The Popeyes Side Dish You Should Surprisingly Never Order

With a name like Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, you'd think the Southern fast food chain would make it a point to get the basics of Creole food right. A prime example: that classic pot of red beans and rice that hails from New Orleans. With just a handful of simple ingredients, it should be hard to get wrong. This dish is so revered there's even an entire Mardi Gras parade dedicated to red beans and rice. Sadly, we ranked Popeyes red beans and rice at the very bottom of our list when it comes to tasty side choices. We found Popeyes beans were mushy and salty, with unsatisfying overcooked rice, not at all what you should expect from this icon of Louisiana cuisine.

We thought the dish overall had an "artificial chemical-esque flavor" rather than the sweet earthy flavor you'd expect from simmering beans with a bit of pork. Popeyes calls the rice they top their beans with "seasoned," which is a departure from the traditional addition of simple steamed rice. The combination left a lot to be desired, especially considering the alternatives on Popeyes' menu.

A proper pot of red beans should be simmered low and slow, with the Cajun trinity of onions, peppers and celery along with a decent amount of pork sausage for flavor. The beans will soften and become tender when properly cooked, and many cooks like to mash part of the beans to create a creamy texture to bind the cooking liquid surrounding the meat and beans — but there should still be some bite and texture in a properly cooked red beans and rice recipe. Fluffy steamed white rice is the counterpoint to the thick bean mixture, ready to stir in and soak up all the delicious juicy flavors.

Since that's not what you might find in your Popeyes portion of red beans and rice, you could save those carb-laden calories for an extra helping of one of our top two side choices, the buttery biscuit or their flavorful Cajun spiced fries. Or just throw caution to the wind and get a second chicken sandwich, the star attraction. Isn't that what you really came for anyway?