp with a light bite to it. It has that signature Popeyes crunch, is very flavorful, but slightly spicy. There are solid notes of dill in the sandwich and actual pickle slices added in for an extra refreshing crunch. It's all served sandwiched in between a toasted brioche bun, which adds a light pillowiness that contrasts very well with the chicken inside.