REVIEW: Arby’s Arbynator

Arby's Arbynator

If there’s one thing I’ve always said loudly and proudly, when it comes to fast food roast beef, Arby’s Sandwiches are the best in the business. And the horsey-drenched souls there have unleashed the massive monster that is the Arbynator.

Composed of everything in a typical Arby’s combo meal – roast beef sandwich, curly fries, and cheddar cheese sauce – along with just about every sauce available over the counter including Arby’s sauce and Horsey sauce, this mammoth pile of meat is a two-handed mankiller sent from the bleak future to our bleaker present to destroy our collective hungers, if only for one solitary day. No fate.

Available in three aggrandizing sizes – the Classic, the Double, and the Lord-have-mercy Half-Pound – I stuck with the relatively responsible Classic variation for this outing.

Arby's Arbynator 2

Even though the sesame seed bun was mostly flattened, it pretty much did look like the promotional picture, with the scads of roast beef lazily flopping out as the hot cheese dripped down its side, mixing deliciously with the other assorted sauces. The fries, however, were tucked away like a surprise.

Just as immodestly thick as the pile of roast beef is, when you hit the curly fries, the sheer amount of them on the Arbynator seem a little bigger than a handful. The twirling tubers are a welcomed treat to crunch into as you began your dank voyage into this dangerous sandwich. The fries and roast beef are a delightful combination that kids have been doing for years much to their mother’s chagrin. The mixture of tart sauces pays off nicely with lip-puckering goodness.

Arby's Arbynator 3

If the sandwich has any flaw, it’s probably that it has far too much meat for one sitting, even in its Classic portion. There’s no way an Average Joe will down the Arbynator during his lunch hour, head back to the office, and not put his head down for a long winter’s nap. It’s too darn much.

Layer after layer of roast beef and stack after stack of curly fries and glug after glug of cheese sauce might sound like a great thing on paper, but when it’s right in front of you, daring you to devour it, this is where the decisions that follow us around for the rest of our lives are made.

So, I guess if I’m saying anything, have half for lunch and eat the other half on your way home from work. Unless, of course, your job is “professional napper” in which case, have two on me. Cómpralo ya!

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: Classic
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories, 25 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 1630 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 25 grams of protein.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (FROZEN FOOD EDITION) – 11/28/2018

Here are some interesting new or limited edition frozen foods found by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Michael Angelo s Cheesy Pizza Pasta

Michael Angelo’s Cheesy Pizza Pasta

(Spotted by Sarah R at Walmart.)

Archer Farms Peach  Balsamic Thin Crust Pizza

Archer Farms Peach & Balsamic Thin Crust Pizza

Archer Farms Mushroom  Truffle Oil Thin Crust Pizza

Archer Farms Mushroom & Truffle Oil Thin Crust Pizza

(Spotted by Daniel N at Target.)

State Fair Brand Jumbo 100 Angus Beef Corn Dogs

State Fair Brand Jumbo 100% Angus Beef Corn Dogs

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Archer Farms Fettuccine Alfredo Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Fettuccine Alfredo Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Four Cheese Gnocchi Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Four Cheese Gnocchi Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Mushroom Risotto Precooked Rice

Archer Farms Mushroom Risotto Precooked Rice

Archer Farms Penne Marinara Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Penne Marinara Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Pesto Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes Precooked Pasta

Archer Farms Pesto Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes Precooked Pasta

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)

Safeway Open Nature Bison Patties

Safeway Open Nature Bison Patties

Safeway Open Nature Ground Turkey Patties

Safeway Open Nature Ground Turkey Patties

(Spotted by Rachel J at Safeway.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

FAST FOOD NEWS: Sonic Fritos Chili Cheese Faves

Sonic Fritos Chili Cheese Faves

Update: We reviewed the burger! Click here to read our review.

To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed Sonic’s new Fritos Chili Cheese Faves didn’t end up being Sonic’s Cheetos Chili Cheese Faves. But there’s always the future.

The faves include three items:

The Fritos Chili Pie is made with Fritos, chili, and cheddar cheese. It’s available in small, medium, and large sizes and starts at 99 cents.

A small serving has 510 calories, 34 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 1030 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 14 grams of protein.

The Fritos Chili Cheese Jr. Wrap is basically the Fritos Chili Pie in an 8-inch flour tortilla. It has a price of 99 cents. (No nutrition facts available.)

Finally, there’s the $1.99 Fritos Chili Cheese Jr. Burger, which is a Fritos Chili Pie on top of a 100 percent beef patty, served on a bakery bun. (No nutrition facts available.)

Sonic’s Fritos Chili Cheese Faves are available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Speaking of supplies, now that Sonic has a Fritos stockpile, customers can customize their Chili Cheese Coneys with the corn chips.

If you’ve tried any of them, let us know what you think in the comments.

(Image via Sonic.)

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (TRADER JOE’S EDITION) – 11/27/2018

Here are some new Trader Joe’s products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Trader Joe s Mini Peppermint Meringues

Trader Joe’s Mini Peppermint Meringues

Trader Joe s Gluten Free Crispy Crunchy Salted Toffee Cookies

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Crispy Crunchy Salted Toffee Cookies

Trader Joe s Oso Good Argentine Honey

Trader Joe’s Oso Good Argentine Honey

Trader Joe s Bark Quartet

Trader Joe’s Bark Quartet

Trader Joe s Italian Gianduja Chocolates

Trader Joe’s Italian Gianduja Chocolates

Trader Joe s Nuts About Rosemary Mix

Trader Joe’s Nuts About Rosemary Mix

Trader Joe s Extra Virgin Single Varietal Mediterranean Olive Oils

Trader Joe’s Extra Virgin Single Varietal Mediterranean Olive Oils

Trader Joe s Black Truffle Alfredo Pasta Sauce

Trader Joe’s Black Truffle Alfredo Pasta Sauce

Trader Joe s Sprouted Wheat Cranberry Harvest Bread

Trader Joe’s Sprouted Wheat Cranberry Harvest Bread

Trader Joe s Cranberry Rustico Bread

Trader Joe’s Cranberry Rustico Bread

Trader Joe s Holiday Herb Rolls

Trader Joe’s Holiday Herb Rolls

Trader Joe s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Striped Garganelli

Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Striped Garganelli

(Spotted by Sarah R and Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies

Pepperidge Farm’s Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies are a season-appropriate variety of the famous cookie. They feature a layer of semi-sweet chocolate and another layer of cinnamon-flavored white confection between two crispy wafers. It’s something I’m surprised the brand hasn’t done before. Because Milano cookies have been around for decades and the sweet spice has been around for millenniums.

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies 2

The aroma that comes out of the packaging makes me want to shove the entire contents into my mouth and then hoard whatever stock there is at my local Target. But, that’s no longer the case after eating them, which is what you’re supposed to do with cookies and not sniff them like the hair of the person in front of you on a crowded bus.

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies 3

The amount of cinnamon and its flavor can get a bit unusual. There’s initially a nice balance between the chocolate and cinnamon, but then the spiciness starts to build. At that moment, my mind thinks that it’s going to start falling into Red Hots candy or Big Red gum territory. The build-up doesn’t go over to that burning, cheap cinnamon side. But because it’s so close, the taste that lingers in my mouth after eating one is similar to the flavor that stays after spitting out a chewed piece of Big Red.

The cookies have actual cinnamon, but, to be honest, the aftertaste kind of ruins the crispy snack for me. If this were an Oreo, that cheap cinnamon would be appropriate. But, the Milano is marketed as sophisticated and the Big Red-like aftertaste doesn’t make me think that.

If Pepperidge Farm wants to sell a Mexican Hot Chocolate Milano, it could just repackage this, and most people won’t know. Heck, in the same amount of time it takes for the cheap cinnamon flavor to fade completely, I did the graphic design work for a Mexican Hot Chocolate Milano. You’re welcome, P.F.!

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies 4

I can’t say I 100 percent enjoyed these Cinnamon Chocolate Milano Cookies. They’re okay, but my wife’s office is going to get whatever leftovers I have. I was hoping for something that would be more like a cinnamon bun and less like cinnamon gum.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 7 oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

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