KFC Calls Their New Sandwich the 'Best Ever'

For whatever reason, the start of 2021 has seen an unexpected resumption of the "chicken sandwich wars" that started back in 2019 when the world felt like a more sane, rational place. The first days of the new year have already brought news that everyone from McDonald's to Shake Shack have entered the battle.

Fittingly enough, a colonel is about to fire the next shot in this fast food fight. Starting January 7th, KFC has begun a nationwide rollout of its very own chicken sandwich. The battle plan starts with nine cities who will get a first look at the item (creatively titled the "KFC Chicken Sandwich"), fanning out across the country soon thereafter.

Compared to the way Shake Shack's newest sandwich incorporates Korean-inspired tastes like gochujang and Kimchi, KFC's chicken sandwich registers as a rather straightforward, no-nonsense affair. Between two buttery brioche buns, you'll find a quarter pound of double-breaded crispy white meat chicken, plus thick, crinkle-cut pickles and the Colonel's real mayo (available spicy or "classic"). So while the chicken itself isn't spicy, there's at least an option to turn up the heat a bit.

In the short term, you'll find the sandwich for $3.99 at KFCs on the west coast (in San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle), as well as in Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Louisville, and Tulsa. By the end of February, it should be on the menu at pretty much every KFC across the country, and you can frantically refresh their sandwich tracker in the meantime. If you've been itching to try KFC's new take on fries, those are included in a combo (plus drink) for $6.99.

So will KFC's efforts be enough to force Popeyes to surrender? Will it win the battle but lose the war? Hopefully we'll find out soon enough, if only so we can retire all of the "war" metaphors currently used to describe fast food menu items.