The Fried Chicken Chain Anthony Bourdain Couldn't Get Enough Of

The legendary Anthony Bourdain was known for his strong opinions about food — and it was no secret that he had a soft spot for fried chicken. It was also no secret that the iconic author, chef, and media personality had a favorite fast food spot when it came to ordering his go-to comfort food on the fly. Popeyes was the one fried chicken chain he couldn't get enough of, bar none. In fact, he loved it so much that he once dined at Popeyes three days in a row.

It wasn't just any Popeyes, either. His back-to-back-to-back Popeyes extravaganza took place at the last remaining Popeyes buffet in existence in 2018, as reported by People magazine, while shooting his CNN show "Parts Unknown" in Lafayette, Louisiana. (The Popeyes in Lafayette subsequently closed its buffet in 2021, though the location is still in operation as of this writing.) Although he preferred to wear hoodies and to remain unnoticed during his repeated visits to Popeyes during that three-day period, his love for the chain was an authentic demonstration of his appreciation for all types of food. 

When Anthony Bourdain ate at the Popeyes buffet in the Louisiana city of Lafayette, his meal of choice included all the classics: spicy fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, a Dr. Pepper, and (most importantly) mac and cheese. "I was eating noodles and roast goose and Chinese food for the past 10 days," he explained in his 2018 interview with People magazine, adding, "so to be back and eat some Americana food, well, I will weep with gratitude at macaroni and cheese."

To be fair, Popeyes' mac and cheese is certainly tear-worthy — it's one of the best fast food mac and cheese options in the game, a sentiment with which Bourdain agreed. Prior to his trip to Lafayette, he even discussed his love for the stuff in a 2016 Reddit AMA. "I have an unholy and guilty attraction to fast-food macaroni and cheese," Bourdain admitted at the time, where he first revealed his modus operandi as to how he was able to enjoy the dish undisturbed. "During the morning I get these horrendous cravings for Popeye's mac and cheese [...] I will often disguise myself to try to slip into Popeyes." For Bourdain, Popeyes served as a familiar and tasty comfort meal between long trips abroad. While his love for trying new foods worldwide was clear, he still had plenty of all-American favorites — especially, as we can now say with utter certainty, Popeyes.