Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Dream Freeze

Amber Leave a comment

A small chunk of my misspent youth was… well, spent in an area of the western US known for dirty soda. If you’re not familiar with it, a dirty soda is basically soda with cream of some sort mixed in, kind of like a less frozen version of a float or an ice cream soda. Similar vibes. We usually made ours with Dr Pepper and coffee creamer.

Anyway, as of late, it seems like variations on dirty soda have been spreading beyond the area they originated from, and the Baja Blast Dream Freeze feels in line with that trend.

If you haven’t had Baja Blast, it’s a lime-forward Mountain Dew flavor created for and available at Taco Bell in both standard soda and freeze/slushy versions. The new “Dream” versions incorporate “vanilla crème.”

I actually liked this freezy, cool concoction a lot! The vanilla crème brings out the lime flavor in a really pleasant way, reminiscent of lime sherbet. It mellows out the sharper notes and rounds out the overall citrusy edge of the Dew nicely, and finishes with a nice sweet aftertaste.

The vanilla crème doesn’t change the consistency at all, which I found surprising. I expected that adding the cream in would make it, well, creamier or at least somewhat richer the way adding coffee creamer to Dr Pepper does. However, it still has the same texture as any other Taco Bell Freeze but with a nice complementary flavor enhancement.

I hope this one sticks around for a while because I’ll definitely be ordering it along with my Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supremes for as long as it’s available.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Large
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 1 gram of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 57 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Smoke Show Crispy Boneless Wings

Marvo Leave a comment

Jack in the Box’s newest Crispy Boneless Wings variety comes tossed in Jack’s Smoke Show Sauce, which pleases my tongue in two ways — its flavor and its alliteration. I surely savor saying Smoke Show sauce.

However, the Crispy Boneless Wings themselves are a little disappointing. While I loved the chain’s bone-in chicken wings because of their crispy exterior and surprisingly juicy interior, these look less satisfying, mainly because of their size. When I look at the photo above, I can’t help but think they look more like premium chicken nuggets than boneless wings, which I think should be more substantial. They look less like wings and more like eggs. Even though I did get a seventh piece (6-, 12-, and 18-piece orders are available), it wasn’t enough to overcome my size disappointment.

The 100% all-white meat pieces are tender and slightly still juicy, and their breading is crunchy and thick. Although some exterior sections without the sauce felt particularly dry-ish and a little crumbly.

But back to the Smoke Show sauce, which Jack describes as “a smoky sweet BBQ serenade for your tastebuds that you won’t soon forget.” Well, it’s been 30 minutes since I finished eating these “wings,” and I haven’t forgotten about the sauce because it’s very tasty. The best way I can describe it is to call it a smoky honey mustard BBQ sauce because there’s a notable mustard-y tang with a bit of sweetness. If I remember correctly, one of the Carolinas is known for a mustard-based barbecue sauce. I’m going to say, um, “South Carolina” because it starts with the letter S.

While I love the sauce, I wish my premium chicken nuggets were tossed with more because roughly a little more than 50 percent of the chicken didn’t get to experience the Smoke Show. I desperately tried to scrape as much of the brown sauce as I could from the sides of the container they came in, but that was futile. My order was supposed to come with a side of ranch, but I didn’t receive it. But if you do get the white tangy sauce, use it for a salad, pizza, or whatever the kids on social media are dipping into it nowadays because I surmise its taste would ruin the Smoke Show experience, which is a show I think is worth the price of admission.

Purchased Price: $7.99*
Size: 6 pieces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 480 calories. No other nutritional information is available on Jack in the Box’s website.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Oreo Loaded Cookies

Vin 4 Comments

“Everything old is new again” is a famous quote that I should probably attribute to the original writer, but that dude ain’t around anymore. I’m sure he wouldn’t care.

For the sake of the following review, I’m going to attribute said quote to the R&D genius over at Nabisco/Mondelez who came up with the brilliant idea to stuff Oreos with Oreos.

Yep, we’ve reached the point in time where Oreo flavor spinoffs have come so full circle that we can now buy Oreo-flavored Oreos… and I’m not mad about it.

Two years ago, I reviewed “The Most Oreo,” and I gotta be honest here, folks, I think the new “Oreo Loaded” is just “The Most Oreo” with a fresh coat of paint. I’m consciously choosing not to re-read that review until I finish this one to see if I came to the same conclusion.

Ok, actually, “Oreo Loaded” being an exact replica of “The Most Oreo” isn’t entirely true. While they are both essentially “cookies and crème” flavored Oreos (I know, just go with it), I do not believe we reached “most” levels with the Oreo Loaded. These have a little more than your standard “Double Stuf” but do not reach the ludicrous thickness of “The Most Oreo.”

These land between “The Most Oreo” and “Double Stuf” calorically, so I think my thesis checks out.

Look, it’s a big fat Oreo with a little more Oreo essence thrown in. This is a slam dunk positive review. Do you like Oreos? Want an even fatter Oreo? Me too. These are very good, but allow me to nitpick just a bit.

The amount of crème is enough to where you start to notice just how chalky it is. I think the added element of “REAL Oreo cookie crumbs” (I know, just go with it) in said crème makes it dryer and a bit less palatable than you’re used to.

These are also easily the most brittle Oreos I’ve ever had. Perhaps I got a bad batch, but every single cookie I ate – every single one – broke into pieces in ways unnatural to an Oreo. For a sandwich cookie, I usually get a pretty clean halved bite with Oreos; here, each bite breaks the wafers into quarters at least. Also, I broke numerous cookie discs while doing the classic Oreo twist. It’s as if the crumbs in the crème were extracted directly from the cookies, ruining their structural integrity.

That’s it. Other than the excruciating lack of creativity, I have no complaints. I bought a pack of obese Oreos, and baby, I liked me some obese Oreos. Sure, they were a little gritty, a little crumby, and I could only enjoy about three in a sitting, but they are legitimately great.

2025 seems to already be the year of “everything old is new again” (… I know, just try to go with it?), but I guess we can take a little comfort in obese Oreos. I wanted to rail on how “Oreo stuffed Oreos” are almost insultingly repetitive, but I just can’t. I like Oreos. Maybe next time when Nabisco releases “Oreo Reloaded,” it can stuff Oreos with Hydrox and really shock the world.

Purchased Price: $4.88
Size: 13.37 oz package
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Irish Creme Oreo Thins Cookies

Erin 3 Comments

Over the holiday season, when work days tend to be lighter to nonexistent and relatives tend to be more existent, I often forgo the milk in my coffee and choose to spike it with Irish cream instead. If you aren’t familiar, Irish cream is a liqueur based on whiskey with cream and additional flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Since its invention in the 1970s, it’s become popular as a drink on its own, mixed into cocktails, and as a dessert flavoring. Just in time to help me replace my holiday creamer of choice, Oreo is debuting Irish Crème Oreo Thins, a permanent addition to its Thins lineup.

This was my first foray into Oreo Thins territory, and while I was a bit put off by the price tag, I couldn’t help but find this package and its subtle Emerald Isle theme attractive. I wasn’t prepared for opening this and finding that the thin layer of plastic that stands between you and eating these cookies would give way to the most intense Irish cream smell. It was immediately apparent that this flavor was spot on. I was almost caught off guard by how accurate the scent was and how well it continued to the flavor.

This is not one of those cases where something calls itself “brownie” flavored and then tastes like generic chocolate. This is Irish cream flavor, perfectly harnessed. It smells and tastes a bit boozy, and while I’m sure these are safe to give anyone, I think this is definitely an adult Oreo. The crème is smooth and not excessively sweet, with whiskey and chocolate notes that are complemented by the dark cocoa cookies.

For the sake of research, I dipped one in Irish cream, but that may not be the best course of action since you’re just doubling up on the same flavor. These Thins pair very well with milk, which mellows them, but are also really nice on their own. They won’t be for everyone but if you like Irish cream at all, I can’t imagine not enjoying these. I continue to be impressed by their flavor accuracy and how well it fits this format. It’s perfect as an Oreo Thin because more of this cream would almost be too much.

In terms of flavor being on point, I would rate these 10 out of 10. I don’t find the Thins to be quite as satisfying to eat as regular Oreos, but since they’ve been around for about a decade now, I’m going to consider them their own thing and this Irish Crème variation is a damn fine product. Oreo could have slapped a bunch of shamrocks on this package and pushed them for St. Patrick’s Day, but I appreciate that they didn’t. These cookies feel kind of sophisticated but also fun and certainly welcome any time of year, like a cool Oreo cousin. With a name like Erin, I’m contractually obligated to like anything Irish, but I’d score these highly even without the bias.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Size: 11.78 oz package
Purchased at: Jewel
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbs, 11 grams of total sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: General Mills S’mores and Chocolate Strawberry Loaded Cereals

Marvo 2 Comments

For the sake of synergy, I was hoping S’mores Loaded Cereal would’ve been Golden Grahams S’mores Loaded. The moniker has been used a couple of times, so why not give the neglected O.G.G. (Original Golden Grahams) some L-O-V-E. As for the Chocolate Strawberry Loaded Cereal, it fits with the current Valentine’s season that began well before all the air was taken out of the last Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.

The two new Loaded Cereals join a loaded lineup that includes Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Birthday Cake. Before trying them, I predicted I would enjoy the S’mores one much more than the Chocolate Strawberry, but to my surprise, that wasn’t the case.

With this fruity and chocolatey cereal, the strawberry stands out more than the cocoa creme filling, and thinking back to all the other strawberry-flavored breakfast cereals I’ve had in the past, this one might be the best tasting. While the chocolate plays second fiddle, it adds a bit of decadence to the bowl. Unfortunately, while I was able to eat two bowls of it, my five-year-old son seemed to like these more than I did and protected the cereal like a lioness protecting her cubs. One time, when I wanted some as a snack, he gave me a stink eye as I pulled the box from the cabinet. Then he said, “That cereal is red, and so is your blood. I hope we don’t have to see your blood, Daddy.” I considered that a threat, so I returned the cereal and grabbed the S’mores one instead.

While I prefer the Chocolate Strawberry one and wish I could eat more, the S’mores Loaded Cereal is good. Although, at first, I thought the pieces lacked a marshmallow taste. But after a few more spoonfuls, my taste buds could detect a hint of something marshmallow-y. They have a noticeable chocolate aroma in the bag, but that doesn’t translate to a bold chocolate flavor. It’s slightly less noticeable than the creme in the other new flavor. Also, I taste more of the underlying wheat instead of a graham flavor. It’s not optimal, but it doesn’t ruin the cereal.

When I tried the original Loaded flavors, there was a, for lack of a better word, sliminess to them when they sat in milk for too long. It’s still there with these, but less so than what I experienced before. Also, much like the original varieties, I think these make for a better dry snack than in a bowl with milk, no matter what kind of dairy is used.

As I mentioned, I liked the Chocolate Strawberry Loaded over S’mores Loaded, but I enjoyed both more than the previous Loaded Cereal varieties.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 15.6 oz box (S’mores), 18.1 oz box (Chocolate Strawberry)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (S’mores), 8 out of 10 (Chocolate Strawberry)
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – cereal only) S’mores – 230 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar (including 14 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein. Chocolate Strawberry – 220 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar (including 14 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.