Ozsome! (Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
When I first saw promotional pictures of Wendy’s new Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger, I thought the chain was offering a value menu item—something that doesn’t take a big bite out of your wallet. However, after looking at its price in the Wendy’s app, my jaw dropped enough to fit two of these Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburgers stacked on top of each other into my mouth simultaneously, because this value-looking burger cost me $7.69.
Yes, like many of my fast food reviews, you’ll see a disclaimer that things are pricier here because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But I was curious about how much other regions were paying for this burger, with a quarter-pound beef patty, Applewood-smoked bacon, two slices of American cheese, and cheddar cheese sauce on a premium bun. It can also be ordered with two or three patties, if you want to pay even more.
So I did some digging, and here’s what people around the country are paying for this thing:
The $7.69 I paid lands near the top of that list, but I look at the cities paying in the five- and six-dollar range, and I still feel like it’s too much for a burger that looks so unimpressive in person. Yes, it has a quarter-pound beef patty, three bacon slices, a cheddar cheese sauce, and two slices of American cheese, which justifies Wendy’s price for it, but all of them stacked on top of each other creates a menu item that makes me feel like I got pickpocketed by Wendy.
If it had a second patty, it might look more reasonable. If the cheese sauce elevated the burger’s flavor mightily, it might’ve made this taste a bit more worthwhile. While there’s a smidge of cheddar flavor, it’s not enough to make this something you must try while it’s on the menu. Overall, its flavor is pretty much what you’d expect from the bacon cheeseburger: cheesy, meaty, smoky, porky, and savory. But it’s also dinky and pricey.
Purchased Price: $7.69*
Size: Single
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 560 calories, 33 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 34 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. Or not, Seattle.
Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
There needs to be more apple-flavored sodas on shelves. Sure, I could stick some apple juice into a Sodastream, but that might void its warranty. One of the best apple sodas I’ve had was from Slice way back when. But then Slice got sliced out of the market. But as we all know, Slice made a comeback last year, and now that we’re a year or so into its resurrection, the brand has brought back its apple flavor, but, um, a healthier version with prebiotics and probiotics.
This isn’t the first apple-flavored soda with gut stuff. Olipop makes a delicious Crisp Apple flavor that is a top-tier Olipop variety. If this Slice version is as good or as good as the original Slice Apple, we’ll have a winner here. However, while its aroma is enticing, its flavor unfortunately pales in comparison to Olipop’s Crisp Apple, which has a fruitiness that, well, um, pops. This Slice soda? Not so much. It’s very underwhelming. I’ll stick with Crisp Apple.
If you asked me what celebrity would come out with a soda line, I’d probably rattle off a bunch of YouTubers. Didn’t expect Ben Stiller to have one. Much like a lot of new sodas nowadays, it’s a “better for you” soda. Now you might be thinking, “Oh, so it’s like Olipop and Poppi.” Well, I’m going to pop that thought because there’s nothing in this that your gut microbiome will appreciate. No fiber. No apple cider vinegar. No pre- or probiotics. There’s just some fruit juice and natural flavors, along with a bunch of sweeteners: cane sugar, stevia, and monk fruit. The soda has only 30 calories.
The can claims its “The World’s Refreshing-est Soda.” I’m going to follow that with the World’s Eye Rolling-est Eye Roll. Because it’s a soda, by nature it’s most likely going to be refreshing, but “World’s Refreshing-est”? Nope. It smells nice and there’s a mild cherry taste with a bit of citrus in the background. But its flavor doesn’t strike my taste buds as hard as others. Plus, there’s an earthy twist in the aftertaste that makes an okay soda a little less okay. Sorry, Mr. Stiller. I’ll rewatch Severance, but I won’t repurchase your soda.
Am I in another timeline? Because I’m pretty sure ranch-flavored Wheat Thins have been a thing for a very long time. Long enough that I’m sure it has gone through box design changes. But here we are in 2026 with Wheat Thins Ranch Crackers with a “NEW” banner on the box. I guess it must be a new and improved version.
I’m 100 percent sure I’ve had the previous version on multiple occasion, but I can’t quite remember what it tastes like, so I’m unable to compare. But I won’t forget these crackers because they are wonderful. Every bite definitely says “ranch.” Their seasoning is tangy, creamy, slightly herby and garlicky, and every cracker is well seasoned. I hate to admit this, but I ate two-thirds of the box while rewatching Severance. I stopped myself once my fingers realized they were hitting the bottom of the box. Okay, I didn’t stop just then. I mean, my hand was still in the box, so why not take out a couple more before closing it. They’re that good.
I have no idea who Amaya is. Pop singer? Siri and Alexa’s cousin? The can says something about “Love Island.” I have no idea what that is. Is it like a reboot of the TV show “The Love Boat,” but on an island? I’m so out of it in terms of American pop culture. All I do is watch anime and Asian dramas with quirky characters, and listen to 90s rap and Japanese and Korean pop and rock.
However, I do know that Amaya’s Island Colada is a tasty prebiotic soda. It might be in my top 5 favorite Poppi flavors. It starts off with a sweet pineapple flavor that pleases my taste buds, and then it’s followed by a creamy coconut flavor that, thankfully, isn’t overwhelming. The pineapple gets a tad sour in the aftertaste, but not enough to make me pucker because the creamy coconut helps prevent that. Also, unlike some other Poppi flavors, I didn’t notice the apple cider vinegar.
It’s a limited edition flavor, so set sail to pick one up if a piña colada-flavored prebiotic soda interests you.
Oh snap’d! There’s a new Snap’d flavor. (Spotted by Phil at Redner’s.)
If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
