Most of Popeyes’ new pickle menu belongs to the former, though I feel like I need to affix an asterisk to this statement. Introduced on April 1, the fast-food chain’s pickle menu was no joke.

MACON, Ga. — Chef Amy Alarcon, the vice president of Culinary at Popeyes, issued an unapologetic statement in a press release earlier this month: "We're pickle people, so we understand that ...