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REVIEW: Lay’s 2026 World Cup Potato Chip Flavors

James / May 13, 2026 / Reviews / 6 Comments

For the ‘26 World Cup, Lay’s is giving us traditional (but not that traditional) takes on the cuisine of three perennial futbol powerhouses. We’ve got Argentinian-Style Steak with Chimichurri chips, Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce chips, and French Onion Soup chips. Sorry in advance, fans of the Uzbekistan and Curaçao national teams.

We’ll start with the Team Argentina tie-in. When you crack open a bag of steak-flavored chips you don’t really expect it to taste like steak. You might anticipate a reasonable and respectable facsimile of steak, maybe, but you already know to dial down your expectations. But give Lay’s some credit, they managed to make these things taste a LOT like a real steak. Even without the chimichurri connection (which is pretty much a preordained, tailor made potato chip flavor if there ever was one) the mixology of the herbs and spices here is just masterful. Like, my tongue was totally fooled, and I SWEAR I felt some savory, protein-packed juiciness that couldn’t possibly exist in real life while I was eating these things. Not only is it a nuanced, flavorful bag, but it’s also an amazingly hearty and filling snack with way more kick than I would’ve ever imagined. It’s enough to make you throw your hands in the air and scream GOAAALLLL, even if the wife told you to stop doing that ten years ago.

The Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce chips, unfortunately, don’t fare quite as well. Don’t get me wrong, the chips are still pretty tasty, but they’re not a very unique flavor. Imagine those old sour cream and cheddar chips from back in the day, only with a bit more tart to them, and you pretty much have these things figured out before you even pop one down your esophagus. I see what they were going for — a chip that had a light butteriness to it, but without foregoing that quasi-vinegary taste — but it’s just too many competing flavors duking it out at the same time. The back packaging of the bag suggests that the product has a zesty, citrus kick to it but I didn’t really feel it. Ultimately, it’s not quite as shameful as losing 7-0 to Germany, but it’s the biggest disappointment of this Cup’s trifecta by far. But it is kinda’ cool that these chips almost match the color of Team Brazil’s actual soccer uniforms, though.

The French Onion Soup chips are, at the same time, the most mundane flavor AND the most intriguing of this year’s line-up. On one hand there’s not much innovation here at all — indeed, I’m shocked that French Onion Soup chips haven’t been around forever, since it’s such a simple and inoffensive taste to replicate in munch and crunch form. What does make this different from the Argentinian and Brazilian snacks, though, is the mouthfeel. This is the only chip of the three that comes in wavy form — I’m not sure if there’s a cultural or culinary reason why Lay’s went that route, but it totally turns these chips from just OK into borderline great. It’s a relatively light and subtle flavor, but the coarseness of the chips gives everything a perfect counterweight. It’s savory without feeling overpowering, muted without feeling watered down (or salted down, since these are chips and all.) I’m not a big fan of French onion soup at all but I really liked these chips. Like the ‘98 French team that won it all, Lay’s played it smart, strategic, and simple — it eschews showiness and just plain nails all of the fundamentals.

You really can’t complain about any of these three chips too much. Even the Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce chips aren’t that bad and I can see an endless bounty of complementary dip pairings for all three of these products. I guess you could argue that Lay’s took too few chances with the trio, but tasty yet somewhat predictable chips are still preferable to something that tastes wholly unique but ultimately unrewarding to the part of your soul that wants carbohydrates more than oxygen. Looks like Argentina is taking the gold in this assortment, with France settling for silver and Brazil reaping the junk food equivalent of a bronze medal.

Let’s just hope that Cape Verde goes on the Cinderella run to end all Cinderella runs this summer. Some cachupa-flavored chips from Lay’s in 2030 would be lit.

Purchased Price: $4.29 each
Size: 7.75 oz bag (Argentinian-Style Steak), 7.75 oz bag (Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce), 7.5 oz bag (French Onion Soup)
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Argentinian-Style Steak), 7 out of 10 (Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce), 8 out of 10 (French Onion Soup)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) Argentinian-Style Steak 160 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, less than one gram of total sugars and 2 grams of protein. Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce 150 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein. French Onion Soup 160 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Cinnamon Pull-Apart

James / November 20, 2025 / Reviews / 3 Comments

Starbucks may be synonymous with coffee, but the chain isn’t exactly known for its less drinkable menu options. With the holidays in full swing, the java giant is trying to change that perception with offerings like the Cinnamon Pull-Apart, which is basically a product that’s half croissant and half mini-cinnamon rolls fused together. In essence, it’s a monkey bread pastry in a fancy little sleeve.

The Pull-Apart itself is kind of hard to describe. Or at least harder to describe than I anticipated. To the untrained eye, it might be confused for a slightly larger muffin than normal. It’s not until you’re actually holding it in your hand that you realize the item is actually multiple baked goods in one package, and even then, you may not immediately recognize it as a cinnamon roll-like comestible. Of course, the scent is unmistakable — it may not look like a regular old cinnamon roll, but it definitely smells like one.

As for the taste, it’s a lot of good and a few minor quibbles. For starters, it’s a pretty hefty little croissant, with a nice speckling of sugar and a hearty smattering of streusel — which you might know by its less artistic culinary namesake, “crumb topping.” My Pull-Apart had about five, maybe five-and-a-half little croissant balls wedged together, and I was actually surprised by how filling the seemingly lightweight snack was. This thing has some weight to it, so if you’re eating it as a post-breakfast tide-me-over, don’t be surprised if it wipes out the need for lunch altogether. It’s hearty stuff, especially when you pair it with a venti dark roast with four protein shots and extra oat milk.

There’s not that much variation between fast food cinnamon rolls (and let’s be real, they can call these things whatever they want, they’re still cinnamon rolls), and I’d contend that this is one of the better ones I’ve tried from a big-name, national brand. Obviously, it’s not as good as something you’d get from a “real” bakery, but it’s pretty respectable stuff all the same. It nails just the right balance between crispy and chewy, which has always been the Achilles’ heel of similar products. It’s got a lot of flavor without being too overwhelming, which makes it a solid choice for a (relatively) low-calorie fast food snack.

As for the product’s biggest downside, let me sum it up in one word: frosting. Or more accurately, the lack of frosting. I can understand why Starbucks would’ve taken a “healthier” approach with these things, but if you’re buying cinnamon rolls from a drive-thru window, you don’t just expect adequate amounts of icing, you demand it. The lack of dipping sauce here is just unconscionable — especially with so many holiday tie-in flavors to take advantage of this time of year.

And yes, I know that monkey bread is traditionally served sans frosting. But if you’re gonna sell a baked good with “cinnamon” in its name, be prepared for customers to inevitably compare it to a cinnamon roll.

The Pull-Apart is good, perhaps even better than I expected. But it’s nothing you haven’t tried before. The concept’s got promise, though — a PSL glaze on these things would be awesome.

Purchased Price: $3.25
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 300 calories — 13 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 mg of cholesterol, 350 mg of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein

Fast Food Starbucks

REVIEW: Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie

James / November 13, 2025 / Reviews / 6 Comments

Fast food really isn’t about food. Really, it’s more like an edible form of pop culture. And nothing demonstrates that more than the existence of the co-branded Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie.

It’s a 2,500-calorie-plus novelty dessert that nearly tips the scales at two pounds when it’s still in the box. It’s not really marketed as something you eat as much as it is an experience. That’s doubly reinforced by its steep $20 asking price; there may not be a vast market for something like this, but there’s definitely some kind of consumer demand for it. (Just so you know, I could still hear my local TB representative through the drive-thru speaker after I placed my order: “Hey, some [expletive deleted] is actually buying one of these things!”)

I’ve got a feeling people are going to pick these up just for the packaging alone. And to be fair, it is pretty cool looking. I can easily see the boxes fetching a pretty penny on eBay in about ten years.

But what about the pie itself? Well, all in all … it isn’t bad.

Probably the first thing you’ll notice about the pie is its rich teal color. It’s not quite the same color as the beverage it’s named after, but it’s pretty close to it. The instructions on the box suggest leaving the pie out to thaw for about four hours, with the explicit recommendation that you don’t microwave it. I can’t think of a reason why you physically couldn’t put it in an oven and bake it, though — but just to play it safe, I took Taco Bell’s advice and patiently waited for my pie to unfreeze itself.

The aroma of the pie is unmistakable. It’s Baja Blast scented, alright, with just a little sherbet ice cream smell in there. Even if you had no idea what the product was supposed to be, if you get a big whiff of it, you should automatically deduce that it’s a Mountain Dew derivative.

The pie has a nice, sturdy Graham cracker crust, with a couple of flourishes of whipped topping encircling it like a halo. It’s obviously not a rush job either, as somebody definitely took their time making the creamy border look as pretty as possible. Aesthetically, it’s a lot nicer than I anticipated.

Now, the moment of truth: the taste test.

It’s a fairly unusual product, but I guess we all knew that heading into it. With the first couple of bites, all I got was a super tart, key lime pie flavor. But the more I chewed, the more the Baja Blast flavor made itself apparent. Granted, it’s not a perfect one-to-one replication of the Baja Blast taste, but it’s an impressive recreation all the same. The texture and mouthfeel of the pie filling kinda reminded me of a thick sorbet, or maybe an extra chewy gelato. And it syncs up shockingly well with the aforementioned crust and whipped topping. The co-branding gimmick aside, it actually IS a real pie, and a surprisingly pleasant one at that.

Objectively, you can’t tout the pie too much. It’s way too pricey even for a novelty product, and I probably wouldn’t want to eat one of these every week. But overall, I’d consider it an unexpectedly decent fast food dessert item — even if it does open the floodgates for an inevitable wave of cola-flavored comestible imitators.

Purchased Price: $19.99
Size: 30.4 ounces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: One serving (eight servings per container) — 320 calories, 13 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans far, 15 mg of cholesterol, 200 mg of sodium, 46 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 32 grams of sugar (including 26 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

Fast Food Mountain Dew Mtn Dew Taco Bell

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Candy Bar Signature Latte

James / October 22, 2025 / Reviews / 1 Comment

Dunkin’ ain’t messing around this Halloween. It *knows* that this time of year, you have to go big or go home. We’re at a point where excessive isn’t excessive enough anymore. Pretty much anybody can walk into an executive board room meeting at any major restaurant chain in America, describe the most outlandish and preposterous menu item imaginable and there’s at least a 50/50 chance they’ll actually mass release it.

In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how the Candy Bar Signature Latte came into existence.

The gimmick of the latte is pretty obvious. When it says “candy bar,” it MEANS it. You’ve got the requisite whipped topping, and atop that, you’ve got a purée of all kinds of name-brand candies I don’t think Dunkin’ is legally allowed to mention in its advertising materials. But as soon as you taste it, you know what you’re chomping into. It’s pretty much an edible Where’s Waldo painting of various ice cream toppings — M&Ms (or “multi-color chocolate candies,” if you’re trying to avert a lawsuit), bits of pretzel, some little toffee chunks and pulped chips of what I’m pretty sure are supposed to be bite-size Heath bars. Basically, if you turned a trick-or-treat bag upside down and dumped it into a cup of hot cocoa, it would look a lot like this latte from Dunkin.’

Now, there are two varieties of Candy Bar Signature Latte. The iced version is obviously the more Instagrammable version. But I went with the standard hot latte iteration … which was a mistake on my part.

It’s thermodynamics 101. If you put something really cold on top of something really hot, it’s only a matter of time until one of ‘em gives. By the time I pulled out of the Dunkin’ drive-thru lane and made it back to my place, that beautiful, Willy Wonka-like tapestry had melted into a puddle resembling the atmosphere of Jupiter, complete with melted chocolate husks and soggy, shriveled pretzel pieces bobbing up and down like condemned souls in the river Styx. I used the Where’s Waldo reference earlier — give it about three minutes and you’ll have your own Hieronymus Bosch painting in the same cup.

So yeah, word to the wise — definitely go with the iced latte version here.

Ultimately, it’s not a bad beverage, just sort of a surprisingly muted one. With all of the ingredients in the cup, you’d think it would have a really distinct taste, but the hot chocolate flavor kinda dominates everything else. So it’s more like a slightly souped-up hot chocolate with pieces of toffee you get to occasionally chew on. That might be some people’s idea of a good time, but yeah, it’s not for me.

This is another example of fast food aesthetics over fast food quality. It looks cool and the novelty is appealing, but as something you actually consume, it’s surprisingly mundane. How a beverage with THIS much stuff in it tastes so much like an ordinary, run of the mill mocha latte is almost inspiring; but I guess no matter how much whipped cream and M&M’s you put on top of something, a Dunkin’ latte is still just a Dunkin’ latte.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: Large
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories, 18 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 83 grams of total carbohydrates, 75 grams of sugars, 16 grams of protein.

Dunkin Dunkin Donuts Fast Food

REVIEW: Checkers/Rally’s Fully Loaded Fries Bacon Steak Sub

James / March 2, 2020 / Reviews / 1 Comment

I don’t know who dreamed up the idea of putting fries inside of every fast food sandwich, wrap, crepe, and pupusa imaginable, but whoever that person is, rest assured, he or she is my hero.

Carrying on the proud tradition of L-T-Os like Taco Bell’s Buffalo Chicken Nacho Fries Burrito is the latest and greatest potato-stuffed fast food roll-up from Checkers/Rally’s, the newfangled Fully Loaded Fries Bacon Steak Sub. As the name implies, the product consists of all the usual Philly cheesesteak ingredients — albeit, sans the onions and with some good old American cheese subbed in for the more traditional Swiss.

Also in the mix is a decent Montreal Au Jus mayonnaise (which I think we can all agree is way better than the kind they make in Quebec City), an ample amount of bacon and, of course, a sizable smattering of the fast food favorite’s beloved “Famous Seasoned Fries,” all wedged inside of a lightly microwaved — I mean, “toasted” — hoagie roll.

This is definitely a fast food novelty that proves the validity of the expression “big surprises come in small packages.” When I ordered my sub, I was kinda’ disappointed by how small the sandwich was. From end to end, the thing is barely six inches long, but I promise you, there is a LOT of meat, cheese, sauce, and French fry hanging out inside the roll.

By now, you really don’t need me to tell you how great Checkers/Rally’s fries are — even though they end up getting a tad soggy amidst all the other ingredients, they still taste fantastic here. And the steak strands, while perhaps a bit too stringy for some, are nonetheless chewy, juicy, and flavorful. To me, the bacon was good, but not great — I don’t know if that’s attributable to too much salt, but when all else fails, I’m always the first to blame sodium for everything.

I wasn’t too enamored by the American cheese, which was practically frapped with my order. And the Au Jus juice — while a welcome condiment in today’s Sriracha-this/Boom Boom Sauce-that fast food marketplace — didn’t strike me as anything truly noteworthy. This sub would have benefitted from having an entirely different sauce in the mix — a nice mesquite BBQ sauce or tangy honey mustard would’ve been my preferred accoutrements.

While it would’ve been nice to see the fast food chain make this sucker as ingredient heavy as its Philly Cheesesteak Sub forerunner, for just $4 and some change this isn’t a bad little pick-me-up at all. It’s fairly unique and quite filling, and best of all? You don’t even have to worry about finding a place to stow away your carton of fries — because they’re like, already in there, man.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Checkers
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 630 calories, 300 calories from fat, 34 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of fiber, 29 grams of protein, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1520 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar

Checkers and Rally's Fast Food

REVIEW: Lay’s 2026 World Cup Potato Chip Flavors

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REVIEW: Starbucks Cinnamon Pull-Apart

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REVIEW: Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie

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REVIEW: Dunkin’ Candy Bar Signature Latte

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REVIEW: Checkers/Rally’s Fully Loaded Fries Bacon Steak Sub

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