Popeyes is good, but these Richmond-made chicken sandwiches are better

RICHMOND, Va. — So you’ve heard about Popeyes chicken sandwich craze. Also, in an abrupt ending, you’ve also heard the sandwich has been pulled from menus — officially sold out. While long lines at Popeyes grabbed national headlines, a whole host of competitors like Wendy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Hardees jumped into the sandwich slug fest hoping to capitalize on #hotsandwichsummer.

Well, you are hearing it here first. The Popeyes sandwich is fine — but you didn’t miss anything. In Richmond, we are lucky to have some line-worthy chicken sandwiches.

The Cobra Cabana

901 W Marshall Street

Richmond, Virginia 23220

In a very overt gesture to a certain chicken spots’ politics, Cobra Cabana does a Gay-Fil-a. The owners of Cobra Cabana have created a far less droopy version of the iconic sandwich. The impossibly tender (and brined) fried chicken breast is relatively unadorned, served with thick pickles and waffle fries. They also rep a very solid vegan version and house-made Polynesian sauce.

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*******ONLY AVAILABLE ON SUNDAY!!! DINE IN ONLY****** Thanks @rvamag and @gayrva for coming through to chat about the Gay-Fil-A special. #loveistheanswer 🌈🐓♥️🐍 Read about it now at rvagmag.com #rvapride #gayrva #rvadine

A post shared by Cobra Cabana (@thecobracabanarva) on Jul 5, 2019 at 2:40pm PDT

Salt and Forge

312 N 2nd Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

You’ll need a knife and fork for this one. It’s a napkin shredder. A fat, briny piece of lightly-breaded chicken shares a not-too-fat toasted brioche bun with ranch and bacon. With old-school rap on the radio and the exceptional coffee, Salt and Forge is worth your time. Their new food truck means you can also get this sandwich on the road.

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We’re sorry the long weekend had to end, but since you’re back at work, it’s time to start thinking about lunch….treat yourself and ease back into the week with a Chicken, Bacon, Ranch (or a salad if you went overboard on the burgers and hot dogs). . Photo credit @quicknessrva . #lunch #sandwich #sandwiches #salads #madefromscratch #rva #rvadine #richmond #rvafood

A post shared by Salt & Forge (@saltandforge) on Jul 8, 2019 at 7:13am PDT

The Chicken Box

3000 3rd Ave

Richmond, Virginia 23222

I’ve said it more than once. Don’t sleep on this 3rd Avenue spot. The Big Chic is a behemoth to behold. A huge piece of fried chicken with iceberg lettuce slapped in a too small bun. You can add American cheese but it just detracts from the house sauce or Big Chic Sauce. Get a drink. The cup is priceless.

La Bete Food Truck

Some chicken sandwiches are just fine, this one is killer. Beast mode. It needs two hands. The chicken is buttermilk brined, then fried, then stacked on a flat bun. The only problem is it’s elusive — sometimes they have it, sometimes it’s a taco. You can find their location on streetfinder.com.

Nomad Deli

207 W Brookland Park Boulevard

Richmond, Virginia 23222

Register to vote and get some chicken? That’s a solid plan. It’s also a solid chicken sandwich. This is chicken with frills from the grill. The Big Fried Chick is a hefty fried chicken breast which comes with some pretty stellar peppers, onions, and mushrooms all piled on a garlic roll.

Lunch and Supper

1215 Summit Avenue

Richmond, Virginia 23230

Talk about HUGE. This “Pickled and Brined” could feed two easily. Straying from the ever so common chicken breast, this sandwich is a fried chicken thigh slathered in pepper jack, bacon, pickles and topped with comeback sauce —essentially mayonnaise, chili sauce, paprika, some hot sauce for good measure and other goodness.

Who serves your favorite chicken sandwich? Let Eat It, Virginia! know.

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