Reviews

REVIEW: Burger King Peppercorn BLT Whopper

Marvo / April 3, 2026 / Reviews / Leave a Comment

Holy Deadpool & Wolverine! What the peppercorn aioli is this?

Earlier this year, Burger King rolled out the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper, featuring a 1/4 lb beef patty topped with onion rings, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, Swiss cheese, and peppercorn aioli, on a toasted sesame seed bun.

In my review, I noted that it was a derivative of 2025’s Steakhouse Bacon Whopper, which featured a quarter-pound beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, A.1. Sauce, bacon, Swiss cheese, and peppercorn aioli on a toasted sesame seed bun.

In this review, I’m going to point out that the new Peppercorn BLT Whopper is a derivative of both — and really should’ve been called the Ultimate Steakhouse Bacon Whopper. It features a quarter-pound beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon, Swiss cheese, and peppercorn aioli on a toasted sesame seed bun.

Either other universes are sending peppercorn aioli-topped Whoppers to ours, or Burger King’s Whopper creations are now produced via AI using the following prompt: “I’m the fast food burger chain, Burger King, and accidentally purchased too much peppercorn aioli. Using toppings I always have in stock, come up with new Whopper variations.”

Despite their many ingredient similarities, the peppercorn aioli Whopper variants have had different taste profiles. The Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper had a mushroom & Swiss vibe, the Steakhouse Bacon Whopper had a Western burger vibe, and this new one has a less straightforward vibe.

I didn’t notice this with the previous peppercorn aioli-topped Whoppers, but the sauce doesn’t really have a strong peppercorn flavor. Instead, I taste something that’s Caesar dressing-adjacent with most bites, and the crunch of the lettuce with it further convinces my brain that I might be eating a Caesar salad that was made in front of me at a high-end steakhouse by someone in a tuxedo.

But there are also times when the savory, porky bacon takes over and, along with the mild cheese, makes it taste like a no frills deluxe bacon cheeseburger, but with Swiss. While the beef patty offered a meaty flavor, I didn’t taste that usual flame-grilled-ness from it, which is a strange thing to miss in a Whopper.

Overall, it’s an okay tasting Whopper, and, if you’re from another universe, it’s not worth traveling to this one to try it.

Purchased Price: $10.19*
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 790 calories, 48 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 130 milligrams of cholesterol, 1590 milligrams of sodium, 57 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 43 grams of protein.

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

REVIEW: Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Crunchwrap Slider

Jenna / April 2, 2026 / Reviews / 3 Comments

As someone who doesn’t love beef, I highly appreciate the touchscreens at Taco Bell that allow you to make substitutions seamlessly—no fear of a disapproving gaze as I sheepishly swap to chicken. The only thing I’d enjoy more would be if the good people of Taco Bell revamped a classically beef-centric dish to include chicken from the get-go… and wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what they did with the new limited edition Crispy Chicken Crunchwrap Slider.

This isn’t the first Slider-ified Crunchwrap; it follows in the footsteps of last year’s Steak & Queso flavor. Where the OG Crunchwrap Supreme contains Nacho Cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream, this new variant has crispy chicken as the main protein, plus a three-cheese blend, pico de gallo, and your choice of either Creamy Chipotle or Jalapeno Honey Mustard sauce. Being a slider, it’s also important to note that it’s smaller than the traditional Crunchwrap Supreme, making it ideal for a quick snack. (If you’re hungrier, you can even get it as part of the Discovery Luxe Cravings Box combo.)

While the Slider shares the same iconic hexagonal shape as the original Crunchwrap Supreme, mine wasn’t folded quite flawlessly, so I could see some sauce-coated bits of tomato peeking out. The small size came in handy here, since I was able to grip the Slider fully in one hand and keep the other ready to catch any fillings that might tumble out. My first bite was remarkably solid, which made sense when I realized I had bitten directly into one of the nuggets of crispy chicken. (“I see, it’s like a chicken nugget wrapped in a tortilla,” remarked my husband, who, I guess, had never heard of a Crunchwrap before? Technically, there were three chicken nuggets in there, but his observation was more or less accurate.)

I enjoyed the plumpness of the nugget and the tasty fried coating, even if it was a bit dry. That problem was mitigated by mouthfuls that had more mustard, though I still couldn’t help but think that shredded chicken would have been a better fit. I know, the whole reason this item exists is to promote the fact that Taco Bell sells chicken nuggets these days, but still! It also didn’t help that my Slider came out a bit lukewarm, and my suspicions that it hadn’t been properly heated all the way through were supported when I unwrapped it to see an abundance of unmelted cheese shreds.

The pico de gallo was mild, mostly sweet from the tomatoes, which obscured the onion’s bite. And speaking of “sweet with a bite,” the jalapeno honey mustard was a bit strange. I mostly tasted the acridness of the jalapeno, which was a tad too vinegary for my liking, though my very last bite somehow tasted like pure, classic honey mustard, so it wasn’t the most consistent sauce.

While the Crispy Chicken Crunchwrap Slider didn’t knock my socks off, I enjoyed it enough to try it again if the opportunity arises. Maybe my Taco Bell was just having an off day! Maybe I would fare better with the Creamy Chipotle! And if all else fails, I can always do a little more customizing on my beloved touchscreen.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 320 calories, 12 grams of fat, 860 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

Fast Food Taco Bell

REVIEW: McDonald’s Derpy McFlurry

Marvo / April 2, 2026 / Reviews / 6 Comments

There are two animal characters in KPop Demon Hunters — Derpy and The Bird.

Well, that’s what my wife said when I asked her the animal characters’ names, since she watched the movie and I didn’t. I don’t know what’s worse: someone who watched the movie not knowing your name, or not getting your own McDonald’s menu item. Sorry, Sussie (The Bird’s name). But Derpy is cuter and, as luck would have it, has a name that rhymes with McFlurry.

The Derpy McFlurry features McDonald’s soft serve with wildberry-flavored sauce and popping pearls. And because this is KPop Demon Hunters, it naturally has to have purple in some way — though Derpy is apparently blue, so why isn’t this dessert blue too? But again, I’m coming at this as someone who has only read the movie’s Wikipedia entry, so maybe I’m missing something.

One thing worth knowing before you dig in: the wildberry sauce and popping pearls all sit on top of the soft serve, so if you want that flavor throughout, you’re going to have to mix it yourself. I know, I know — it’s a McFlurry, and they’re supposed to do that for you. But can you imagine sticking this into the McFlurry mixing machine? All those purple pearls would pop.

While it’s wildberry-flavored, if you love raspberry, you’re going to love this — though at times I thought I detected a hint of blueberry as well. The fruity flavor is bold and present with most spoonfuls once mixed, and the popping pearls do exactly what they’re supposed to, exploding in your mouth and enhancing the flavor with every pop. Its fruitiness reminds me of raspberry yogurt, minus the seeds — which, thankfully, aren’t here, because I’m not a fan of raspberry seeds in yogurts or Jamba Juice smoothies.

McDonald’s Derpy McFlurry is quite satisfying with its berry flavor and fun with its exploding spherical inclusions. Along with the Demon Sauce from the HUNTRIX Meal, this was another highlight of McDonald’s current limited-time menu, and a dessert I’d happily go back for.

Purchased Price: $5.69*
Size: Regular
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 400 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 72 grams of carbohydrates, 62 grams of sugar (including 52 grams of added sugar), and 9 grams of protein.

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

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REVIEW: Blue Bell Brookie À La Mode Ice Cream

Denis / April 1, 2026 / Reviews / Leave a Comment

No one likes to admit when they are wrong. But I’m here to tell you, I was wrong. How, you ask? It involves the phrase “à la mode.” We all know it means “with ice cream on top,” right?

That’s what I always thought, and that’s somewhat accurate. But here’s where I was wrong—way wrong. I must confess that I somehow thought it was derived from Greek or Latin, which makes no sense at all because I’m pretty sure ice cream wasn’t a thing back when that Plato guy was around. It’s actually a French phrase that means “fashionable” or “in style,” but sometime around the late 1800s or early 1900s in America, it came to mean the then-trendy practice of putting ice cream on pie. I was also wrong in thinking the little mark above the a in à la mode is called a tilde. It’s a grave accent, which seems like how you would describe what Beetlejuice speaks with.

Now that everyone except for punctation nerds and etymology buffs has moved on, let’s get to the review of the new Brookie À La Mode ice cream from Blue Bell, which the Texas-based creamery says is brown sugar ice cream with chunks of brownie and soft chocolate chip cookie pieces. I’m not even going to get into the fact that Brookie À La Mode is a silly name, because it is ice cream, so I’m not sure how you can put ice cream on top of it. And simply putting brownies and cookies together in the same general vicinity does not constitute a brookie. But you came here to find out if you should run out to buy this, right? Well, maybe not run, but you should saunter, or sashay if you prefer, over to your local store. It’s not worth breaking a sweat or anything like that, but it’s still plenty good.

The showstopper here is the brownie chunks. They are little pieces of rich, heavenly, chocolatey goodness that magically stay moist and chewy without getting soggy in the ice cream. I would eat a pint of just the brownie chunks. The other two components are good, but nothing special really. The brown sugar ice cream has just a faint hint of something to differentiate it from vanilla, but it gives off more of a cookie batter vibe. It’s perfectly fine, but don’t expect a lot of brown sugar flavor. The cookie pieces are about as expected, and although they have a similar texture to the brownie chunks, when you get one of the chocolate chips, there is a nice crunch and extra pop of flavor.

Aside from a name that doesn’t make much sense and that it made me feel a little bit foolish for being off base on the whole à la mode thing, this is a nice addition to the Blue Bell lineup.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Brookshire Brothers
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 240 calories, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Blue Bell Frozen Food Ice Cream

REVIEW: McDonald’s The HUNTRIX Meal

Marvo / March 31, 2026 / Reviews / 2 Comments

The promotion for McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters asks you to pick a meal to pick a side. Those two sides are The HUNTRIX Meal versus The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal. If you have no idea what the previous sentence means, I suggest going to the Wikipedia page for KPop Demon Hunters to get yourself caught up, which is what I had to do because I know the music, but I do not know the movie.

But is it a hard choice? If you compare the two, it seems easy to pick a side. The Saja Boys Meal comes with just a Sausage McMuffin with Egg covered in Spicy Saja Sauce, hash browns, and a small soft drink. The HUNTRIX Meal, meanwhile, is a spread of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets with two special sauces — Hunter Sauce and Demon Sauce — Ramyeon McShaker Fries, and a medium drink. Both meals come with photo cards of the characters, but the HUNTRIX Meal offers so many more flavors. It’s not even a contest.

That said, while the HUNTRIX Meal offers more flavors, the two McNugget sauces taste suspiciously similar to previous ones. Let’s start with the Hunter Sauce, which McDonald’s describes as a sweet and slightly spicy sauce that blends chili, garlic, and pepper. I swear it tastes like one of the limited-time dipping sauces McDonald’s offered within the past three years, though I can’t pinpoint which one. It’s a pleasant, sweet, and peppery sauce with a mild kick. Tasty, but the Demon Sauce was more intriguing.

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, and my iPhone’s nearly four-year-old camera isn’t messing with the colors — the Demon Sauce really is purple. If you’re wondering how it got its pretty purple pigment, the ingredients list butterfly pea flower extract, fruit juice, and vegetable juice. The color brings back memories of those Heinz EZ Squirt ketchups from the ’90s, available in green, blue, pink, and purple.

It tastes almost exactly like my favorite McNuggets sauce, Hot Mustard — which still exists, though not everywhere, I think. So it’s no surprise I prefer it over the Hunter Sauce. The only differences between the Demon Sauce and standard Hot Mustard are the color and the heat, with the Demon Sauce building spiciness the more you eat.

Finally, the Ramyeon McShaker Fries feature a savory blend of soy, garlic, sesame, and spices. The flavor reminds me of the seasoning packet from a bag of instant noodles, so McDonald’s did a solid job of replicating ramyeon flavors. There’s a strong soy sauce note throughout, though I was a little surprised there wasn’t any heat — ramyeon is typically known for being spicy. The seasoned fries were enjoyable, but not enough to make me miss them when they’re gone or to buy them à la carte while they’re still around.

The standout of the HUNTRIX Meal was the Demon Sauce, for its striking purple color and its Hot Mustard flavor. But despite that being the only true standout, I still think the HUNTRIX Meal is far more interesting than the Saja Boys one. So I guess I picked a side — I’m Team HUNTRIX.

Purchased Price: $12.19*
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Hunter Sauce), 9 out of 10 (Demon Sauce), 6 out of 10 (Ramyeon McShaker Fries)
Nutrition Facts: (w/medium Diet Coke) 930 calories, 54 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1915 milligrams of sodium, 88 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 28 grams of protein.

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

Fast Food McDonald's

REVIEW: Burger King Peppercorn BLT Whopper

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REVIEW: McDonald’s The HUNTRIX Meal

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