Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen — Restaurant in Clifton

Those that know me know that I’ve always believed customer service and satisfaction is paramount in any and every situation. Believe it or not you can get the SAME quality service from a “Fast Food” restaurant such as that you would expect from many fine upscale dining experiences. I’ve had my share of eating at both types of restaurants in and out of the country...many of which were all “hype” and could not deliver—-even those places have good and bad days!!! We are all human and deserve to be treated with dignity, so when writing a constructive criticism or “negative post” please try doing it with kindness (as HARD as that may be!). I have a great deal of respect and humbleness towards this industry and toward the people who work their so it was imperative that I write this primarily due to those negative reviews. I gained new perspective of this industry after taking the plunge and working in it for a couple of months. I didn’t come from this “fast food world” and I was very curious about the entire business model and how it all works to potentially open one in the future. Working their taught me grit, how to care about those around you despite your differences and overall the amount of WORK it takes to manage this business daily! It’s not all fun and games like many may think and many times it’s extremely LABOR intensive. Today 1/4/2023 at approx 4:30pm after a brief hiatus I went back to what will ALWAYS be my Popeyes family in Clifton, NJ and I was greeted with many smiles and workers that were on task doing their job. This is strictly an UNBIASED review based upon today’s experience since no one even knew I was coming-I too can be very critical and the employees know that if something was off I would have mentioned it. Whether it was the store manager assisting the team members etc... (Nancy), to Prep (Martita) who was replenishing the sides with I’m sure lots of love, to the mgr cook (Jonathan) who made sure the items were timed and fresh, to the friendliest smiles at cashier (Sebastian and Jovel) and to my old stopping ground trainer at Belleville who taught me the ropes (Julissa)...THANK YOU! We cannot forget to THANK those that impact your life and teach you valuable lessons. Yes, things happen..Yes, prices have astronomically increased, and Yes, things don’t always come out perfectly...but it’s how you handle and SAY things that make impact. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, since we do live in the free world...but the next time you visit remember that many of those employees have rode their bike to get to work in the rain and even snow that day, or have taken multiple busses to get to and home from work, many have dreams to open their own businesses and finish college to follow their passion, and many are caring, humble, HARD WORKING humans who only have their “work” family to lean on. They ALL have a name and a story! Again, thank you for your service-it does not go unnoticed! NOW, to way upper level management within the ranks of “higher titles” always remember these are the people who are instrumental in running the ship so that YOU have can have a “higher ranking title”...let’s not forget that! Now go fry the BEST...

I’ve had multiple concerns with this location, especially around food safety and staff behavior. The staff handling food often do not wear gloves and frequently talk over the food while it’s being prepared or packaged. This is not only unprofessional but also a hygiene issue.

One time, I respectfully pointed out to the person serving my food that she shouldn’t be talking over the food and that gloves should be worn. Instead of addressing the concern appropriately, she got an attitude and rudely threw the food in the garbage. Another staff member had to step in, serve the food, and tried to apologize for the situation—which I appreciated, but the experience was upsetting.

While most of the cashiers are friendly and polite, the staff behind the counter who handle the food are often rude, inattentive, and don’t seem to follow basic food safety protocols. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and improves training and oversight. This location has potential, but right now it’s disappointing...

The cashier asked me what two sauces I would like for my 5 piece chicken strips. After telling her the two I preferred, I waited for my to go order.

When I got home to open the box of chicken strips, there was NO sauce. Imagine eating chicken strips without sauce? I went as far as cleaning out the entire to go plastic bag to no avail (on a side note, isn't it illegal to dispense plastic bags in NJ?).

There's a disconnect in the team dynamics here. It's dysfunctional. Why ask what I like when the staff that gives out the order to the customers does not fulfill it.

The chicken strips were OILY and flavorless. Other than the rich oil taste, there was nothing to brag about.

The rice beans, however, were the best part of the meal combo.

This place gets a one-star. I recommend you check your order before leaving this place to ensure the sauces are...