Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco

Marvo 7 Comments

Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco Both

What is the Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco?

Taco Bell brings back its Crispy Chicken and puts it in a flour tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and your choice of avocado ranch or creamy chipotle sauce. The protein is crispy, white-meat chicken that’s marinated in jalapeño buttermilk, seasoned with Mexican spices, and has a tortilla chip coating.

How is it?

I loved the previous product that featured the Crispy Chicken – the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco. But it was small and quite basic, with the regular one having just the chicken and chipotle sauce in a flatbread.

The Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco is slightly more substantial. But if you look at the ingredients, it’s basically a Crispy Chicken Soft Taco Supreme, except the sour cream is replaced by a different sauce. The flavors from the vegetables and cheese also made this taste Taco Supreme-esque.

Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco Avocado Ranch

So far, I’ve been on Team Crispy Chicken, and this product doesn’t change my mind. On its own, it has a great taste and fantastic crunch, and those attributes still come through in this menu item. After trying both varieties, I prefer the Creamy Chipotle one. I enjoy the smoky and spicy sauce’s flavor, and it pairs well with the chicken’s seasoning. As for the Avocado Ranch, even though there was a decent amount of sauce despite what my photo shows, it was a little difficult to notice, making the taco less flavorful than the chipotle one.

Anything else you need to know?

Before I saw pictures of the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco, I had images in my head that this would have the white corn tortilla shell that came with last year’s Cantina Crispy Melt. But sadly, this is not the Cantina Crispy Crispy Chicken Taco. But I’d totally eat the Cantina Crispy Crispy Chicken Taco if it ever gets made.

Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco Chipotle

Also, you might end up with a stubby piece of meat as I did with the chipotle one. Its length was shorter than half a tortilla. But since it was thick, I cut it in half lengthwise and made the chicken stretch from end to end. So just a heads up, you might end up with a couple of meatless bites if you don’t check under the tortilla.

Conclusion:

Although not much imagination went into the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco, it’s a solid product that highlights the chicken strips.

Purchased Price: $3.89*
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Avocado Ranch), 7 out of 10 (Creamy Chipotle)
Nutrition Facts: Creamy Chipotle – 270 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 690 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein. Avocado Ranch – 270 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 700 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

*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: McDonald’s Menu Hacks Land, Air & Sea

Holly 9 Comments

McDonald s Menu Hacks Land Air Sea Tower

Hacking menus at fast food restaurants isn’t a new concept. It’s been around for decades but only became more publicly known with the rise of the internet. Most hacks are fairly simple in execution: add a different condiment, swap meats, etc. However, some are insane monstrosities that push the limits of what is a sandwich, like the Land, Air & Sea sandwich from McDonald’s new Menu Hacks line.

The chain has been notoriously silent on the various ways in which customers have used existing menu items to create new (and sometimes colorfully named) products. It was sort of a shock to see it outright acknowledge the menu hacks with this recent promotion. Of course, it’s a win-win for McDonald’s with little effort and will easily end up making the chain some money through customers who are curious about what these items are.

The Land, Air & Sea consists of a Big Mac, McChicken, and Filet-O-Fish stacked together like an edible Jenga tower. It’s worth noting that any of the hack items you order will require you to assemble them yourself. I’m sure most people would assume that, but glancing at the ads can make it seem they’re pre-assembled. It makes sense why we have to do the assembly, but I still would have liked the sandwiches to come as ordered.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Land Air Sea Wrappers

I set out the three sandwiches and attempted to replicate the photo from the ad as closely as possible. I was shocked by how much it looked like the promotional photo without much fluffing done. The first flavor to pop was the Filet-O-Fish and tartar sauce. After that came the familiar taste of the special sauce, chicken, and beef. Three bites in, the sandwich imploded into a pile of meats, sauces, and bread. While not awful, the flavor created by combining the three sandwiches wasn’t particularly interesting.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Land Air Sea Buns

One issue was the leftover bun conundrum. After assembling it, I was left with the buns for both the Filet-O-Fish and McChicken. This was why I had hoped the assembly would be done in-store to avoid food waste. Lucky for me, I have a husband who will, without question, eat whatever I hand him, so the buns didn’t get thrown out.

My biggest issue was the cost. Ordering the Land, Air & Sea through the app was $9.99. I had an inclination that I could get the three sandwiches cheaper but went with the official item in the event there was anything special. There was no special packaging, wrapping, or anything to indicate the hack item. It was just a McChicken, Big Mac, and Filet-O-Fish. After it all was said and done, I went back to the app to see if I could get a deal on the three sandwiches. Through an in-app deal on the Big Mac and Filet-O-Fish, I could get all three for under $7.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Land Air Sea Bites

The Land, Air & Sea has been a well-known off-menu hack for over a decade, so it’s no surprise that McDonald’s would include it on its Hack Menu. There is certainly a novelty to it, but I think the overall experience makes it hard to recommend. If you’re adamant about trying it, I’d certainly explore the cheaper ordering route instead of through the official Hack Menu. I do like McDonald’s is now openly acknowledging the hacks and would like to see other ones (like the McCrepe) featured on a future menu.

Update: We also reviewed other Menu Hacks — the Crunchy Double and Surf + Turf.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1330 calories, 69 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 160 milligrams of cholesterol, 2150 milligrams of sodium, 123 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 55 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Menu Hacks Surf + Turf

Marvo 15 Comments

McDonald s Menu Hacks Surf + Turf Whole

After combining a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger with a Filet-O-Fish to create the Surf + Turf Menu Hack, the biggest question I have isn’t about how the Franken-wich tastes. Instead, it’s what the McHeck do I do with the extra top bun?

I’m left with some extra bread-age because I wanted to make it look like what’s in the promotional photo, so I put aside the Filet-O-Fish’s top bun and placed the tartar sauce-topped fish filet and the fish sandwich’s bottom bun between the Double Cheeseburger’s two halves. I imagine I could’ve just slapped the extra bun on top of everything and had the Atkins and Keto gods shake their carb-deprived heads in disapproval. Instead, the extra bun is a pain in my filet as it sits in my fridge.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Surf + Turf Wrappers

Creating the menu hack was also a pain. Have you ever tried to pry apart the two beef patties in a Double Cheeseburger that are pasted together with a Pasteurized Process American Cheese slice? It’s as frustrating as trying to get bubblegum off a shoe’s sole. The cheese prevented me from pulling the patties away from each other cleanly with my fingers. I eventually got them separated, but a patty was harmed in the making of this hack.

All right, enough about sandwich construction. Let’s move on to sandwich conMUNCHion.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Surf + Turf Split

I thought the addition of tartar sauce to a cheeseburger would be odd, but it’s not bad. And after thinking about it, it’s like mayo and pickles, which are on other burgers. So maybe it’s not weird. But, it has me thinking about adding tartar sauce to a burger in the future. Oh, perhaps I’m weird.

I could taste the beef with a few bites as I ate the sandwich, but the fish’s flavor stood out the most between the surf and turf. The tartar sauce comes through with every bite and gives everything a pleasant tanginess. The Surf + Turf is also quite cheesy, thanks to the three Pasteurized Process American Cheese slices. They stand out flavor-wise as much as the tartar sauce. And, as I experienced with the Crunchy Double, the ketchup and mustard get lost among all the other ingredients.

I occasionally crave a Filet-O-Fish, and I often crave a McDonald’s Cheeseburger. While I like eating these sandwiches individually, when they’re together, I get less delight out of them. I kept thinking that I’d like it more if the fish wasn’t there, but that wouldn’t be in keeping with the menu hack.

I’m glad I finally got around to trying McDonald’s Surf + Turf. I’ve known about the hack for a while but never had the motivation to make it before since it’s something I could make at any time. But, after trying it, I’m not motivated to construct and eat it again.

Although, making it again will give me another extra bun to pair with the one sitting in my fridge.

McDonald s Menu Hacks Surf + Turf Extra Bun

Update: We also reviewed other Menu Hacks — the Crunchy Double and Land, Air & Sea.

Purchased Price: $7.28
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 830 calories, 42 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 1700 milligrams of sodium, 73 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 41 grams of protein.

REVIEW: International Delight Hostess Twinkies Creamer

Brandon 6 Comments

International Delight Hostess Twinkies Creamer Bottle

What is International Delight Hostess Twinkies Creamer?

The bad boys and girls at International Delight are at it again! No longer content with simply making Reese’s into iced coffee, or infusing their creamer with Almond Joy or Cinnabon, now they’re taking everyone’s favorite indestructible snack cake and making it drinkable.

How is it?

Delicious.

International Delight Hostess Twinkies Creamer Itself

While very little of the golden cake flavor shines through, the taste overwhelmingly captures the artificially delightful cream filling. It’s super sugary, sure, but you know what you signed up for: a Twinkies-flavored creamer. There is no nuance here, so maybe that’s a bit of a missed opportunity, but if you’ve ever wanted to drinky a Twinkie, this is your chance.

International Delight Hostess Twinkies Creamer Coffee

Anything else you need to know?

I was delighted/horrified to learn that Hostess released a bottled “Twinkies Iced Latte” in 2020. If you, too, missed your opportunity to consume one of these things, you’ll be happy to note that it is currently available on eBay— along with the Ding Dong and Honey Bun varieties— for just a tick under $40.

Conclusion:

While liquid Twinkies feels a bit too novelty to become a full-time International Delight flavor, if you’re into prepackaged snack cakes, or trying new coffee creamers, or just feel like something a little less adult than “Hazelnut” or “French Vanilla,” you probably won’t regret giving this a whirl.

Purchased Price: $2.88
Size: 32 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, less than 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar including 5 grams added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte

Alex 1 Comment

Dunkin Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte Sign

I’ll admit, I’m late to the brown sugar coffee game. It seems like a simple enough swap to have considered it sooner, but it never occurred to me over the years, even as I tried drinking my cup of joe with more adventurous sweeteners like honey and rich chocolate Ovaltine.

Once I finally learned of the warm and cozy depth it provided, I found myself visiting Starbucks more often for their brown sugar syrup. But this month, Dunkin’ one-upped its competitor with a baked good twist: brown sugar cookie syrup, which they’ve lovingly drizzled (I assume, since it doesn’t sound possible to hatefully drizzle brown sugar cookie syrup) into espresso and oat milk to create its new Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte.

Dunkin Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte Cup

Suspecting this was going to be something special, I was able to confidently order a medium at 2:28 pm knowing full well it was going to spoil my bedtime. I cracked off the lid to see if it smelled like brown sugar cookies and instead was met with something closer to caramel. Not a dealbreaker, so I took a sip.

Holy cow, it was tasty. Wait, oat milk, forget the cow. Holy whatever plant oats come from, it was tasty.

Dunkin Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte Top

The drink was rich, sweet, and creamy in all the ways one could want from a flavored iced latte. The syrup was perfectly sugary and had a pleasant cookie-like toastiness but I felt it lacked a hint of molasses that would really confirm the brown sugar flavor. Although, that syrup was so beautifully suspended in the oat milk that I couldn’t hold the lack of specificity against it. The flavor felt balanced throughout and lingered in my mouth after every sip, coating my tongue. After a few experiences with overly sweetened coffees at Dunkin’, this felt more restrained and never became too cloying, especially with the slight bitterness of the coffee and oat. I couldn’t help but recognize what a well-thought-out decision it was to add this syrup to oat milk as I took increasingly awed sips. I appreciated that Dunkin’ seemed to take the time to really pair a flavor with a dairy-free milk instead of adding it to a beverage just to say they used plant milk.

This was an overwhelmingly delicious iced latte that I would love to see permanently added to the menu. However, I think many would view this as a winter flavor, and a news release from Dunkin’ calls the Brown Sugar Oat Iced Latte a “comforting sip” that “warms the soul,” so… maybe snag it while you can. Whenever that may be, even if it’s late in the day; I can assure you it was totally worth spoiling my bedtime.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of total carbohydrates, 30 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.