Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Mint Chip Shake

Mark 4 Comments

Dairy Queen Mint Chip Shake Cup

What is the Dairy Queen Mint Chip Shake?

Shamrock Shake season will soon be upon us, so Dairy Queen has joined the minty menagerie. This shake has Crème de Menthe mixed with “chocolate cone coating” in vanilla soft serve.

This isn’t the first time Dairy Queen has offered a minty shake, but it is the first time I have had one. (Not to be confused with the mint Blizzard, which you can guarantee will come back in some form in time for March.)

How is it?

The best way to describe it is “delightful but safe.”

Mint is my favorite flavor, so I loved drinking it. It was cool and refreshing, like mint chocolate chip ice cream in liquid form. I had no problem consuming it through a thick metal straw. (I’m trying to reduce my plastic consumption—even though it’s served in a plastic cup.)

Dairy Queen Mint Chip Shake Closeup

The “chocolate cone coating” description is a little confusing, but I think it means it’s the same chocolate they use for dipped cones. It reminded me of the chocolate pieces in any off-brand mint chocolate chip ice cream, only thinner. The chocolate pieces are crunchy but not hard. I think it’s semisweet chocolate, but I’m no cocoa connoisseur.

I have no complaints, but even if you have never been to Dairy Queen, you have had this shake before. I really enjoyed it, but it’s no different from a mint shake or ice cream anywhere else.

Anything else you need to know?

The green coloring is more subdued than in the advertisements. Isn’t a vibrant green the whole point of mint shakes at this time of year?

Conclusion:

Dairy Queen Mint Chip Shake Top

If you want a mint shake and Dairy Queen is the closest, go for it. But any other place will do just as good a job.

Purchased Priced: $3.29
Size: Small
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 550 calories, 220 calories from fat, 24 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fatty acid, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 61 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pop-Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel

Brandon 8 Comments

Pop Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel Box

What are Pop-Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel?

Everyone’s preferred toaster pastry is pillowed in a puffy pretzel… pjacket. Okay, I took some alliterative stretches there, but it felt good and so I just went for it. This new flavor — which joins its previous pretzel brethren Cinnamon Sugar and Chocolate — is meant to capture the hearts of breakfast pastry aficionados who need some salt with their sweet.

How is it?

Pop Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel Top

Well, salty and sweet. And (to my surprise, I’ll admit) really good! The outer shell — the “pretzel” component, if you will — is just a bit crispy and quite salty. There’s an icing drizzle on the outside that you don’t get much from, but the inside filling is sweet (though not overwhelmingly so) and a bit chewy with a decidedly pronounced caramel flavor.

Pop Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel Filling

My only complaint at all is that there just isn’t enough caramel filling. It’s a very thin layer that seems to primarily reside solely down the middle of the tart. Evening it out — and providing more — would elevate this a full point.

Anything else you need to know?

Pop Tarts Pretzel Salted Caramel Bottom

I’m a firm believer that Pop-Tarts can be enjoyed both toasted and in their natural, raw state; not so with this variety. I tried it both ways and found the un-toasted one, well, frankly pretty bad. The outer shell was chewy and bland and the filling lost some style points, too. If you don’t own a toaster, you should get married because you’ll get a few of them, but in the interim, you may want to skip the pretzel Pop-Tarts.

Conclusion:

While the Pretzel Salted Caramel isn’t going to displace Brown Sugar Cinnamon or Chocolate or Frosted Strawberry or Blueberry as anyone’s primary Tart of choice, it is fine as a new addition to the Kellogg’s breakfast pastry family. Just make sure you actually toast it first, please.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 8 pastries (4 packs)
Purchased at: Sun Fresh
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pastries) 380 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 710 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard

Denis 8 Comments

Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard Top

What is the Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard?

It’s Dairy Queen’s Blizzard of the Month for February, and it features red velvet cake pieces and cream cheese icing with, as always, vanilla soft serve. This is not technically new, as DQ has offered it in February a few times in the past. But it’s been five years since the last time it was available, according to our handy-dandy Blizzard of the Month List.

How is it?

Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard Sign

We all know better than to expect fast food to actually look like it does in a commercial or promotional photo, but the difference here was pretty glaring. Based on the window sign at DQ (and the name of this Blizzard), I was expecting it to be, you know, red. What I got was basically white with small red freckles and a tinge of reddish-pink. I think it was partly a blending issue, as the population of cake pieces increased dramatically as I tunneled downward, but even then, the reddish color only increased modestly.

I’m also not sure enough of the cake pieces were pulverized in the blending process to spread their redness around. A better blending might have made it slightly closer to the color on the window sign but still far from the vibrant red-pink color shown on the DQ website.

Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard Spoon

Of course, the more important issue is how it tastes, and the flavor of this one really makes up for the underwhelming appearance. For one thing, it’s different than most Blizzards, with no chocolate overload or extreme sweetness. The red velvet cake delivers a subtle chocolatey flavor that seems a bit more complex than just “regular chocolate,” and the cream cheese brings a sweet creaminess that pairs nicely. This won’t blow away your taste buds with a powerful burst of flavor, but it should make them happy.

Anything else you need to know?

I needed to know exactly what red velvet cake is because, to be honest, I was not exactly sure. I’ve had it many times, and I liked it, because, duh, it’s cake. But I’m not sure I could really describe what it tastes like. I’m still not really sure.

Some will claim that it’s just chocolate cake with red food coloring, but “real” red velvet cake generally includes cocoa, buttermilk, and vinegar, which together provide the reddish hue through a chemical reaction. Scanning the ingredients on the DQ website, it appears this red velvet cake is closer to a red-colored chocolate cake. It does contain cocoa, but there is no mention of buttermilk or vinegar.

Dairy Queen Red Velvet Cake Blizzard Cake Closeup

As you can see from a cross-section of a piece, it’s not exactly light and fluffy like you might imagine for cake; it’s really more the consistency of a red velvet brownie. So if you are a red velvet cake purist, this might not be for you.

Conclusion:

I’m always down for a Blizzard that is not some rehashed combination of chocolate, fudge, and Oreo, and this, well, it takes the cake for being different. It’s not the best Blizzard I’ve had, but it stands out as being unique for having two flavors not found in any other versions I can recall, and together they taste excellent. So this is a perfect treat to share with your significant (or even insignificant) other on Valentine’s Day or any time before it disappears for another five years.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Medium) 910 calories, 37 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 128 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 90 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pizza Hut Detroit-Style Double Pepperoni Pizza

Marvo 32 Comments

Pizza Hut Detroit Style Double Pepperoni Pizza Whole

What is the Pizza Hut Detroit-Style Double Pepperoni Pizza?

It’s a Detroit-style deep-dish pizza topped with classic pepperoni, Pizza Hut’s new crispy cupped pepperoni, a layer of cheese that goes all the way to the edge of a crispy, caramelized crust, and two streaks of the chain’s new vine-ripened tomato sauce.

How is it?

Well, it tastes like a pepperoni pizza.

Although some of its flavors are slightly different than any of The Hut’s other pepperoni-topped offerings because of the smaller pepperoni and the sauce’s position.

Pizza Hut Detroit Style Double Pepperoni Pizza Two Pepperoni

The cup pepperoni slices are noticeably spicier than the standard flat pepperoni. Those that aren’t drenched with sauce also provide some crispiness. As for the new sauce, being on top of everything makes its flavors stand out. It’s sweet, but even more acidic. Its placement can be troublesome because there isn’t any sauce under the cheese, unlike most pizzas. So there’s a good chance you might take bites that are sauce-less, which taste okay but aren’t optimal.

Pizza Hut Detroit Style Double Pepperoni Pizza Slice Edges

Just like its box says, the edges are crispy and cheesy, and the inner crust is light and airy. But the crust, when tasted on its own, is bland. Thankfully the toppings layer extends to the edges, so there’s no honkin’ huge flavorless end crust to deal with.

Anything else you need to know?

I hate it when pizza forces me to do homework.

It’s not the “you won’t get any pizza until you finish your homework” forcing. With this Detroit-style Double Pepperoni Pizza, it’s the “I have to fact check whether the pizza is supposed to look that way” forcing. Because I’ve never seen a pizza with two thick tomato sauce streaks painted on it.

After seeing that, I was off to Google to find out if Detroit-style deep-dish pizzas are really like that and because I’m using Google, to ensure I will see pizza-related advertisements on every website I visit for the next few weeks.

Well, it turns out my pizza geography knowledge is lacking.

Pizza Hut Detroit Style Double Pepperoni Pizza Box

But why is the sauce only on top? According to the box, it’s there to keep the crust light and airy. But I find that answer to be a bit strange because Pizza Hut’s Pan Pizza doesn’t need the sauce to be on top of everything to maintain its soft and fluffy crust, but I digress.

Conclusion:

This Detroit-Style Double Pepperoni Pizza is a slightly different tasting pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut. It’s not better than the standard Pizza Hut pizza. It’s also not worse. But it does look like what would happen if we told an extraterrestrial being visiting the Earth for the first time the components of a pizza and have it make one, but not tell it the order they usually go on top of each other.

Purchased Price: $13.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 slice) 330 calories, 17 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 720 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 14 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.

Click here for our previous fast food reviews.

REVIEW: Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Cheddar & Sour Cream Goldfish

Vin 10 Comments

Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Cheddar Sour Cream Goldfish Bag

What are Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Cheddar & Sour Cream Goldfish?

Pepperidge Farm has added a new blasted flavor to the Goldfish tank – Cheddar and Sour Cream.

How are they?

I’m a big fan of Goldfish. I’m an even bigger fan of Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles, so consider me stumped.

These are pretty bad.

I don’t really understand why. Cheddar Goldfish are delicious and iconic. I remember loving Flavor Blasted Sour Cream and Onion, so why did I find this flavor so off-putting?

Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Cheddar Sour Cream Goldfish Bowl

I mean, they do deliver on the premise. They taste like cheese, and they taste like sour. That’s it, sour. I wouldn’t necessarily say “sour cream.” Not really sour cream and onion. They just tasted like sour cheese to me. If the flavor dust of the aforementioned Ruffles could rot, they’d taste similar to these.

I found the flavor to be very sharp. I’m not even talking sharp in the “sharp cheddar” sense, it was just a jolt of aggressively gross flavor that made me recoil, and it took a few more handfuls to mellow out.

Anything else you need to know?

Ok, I’m a total hypocrite because they did get a little more appetizing as I went along. I still managed to eat the bag in three sittings as opposed to my usual one.

Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Cheddar Sour Cream Goldfish Fishie

Goldfish might be the most addictive snack on this watery rock we live on. I can eat ’em every day, and my mom says that’s ok. Sorry, I just wanted to get that old commercial jingle stuck in your head. I love the fishes ’cause they’re so delicious!

Seriously though, I eat way too many Goldfish. I’m practically up to my gills in Goldfish! My supermarket sells them for two bucks a pop, so I’ve probably had every flavor, and I’m pretty comfortable calling Cheddar and Sour Cream my least favorite. That includes the sweet varieties.

Conclusion:

There are probably five better Flavor Blasted styles of Goldfish on shelves right now. Just get the Flavor Blasted Cheddar. If they have the Sour Cream and Onion, grab those and eat both flavors independently because they don’t seem to mix.

Don’t get lured in by Cheddar and Sour Cream. They should join Luca Brasi and sleep with the fishes.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 6.6 oz bag
Purchased at: Stop and Shop
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (51 Pieces) 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 260 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.