Popeye's Chicken - Don't call me Honey

Posted by nikalseyn on 2012-02-23:

There was a large study done a few month ago and it found most honey sold in this country was the same junk stuff as you describe. Only, this stuff wasn't found in fast food restaurants, but sold in bottles in Krogers, Safeway, etc. as "natural" or "pure" honey. Apparently there is some sort of trick where they can call this artificial stuff real honey when it isn't. If the honey you find in a store says "filtered" in any form, then it is probably not real honey. If it says "unfiltered natural" etc. then it may be good. Much honey comes in from China. Do you believe that? And it is all artificial. Your best bet it to buy locally, from a store that sells private, small, locally made honey. It is a bit more expensive, but the real stuff is much better for you than most of the junk sold in grocery stores.
By the way---I used to love Popeye's chicken until I tried to get some at the Detroit Metro Airport a couple of months ago. The now no longer take your order, but make you use some sort of machine---which is like the u-scan machines at some grocery stores. They are far too complicated to use and there is no one around to ask a question. What a joke!! I too, have crossed Popeye's off our list. But, there is always KFC.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-23:

My boyfriend loves honey on chicken. He keeps a small bottle of honey in his desk at work. And in his truck. And in my car.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-23:

That's disturbing nikalseyn. Actually, I do buy and eat locally produced honey to help with my allergies. Now, I got another reason to stick with the local stuff. I wonder what it's going to take for people to say "enough is enough" to all these food shenanigans.

Miss Shorty, Does your BF call you his 'little honey'?

Posted by madconsumer on 2012-02-23:

very helpful review!!

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-23:

Yes, among other things

Posted by Nohandle on 2012-02-23:

Some just want a packet of honey with the meal and that's all. I really wish once these restaurants become noted for a little something out of the norm for them to leave it be. I guess that's asking too much now.

Agreed nikalseyn the best place to purchase *real*honey is locally. We have several produce stands in our area that sell local honey. Honest to goodness it is. The jars even have the beekeepers name and business on the label. The jars are not fancy, just those old fashioned mason type jars.

There's a place friends vacation out of state that sells local Tupelo honey. They purchased a near case full and at Christmas last year tied a nice bow on each jar and presented as gifts. You knew you were on their *A* list if you received some.

Posted by Anna Molly on 2012-02-23:

Good review. A few other places are doing this, too. I want HONEY.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

There's a great little place about 45-minutes from us in Durango, CO called Honeyville. Bee farms making it the old fashioned way. You can order it online as well. Google the name for a real treat.

Good review!

Posted by Venice09 on 2012-02-24:

I had been trying to find locally grown honey for my allergies, and when I finally located a place, it was closed for the season. They should be opening soon, but I can't remember the name or location. So now I have to start all over. And I don't even know if it will work.

Posted by Alain on 2012-02-24:

There's no rule that fast food has to be junk food, but I expect fast food to be junk. Most of the time, the industry doesn't disappoint me. My guess is that there are some fundamental questions that fast food places use before they toss something out to the eating public. Will this food product increase profits? (Yes, go to next step) Will it make people sick or kill them? (No, we don't think so-go to next step) Does the wording about what it is or what we are trying to make people think it is legal? (Yes-next step) Will they eat it? (Yes, out to the eatery it goes!)

Posted by Mrs. V on 2012-02-24:

I grew up on a farm that had honey hives. Once you tast it fresh there is no way that the store bought stuff will do. I get mine from the Amish markets around here.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

I woke up this morning and had an epiphany of sorts. Perhaps, we consumers are the cause of the problem. Society as a whole continues the trend towards eating out as opposed to cooking ourselves. And the more of us that eat out, the greater the demand that is placed on the restaurants to serve our ever increasing desire to be served RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE! They are driven to cut as many corners as humanly possible in an effort to please the masses. And then we turn around and complain about the quality of the product, or missing pickles, cold fries, long drive thru lines, etc...

Back in the day, there was better quality control because the ratio of people that ate fast food was still relatively low. But every year the population continues to balloon, and the convenience of "fast food" grows exponentially.

Posted by lexophiliac on 2012-02-24:

Pure, natural honey is expensive. Depending on the brand, a little packet like you got with your meal (If it were the real McCoy) could cost almost as much as the meal itself. I have a tub of pure, premium honey from Russia that cost $60 USD.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Nah, I think it's more likely a bean counter somewhere at Popeye's corporate proposed $XXXX could be had if the company replaced honey with frankenstein's monster's honey and that market research shows most customers won't notice/care. The bean counter probably called it 'low hanging fruit' and socialized the idea with the suits on the 42nd floor. That's how those things usually work.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Lexo, A single serve packet of Kraft pure grade A honey costs about a dime. And that's retail on Amazon. My meal cost about 60 times that.

You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to pull the wool over Churro's eyes.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

I wonder if the honey that they serve at KFC is the same crap.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

It appears so Wally.

http://www.fitnosh.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Honey-Sauce.jpg

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

Noooo! not the colonel too :( only 7 percent of it is real honey wtf

Posted by Nohandle on 2012-02-24:

What's the franchise, the name has escaped me, that advertised *pure maple syrup* and there was an uproar from the regulars when it was substituted for some sort of blend? They could immediately tell the difference and weren’t happy campers. The fact is they were furious.

Seriously, if a place is noted for something out of the norm leave it be. Increase the price if necessary to serve the real thing. Just don't figure you'll save some money when your customers are angry. You advertise real butter, then serve real butter. You advertise pure maple syrup, then serve pure maple syrup. You advertise real honey, then serve real honey. That can't be too difficult to figure out.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Nohandle, That would be Cracker Barrel and I too was one of the non-happy campers. In fact the last time I was at the cracker barrel I ordered pancakes and noticed the ole switch-a-roo I refused delivery and sulked while the rest of my party finished their breakfast. Yeah, I can be a drama queen. What of it?

Posted by Nohandle on 2012-02-24:

You would be correct Churro. I honestly could not recall the name. If someone has the time and energy look back on some prior reviews on Cracker Barrel. Those were some folks, with pitchforks in hand, ready to do the manager in. They didn't appreciate it one lick and had a baby fit. I don't know if they lay on the floor and had a tantrum but they were not pleased.

Posted by lexophiliac on 2012-02-24:

That cr@p is not what I would consider pure, natural honey Churro. The honey bought in stores and served at most restaurants is passed through a process of heating pasturization and many ingredients are lost that way. Heating honey destroys its natural enzymes. Anything that has to be processed is not pure or natural.

Local honey bought straight from farms is not heated or force filtered, so it comes to you pure, loaded with healthy enzymes that have not been killed off by excessive processing. It doesn't take much to get a Grade A on products. If you've never had honey fresh from a bee farm, you've never had honey.

http://thrivefarm.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/supermarket-swindle-is-your-honey-really-honey/

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Agreed Lexo but it still doesn't cost more than the meal. I can get raw honey produced in Oklahoma for a little over 2 cents per gram. Raw in the honey goes staight from the hive to the jar. Simple.

A standard single serve honey packet is 9 grams. Doing the math that comes out to about 20 cents per serving. Now, tell me where I can get a chicken dinner for 20 cents?

DANG, I'm in the ZONE today.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2012-02-24:

I like to buy the pure honeycomb with the honey. I used to buy honeycombs full of honey from some Amish people at our local flea market...pure honey, nothing more, nothing less.

Posted by Old Timer on 2012-02-24:

If one has allergies you can dine on "local" honey and/or bee pollen for a long lasting cure to a huge number of allergy issues. It worked for me years ago, I am pretty much allergy free now from the pesky fall and winter allergies that kept me in tears.

The fake stuff Lexo speaks of will not do the same job. You need real "local" honey and bee pollens.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Good grief I don't need an allergy cure with my biscuit. I just want something that the only ingredient on the label is 'HONEY' and not a bunch of industrial corn derivatives.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

I'm surprised that the OP was surprised to find a packet of "honey sauce" in a box of food from a FF joint.

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2012-02-24:

I'm making homemade biscuits today...want me to save you a nice warm one, Churro?

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

JC, Popeye’s used to serve real honey (only ingredient honey although lacking the allergy fighting properties, essential enzymes and magic fairy dust) until I guess recently. I should be applauded for noticing the change and doing my part to make the public aware.

Basher, You know I'd never refuse your biscuits, honey.

Posted by Old Timer on 2012-02-24:

Good grief:

Churro (02/23/2012)

That's disturbing nikalseyn. Actually, I do buy and eat locally produced honey to help with my allergies. Now, I got another reason to stick with the local stuff.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

Thank you for clarifying. Now I understand why this review has garnered so many helpful votes.

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

Anybody realize that honey is just bee throw up?

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Old_Timer, At home I eat locally grown honey for my allergies. I think we all agree on the benefits of raw honey. I'm not suggesting fast food joints serve up natural raw honey. I just want them to serve something that the only ingredient is honey and not honey flavored corn syrup.

JC, you are welcome.

littleshorty, Do you mind if I call you Bee Barf?

Posted by Anonymous on 2012-02-24:

I don't care for that nickname, Churro

Posted by madconsumer on 2012-02-24:

good one Churro!!

if they served raw honey at fast food places, there could be legal implications.

Posted by lexophiliac on 2012-02-24:

One serving of honey is 21 grams, at .2 cents per serving that comes out to .42 cents. That is what *you* would be paying per normal size serving if you were buying it locally and directly, but you are not, you are paying for the twice jacked up packet that is factored into the cost of your jacked up meal, whether you ask for honey or not from a business that is buying their honey from a distributor who is most likely getting it from overseas. Much like justice's Little Caesar's condiment scenario, it goes down smoother when the cost is hidden.

American beekeepers have been forced to sell at below cost for several years now due to not being able to compete with the cheaper imported honey which could carry a hidden dangerous price. At least a 3rd, (conservative estimate) of honey that comes from China is contaminated with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals, and like the "fake eggs" there is a fake honey also. Honey from India was banned in the EU for similar reasons. *Depending on the brand* Did you miss that on purpose?

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/honey-laundering/

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Lexo, here's the link. Notice how it says 9 grams.

http://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Pure-Honey-9-Gram-Packages/dp/B001652KD8

Posted by DebtorBasher on 2012-02-24:

The QueenBee doesn't mind a little bee barf...
I just wonder what makes them barf so much...maybe they seen Churro nakked???

Posted by lexophiliac on 2012-02-24:

In this case, size does not matter. Let me regurgitate: You are not milking the cow, it is milked for you, the pail is then passed on to someone else who pours it in your glass. You get stung for the cow.

Posted by Churro on 2012-02-24:

Lexo, I didn't order milk at Popeye's. The ladies were quite clear they don't bring back drinks.

Posted by jktshff1 on 2012-03-10:

+1000 churro great review!