REVIEW: Wendy’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich

Jenna 24 Comments

Wendy s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich Top

I thought that the hardest part of eating Wendy’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich would be weathering the habanero hot honey (or saying its name three times fast). As it turns out, the actual hardest part was just getting to the honey.

Prying the top bun off to take a picture of the sandwich’s contents required some legitimate elbow grease, for which I was rewarded with an extremely strong aroma of pickles. I had known the sandwich would contain “pickle chips,” but honestly, I’d assumed that that was just a synonym for a couple of thinly-cut pickle slices, so I was pretty puzzled to discover a hearty heaping of what looked like straight-up potato chips, just a bit green (that’s more or less how they tasted, too). Delving into the “What’s on it” menu on Wendy’s website helpfully specified that these were actually “Crunchy Dill Chips” (as opposed to the more traditional experience of “Crinkle Cut Pickles”). Mystery solved, I sampled each of the other components in turn, a supporting cast consisting of:

“Premium bun”: Soft, airy, and inoffensive. Not immediately clear how it was different from the alternative option that the website has labeled “sandwich bun.”

Applewood smoked bacon: Thick and chewy, striking an impressive middle ground between too fatty and too burnt.

Pepper jack cheese: So creamy and mild that I mistook it for White American at first, though it finally left a whisper of peppery spice in its aftertaste.

Chicken: A typical breaded chicken breast (I opted for the “Classic” version of the sandwich, rather than “Spicy” or “Grilled”). Basically, one giant nugget.

And the titular hot honey?

Wendy s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich Under the Bun

My impression, frankly, was that it was difficult to locate, even after performing bun surgery. I expected the honey would be coating the chicken, so it took a while to realize that it was actually applied directly to the top bun, almost entirely obscured by pickle chips. On its own, the taste made a pleasant impact, with a spiciness that was noticeable but didn’t cross the line into painful, tempered as it was by a simultaneous rich sweetness.

Unfortunately, the sandwich as a whole ended up somehow tasting like less than the sum of its parts. The plump, juicy chicken dominated the experience both in terms of texture and taste. I guess it’s a positive sign that Wendy’s doesn’t skimp when it comes to meat, but you’d hope that the promising array of other ingredients would be way more prominent, and they simply did not deliver. After a few bites, I started to pick up on a bit of tanginess from the pickle chips and some sweetness from the honey (plus after swallowing, the roof of my mouth had a telltale tingle from the heat), but if I’d been taste testing this blind, I wouldn’t have even known the cheese and bacon were there.

Wendy’s also offers a dipping cup of hot honey that you can order as a side, so adding more might help the exciting-on-paper flavor to seriously shine. I did ultimately enjoy my meal, but that might just be because I really like basic chicken sandwiches. If you’re looking for something more exciting, this offering will probably not have you calling out, “Honey (Chicken Sandwich), I’m home!”

Purchased Price: $6.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 700 calories, 31 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 2040 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of total carbohydrates, 18 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of fiber, and 37 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: Betty Crocker Brownie Cups Mixes

Marvo 4 Comments
Betty Crocker Rainbow Fudge Brownie Cups
Betty Crocker Rainbow Fudge Brownie Cups
Betty Crocker Cookies Creme Brownie Cups
Betty Crocker Cookies & Creme Brownie Cups
Betty Crocker Ultimate Fudge Brownie Cups
Betty Crocker Ultimate Fudge Brownie Cups

I can’t stop staring at the backward 3 in the word “Brownie.” Why is it like that? Wait. Is it some kind of secret message? Or is it because all the Es in the Betty Crocker logo are like that? Nah, it’s gotta be a secret message. I’ll figure it out. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

REVIEW: Hershey’s Vanilla Frosting Kisses

Alex 7 Comments

Hershey s Vanilla Frosting Kisses Bag

What are Hershey’s Vanilla Frosting Kisses?

The latest Kiss from Hershey’s is a creme-filled variety that seeks to make up for all the times you’ve rushed to a tray of assorted cupcakes at a schoolmate’s birthday party in a backyard, classroom, or Discovery Zone only to find that the more agile kids beat you to your favorite flavor, chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.

How are they?

Hershey s Vanilla Frosting Kisses Split

I was the kid who would throw elbows to avoid possibly ending up with chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, but I’ve since learned the error of my ways and have to say these were yummy! Like other creme-filled Kisses, the texture was more like a truffle, with a nice snap from the chocolate. The creme had the right amount of buttery richness to make it taste like canned frosting, and the flavor kept itself separate enough from the taste of the milk chocolate shell to call to mind the experience of eating a cupcake that looks like the one on the package. Adding to that experience, Hershey’s even wrapped each Kiss in adorable plaid foil that looks like the pattern on a baking cup.

Hershey s Vanilla Frosting Kisses Foil

Anything else you need to know?

From the flowers and butterflies on the bag to the colors that were selected to crisscross on the foil, these Kisses are clearly being marketed as a spring product. But I’m confused why this flavor was chosen as something season-specific.

Hershey s Vanilla Frosting Kisses Recipe

Speaking of season-specific, the back of the bag had a recipe for “springtime KISSES surprise brownie bites.” Although, “recipe” might be too strong a word since it was more like instructions for rolling premade brownies around Vanilla Frosting Kisses. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure the creme would pair nicely with a brownie, and it seems like a fun family activity to do with children.

Conclusion:

Arguably the most important conclusion I reached when trying these Kisses was how much more often I was presented with free cupcakes in my youth than in adulthood, and we really didn’t know how good we had it cupcake-wise as young’uns. The second most important was that these Kisses are pretty good! Don’t let your childhood cupcake preferences keep you from trying these.

Purchased Price: $4.39
Size: 7 oz. bag
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (7 Kisses) 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos

Marvo 4 Comments

Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos One

What are Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos?

The newest Tiny Tacos iteration from Jack in the Box takes 15 original mini tacos and dumps nacho cheese seasoning on them. There’s also the Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos, which involves dumping cheddar cheese sauce, bacon crumbles, ranch, and Spicy Good Good Sauce on Nacho Tiny Tacos.

How are they?

First, check out the photo above again. It looks as if Chester Cheetah sneezed on it.

Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos In Box

With that thick layer of seasoning on the shells of most of the Nacho Tiny Tacos I received, I expected a cheesy flavor that would be on par with Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco. But my taste buds could only detect a cheesiness that’s tinier than the tacos themselves, and they could easily be confused for the original version.

After eating a few, I ended up with cheesy dust on my fingers. And while it was a little cheesier when tasting it from my digits, it still had a weak flavor compared to what I experience when I clean my fingers after eating Cheetos or Doritos.

Jack in the Box Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos Top

The Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos are, obviously, a more flavorful option. But any cheese flavor, which there isn’t much to begin with, is completely overwritten by the sea of sauces, especially the Spicy Good Good Sauce. While the bacon’s smokiness and the ranch’s tanginess come through, this really should’ve been called the Spicy Good Good Sauce Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos because the orange goo is what I mostly taste. And I’m okay with that because I love that sauce.

Jack in the Box Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos Sauces

So, technically, you could get most of the Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos’ flavor for the price of the Nacho Tiny Tacos and a free dipping container of Good Good Sauce.

Anything else you need to know?

Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos Bottom Box

With the regular Nacho Tiny Tacos, there are some inconsistencies when it comes to the application of the seasoning. Some had a nice layer on one side, but others didn’t have any seasoning on the shell. However, extra cheese dust ends up at the bottom of the box. So I’d recommend giving it a few good shakes before opening it to coat the tacos better. Or maybe just put the less seasoned ones on the side and then use them later to scrape up the nacho cheese dust.

Conclusion:

Jack in the Box’s Nacho Tiny Tacos are disappointing. Despite all that seasoning, they lack a potent cheesiness. If you want a bit more flavor, dip them into a sauce, or get the Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos.

Purchased Price: $4.99 (Nacho Tiny Tacos), $6.99 (Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos)*
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Nacho Tiny Tacos), 7 out of 10 (Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos)
Nutrition Facts: Not available on website, which hasn’t been updated with new products in months.

*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.