I compared the new wings at Popeyes to Wingstop. I couldn't believe who won — and by a near-landslide.

Nancy LunaJan 16, 2024, 01:07 IST

Business Insider correspondent Nancy Luna, who covers the restaurant industry, reviews the chicken wings at Popeyes and Wingstop.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Popeyes made wings a permanent part of its fried chicken menu in late November.
It enters a category dominated by Wingstop, which has about 1,800 locations in the US.

Wingstop is the King of Wings in the fast-food world.

The chain, which has more than 1,800 locations in the US, is unstoppable. In its latest quarter, sales increased 26.5% to $885 million. Each store makes about $1.8 million annually. Wingstop's digital sales are off the charts, accounting for nearly 67% of sales.

So, when Popeyes expanded its permanent menu to include chicken wings in late November, it seemed fitting to see how they stacked up to the No. 1 player in the category.

Going in, I expected a landslide win by Wingstop.

That didn't happen.

Here's what I found out:

Wingstop sells 12 flavors of wings. Popeyes offers five flavors.

We compared four flavors at Wingstop to similar flavors at Popeyes.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Wingstop's prices per wing are a tad higher than Popeyes.

Wingstop prices are a tad higher per wing than Popeyes.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The Roasted Garlic Parmesan wings at Popeyes were crazy delicious.

Roasted Garlic wings at Popeyes show red flakes, indicating I might feel some heat.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

I thought the Garlic Parmesan wings at Wingstop would be superior to Popeyes because it's such a classic flavor.

The Garlic Parmesan wings at Wingstop were heavily dusted in cheese.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

I couldn't get over the clumps of Parmesan cheese laying on top of each Wingstop wing.

I didn't like the clumps of Parmesan on Wingstop's garlic wings.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The Honey BBQ wings at Popeyes were sticky, but finger-licking good.

The Honey BBQ wings at Popeyes are tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Wingstop's barbecue wings were plain, but delicious.

The Hickory Smoked BBQ wings at Wingstop were mighty sticky.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Popeyes said the Sweet 'N Spicy wings, tested earlier this year, are the chain's "best performing product since the infamous Chicken Sandwich."

The Sweet 'N Spicy wings are swimming in chili oil.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The Spicy Korean Q wings at Wingstop have a similar flavor and heat profile to the Sweet 'N Spicy wings.

Wingstop's Spicy Korean wings were similar in flavor to the Sweet 'N Spicy wings at Popeyes.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The next matchup pits the not-so-hot Ghost Pepper wings at Popeyes against Wingstop's Louisiana Rub wings.

There's no real heat in the Ghost Pepper wings.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

The Louisiana Rub wings at Wingstop were lightly coated in a Cajun seasoning. They were the best wings I tried at Wingstop.

Wingstop's Louisiana Rub wings were the best of the four we tasted.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

Here's why Wingstop loses to chicken wings newcomer Popeyes.

The new chicken wings at Popeyes pack a lot of heat.Nancy Luna/Business Insider

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I compared the new wings at Popeyes to Wingstop. I couldn't believe who won &mdash; and by a near-landslide.