Tag: Fast Food

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte

Jenna 6 Comments

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Iced and Hot

My relationship with coffee can best be described as a fairweather friend; when things are light and sweet, I’m the biggest fan, but the second it gets dark and bitter, I’m out of there.

For fellow lovers of milky, sugary, frilly coffees, I’m glad to report that Dunkin’s new Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte is a dream come true. This review was the first time I’ve had both hot and iced variants of a latte simultaneously, and I was pleasantly surprised that their tastes were as distinct as their temperatures.

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Iced

To celebrate an unseasonably warm day in late fall, I started with the iced version. On a sweetness scale from “plain cold brew” to “milkshake,” it fell solidly at “Frappuccino” level (that is to say, pretty dang sweet). Alongside the pure richness and creaminess of the white chocolate flavor, which was matched by the pure richness and creaminess of the thick, dense whipped cream on top, the “toasted” aspect of the name shined, accentuated by the cinnamon sugar dusting. The drink’s topping also contained a caramel drizzle, but as syrups tend to do, it quickly melted into the whipped cream in an indistinguishable blob, so it didn’t impact the flavor much for me.

As a white chocolate aficionado, I often lament its relegation to seasonal status, but I’ve got to say that this blissful combination of sweet and smokey was as perfect a winter treat as lounging by the fireplace on a snowy day. Bonus points for living up to the image on the poster about as faithfully as possible under the confines of the whipped-cream-smushing lid.

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Poster

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Hot

Interestingly, my hot latte was reminiscent of a different iconic winter flavor: gingerbread. After consulting the label to make sure I hadn’t picked up the wrong order, I started to suspect this had to do with the coffee-to-mouth pipeline. Sipping the iced latte from a straw allowed me to skip the whip and get right to the heart of the drink, but since I was swigging the hot latte directly from the opening in the lid, the whipped cream and its accoutrements were the first things that rose to meet me. The heated combination of whipped cream richness, white chocolate toastiness, and the light bite of cinnamon all at once gave the hot version its zesty, cookie-esque character (I found the caramel didn’t make much of a mark in this version, either). Once I slurped past the wintry mix on top, I was met with a beverage as sweet, full-bodied, and comforting as a cup of cocoa.

I couldn’t detect even the faintest hint of acrid coffee taste in either version, which suited me just fine. Ultimately, I might recommend the hot latte over the iced just because it isn’t subject to the same “melting ice diluting the flavor” issue that can plague a cold drink that isn’t chugged quickly enough. But honestly, as long as you don’t mind a serious sugar rush, either variant is so delicious that you just might want to drink it as quickly as possible regardless.

Purchased Price: $4.56
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium (hot) or 135 milligrams of sodium (iced), 42 grams of total carbohydrates, 38 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Papa John’s Triple Bacon Pizza

Jenna 12 Comments

Papa John s Triple Bacon Pizza Whole

What’s meatier than a Shaq-a-Roni, more novel than a Papadia, and able to clog three times as many arteries in a single bound? Papa John’s new Triple Bacon Pizza! Its claim to fame is containing three types of bacon: crumbles, julienne-cut pieces of Canadian bacon, and good old-fashioned strips.

At first glance, the strips were the most noticeable part of my pie. The chunky juliennes stood out as well, but were more prone to being submerged under cheese (this often made for a nice mid-bite surprise). The crumbles were the shrinking violets of the trio, with their smaller size, denser texture, and deeper color, making them surprisingly hard to tell apart from the dark dots of cheese. The lattice of varying shapes, textures, and shades of red made the pie look almost like a piece of avant-garde art—so like any good art connoisseur would, I immediately ripped it apart with my teeth.

The strips were, well, typical bacon strips, though I particularly enjoyed the variations in texture, with some bites lean and burnt and others fatty and chewy. On the other hand, the juliennes were consistently thick and tender, and since they were Canadian bacon, they had a slightly sweeter, meatier taste. I’m finding it harder to sum up the crumbles, whose standout feature seemed to be that they were just the strips, only torn into pieces. Papa John’s website specifically describes the crumbles as “smokey,” but for me the bulk of the smokey flavor came from the sheer surface area covered by the strips. While the strips were large enough that each one tended to have representation of both crispness and meatiness (even if they weren’t evenly distributed), each crumble typically only captured one of those flavors, which meant they didn’t contribute distinctly to the overall taste.

Papa John s Triple Bacon Pizza Slice

While I deeply appreciated the audacity of laying down full bacon strips across the entire pie, the flavorful juliennes with their perfectly pluckable shape were my favorite of the three types. Hearty enough to stand alongside the slice instead of just blending in, they had a similar appeal to the classic meatball or sausage pizza toppings, while the thin strips meshed with the cheese and sauce as smoothly as pepperoni. I’m not sure exactly what the advantage of the crumbles was. They felt like they were just tacked on as a cheap way to get a third selling point for this new menu item, and I suspect the two star students would shine better without them.

Papa John s Triple Bacon Pizza Bpx

All in all, the savory saltiness of these three breeds of bacon was a great, if not exactly world-shattering, pairing for Papa John’s dense cheese and sweet sauce. It made me wonder how this classic breakfast topping would hold up on a slice eaten cold the next morning, but my household demolished our box too quickly to tell. Fortunately, this meaty marvel is good enough that I don’t mind having an excuse to get it again some time and find out.

Purchased Price: $13 (that’s for the basic Triple Bacon pie, though I splurged an additional $3 to add stuffed crust)
Size: Large
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Information not available on website.

REVIEW: McDonald’s McRib (2021)

Brandon 18 Comments

McDonald s McRib 2021 Sandwich

I have had a McRib. In fact, I have had more than one McRib. If I had to guess, I’d wager that I’ve had somewhere between three and five McRibs. Each fall, there are some immutable truths: your brother-in-law will attempt to persuade you to let him take you deer hunting, people will spend the week after the time change complaining about how early it gets dark, and McDonald’s will act like they are doing the world no small favor by bringing back everyone’s favorite processed pork-parts patty.

And every three or four years, I go, “Do I like a McRib? People go nuts for these things. But I can’t remember…” And so I eat one and then go right back to forgetting. But now that I am committing my thoughts to the Internet — and provided the domain fees for this site continue to be paid — I will never again forget how I feel about this annual porkwich.

Here’s how I feel: I probably don’t need to eat another one of these again in my life.

That’s not to say this sandwich is aggressively bad or that it is an affront to my gastric sensibilities; it’s fine. But “fine” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and the fact of the matter is this: there are 15 better menu items you can order from McDonald’s.

Furthermore, if you have an unyielding hankering for a pork-patty sandwich, you can probably get a cheaper and more delicious one somewhere else. QuikTrip, a multi-region chain of convenience stores, sells a much better and cheaper BBQ pork riblet sandwich. I mean, sure, you have to microwave it yourself, but it’s a small trade-off for a vastly superior product.

So, what is it about the McRib that keeps me from — ba-da-ba-ba-ba — loving it?

The pork patty itself is perfectly okay. It’s meaty and chewy, and what one probably expects from “restructured meat” composed primarily of pork shoulder. It’s inoffensive (if uninspired). There are no “subtle undertones” or “complex nuances” to be had; it is chewy, and identifiably meat, and that’s pretty much it.

McDonald s McRib 2021 Onions

The same can be said of the pickles, which are McD’s standard, flimsy sour discs, and the onions, which are respectably crunchy and tangy. The bun is a bland (but again, just fine) homestyle roll that is dusted with some sort of seed. (Nearly everything on the Internet identifies it as a sesame seed bun, but this isn’t true. The ones on the McRib bun are tiny and round and yellow, like a poppy seed, but not. I think this is called “corn dusted”?)

Anyway, what I think really ruins the McRib is the bath of sweet sauce the patty receives. The sauce is tart and pungently tangy, like ketchup that has gone south, and the sandwich is absolutely SWIMMING in it. You cannot take a bite of this thing without splurting or dripping the sticky red goo everywhere. It is a slasher-film of a lunch.

McDonald s McRib 2021 Side

In the end, I think this sandwich thrives off of two things: 1) nostalgia and 2) limited availability. I’d be genuinely surprised if many people try one for the first time this November and instantly begin a countdown clock until its sloppy return.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 520 calories, 28 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 890 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugars, and 24 grams of protein.

(Editor’s Note: Last year, I decided we would review the McRib every time it returns, and each time it would be a different writer. I’m doing it mostly for funsies, but I also want to read different takes on this sandwich. If you’re interested, here’s our review from 2020.)

REVIEW: Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito

Marvo 7 Comments

Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito Log

What is the Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito?

I’ll let the Taco Bell website answer that question:

Double the steak*, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, red strips, creamy chipotle sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, and three-cheese blend wrapped inside a warm flour tortilla, with even more three-cheese blend grilled on the top.

*As compared to a Steak Quesadilla

Basically, it has everything last year’s wonderful Grilled Cheese Burrito had. Except, instead of seasoned beef, it comes with a double steak serving.

How is it?

Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito Weight

Well, first off, this sucker is thick, and it puts my forearms to shame. Actually, it puts all of my arms to shame. I’m surprised it didn’t weigh a pound, but it did make a pleasing thud when I dropped it on my dining table.

Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito Closeup

The highlight of the menu item is the grilled cheese on the flour tortilla. It gives the outer layer an almost plasticky feel, but it also provides an additional cheesy burst with most burrito bites. Its flavor reminds me of some Keto-friendly cheese crisps I’ve had.

Taco Bell Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito Innards

As for what’s within the cheese encrusted tortilla, the flavors that stand out the most are the nacho cheese and creamy chipotle sauces. While there’s a double steak serving, the tender pieces of meat aren’t as flavorful as Taco Bell’s seasoned beef, so they’re more in the background of every chew with the seasoned rice. But as someone who loves the flavors of Taco Bell’s tangy nacho cheese and smoky chipotle sauce, every bite was a delight.

And that brings us to the red strips. As you can imagine, being in a grilled tortilla with hot meat, hot rice, and three different sauces, the tortilla chips fell into soggy despair. There have been menu items where the red strips provide some crunchiness, but that’s not the case with this.

As someone who enjoyed the original Grilled Cheese Burrito, it’s not surprising that I also liked chomping on this meatier version. Although, I prefer the original a little more.

Anything else you need to know?

Taco Bell is mainly promoting the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito. But if the chain’s marinated steak isn’t your thing, it’s also available in Double Chicken, Double Beef, and Double Black Bean varieties (the original Grilled Cheese Burrito is also back). It’s probably highlighting the steak version because it’s the most expensive out of the bunch.

Also, the Taco Bell menu has spicy versions of the Double (insert protein here) Grilled Cheese Burritos that get their heat from jalapeño peppers.

Conclusion:

Taco Bell’s Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito is a hefty and tasty addition to the chain’s menu.

Purchased Price: $7.19*
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 910 calories, 44 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 2140 milligrams of sodium, 89 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, and 40 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. I’ve seen it promoted in other regions for $5.49.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte

Heather 6 Comments

Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte Cup

What is the Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte?

The holidays are here at Starbucks, and so is the newest addition to its seasonal lineup. A new non-dairy option, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, combines Blonde espresso with a sugar cookie syrup and almondmilk. But the fun is not over yet – it’s also topped with festive red and green sprinkles.

How is it?

Oh. My. Gosh. I had high hopes and this lived up to the expectations. Starbucks knocked it out of the park with the new sugar cookie syrup. I picked up notes of vanilla and sugar with a very subtle sweetness. The syrup pairs well with the almondmilk, making the latte smooth and creamy. It almost didn’t feel like a holiday beverage since I tend to associate those with a heavy dose of sweet. This is one that I could definitely drink all year long. (Starbucks, this is my plea for you to keep it on the menu. Please.)

Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte Lip

Another positive to note: Between picking up my drink, a daycare drop off and settling in at the office, I (almond)milked this iced beverage for nearly three hours. And I’m happy to report that the flavor held up without it becoming too watery or diluted. Huge win!

Anything else you need to know?

Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte Top Sprinkles

I love the addition of the sprinkles, but they did sink to the bottom rather quickly. And because of that, there was a slight grittiness in the last few sips of my drink. Not a turnoff for me, just something for those who might not like texture!

I want to forewarn you, reader: As most seasonal beverages do, this came with a hefty price tag. A grande here in the Midwest cost me $5.25. Had I gotten a venti, it would have been $5.95. Worth it? Yes… but your budget might take a hit if you become addicted to this one like I have. (Sorry, husband!)

Conclusion:

Yes, yes, a million times yes. I loved this iced and am looking forward to the hot version as well. I’m so thrilled with this Starbucks release and urge anyone with even a slight desire to head to your nearest location and try this baby.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: Grande
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 25 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein and 170 milligrams of caffeine.

Click here to read our previous Starbucks reviews.