The Popeyes Side Dish We Ranked The Absolute Best Was Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Too

Fried chicken is delicious on its own, but the sides are almost as important as the fried bird itself. We recently ranked every Popeyes side dish from worst to best, and through bites of coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and biscuits we found that one side Popeyes offers is absolutely exceptional. Surprisingly, it's not the chain's flagship red beans and rice. If you don't believe us, food icon Anthony Bourdain famously also loved this Popeyes side because it's a comfort food that almost anyone can get behind.

We picked Popeyes' Homestyle Mac and Cheese as our favorite for a myriad of reasons. It comes with an appealing layer of caramelized cheese on top, for starters, but every aspect of this mac and cheese is dialed up to 10. Our taste tester gushed, "The noodles are generously large, and the tidal wave amount of cheese included would make a Wisconsinite blush. Real butter is also a part of its make-up, and it's just another part of what makes it such a gluttonously gooey, and endlessly alluring item." Granted, mac and cheese might not be as palate-refreshing with chicken as, say, coleslaw, but one thing we realized during our taste test is that the mac stands on its own for when you're not in the mood for Popeyes' irresistible chicken.

The late Anthony Bourdain was known for his off-the-beaten path TV journalism and food exploration (along with his acerbic wit), which might make the idea of his love for Popeyes Mac and Cheese seem somewhat puzzling. But the truth is, the man spent so much time on the road filming his show in far-flung destinations that Popeyes was just the taste of home for him. The Louisiana-style fried chicken chain has an international presence, which meant he could bring his palate home when he needed a break from business.

He told People once that it served as a remedy for homesickness. "To me, Popeyes is exotica. I was eating noodles and roast goose and Chinese food for the past 10 days. So to be back and eat some Americana food, well, I will weep with gratitude at macaroni and cheese." And who can blame him? Comfort food oftentimes takes the form of carbs and fat, and a gooey mac and cheese can bring you back to Earth after a long day. It's not surprising that both Bourdain and our taste tester came to the same conclusion — mac and cheese from Popeyes will never be a bad pick. In fact, it's our favorite option there.