If you thought that we left the fast food chicken sandwich wars back in 2019—when Popeyes broke the internet with its first-ever take on the trend—you would be wrong. At least now that Yelp has revived the convo... a whole six years later.
This week, the review site released its official ranking of the best chicken sandwich chains in the U.S.—and Popeyes didn't even make the top three.
"As major players double down on tasty innovations, it’s clear that America’s appetite for fried chicken sandwiches is only growing," Yelp revealed in an official statement. "Searches on Yelp were up 125% for 'chicken sandwich' in June 2025 compared to June 2019, when the chicken sandwich craze first took off."
The Yelp team scoured the ratings on more than 100 historical chains—all of which operate in multiple states and received specific reviews on about their chicken—to narrow down the final list. It's not just the fact that Popeyes barely cracked the top 5 that's so surprising, but hey, I'll let you be the ultimate judge when you read the rankings below.
The Best Chicken Sandwich Chains In The U.S.
1. Chick-fil-A
2. Dave’s Hot Chicken
3. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
4. Shake Shack
5. Popeyes
6. Habit Burger & Grill
7. Denny’s
8. Wingstop
9. McDonald’s
10. Zaxby’s
Beyond the top 10, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, Slim Chickens, Burger King, and Wendy’s trailed shortly behind. Sonic, Bojangles, KFC, Arby’s, and Church’s Chicken made the top 20.
"Popeye’s and McDonald’s appear in the top five in every region, with McDonald’s consistently landing in the top spot or close to it," Yelp explained. "Wingstop, known for its signature wing flavors, is another standout, ranking in the top five in every region as well."
The site also argued that Zaxby's "holds strong" in the South and Midwest, while Chick-fil-A has made its undeniable mark in the South and Northeast. "Consumers are drawn to the premium ingredients and variety of sauces," Yelp added.
Your move, Popeyes....
