Over the last year and change, my family has gotten used to the fact that when we go to the grocery store, at some point I’m going to veer off to search a random aisle for new products to review.  Sometimes there’s nothing, but last week turned up a variety of options to choose from.  That is, until I came across Ruffles Smokehouse Style BBQ chips… then there was no choice at all.  Railroads in Monopoly don’t get purchased as quickly as I bought that bag.
 
The fact is, I love ribs, and I used to have a favorite rib joint that my in-laws introduced me to.  (Not the only reason they’re the best in-laws in the world, but certainly top three.)  This place had more styles of ribs than you can imagine — baby back, St. Louis style spare ribs, Bourbon Street, South Carolina honey, Cajun, Texas beef short ribs, sesame garlic — and they were all excellent.  Worth every inch of the 15 mile drive.  But then last year they suddenly closed when the government bought out the land they were situated on, with no plans to reopen elsewhere.  Damn the Man!

So I’ve been deprived of good ribs for over a year now.  New Year’s Eve came and went without our traditional feast, and it hurt.  And when it’s been that long, well… sometimes anything even vaguely associated with what you’re missing starts to look good.  Veronica Mars may be gone forever, but Kristen Bell’s latest romantic comedy can’t be that bad, right?  (Right?)  I knew no potato chip could ever replace our departed rib joint, but like a lonely man in Amsterdam, I was easy prey for the chips’ siren call.  Part of that is the packaging, which prominently displays a succulent, well-seasoned rack of ribs, but the rest is my innate suggestibility, because apparently some tiny part of me truly believed there were actual ribs in there.  (P.S.- There are not.)

Still, that doesn’t mean the product is doomed to failure.  As you might expect, opening the package wafts a strong smell toward your nostrils.  Even after having consumed most of the bag, there’s still a noticeable but not overpowering scent.  It’s a slightly spicy aroma, though you’d never mistake it for the smell from an actual order of ribs.  (Shame, because I would absolutely buy rib-scented air freshener, and you know you would too.)  Appearance-wise, they just look like regular Ruffles that someone has coated in typical barbecue chip spices.  I’m considering writing to Ruffles and suggesting they include one actual cow bone in every bag, because you just like to have something to gnaw on when you’re done eating, you know?  But that’s another story.

But when you actually taste one, it’s hard to get past the fact that it tastes like: a barbecue chip.  No less and not much more.  There’s perhaps some minor variation from your “average” barbecue chip — these just might be a shade smoother with not quite as much sharp aftertaste, and at times I thought I detected a hint of smokiness — but then again, maybe not.  It would take a more discerning palate than mine to draw a clear distinction between these and any other BBQ chips you’ve eaten.  Naming them “smokehouse style” is a good marketing tool, as is the picture of ribs on the bag, but a more honest name might’ve been “Basically Just Some Barbecue Chips (with ridges).”  Now I happen to like barbecue chips, so that’s not the end of the world.  But if you entertained a vague hope that these would in some way approximate a true rib-eating experience, well… sorry that you’re as naive or desperate as me.

In the end, it’s as true of rib joints as it is of life: something great, once lost, can never be recaptured.  You can wander around New Jersey all you want (and I have), you’re never going to find Wellsville.  But of course, you never really expected to — your brain knew all along what your heart won’t accept.  So you can either content yourself with the journey and your ridged barbecue chips, or you can keep looking for another fantastic rib shack.  Me, I’m going to continue the search.  But in the meantime, Ruffles Smokehouse Style BBQ flavored potato chips are an unremarkable but steadfast companion to have along for the ride. 

(Nutrition Facts – 1 oz/about 11 chips – 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 210 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugars, and 2 grams of protein.)

Other Ruffles Smokehouse Style BBQ reviews:

Fat Guy Food Blog
We Rate Stuff

Item: Ruffles Smokehouse Style BBQ Potato Chips
Price: $4.29
Size: 9 ounces
Purchased at: Giant
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Ridged for your pleasure.  Tantalizing packaging.  Smell is appealing but not overly spicy.  Rib-scented air freshener.  As far as BBQ chips go, they’re pretty good ones.  Obscure Pete & Pete references for the mf’ing WIN.
Cons: Be honest, they’re just barbecue chips.  The government stealing the rib man’s land.  Deceptive packaging.  Hard to tell if they’re actually any smokier than any other barbecue chip.  Why is Kristen Bell not out there solving crimes?  That’s a lot of calories and fat per chip. 

So you’re hosting a fall harvest barbecue with a backwoods gourmet theme heavily influence by your lack of funds and the fact that you ran over a wild animal on your way home from work last night. Frankly, this sounds a bit questionable, but lord knows, I’ve got no room to judge.

Anyway, the meal is shaping up to be a disaster (big shock there). With your first guests set to shuffle over from their neighboring trailers in about fifteen minutes, your found opossum entrée still isn’t done (at least, it doesn’t look done – but I’m no opossum roasting expert) and your multi-layer Jell-O jiggler hors d’oeuvres aren’t setting nearly as fast as you’d hoped. You don’t have nearly enough time left to whip up your beloved cheese puff casserole! Whatever will you do for a side dish?

Well, lucky for you, you’ve got me, and a local Walmart. Simply send a significant other/friend/child out for some limited edition Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles and you’ll already be halfway to neighborhood acclaim. Seeing as you’ve prepared no other sides, I’d recommend, oh, roughly 1/3 bag per person.

“But Nichol,” I assume you’re asking, “I can’t just serve them bagged. That’s not gourmet! And the only bowl I have big enough for the five bags of chips you estimate I’ll need has snowmen and dancing Santas all over it!”

Holy crap! Chill out! I’ve got you covered. Quit interrupting.

Do you have construction paper? No? Well, quick – call the person you sent out for chips and have them pick some up. I’ll wait.

Okay? Okay. Now, what you want to do next is come up with an appropriate replacement theme for the bowl. You’ve already got the Fall thing going, so let’s work with that. Now’s the time to get creative. I recommend covering Frosty and St. Nick’s faces with lots and lots of paper leaves. If, however, you wish to take things a bit further, maybe shift forward a few weeks with your décor, you could also craft zombie parts for the Santas, so that they appear to be hunting down the poor snowmen, or vice versa.

In either case, that’s not a problem you’ve got on your hands so much as a fantastic crafting opportunity.

“But what about the chips themselves?” You now say because you’re just horribly whiny and out of sorts today. “What makes them classy? And shouldn’t I opt for more of a variety?”

First off, no. Just these. Don’t confuse your guests with five thousand similar looking lesser chip varieties. They deserve better.

Second, these chips happen to be a limited edition, fan-chosen, Walmart exclusive. If that’s not enough for your crowd of snobbish rednecks, tell them this: Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles are a one-of-a-kind treat, occupying a blurry middle ground somewhere between Funyuns and their comparatively mundane Sour Cream and Onion Ruffles cousins.

They are the mellow, potato chip equivalent to French’s French Fried Onions, by which I mean the oniony notes are vivid, sweet, and unmistakably Vidalia-like, and the chips taste very much deep fried in some batter you won’t recognize but will wish you could replicate. They offer just a hint of completely unnecessary brown sugar (which I assume is supposed to lend a caramelized taste) and subtle buttermilk undertones. The coating is light, sidestepping both the weird film Funyuns leave behind in one’s mouth and the heaviness one feels by one’s second or third handful of sour cream and onion chips.

The flavor pairs wonderfully with a nice peppery Saison. What? I lost you all there? Fine. These chips pair decently with any cheap beer devoid of fruity elements, wheat, and most other adjectives. Is that what you want to hear? Honestly, why do I even try with you?

Basically, if your guests enjoy onion rings, they will enjoy these chips. And if they are the kind of crowd that enjoys opossum, I’m just going to stereotypically assume they’re onion ring fans. Or at least fans of fried things, which is close enough.

Oh, and I should probably mention that the layers of flavor flatten out to nothing but semi-fake onion as you keep shoveling the Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles into your gullet. Make sure to periodically offer up more beer and opossum parts to avoid potential party-killing monotony.

Good Luck!

(Nutrition Facts – 1 ounce/ about 11 chips– 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams polyunsaturated fat, 5 grams monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein, 0% vitamin A, 0% calcium, 8% Vitamin B6, 10% vitamin C, 4% thiamin, 2% phosphorous, 4% magnesium, and 2% iron.)

Other Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles reviews:
Fat Guy Food Blog

Item: Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles
Price: $2.98 (on sale)
Size: 9 ounces
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: No Funyuns film. DIY re-holiday-ification. Buttermilk. Jell-O hors d’oeuvres. Vidalia sweetness. Good addition to the existing faux-fried onion flavor family. Zombie Santas.
Cons: Found opossum entrees. Attempt at caramelized flavor lends a weird barbeque-like edge. Jell-O refusing to cooperate. Descends into an oniony borefest after a few minutes.

Update: Click here to read our Beer Battered Onion Rings Ruffles review

Earlier this year, Frito-Lay held a contest to determine what the next flavor of Ruffles potato chips would be. The flavors that were pitted against each other mostly read like a menu at a truckstop diner and included Sloppy Joe, French Dip, Pepperoni Pizza, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Fried Pickles, Baby Back Ribs, Smothered Chicken Fried Steak, Wasabi Ranch, and Spinach Bacon Dip.

After the voting was completed and the flavor dust settled, Beer Battered Onion Rings ended up victorious and next month they’ll be available as an exclusive flavor at The-Giant-Blue-Superstore-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The Ruffles Beer Battered Onion Rings continues Ruffles foray into unique savory flavors and follows Molten Hot Wings and Loaded Chili & Cheese, which were introduced earlier this year.

Unfortunately, the flavor will only be available at U.S. location of The-Giant-Blue-Superstore-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Hello Foodbeast.

Source: Frito-Lay Snacks Blog

Oh, Tapatío Man on the hot sauce label. We’ve been flirting with each other for years. Don’t try to deny it; every time we meet, you’re wearing your best mustard-colored jacket and jaunty red…ascot thing. Don’t even get me started on that impossibly wide sombrero that appears to have the circumference of an ancient Redwood. And above your ecstatic smile, that immaculate mustache that just screams, “Wanna ride?”

Yes, we’ve been meeting up for lunch for years now. Maybe it’s over burgers or pasta. You’ve saved countless pizza crusts from being thrown away when we had a three-way with some ranch dressing. It’s an open relationship; I’ve been with other hot sauces. But when I’m drunk and it’s 3 am, you’re always my booty call of choice.

Tapatío Man is free to see other foods, too, which is why I wasn’t offended when I found out he’s been hanging with three new Frito-Lay products: Fritos Tapatío, Doritos Tapatío and Ruffles Tapatío Limón. I’ve already checked out how Fritos and Tapatío work together, which will actually help this review, because Fritos are the only chip that went straight Tapatío on yo’ ass. The Doritos have a Nacho Cheese base, and the Ruffles get hot and heavy with Tapatío and Limón. Two accented letters in one chip name, that’s serious business. That’s c/p into a Notepad file so I don’t have to reference the char map 1700 times business.

Tapatío Man is cool, so he let me get in on this action. I can tell because he’s staring right into my eyes from the packages, giving me that smile that says…

Wait a second, what’s this?

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING AT FROM THE DORITOS PACKAGE, TAPATÍO MAN? WHO ARE YOU FLASHING YOUR PEARLY WHITES AT, JUST TO THE RIGHT OF ME?!

Okay, so I still have some jealousy issues. Seriously though, what is up with that? On the original hot sauce label (yes, I actually do have a bottle of Tapatío on hand at all times, I’m not frontin’) he’s staring straight ahead, just like on the Ruffles bag. Why are his eyes askew on the Doritos bag? Printing error? Were people in the Doritos focus group intimidated by Tapatío Man’s ability to see into your soul, so they averted his eyes? I love a good food packaging mystery. Can’t dwell on it forever though; let’s take a mustache ride straight to Sabritastown.

Doritos Tapatío

At first glance, Tapatío Doritos look angry. Angry like, I will make you regret eating these when you wake up at 3 am and have to run to the bathroom angry. Fortunately, their bark is worse than their bite. Oh yeah, there’s some heat there, but it’s not out of control. I’ve had Doritos 3rd Degree Burn Scorchin’ Habanero, and those are hot. Tapatío Doritos bring a good amount of heat, but not enough to make steam come out of your ears. Assuming you’re a cartoon character.

You can definitely taste the nacho cheese base, which works well with the spicy heat of the Tapatío powder, which, by the way, will stain your fingers so that everyone knows you’ve been eating red-colored chips. My problem with these chips, however, is that they don’t really taste like Tapatío. I’ve never tried Flamin’ Hot Doritos, but now I wish I had, because I have a sneaking suspicion they would have tasted remarkably similar to Tapatío Doritos. They just lack that distinct flavor that I love so much in the hot sauce. They could have been called Extra Spicy Nacho Cheese and I would have nodded and said, “Yep, that’s it.”

Ruffles Tapatío Limón

Doritos just gets a picture of a bottle of Tapatío on its bag, but Ruffles gets a full makeover, running wild with blue and orange and wavy borders and everything. This may seem unusual for Ruffles, but you have to remember that the Tapatío line of chips also falls under the Sabritas line, which is what I guess you could call a subsidiary of Frito-Lay. I know, it’s confusing. Just know that Sabritas aims at the Mexican market, so they do things a little differently. The Tapatío Ruffles bag is designed just like the Sabritas Ruffles Queso bag, which you can see here, complete with words you probably don’t understand and some confusing but entertaining spy music. Dios Mio!

Ruffles Tapatío Limón’s twist is obviously the limón, which I figured meant lime (what with the slice of lime on the bag and all), but Google Translate says means lemon. Maybe they’re Sprite flavored! No wait, that’s lymon. Nevermind.

One of my favoritest snack foods is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Limón. Unfortunately, that same twang that works on the Cheetos doesn’t seem to work well on Ruffles. There seems to be a little less heat on these chips than were on the Doritos, but it’s impossible to tell if it has true Tapatío flavor because the limón is too overpowering. The citrus flavor puckered my mouth, which is fine if I’m challenging my palate by sucking on an Extreme Sour Warhead, but not when I’m eating a potato chip.

It’s difficult to rate Doritos Tapatío. On the one hand, it works perfectly well as a spicy, cheese tortilla chip. On the other hand, that heat is supposed to come in the form of Tapatío hot sauce flavoring, and I can’t really say it delivers on that point, so they technically failed, which is ultimately how I have to judge them. Ruffles Tapatío Limón are easier to pass judgment on; I had high hopes for them, but instead of a spicy Tapatío-flavored chip with a hint of limón, I got an overly citrus-flavored potato chip with a little heat on it. I don’t mind Tapatío Man hanging out with other foods, but I wish he’d pick better company.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 ounce – Doritos Tapatío – 1 ounce, 140 calories, 70 calories from fat, 8 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugars, 2 grams of protein, 4% vitamin A, 0% calcium, 0% vitamin C, 2% iron, 2% Thiamin, 2% vitamin B6. Ruffles Tapatío Limón – 160 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams of total fat, 1 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 320 milligrams of potassium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 grams of sugars, 2 grams of protein, 0% vitamin A, 0% calcium, 10% vitamin C, 2% iron, 4% Thiamin, 8% vitamin B6, 6% vitamin E, 4% niacin.)

Item: Doritos Tapatío and Ruffles Tapatío Limón
Price: $0.99 each
Size: 2 1/8 ounces (Doritos Tapatío)
Size: 1 3/4 ounces ( Ruffles Tapatío Limón)
Purchased at: Circle K
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Doritos Tapatío)
Rating: 3 out of 10 (Ruffles Tapatío Limón)
Pros: Doritos had a nice cheese/heat combination. Tapatío Man and his sexy mustard jacket. Ruffles had okay heat. Mustache rides.
Cons: Ruffles had overpowering citrus flavor. Red flavor powder staining fingers. Couldn’t detect any real Tapatío flavor. Tapatío Man making bad partnership choices.

Update: Click here to read out Doritos Tapatío and Ruffles Tapatío Limon review

I don’t frequent Mexican restaurants as much as I visit Taco Bell, but whenever I do, there’s almost always a bottle of Tapatío hot sauce on the table. Some call it hot sauce, but I call it Mexican ketchup because I like to put it on everything when I’m eating Mexican. I’ve had significantly hotter sauces, but the mild kick and flavor of Tapatío keeps me coming back to it.

The folks at Frito-Lay and the folks at Tapatio have come together to release Tapatio hot sauce-flavored Doritos tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips, and Ruffles potato chips. All three chips are made using the same ingredients found in the original Tapatío hot sauce recipe — red chili peppers, spices, and a hint of garlic. The flavor of Tapatío will be add to Doritos Nacho Cheese flavored chips to create Doritos Tapatío; a hint of lime will be combined with Tapatío to make Ruffles Tapatío Limon; and Fritos Tapatío just gets slapped with the sauce.

An ounce of Fritos Tapatío Flavored Corn Chips has 140 calorias, 8 grams of grasa, 1 gram of grasa saturada, 0 grams of grasa trans, 5 grams of grasa poliinsaturada, 2.5 grams of grasa monoinsaturada, 160 milligrams of sodio, and 15 grams of carbohidratos. An ounce of Ruffles Tapatío Limon contains 160 calorias, 10 grams of grasa, 1 gram of grasa saturada, 0 grams of grasa trans, 2.5 grams of grasa poliinsaturada, 5 grams of grasa monoinsaturada, 190 milligrams of sodio, and 15 grams of carbohidratos.

The Tapatio-flavored chips will be available later this month at grocery and convenient stores throughout the western and central areas of the U.S. Small bags will retail for 99 cents, while large bags will retail for $2.99.

I’ve let you down, readers of The Impulsive Buy.

Despite following food news like a meteorologist follows clouds, I wasn’t able to tell you about the Legendary Philly Cheesesteak Ruffles in a timely manner.  They’ve been out for a few weeks now, but I only learned about them an hour ago.

If I was able to let you know about them sooner, many of you could be stuffing your faces and getting your crunch on with these Philly Cheesesteak-flavored chips right now. There are also some of you out there who are munching down on these chips right now and thinking to yourself that this is old news because you’re eating through your second or third bag.

You’d think, as someone who regularly reads websites called Processed Food News, Drug Store News, and Convenience Store News, I would’ve learned about the Legendary Philly Cheesesteak Ruffles sooner.  But all I can say is that I’ve failed you all and that this particular Ruffles is a Walmart exclusive.

Source: Fatguyfoodblog