The Michael W Travels family have been big fans of Filipino fast food chain Jollibee since we first gave it a try in 2016 in Woodside, NY.
I was happy to learn that Jollibee would be expanding with an upcoming Manhattan location. However that location took over two years to open! Lucas and I made an unplanned visit to the new NYC location while on the way to the NY Times Travel Show.
Since then, we recently visited Jollibee in Woodside where we enjoyed various tasty items.
Chicken has been a hot item with fast food restaurants and one of the most hyped items has been the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.
The sandwich debuted while we were out of the country and quickly sold out. It didn’t return to menus until a few weeks back.
I went to try it and found it to be good but nothing spectacular. I found the bun to be very good and the chicken to be a massive chunk of meat. However, the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich was very fatty and had some weird textures which Lucas and I did not care for. Kim’s sandwich experience was very different and she definitely enjoyed it more than I did.
One of these days I plan to give the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich another try…
While in New Jersey recently, I had planned to dine at a popular restaurant but the wait was way too long. Rather than wait, we decided to head over to Jollibee in Jersey City.
Lucas wanted his favorite Jolly Spaghetti and Kim wanted Chicken Joy with Rice & Gravy. I was up in the air in terms of what I wanted to order. I asked the friendly cashier what he’d recommend.
He mentioned that there was a new Jollibee Chicken Sandwich. He then quietly said, “you know Popeyes Chicken Sandwich? Our is better!”
Sold! I ordered a Chicken Sandwich Classic. The sandwich cost $4.49 which is a drop more then the Popeyes version.
The sandwich took a bit longer to prepare than the rest of our order. I anticipated greatness and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
The sandwich comes wrapped in a thick paper and felt pretty heavy when I picked it up.
As I started to unwrap the sandwich, I noticed how the ingredients (with images) were listed on the packaging.
Some info about the Jollibee Chicken Sandwich:
- Brioche Bun
- Garlic Aioli
- Freshly Made and Hand-Breaded
- 100% Real Chicken Breast Filet
Upon first sight, the sandwich looked pretty good and the chunk of chicken was pretty generous as it hung out of the bun.
The bun was lightly toasted on the inside and the garlic aioli was placed on the sandwich in one area. The chicken looked good and had an orange tint to the crust. I immediately wondered if this was a hot and spicy chicken sandwich.
I had to be very careful since the sandwich was extremely hot.
Upon first bite, I was very impressed. The chicken was flavorful and extremely juicy. That orange tint on the crispy breading wasn’t spicy, it was more of a subtle and tasty seasoning.
I initially really liked all of the components of the sandwich. However, the more I ate the sandwich, the less I liked the garlic aioli. When I order this sandwich in the future, I’ll either ask for the aioli on the side or leave it off completely.
Pro Tip:
I dipped the last few bites of the sandwich in the Jollibee gravy and it made the taste even better. The gravy is creamy but not heavy, with a slight peppery taste. I’d highly recommend getting some gravy for the sandwich.
Final Thoughts:
There’s a lot of excellent fast food chicken sandwiches being offered these days.
While Chick-fil-A is the gold standard to me, Jollibee comes in pretty high on my list. As for that over-hyped Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, I’ll try it again one of these days but I’d much rather have one from Jollibee!
Have you dined at Jollibee? If so, what are your favorite items?
If you’re curious to find out more about Jollibee, check out their menu here.
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Mike G- That does sound good! Have you tried the sandwich with Jolibee’s gravy?
I think this is better than popeyes too! Here is another pro tip: this sandwich can be ordered with ketchup and mayo instead of the aioli. I have been getting it a couple of times per week. The brioche bun is perfect too. ✌
I like this garlic aioli but i feel it’s better in the deluxe so the lettuce and tomato offset the flavor of the sauce