REVIEW: McDonald’s Signature Crafted Recipe Bacon Smokehouse

McDonald s Signature Crafted Recipe Bacon Smokehouse

McDonald’s newest Signature Crafted Recipe features a slice of white cheddar, in-house fried onion strings, Applewood-smoked bacon, a layer of bacon onion sauce, and a layer of sweet mustard sauce on an artisan bun with your choice of a beef patty, buttermilk crispy chicken, or grilled chicken.

Here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we don’t have fresh beef at our McDonald’s locations like most of the country does. Since that’s case, I thought it would be best to eat it with the buttermilk crispy chicken to experience what everyone else can order.

Before stuffing my mouth, I thought the two different sauces would clash with each other, but they work well. The combo is like an original barbecue sauce. However, as I ate my sandwich, I was also tasting something familiar. It took me awhile to put my finger on it, but I finally realized it reminds me of Van Camp’s Pork and Beans with hot dogs.

I know it sounds strange, but if I break it down, it might make sense. Pork and beans are sweet and savory, and there’s a little bit of vinegar and onion mixed in. The bacon onion sauce is porky, onion-y, and a little sweet, while the sweet mustard sauce is vinegar-y and sweet.

McDonald s Signature Crafted Recipe Bacon Smokehouse 2

With the sauces and slightly sweet artisan bun, there’s a noticeable sweetness with every bite. The not crispy Applewood-smoked bacon and the bacon in the sauce help cut through that sweetness with a bit of smokiness. The buttermilk crispy chicken adds a slight tang to complement the mustard’s tang, which is something the other two protein choices can’t provide. As for the fried onion strings, I’m not sure they bring much to the party. When eaten separately, they don’t have much of an onion flavor. But they do provide some crunch, much like the chicken’s breading.

McDonald s Signature Crafted Recipe Bacon Smokehouse 3

Some folks might find the two sauces weird, but I love the combo, and in turn I very much enjoyed this sandwich. I think it’s one of the better and more unique tasting Signature Crafted Recipes.

(Nutrition Facts – 920 calories, 45 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1980 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 46 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Two sauces give this recipe a different flavor from the McDonald’s kitchens. Flavor reminds me of Van Camp’s Pork and Beans, which might be a good thing. Fried onions strings and chicken breading provide some crunch. Buttermilk coating enhances flavor in ways that the beef patty and grilled chicken can’t.
Cons: Bacon not crisp, which was not a surprise. Fried onions strings were bland. Sauces might be weird for some.

QUICK REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Donut Fries

Dunkin Donuts Donut Fries

What is it?

Dunkin’ Donuts’ Donut Fries are individual pieces of buttery croissant style donut dough that are tossed in cinnamon sugar and served warm with just the right amount of crisp. Five pieces come with an order that’s currently selling for $2. The photo above makes it look as if I’m collecting Muppet fingers, which I assure you those are not. I wouldn’t store Muppet fingers in a bag. I’d store them in a jar like any self-respecting Muppet finger collector would.

How is it?

Dunkin Donuts Donut Fries 2

It’s a neat concept and, after biting into one, it’s cool to see the layers are similar to the donut chain’s croissant donuts, but its flavor is adequate.

I’ve gotten more satisfaction from a regular glazed donut than what I got with these. When warm, they’re a little crisp, but like regular fries, if you let them sit out for a bit, they get limp. The cinnamon sugar is okay, but it’s not as if they taste like mini churros. Also, the seasoning seems to be inconsistent. While two-thirds of the bites have that undeniable sweet and cinnamon flavor, the other third is mostly dough, which is an odd greasy flavor that even underlies the strong cinnamon sugar bites. Overall, they aren’t something I feel compelled to buy again.

Is there anything else I need to know?

It doesn’t come with any dipping sauce. I mean, come on, Dunkin’ has a plethora of fillings and icings to pick from. But none of them can be put into a small container as an option? Also, because there are just five pieces, it looks like a sad amount in the large bag they come in.

Conclusion:

Dunkin’ Donuts’ Donut Fries are okay. I wouldn’t repurchase them unless they came with some a dipping sauce. But since a serving is only two dollars, they might be worth a try.

Purchased Price: $2.00
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Wendy’s Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Wendy s Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

What is it?

Wendy’s latest budget sandwich fix. The Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a lightly breaded chicken patty smothered in Buffalo ranch sauce, topped with lettuce and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, and served on a warm bun.

How is it?

My initial reaction when picking it up was that it felt very substantial for a buck, and indeed, it delivers. Wendy’s didn’t skimp on the sauce, which has a balanced creamy and spicy presence to it that comes through on every single bite.

Wendy s Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich 3

The chicken tastes more “real” and authentic than the coveted McChicken, and while the sauce does most of the driving on the overall flavor, the patty is moist and crisp and does everything it should to bring the protein foundation for this spiced up cheap thrill.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Wendy s Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich 2

As is the case with a lot of fast food sandwiches, the cheese didn’t add much and wasn’t fully melted sitting against the cold crisp lettuce. Initially, I was stoked to get a sandwich with cheese for such a cheap price, but I couldn’t really taste it and, in the absence of melty texture, it’s pretty unnecessary.

Conclusion:

While it’s a far cry from Wendy’s fantastic Homestyle Chicken Sandwich, that deep fries a whole chicken breast, the Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a terrific chicken sandwich for the price.

It’s salty and creamy with enough spice to be satisfying without needing ample cups of water to survive. Wendy’s continues its tradition of offering some of the best chicken in fast food land and have a solid soldier to put forth in the budget battle of value menu supremacy.

Purchased Price: $1.00
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 360 calories, 19 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 1020 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Burger King American Brewhouse King

Burger King American Brewhouse King

What is it?

Move over Meat Mountain. Take a hike Most American Thickburger. Flamethrower Grillburger? You might as well qualify for the kids menu now.

Just in time for the post-Independence Day afterglow, Burger King has graced us all with one of the most monstrous fast food burgers in history: a half-pound, all beef mega-sandwich topped with crispy onions, American cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, bacon and a hearty, proprietary “tavern sauce” — all culminating in a 1,500 calorie-plus, Budweiser-co-branded, grub-on-the-go Goliath.

How is it?

Burger King American Brewhouse King 2

Well, not that it’s all that surprising, but by golly, this newfangled American Brewhouse King is quite filling. Unless you’re a competitive eater or something, this huge honkin’ hamburger is almost sure to put you in a food coma, and truth be told, I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful the whole thing was.

Even factoring out the gimmicky pseudo-beer-flavored queso (which I still found quite tantalizing), you’ve got a solid fast food burger here, in which all of the ingredients gel quite well together. It may be nothing more than a shameless novelty, but as far as shameless novelties go, it’s certainly one of the more unironically enjoyable to come down the fast food chutes in quite some time.

Is there anything else I need to know?

You can quibble over a few details (I thought the crispy onion bits were too small and too sporadically sprinkled), but for the most part, you are getting a pretty good (if not somewhat overpriced) burger.

Burger King American Brewhouse King 3

Of course, the usual Burger King caveats do apply; considering this thing packs in almost a full day’s worth of sodium and has about half a dozen viscous fluids dripping out of it, you’d be well-advised to keep both a cold drink and a couple of napkins nearby at all times.

Conclusion:

As a tongue-in-cheek, “yeah, we KNOW how unhealthy we’re being on purpose” summertime splurge, this is astonishingly tasty. Unlike some of the other seasonal gimmick foods making the rounds these days, the American Brewhouse King actually has consumer value beyond being another “experiential” event food tailor-made for the Instagram set.

Calorie overload or not, there’s no denying Burger King crafted a hedonistically yummy fast food artery-clogger with this one; give it a try if you’re an adventurous sort, but be prepared to do a LOT of overtime on the treadmill afterward.?

Purchased Price: $6/29
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1,550 calories, 136 grams of fat, 47 grams of saturated fat, 8 grams of trans fat, 805 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,820 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 134 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard

Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard

What is it?

One of two 4th of July themed treats, the limited release Star Spangled Blizzard mixes blue candy with cherry flavored soft serve topped with a signature DQ ball and curl; red, white, and blue DQ Stars; and a Stripes StarKiss frozen treat.

How is it?

The saying beauty is only skin deep applies to ice cream too apparently. The StarKiss bar is a clever marketing gimmick that adds nothing to the taste experience while making it more difficult to actually eat the Blizzard.

Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard Star Bar

Its rapidly melting form forces you to consume it immediately. Ironically not the star of the show, I’ll briefly say that beyond the cherry stripe there is only a nondescript artificial and substandard sweetness.

Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard No Bar

After extracting the not so bomb pop, the cherry syrup flavored soft serve is buried beneath the vanilla curl where I wish I had left it. While visually striking, the cherry substrate’s flavor is, in a word, bad. In more words, it is as authentic to cherry as Robitussin watered down with corn syrup.

Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard Half

While the plain, but classic, vanilla helps, at no point did the cherry component enhance the Blizzard. Meanwhile, the blue candy provides a fun crunch but no discernable flavor of its own. Probably a good thing if the rest of the Blizzard is any indication.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I was asked what size I wanted despite the website and menu listing mini as the only option. It could have been asked out of habit, but I also paid $3.99 whereas the menu listed $4.29. Still a premium, but clearly there was a discrepancy.

Conclusion:

Dairy Queen Star Spangled Blizzard Spoon

It’s a bad sign when I find myself wishing upon a StarKiss bar that this Blizzard was only plain vanilla and blue candy. As I learned with fireworks as a kid, some things are better seen than eaten.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: Mini
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Unavailable on DQ’s website as of July 4, 2018.