REVIEW: Taco Bell Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa

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Taco Bell is gonna Taco Bell when it finds something that sticks. When that happens, it attempts to add that thing to every menu item possible. The thing that has stuck for a while now is making cheese literally stick to the exterior of tacos, burritos, fries, regular Chalupas, and now compact Chalupas with its Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa.

These mini Chalupas come in two per order and feature Cantina chicken or marinated steak with onions, cilantro, cheddar cheese, and chile lime crema sauce. I ended up purchasing the chicken one, but I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t get one chicken and one steak with an order since there’s no upcharge for the steak one.

While they look a bit appetizing with the cheese attached to the shell, that cheese doesn’t make these taste as cheesy as expected. However, they do add some crispy texture to the soft-ish Chalupa shell. Now that I look at it again, the cheese adhesions remind me of zombie movie makeup. Okay, now it’s less appetizing.

Despite the cheese and the decent amount of ingredients within the shell, the most dominant taste was the Chalupa shell’s breadiness. While the shell is the eye-catching highlight of the menu item, it shouldn’t also be the most tongue-catching ingredient.

I tried the other components separate from the Chalupa shell, and they have a nice flavor, with the marinated chicken, onions, and chile lime crema sauce standing out the most. It’s pleasant enough that I wish I could’ve tasted it more with the Chalupa shell.

Now, let’s talk about their size. By calling them “Street Chalupa,” I know they’re supposed to be small like street tacos. However, even though there are two, their size makes them seem more like a value menu item. So what I paid for them, and even the advertised price of $5.49, is a hard price to swallow.

Taco Bell’s Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa won’t be sticking around permanently because it’s a limited-time item. But if it ever comes back, I’m sure I won’t be sticking it and its bread-y flavor in my mouth again.

Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: 2 Chalupas per order
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 order) 580 calories, 38 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1030 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 23 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: Baskin-Robbins Paloma Paradise Ice Cream

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Baskin-Robbins is bringing the summer vibes during a spring month with the introduction of its Paloma Paradise Ice Cream, April 2025’s Flavor of the Month. The pink-colored scoop features paloma-flavored ice cream and sorbet with mild chili pepper lime swirls.

What’s a paloma? You’d be correct if you think it sounds like a place in California. If you said it’s a community in Illinois, I am impressed with your geography genius. But this treat was inspired by the tequila-based cocktail called the paloma. It’s a mixture of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda (like Fresca) or grapefruit juice. However, you need not worry about alcohol in the ice cream or sorbet.

I’ll admit that grapefruit hasn’t been the first citrus fruit I’ll grab when experiencing scurvy because the fruit’s infamous sourness turns me off. However, I enjoy sipping on a Fresca whenever it’s in a cooler at a barbecue. Thankfully, the ice cream and sorbet base have all the grapefruit flavor but without much sourness. It’s a sweet, citrusy, creamy, and refreshing base. I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The sorbet has an icy texture that could give the impression that there are icy chunks in the ice cream itself. However, I didn’t experience that too much so there probably wasn’t much sorbet in my scoop.

The most intriguing ingredient is mild chili pepper lime swirls. But while I could see chili pepper specks in the swirl, they disappointingly provided a subtle chili pepper kick that’s as silent as the letter B in the word “subtle.” So, if you’re worried about this having a bit of spiciness, you have nothing to fear. Instead, the swirls provide a punchy lime flavor that complements the grapefruit taste without adding any sourness.

While you need not worry about puckering, there’s a little flavor twist that might be weird to some. Despite not containing any alcohol, I tasted a hint of an alcohol vibe with several spoonfuls. It’s not off-putting and adds a little authenticity to the scoop, but I can understand how it might be a turnoff to some.

Baskin-Robbins’ Paloma Paradise is a lovely summery flavor to enjoy during the spring.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 2.5 oz scoop
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: KFC Mashed Potato Poppers

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When it comes to ubiquitous fast-food joints, there’s one place I always pass by, but… well, usually pass on, and that’s KFC.

I don’t know what it is. I like KFC. I grew up loving KFC, but I never crave KFC.

It just hasn’t done much to get me excited over the past decade plus. Its chicken sandwich was good enough, and I dug the little snack wraps that come and go, but outside of those, I can’t remember the last time I genuinely wanted KFC. Gimmicky Double Downs and wet nuggets didn’t excite me, but for some reason, the new Mashed Potato Poppers instantly grabbed my attention.

I’m a mark for any new potato product. I could sit here and explain all the preparations for potatoes I enjoy like a regular Benjamin Buford Blue, but we have word limits.

That said, potatoes are arguably the most versatile food on Earth, and it’s rare for something to hit the market that I’m unfamiliar with.

Mashed Potato Poppers are essentially what they sound like: clumps of mash fried into a crispy little ball. They exist somewhere between a tot and a croquette – at least, they should.

Calling these potato croquettes would be stolen valor, something ol’ Harland Sanders knows plenty about.

My poppers were anything but poppin’.

I expected a warm, crispy shell with a smooth mashed potato filling, but what I got was a crusty, bland fritter with an arid blotch of porous potato inside. Of the five in my order, I would say two were promising.

I see the vision. I think these are probably kinda good if eaten in the right occasion. Mine may have sat around a bit too long. I used the app on the way over to the restaurant (at a red light, relax) and didn’t arrive for another 3-5 minutes … which, come on, is not exactly a long time, but something tells me these actually “pop” if eaten immediately from the fryer.

When I think of KFC mashed potatoes, I think of powder mix. They might not prepare them that way, but I’m not even opposed. I have great nostalgia for KFC mashed potatoes. I expected these things to burst with a wet, goopy potato paste, but alas, mine were dry.

The poppers are served with a cup of gravy for dipping, and I’ll just say that gravy is trash. I had great memories of KFC gravy too, but this was just watery sewage runoff that absolutely did not enhance the poppers.

I’m willing to chalk my experience up to premature ordering, but I gotta score ‘em how I got ‘em. There’s no reason to ever get these over a fry or a wedge or even a side of mashed potatoes, but I still think you should try them on the off-chance I just got a bad batch.

I don’t think Mashed Potato Poppers are long for the menu, but I’d love to see the Colonel attempt some corn fritters in this style next.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 5 Poppers
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (5 Poppers w/o gravy) 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 921 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Crunchin’ Cookie Dipped Cone

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Last year, some lucky Dairy Queen test markets were treated to a “Cookie Monster” dipped cone, a very blue offering with crushed-up bits of chocolate cookies in the cone dip itself. According to Dairy Queen, this results in the ultimate cookies and cream taste and texture. This Spring, the colorful cone has gone nationwide, and the chain dropped the monster moniker, introducing it instead as the Crunchin’ Cookie Dipped Cone. Apparently, this dip is brought to us only by the letters D and Q and not affiliated with any muppet-populated street. It hasn’t needed any famous tie-ins to gain popularity though; it’s already made a splash, and viral hacks using the dip have made their way onto the menu. On a recent springlike day, I tried this cookie concoction to see if it was all it was crunched up to be.

As a former Dairy Queen employee, I was trained to take my cone-struction pretty seriously, and I’m always a little disappointed to get one that doesn’t look exactly like it should. In defense of whoever made mine, they didn’t do too bad. It was missing the classic curl and could maybe have used a few more seconds in the cone dip, but this doesn’t affect the flavor or the fact that this is an eye-catching ice cream. I had hardly ventured out the door when I crossed paths with an elementary school-aged kid who let out an audible “Woah!” at the sight of this thing.

It’s hard to be in anything but a good mood when you’re holding an ice cream cone, and it’s even harder when that cone is enveloped in a blue shell studded with cookie pieces. This cone is just pure fun. The chocolate cookie chunks are small, really small, so they’re not adding a whole lot to the texture but as with any dipped cone, you get a satisfying crunch from biting into it. Some parts of the shell come off in small pieces, and others separate themselves in much larger chunks, which is a nice contrast to the smooth ice cream interior.

Flavorwise, things are creamy and overall sweet like you’d expect. The cookie specks are mostly too small to bring real chocolate flavor to the party, but they still give off a cookies and cream vibe, more akin to a Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme bar than an Oreo cookie. If you’re looking to up your intake of both dip and cookies, you can try one of the hacks. The first blends Crunchin’ Cookie Dip into an Oreo Blizzard and serves it alongside a small additional cup of liquid Cookie Dip, and the second layers Crunchin’ Cookie Dip with Oreo pieces and soft serve, parfait style. Not all locations offer these options, but even if you can’t get your mitts on them, this cone in its original form is a tasty and joyful treat that won’t leave you, or your tongue, feeling blue.

Purchased Price: $5.09
Size: Small Cone
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 320 calories, 15 grams of total fat, 25 mg of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbs, 31 grams of total sugars, and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake

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I miss Wendy’s Orange Creamsicle Frosty. Even though it’s only been gone for a year, I’d braid Wendy’s hair for her if I could taste that creamy, delicious treat again. Heck, I’d revive Dave Thomas and have him do commercials again if I could order a cup of that citrusy and vanilla-y dessert. But I don’t have the power to bring back the dead or the finger dexterity to braid long hair.

Instead, I will have to settle for the new Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake that features orange flavoring mixed into DQ’s vanilla soft serve and finished with whipped topping.

As I waited in line to order, I looked at the sparse Orange Julius branding at the Dairy Queen. I felt guilty for betraying it by coming to a Dairy Queen with the intention of ordering an orange-flavored treat, but it being a new shake and not the citrusy beverage with decades of history behind it. Et tu, Brutus? But if given the option between an Orange Julius and this Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake, I’d stab the Orange Julius, I mean, I’d pick the soft serve dessert ten out of ten times.

Nothing about its flavor strays from what we think when it comes to “orange cream” treats. From the first sip, the only thing that came to mind was an Orange Creamsicle, the popular ice cream truck offering. It has the perfect balance of citrus and cream. While it doesn’t quite have the same feel as a Wendy’s Frosty, this had a pleasant thick, icy, and creamy texture. Its delicious taste made me forget about Wendy’s orangey Frosty. As for the whipped topping, it does nothing to enhance the “cream” flavor, but that’s fine because this shake is way better than fine.

I will miss Dairy Queen’s Orange Cream Shake when it disappears from the menu. And I imagine a year from now, I’m going to want to braid the Dairy Queen’s hair for her to get a taste of this creamy, delicious treat again. I’d attempt to revive the Dairy King if I could order this citrusy and vanilla-y dessert again. Maybe by then, I’ll have the power to bring back the dead or the finger dexterity to braid hair.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 610 calories, 27 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 73 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.