Yahoo News We went to the new Popeyes chicken restaurant, it was so busy they wouldn't let us in
The problem with new places coming to town is that everyone wants to try them at once.
So when I took my family to the new Popeyes, on the edge of Salford, at the weekend, I was fully expecting it to be busy.
What I wasn't expecting though was for the drive-thru queue to be stretching right down Bury New Road and for the restaurant to be so packed, they wouldn't let us in.
It was around 5.45pm on Sunday when we arrived, eager to sample the hit Louisiana chicken restaurant, known for its fried chicken sandwiches and legion of celebrity followers.
After joining a queue at the main door it soon became apparent that we wouldn't be moving anywhere soon.
Like most fast food places these days, the orders were clearly coming in thick and fast - from the screens and QR coded tables inside the place, the drive-thru and also online.
The staff were clearly struggling to meet the demand and a manager made it clear to the person guarding the door not to let another soul in the place. Orders had stopped to allow them to clear the backlog. As much as it was annoying, it was clearly the right call.
By this point we were near the front, so decided to wait, but dozens more had joined the queue behind us. Some waiting more patiently than others.
Eventually, 45 minutes after arriving at the place, we were given right of passage. Hallelujah. And thankfully, once we'd ordered from our table, it didn't take too long to arrive.
We got a mixture of its classic tenders and chicken sandwich meals. Sadly they'd run out of milkshakes, so we made do with soft drinks, which you have to pour yourself from the machines near the counter. Joining a queue of course.
The reason Popeyes has become so popular has a lot to do with how they prepare their chicken. Some of it is marinated in buttermilk for 12 hours before being dredged in seasoned flour with its secret recipe of herbs and spices.
Is it different from any other chicken we've had? I'd have to admit it is. The coating on the chicken itself is like nothing we've had at other fast food restaurants before. It's crispy, but light, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture to the coating and with a certain level of sweetness to it that makes it quite unique.
There's a range of sauces too, my favourite being the Bold BBQ, but my other half preferring the Louisiana Hot and Mango Habanero, both of which have quite a kick.
It wouldn't be an authentic Louisiana experience without trying its biscuits - warm, scone-like sides, which come with either a pot of cajun spiced gravy, or with Nutella or honey.
The side itself tasted a bit like a dumpling, but we much preferred the sweeter coatings and everything about dipping it into that pot of gravy felt wrong. Maybe that's a British thing.
With milkshakes off the cards, the kids went for one of the Whipz ice creams, choosing the Biscoff flavourings. At £2.99 they're similar to a McFlurry, albeit a quid extra, but the ice cream did taste much creamier than the one from McDonald's and they have a lot more topping.
All in all, we were pretty satisfied. And the prices - from around £7 for a chicken tenders meal with drink and fries, and from around £9 for a large burger meal - are pretty standard for this sort of place.
Was it worth the wait? Probably not. Would we eat there again? Maybe, once the Popeyes hype has died down a little. How long that will take is anyone's guess, but I'm guessing the hard-working staff there, who I have to say did a sterling job under the circumstances, are praying it's sooner rather than later.
Neil Williamson, Popeyes UK COO, said: “The response to our first drive-thru in Greater Manchester has been incredible, and is now one of our busiest openings to date. The queue for the launch started 25 hours before opening, breaking a new record for Popeyes UK.
"Queues continued throughout the weekend, which was at great to see, and at times the new restaurant was at maximum venue capacity. We managed the flow of customers through the door to make sure everyone was able to experience our New Orleans hospitality.
“Following the success of our Manchester Piccadilly and Bury New Road restaurants, we have plans to bring more venues to Greater Manchester as it continues to be a key location for our continued growth and expansion.”
