Popeyes launches rival to iconic McDonald's dish just weeks before its return

Spare a thought for McDonald's fans in the US, who haven’t seen a Snack Wrap on a McDonald’s menu for 10 years.

They've got them in the UK, they’ve got them in Canada, but they’ve been absent in the States for a decade.

The corn tortilla wrap from which it gets its name is curled over either crispy or grilled chicken breast, some lettuce, shredded cheddar, some Monterey Jack cheese, and a sauce of your choice between ranch, honey mustard and salsa roja.

The options just became even more tantalising (Brandon Bell / Staff/Getty Images)

They’re light and tasty, ideal for staving off some between-meal hunger pangs, and they’re much-longed-for by our American cousins.

The wait might soon be over, however, with McDonald’s bringing the almighty Snack Wrap back to menus on 14 July.

Ready to pounce on the hype, Popeyes has timed its own entry into the wrap battles with ruthless precision.

The all-new and ‘generously-sized’ Chicken Wraps are available in the US for $3.99 (£2.96), with breaded and battered chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, and gherkins, along with the choice of classic, spicy, or honey mustard spread.

(Popeyes)

Sound familiar? If not for the gherkins, it would be hard to tell it apart from the inbound prodigal son.

“With our new Chicken Wraps, we’ve taken our iconic chicken tenders and wrapped them in something completely new, bringing all that craveable crunch in a fresh, portable way,” said chef Amy Alarcon, VP of culinary innovation at Popeyes, in a press release.

“Infusing the flavors from our famous biscuit into our wraps was the perfect way to ensure our signature flavors shined through.”

Redditors have been hard at once offering their two cents (pence) on the reveal, with cynicism being the order of the day.

“Trying to get the jump on McDonald’s I see,” said one comment.

It's surprising that Popeye's didn't already have a Chicken Wrap on its menu (Roberto Machado Noa / Contributor/Getty Images)

“Another scam wrap,” bemoaned another. “At least they could have brought back their old wraps that had red beans and rice too.”

“One tender is ‘generously sized’? What a joke,” said another. For the equivalent of £2.96, it seems pretty reasonable to me.

“At that price, I'd rather just get the sandwich,” added yet another. Are these guys seeing a different price to the rest of us?

With the much-loved Snack Wrap just around the corner, Popeyes taking a shot at the king is a bold move indeed.

And like they say, if you fancy taking a shot at the king, you’d best not miss.