I found a £1.99 equivalent to KFC in the heart of Birmingham city centre

Like most kids, mine love a KFC but it can get pretty expensive when you take the whole family. A Family Feast Sharing Bucket can set you back £21.99, but we always seem to add on extras like milkshake and gravy, which bumps up the price.

So, when American food chain Popeyes opened their first restaurant in Birmingham, we decided to pop in and give it a go. It's right in the heart of Birmingham's newly formed 'Chicken Quarter' set on the same strip as KFC, Wingstop and Nando's.

There's a nice vibe as soon as you walk in, with New Orleans jazz music playing and a big video wall showing scenes from the 'Big Easy' city. Just like KFC, you order from the touchpad screens then either make your way up to the serving desk to collect your takeaway. As we were eating in, we took a table number and waited to find somewhere to sit. Because it was super busy.

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However, it didn't take long for a kind family to let us know they were heading off and that we could grab their table. A waiter came over within seconds to wipe it clean.

I went to the toilets to wash my hands and found they were down a steep staircase but were very clean. I guess there must be a disabled toilet on the ground floor too but I couldn't see as the place was rammed.

Our food was brought to our table within around five minutes, which was good. My son had fancied sharing the Tenders 8-piece meal deal, which came with eight pieces of boneless chicken together with two drinks, two dips and a large fries. It cost £17.99, compared to £20.99 for an 8-piece Dipping Boneless Feast from KFC. Winner, or so I thought. It turns out that the KFC deal comes with eight mini fillets, a large Popcorn chicken, four regular Signature fries, two large sides and four dips - so quite a lot more food for just £3 more.

Feeling hungry, he was concerned there might not be enough food to fill both of us so I had a look on the Popeyes Savin' menu to see if there was anything I could add on. And that's where I spotted my £2 lunch bargain.

You can get a Spicy Savin' Wrap or a Classic Savin' Wrap for just £1.99. I went for the spicy option. Now, when it arrived, it didn't look as packed with chicken and salad as the photo, but they never do. It did, however, have a large piece of boneless chicken and a nice fresh salad. For me, it made a good, quick lunch option and, for less than £2, I felt I might return in my lunch break if I decided to come into work without sandwiches. By comparison, a Twister Wrap from KFC would set you back £5.99 so I thought this was a bargain.

Henry's tenders were 12-hour marinated and hand-battered with buttermilk 'shatter-crunch'. You could choose between classic or spicy, so he opted for the classic but added Louisiana Hot and Bold BBQ dips. The Louisiana Hot dip nearly blew my head off! It was super spicy.

I can see now why people get excited about Popeyes. It's the tasty shatter crunch coating that really makes the difference. It was delicious and not at all greasy, as I think KFC can sometimes be. I've been to New Orleans and can vouch that this chicken - right here on New Street - tastes pretty darn good. And it was this same shatter crunch tender that was in the wrap, which was great.

We upgraded the regular soft drinks to Biscoff and Oreo Shakes but I'm not sure I'd bother doing that again. They were more like ice-cream with biscuits added in. We both agreed we much preferred a McDonalds milkshake instead.

The total bill, including the upgraded drinks, came to £22.98 so it did mount up. However, I'd be happy to return in my lunch break and just spend £1.99 for a Savin' Wrap. At the end of our meal, one of the staff came over to talk to us about our experience and to check that everything was good. It seems the friendly New Orleans hospitality has come to Brum.