REVIEW: Sonic Red Bull Slush

Sonic Red Bull Slush Cup

What is the Sonic Red Bull Slush?

If you’ve ever chugged a Red Bull — America’s favorite energy drink, second only to Ol’ Glory, of course — and thought to yourself “Gee, I wonder what this would taste like moderately frozen,” here is your chance to live your frosty dreams, courtesy of the Sonic corporation.

How is it?

Sonic Red Bull Slush

I was thoroughly excited to try this recent breakthrough in energy technology, so I ordered a small original flavor from my local Sonic. At first sip, the common Red Bull flavor is wonderfully there, a sharp stab to the senses that does a great job of momentarily perking the user up.

Sadly, the comedown is almost immediate, with a distinct backwash and aftertaste of what I can only describe as frozen mouthful of used dishwater. How the taste can do a 180 degrees like that is far beyond my pay grade, but any excitement of two great products coming together is quickly done away, leaving me with a three-dollar cup that’s too pricey to dump out.

Is there anything else you need to know?

If the Sonic Red Bull Slush is still something you desperately need to down, try to do it between two to four p.m. to take advantage of the chain’s Happy Hour. I, unfortunately, was thirty minutes early and paid full price. Additionally, it’s also available in a cherry limeade slush as well.

Conclusion:

Sonic Red Bull Slush Strawless

I would send this one back to the labs, Sonic. The nonplussed aftertaste is just far too much to deal with, leaving me with a sour stomach that swirled with burning acids that couldn’t be cooled down no matter how much icy slush was involved. Guess its back to the regular small can of Sugar-Free Red Bull for me.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: Small
Rating: 2 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Small) 180 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 48 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

Wendy s Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

There’s a part of me that begs for an answer to this question: has Wendy’s ever attempted a barbecue-style chicken sandwich?

I know it’s attempted a mighty tasty barbecue burger in the past; I reviewed it right here a couple of months ago. But, as I purchased my Wendy’s Barbecue Chicken Sandwich and carried it to my seat, I definitely felt as if the Mandela Effect had taken hold of my memories; I just wasn’t “for sure” about it anymore.

I remember thinking how much I truly enjoyed the barbecue burger, especially Wendy’s dedication to the perfection of a delicious faux-BBQ sauce. It’s usually the one roadblock many fast food eateries hit when trying to perfect their monthly specials. Well, it was only a matter of time before Wendy’s spread it lovingly across its wealth of chicken — if it hasn’t before.

There are three chicken choices are — homestyle, spicy, or grilled. I chose a grilled fillet, for moderation’s sake, of course. With the added slice of Muenster cheese, crispy fried onions, and three perfect pickles, I feel the sandwich would be a triumph, but with a full dollop of Wendy’s Kansas City-style (their words) barbecue sauce, it becomes more of a testament to taste.

Wendy s Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Bitten

As the lifeblood of this sandwich, the barbecue sauce filled every divergent nook and complacent cranny delectably, taking over the sandwich and reinforcing the flavor, especially, of the chicken and, strangely enough, the typical Wendy’s bread. The sweet and spicy components are wonderful bedfellows, whispering tantalizing nothings into the chicken’s ear.

Meanwhile, the bedeviled fried onions do their jobs as mere pawns in this tasty game of complete control.

Wendy s Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Cheese

But the true surprise is the aforementioned Muenster; who thinks to put a somewhat out-of-the-mainstream cheese on something like this? While the barbecue sauce takes over most of the menu item, this pungent cheese manages to rise above it all. It strengthens the sandwich in such a way that it truly causes the eater to take a bite, then a step back, and then ask those in charge why isn’t this cheese involved in more sandwiches as of late?

While there is a part of me that would love to give it a ten, sadly, the Wendy’s Barbecue Sandwich, with its wholly unique flavor, is a bit too shrunken for me to justify a whole $5.49 for a single serving, especially in a country like America. It very much becomes a taste vs. value fight of personal responsibility that we must all go through at least once in our lives.

So I guess I’ll give it a nine, ese. Cómpralo ya!

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 650 calories, 26 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1580 milligrams of sodium, 69 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 34 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Loaded Nacho Taco

Taco Bell Loaded Nacho Taco  1

What is the Taco Bell Loaded Nacho Taco?

The Bell continues its recent trend of Loading up just about every item on its menu, now delicately doctoring up its tacos with the tight and tangy addition of seasoned red chips and nacho cheese along with seasoned beef, lettuce, and shredded cheese in a warm flour tortilla. It’s as good as it sounds.

How is it?

In a word, majestuoso. Taco Bell really makes the hungry diner feel like nacho cheese sauce has always been the one element missing from most tacos in existence, especially those of a faux-Mexican descent.

Taco Bell Loaded Nacho Taco

On the Loaded Nacho Taco, the seasoned red chips are fine to be sure, but it’s the comforting amount of gooey nacho cheese that makes this taco variation a definite must-try. A deliciously necessary coating for the rapturous seasoned beef — a mixture T.B. always does right — with its soft flour tortillas completely sealing this culinary deal.

Taco Bell Spicy Loaded Nacho Taco

Even better is the mouth-warming Spicy Loaded Nacho Taco, which is basically like the original version with the welcomed bonus of fiery jalapenos to turn the heat up. Mine was practically overloaded with the hellish green discs.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The best thing about these? They’re dollar menu items, allowing even someone with merely a handful of pocket change to enjoy one or, someone with even more cash on hand, to enjoy both of them, possibly even more.

Conclusion:

True to form, Taco Bell’s dollar menu delights continue to amaze with the amount of food and flavor it can pack into a buck’s worth of grub; this duo of Loaded Nacho Tacos are absolutely no exception. They’re, of course, a limited time offer, so you better get them while the getting’s good, hombre.

Purchased Price: $1.00 each
?Size: N/A
?Rating: 8 out of 10 (Loaded Nacho Taco)
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Spicy Loaded Nacho Taco)
?Nutrition Facts: Loaded Nacho Taco – 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 670 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Spicy Loaded Nacho Taco – 290 calories, 14 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 800 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Brunch Burger

Sonic Brunch Burger

For quite a while now, one of my favorite burger toppings has been that of a fried egg, usually sunny-side up, always sitting on top of the sizzling meat and cool cheese, the sticky ovum running down your face and hands with every sensual bite. It’s usually worth the extra dollar charge to the bill.

It’s a singular treat of mostly gourmet burger spots. Almost none of the bigger fast food joints around town have even attempted an egg-drenched burger, except Jack in the Box. But now Sonic adds itself to this short list with its new Brunch Burger, available for a limited time only at $2.79 with a single-patty, which is more than enough.

Made with the usual Sonic burger platitudes including an undoubtedly 100-percent pure beef patty, crispy bacon strips, and a gooey layer of melted cheese, the Brunch Burger throws in a pillow-soft brioche bun and, for good measure, a fried-egg of sorts. They all come together in Sonic’s grand effort to serve the underserved between breakfast and lunch, even if people have securely had brunch for years.

Still, even though I went against dining protocol and had it for dinner, I’d have to say Sonic is mostly successful in creating a somewhat decent substitute for true brunch.

Sonic Brunch Burger Eggs

While the meat is juicy, bacon is salty, and cheese gunky — and yes, the brioche bun is a definite somewhat sweet improvement — the real tipping point here is the egg which, as you might have guessed, isn’t of the sunny-side-up variety but rather of the rubbery McMuffin sort. That means it’s a large pressed disc of what I believe to be an egg, professionally shaped and heartlessly cooked.

Sonic Brunch Burger in Half

A good-enough spanner in the usual burger works, the egg, when combined especially with the cheese and large slice of tomato adds a nice bit of tasty roughage to the meal, a heated-wet goodness that can’t be denied. The meat I can give or take, especially when Sonic’s mouth-puckering bacon overtakes it. Thankfully, this brioche bun does an excellent job of tying it all together with its dull sweetness and makes it work rather well.

Overall, it’s a good attempt at a classy fast food burger. Do I wish it was a proper sunny-side up egg? Sure, I bet we all would. But, whatever it is, it can’t be any worse than the new Cherry Limeade Mimosa, which is a disappointing blend of limeade and orange juice.

The Brunch Burger would be a decent treat on a Wednesday morning (or evening), but on a Sunday, just head down to your favorite uppity bistro for its omelet, grapes, and champagne-infused drink specials instead. Cómpralo ya!

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: Single
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 510 calories, 33 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 190 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Steak Rattlesnake Fries and Burrito

Taco Bell Rattlesnake Fries

Like an angry sirocco tearing through the cactus-strewn desert of Death Valley, Taco Bell has inevitably whipped up a whole nest of spicy snakes into a flavorful frenzy with both the figurative and literal arrival of what is now more popularly known as the Steak Rattlesnake Fries and the Steak Rattlesnake Fries Burrito.

Utilizing its delicious fries, beautifully clad in a hefty amount of taco seasoning, combined with its patented nacho cheese goodness, creamy jalapeno sauce, chunky cuts of steak, and scads upon scads of perfectly sliced jalapenos, together they all naturally combine to deliver an unholy bit of border-bound heat, especially when purposefully devoured with that Taco Bell passion I know we can all muster.

The Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries — reviewed here before — are, of course, a surefire winner, delivering some of the best fast-food fries in the business, but the addition of these tongue-searing extras make the Steak Rattlesnake Fries a wholly welcomed addition to the TB menu. I personally believe that what makes the Bell’s newest menu items so fire-worthy is that, with this delectable go ‘round, it’s definitely not afraid to bring the heat and bring it mercilessly.

Taco Bell Rattlesnake Fries Closeup

The dark spices on the fries, the creamy jalapeno sauce, and especially the multiple jalapeno slices are a definite match made in the deepest pits of Mexico, delivering a heat that, for about a minute, renders the actual taste of the fries a bit obsolete. But, hold steady and that’s when the actual flavor of the fries comes through, a passport from the edge of righteous potatoes to the subtle cream of the jalapeno sauce. It’s a flavor train that goes even deeper with the Steak Rattlesnake Fries Burrito.

Taco Bell Rattlesnake Fries Burrito

Taking a cue from some of this country’s bravest five-year-old chefs, combining Taco Bell’s fries with a burrito is already the game-ball, but to add in this Rattlesnake variety, it’s the whole damn championship. Combining a large tortilla with, of course, the Taco Bell fries with the aforementioned nacho cheese, jalapeno sauce, steak, and even more of the vaunted jalapeno slices, it makes it an easier to eat method of madness. Not to mention how devilishly delicious the whole thing absolutely is.

Taco Bell Rattlesnake Fries Burrito Closeup

Here, the steak really shines through, mingling in a seductive tango with the impervious creamy jalapeno sauce. The nacho cheese, per usual, adds an extra kick but, once again, the addition of real live jalapenos is what it’s all about, a much-needed addition of puro machismo that most of the burritos on Taco Bell’s menu could definitely use. Maybe a little of that jalapeno sauce too, but far be it from me to ask for too many extras.

But, if I may, my main complaint with both of these products would be the $2.99 price tag. The container holding the Steak Rattlesnake Fries is a bit chintzy and, the Steak Rattlesnake Fries Burrito, while seemingly more when holding it in your hands, is apparently even less. Dine accordingly, but, as they are here for a limited time only, maybe order both or, if I’m being honest, order two burritos and be done with it. You’ve probably spent far more for far less.

Currently, some Taco Bell locations around the country are in the process of test-marketing the supposedly even hotter Reaper Ranch Fries, made with, as you probably guessed, the famed Carolina Reaper peppers. And while it might or might not ever make it to market, nfor now, we can all be routinely thankful and stop by the Bell to take a venomous bite of out of the Rattlesnake. Cómpralo ya!

Purchased Price: $2.99 each
?Size: N/A
?Rating: 8 out of 10 (Steak Rattlesnake Fries)
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Steak Rattlesnake Fries Burrito) 9 out of 10
?Nutrition Facts: Steak Rattlesnake Fries – 450 calories, 28 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1150 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of total sugars, and 12 grams of protein. Steak Rattlesnake Fries Burrito 470 calories, 22 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1260 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of total sugars, and 15 grams of protein.