REVIEW: Cheez-It Wendy’s Baconator Crackers

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Wendy’s has made several forays into the grocery store in recent years, starting with its canned chili, then ground beef patties in select stores, and now it’s entering the cracker and chip aisle. After a recent Takis collaboration at Wendy’s restaurants, we can also find its popular Baconator lending its flavor to Cheez-Its. Does the taste of those bacon-topped square burgers translate to the orange squares of Cheez-It crackers?

Well, like many snacks that try to replicate meat flavors, these are going to be divisive. After opening the package, I didn’t find the smell to be particularly strong, but when I got a little closer and actually sniffed a cracker, I didn’t like the scent of these at all, nor did I think they smelled like something I would choose to put in my mouth. They look much like a standard Cheez-It but have more powdery speckles of seasoning. I expected them to lean into the bacon part of the flavor and have an artificial smoky taste like many things that try to mimic bacon, but I didn’t get much of that here. In fact, I don’t think they remind me of bacon at all. They have a strongly savory, umami aspect to them, and in addition to the regular cheesy flavor, I mostly picked up on onion and garlic. I think those were included to enhance the burger flavor, but a Baconator itself doesn’t actually have onions, so it seems like an odd choice to me that they’d come through this prominently.

I thought I was going to hate these after first smelling them, and there is no doubt they have a strong flavor that will put off many people. My husband is one of those people; he equated the smell to a urinal (I thought it was more BO) and instantly spit the single cracker he tried into the trash can. I can’t honestly say I would pay money to eat these again, but I also didn’t hate them as much as he did. They’re salty and kind of compel me to eat more, even when I’m not sure I actually want to. A look at the ingredients offers a possible explanation for this: these Baconator Cheez-Its contain MSG. I personally have no problem with MSG, and it’s probably the reason I’ve made it through as much of this box as I have.

The back of the box features a code to scan that gives you a coupon for $2 off a Baconator in the Wendy’s app, which could be some consolation if you hate these so much that you have to trash them all and immediately need to eat an actual bacon cheeseburger to cleanse your palate. Will I finish this box of Baconator Cheez-Its that taste nothing like a Baconator? Yes. Will I try to share them with anyone else? No, for fear that anyone I offer them to may no longer trust any food I give them again.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 12.4 oz box
Purchased at: Jewel
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (26 crackers) 150 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 0 grams of total sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Takis Fuego Meal

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The fire-themed packaging that comes with Wendy’s new Takis Fuego meal makes it seem like your mouth is going to have a fiery time. The meal features the Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich, Fuego Fries, a one-ounce bag of Fuego Takis, and a drink. However, if you’re expecting A LOT of heat, your expectations will not be beat.

The Takis Fuego chicken sandwich features a spicy chicken breast, chili lime sauce, street corn spread, crushed Takis, and cheddar cheese sauce on a premium bun. The chile lime sauce enhances the peppery and citrusy flavor from the Takis Fuego. Although, there was something slightly off about the sauce that kind of detracted from the Takis flavor. Maybe too sour? Also, despite the 20-minute drive home, the Takis in the sandwich maintained most of their crunchiness.

While a street corn flavor wasn’t noticeable, the cheddar cheese sauce cut through the red seasonings and helped calm the spicy heat from the Takis and the chicken. The cheddar doesn’t make it too cheesy, but it does improves the sandwich’s flavor. I know this because I had to buy a second sandwich because my first didn’t have the cheese sauce, and I enjoyed the one with the cheddar sauce more.

However, the highlight of the meal was the Fuego Fries, which combines Takis Fuego Chile Lime seasoning with Wendy’s fries in a bag treated like a James Bond martini. I think the amount of potato strips in the bag equals a medium-sized serving. The menu item comes in a specially designed bag that is perforated across the mid-section, allowing you to tear off half of the bag to access the fries more easily. It’s neat but kind of unnecessary for someone like me who has a steady hand that’s used to reaching into fast food bags to get the bonus fries at the bottom.

They have that familiar chile lime Fuego flavor, but there is still an underlying French fry taste. I enjoyed tasting the chiles and citrus on Wendy’s fries, even those that had a lot of seasoning. There’s a slight spicy kick, but the level of heat was lower than the sandwich.

Speaking of heat, midway through my meal, my mouth realized something was missing that I always experience whenever I’ve eaten actual Takis Fuego chips — the need to drink something cool. Since the meal comes with a bag of the rolled tortilla chips, I was able to compare, and it turns out that my mouth was correct. It was only until I ate several Takis Fuego chips that I felt like I needed to put out a fire in my mouth.

If you’re trying to decide between the sandwich and the fries, definitely go for the latter. If you want the least spiciest, go for the fries. If you want an intense infusion of Takis Fuego, this meal will not disappoint.

Purchased Price: $11.49*
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sandwich), 8 out of 10 (Fries)
Nutrition Facts: (Whole meal w/o drink) 990 calories, 44 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 4000 milligrams of sodium, 112 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 38 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: Wendy’s Frosty Fusions

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Remember Wendy’s Frosty Swirls that came out (checks notes) a month ago?

Well, they have been whip kicked to the curb by Wendy’s red ponytails and replaced with the upgraded Frosty Fusions. Just kidding. These are the Frosty Swirls, which are very much still around, with a crunchy topping. Brownie batter gets Oreo cookie pieces, caramel has toffee pieces, and strawberry comes with strawberry Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers.

Like the Frosty Swirls, all three are available with either a chocolate or vanilla base. For my review of the previous line, I went with chocolate, so this time I decided to go with vanilla.

An issue I had with the Caramel Frosty Swirl was how weak the caramel sauce was. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, it’s still weak here with this Frosty Fusion. But the tiny, plentiful toffee pieces add a bit of sweet butteriness to make up for the sauce.

However, even with the toffee, I can confidently say this one isn’t as flavorful or outstanding as the other two. Also, even though I know toffee is going to toffee, I was a bit annoyed by how the pieces stuck to my teeth. Although, maybe that’s me projecting my disappointment with this dessert since I love caramel.

The Oreo Brownie Twist Frosty Fusion combines two chocolatey flavors with the brownie batter sauce and Oreo pieces. Not surprisingly, the cookie pieces enhance the already delicious swirled sauce, and on this vanilla canvas, they both stood out.

On Wendy’s website, the description says, “Not gonna lie, there’s a lot going on here—and all of it is delicious.” While I don’t believe there’s a lot going on with this souped-up Frosty because it’s just three components, all of it is very tasty, and the dark cookie pieces add a pleasant contrasting texture.

Much like IKEA instructions, I sometimes don’t read product descriptions until after the fact, and that’s what I did with the Strawberry Pop-Tarts Frosty Fusion. Because I didn’t look it up, I initially thought this came topped with untoasted Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart pieces. However, I was pleasantly surprised after realizing it came with Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers, which, after thinking about it, made more sense texture-wise than untoasted and uncrunchy Pop-Tarts.

I tasted the strawberry sauce more than the Pop-Tarts’ filling, but didn’t mind that because it enhanced the Pop-Tarts’ flavor, making this a sweet, fruity, and crunchy treat. Much like the Strawberry Frosty Swirl was my favorite among the three swirls, this topped treat was the best of the bunch.

My thoughts about Wendy’s Frosty Fusions mirror what I thought about the Frosty Swirls. The Strawberry one is outstanding, the brownie batter one is excellent, and the caramel one is good, but at the same time, a bit underwhelming.

Purchased Price: $5.89 each
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Caramel Crunch), 8 out of 10 (Oreo Brownie Twist), 9 out of 10 (Pop-Tarts Strawberry)
Nutrition Facts: Oreo Brownie Twist – 520 calories, 23 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 54 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Pop-Tarts Strawberry – 370 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 52 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein. Caramel Crunch – 420 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 390 milligrams of sodium, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 60 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Frosty Swirls

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Wendy’s Classic Chocolate Frosty is a top-tier fast-food dessert. Its chocolate malt flavor and icy texture are great on a spoon or on French fries. So the addition of Wendy’s Frosty Swirls that include brownie batter, caramel, or strawberry sauce twirled into the dessert must make them God-tier, right?

Well, read on, my fellow sweet tooths.

This new line follows the Girl Scout Thin Mints Frosty that came out earlier this year that featured a Thin Mints-flavored swirl. Much like that limited time offering, you can get these any way you want as long as it’s the Chocolate or Vanilla base. I got all chocolate ones with the brownie batter, caramel, and strawberry because I find the classic flavor to be the superior Frosty variety. I also was most intrigued by how well the strawberry sauce would go with the chocolate Frosty base, which I assume would create a lovely chocolate-covered strawberry flavor that would’ve been great for Valentine’s Day weeks ago.

My least favorite of the bunch was the caramel one because, for the most part, it tasted like a regular Chocolate Frosty. Despite the amount of sauce that clung to the sides of my cup, I couldn’t taste the caramel’s sweet butteriness as I ate my way down the cup. The only time I could really taste it was when I got to the bottom of the cup, where a pool of it awaited me. I imagine its flavor might’ve been more noticeable with a Vanilla Frosty.

Much like the caramel one, I believe the Brownie Batter swirl would’ve stood out more with the Vanilla Frosty. While it added some oomph to the treat’s chocolatiness in every spoonful, it didn’t make the dessert lean towards being brownie-flavored. Instead, it gave everything more of a darker chocolate flavor. What stood out more than the flavor was the swirl’s grittiness. It was similar to what was in the Thin Mints Frosty, and it added a pleasing texture to the creamy and icy Frosty base. Speaking of the Thin Mints Frosty, now that I think about it, this sauce seems to have the same chocolate flavor but without the mintiness.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the strawberry one. Although slightly artificial, the sweet strawberry sauce went well with the Chocolate Frosty and was noticeable in almost every spoonful. As I had hoped, it gave off a chocolate-covered strawberry vibe, which I loved. Even though the sauce had a gloopy texture, it was not noticeable among the Frosty’s iciness until I reached the bottom of the cup, where it pooled, much like the other sauces. I hope this returns next Valentine’s season.

While I liked all three, the sauces didn’t make Wendy’s Frosty Swirls a step up from a regular Classic Chocolate Frosty, but it was also not a step down. They just make things different, but not something that’ll make me want every Frosty from now on to come with swirls.

Purchased Price: $4.49 each
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Caramel), 7 out of 10 (Brownie Batter), 8 out of 10 (Strawberry)
Nutrition Facts: Caramel – 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 52 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Brownie Batter – 500 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 50 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Strawberry – 330 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 50 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich

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Wendy’s Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich is more crunch than Cajun.

Between the Spicy Chicken filet, pepper jack cheese, Cajun crispy onions, lettuce, pickles, spicy mustard spread, and bun, four of them bring some level of crunch — the chicken, onions, lettuce, and pickles. Whenever I took a bite, there was a crunch here, a crunch there, a crunch everywhere.

But that texture doesn’t take away or redirect the spotlight from the sandwich’s flavor, which is exceptionally memorable. However, it’s not unforgettable because it’s delicious. It’s because this chicken sandwich tastes like a fish sandwich.

The combination of mustard and pickles is like a spicy tartar sauce, and it’s what my taste buds and mind reeled in with multiple bites from this. My tongue did note the Cajun spices on the crispy onions from time to time, but for the most part, my mind could not get away from the idea that this cluck sandwich tasted like a glub sandwich.

This menu item was also memorable because the chicken filet was dry AF (As Faya-Largeau). It’s been a while since I’ve had a fast food chicken that was this devoid of moisture, and it made a disappointing sandwich just a little more disappointing. Of course, your results may vary.

When it comes to spiciness, if you’re a fan of the heat from Wendy’s regular Spicy Chicken Sandwich, you’ll likely find this option to roughly be in the same ballpark, even with the spicy mustard. It’s a nice tingly heat that doesn’t go overboard or overwhelm the sandwich’s flavors.

Wendy’s Cajun Crunch Chicken Sandwich is a rather mediocre offering, unless you’re fond of fast food ASMR. While it does have a crunch that some might find satisfying, the overall flavor was disappointing. If you happen to live near a Popeyes, you have a better tasting option for a crispy chicken sandwich with Cajun spices.

Purchased Price: $7.49*
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 640 calories, 31 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1390 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, 33 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.

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