Is it me, or is Dunkin’ Donuts just constantly trying out new stuff? I’ve been with TIB for a year and a half, and I swear they’ve rolled out at least a half dozen different products within that time. And that’s just hot foods; I’m not even counting new donuts or drinks. Far be it from me to tell a massive multinational conglomerate how to run their business, but is that really productive? How is there even time to analyze market data on how a product is being received before it’s gone and replaced by something new?
But ultimately, that’s not what we’re here to answer; you’re wondering whether DD’s latest offering, the Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich, is worth a try. Or you’re bored at work and they’ve disabled Minesweeper on your computer. Either way, let’s get down to business. The Steak & Egg sandwich is being marketed as a very masculine sandwich. It drinks whiskey straight from the bottle. It has only cried twice in its life. (Its father’s funeral and at the end of Old Yeller.) And if there’s truth in advertising, it will help you “Show Your Morning Who’s Boss. ” This is a sandwich for men, manly men, the kind who build skyscrapers, tame wild animals, and “wear the big boss pants.” Stay away, ladies — you couldn’t handle this sandwich. Why, one bite would send you scurrying back home to your momma. Angus doesn’t need you and it doesn’t want you.
Hopefully that’s also true of the men who’ll be consuming it, since the Angus Steak & Egg comes standard on an onion bagel, meaning you won’t be locking lips with anyone after eating it. That’s okay, real men don’t have time for kissing anyway. Since I’m a writer and thus not particularly manly, I got mine on a plain bagel, but be aware you have to ask for that — onion is the default, which could be a nasty surprise if you’re not expecting it. On a plain bagel, it smells good, though not substantially different from most breakfast sandwiches; in other words, the cheese and egg contribute more to the aroma than the steak does.
Appearance-wise, it looks… above average. The cheese, steak, and egg are all clearly visible within the sandwich from almost any angle, and when you remove the top you see they didn’t skimp on any of the components. As the picture illustrates, my bagel got burnt, but hopefully that was user error specific to my server instead of just the way they’re made. On the other hand, the cheese was quite melted, which is great. Can’t complain about the size of the Angus patty, though I’ll offer that it looks more like a standard fast food hamburger than anything you’d actually think of when hearing the word “steak.”
As for the taste, it’s quite good, assuming you’re able to manage your expectations. If you’re genuinely expecting the equivalent of a nice porterhouse or New York Strip steak on your mass-produced breakfast sandwich, well, I guess you’re out of luck. (Also, dumb.) It tastes a bit like adding eggs to a cheesesteak, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. I found that the combo of the cheese, egg, and steak melded well together in my mouth, warm and savory with reasonable juiciness. The bagel was decent, crisp enough but, again, relatively burnt. Taken as a whole, the sandwich was both filling and tasty.
Not nearly as impressed was I by tearing off a small piece of just the steak. It’s not bad, but fair or not, the word “Angus” conjures up a certain beef pedigree that can be hard to live up to. This is like Angus’s great-grandson, the one who gets a cushy executive job at the family business and is told to just show up most days and try not to knock up his secretary. And like a 4th generation executive, it seems much more impressive when bolstered up by the hard work of its undervalued support staff, eggs and cheese. Together they make a good team and can actually capitalize on the steak’s strengths while effectively masking its limitations. For that reason, I’d call the Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich a relative success and encourage you to try one sometime in the next two weeks, before it gets replaced by the Lobster Bisque Croissant or whatever.
(Nutrition Facts – 1 sandwich – 630 calories, 230 calories from fat, 26 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 255 milligrams of cholesterol, 1390 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugars, and 34 grams of protein)
Other Dunkin’ Donuts Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich reviews:
Fast Food Geek
Grub Grade
Item: Dunkin’ Donuts Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich
Price: $3.99
Size: 1 sandwich
Purchased at: Dunkin’ Donuts
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Always something new to try. Good smell. Cheese is melted nicely. A sandwich that’ll put hair on your chest. Doesn’t skimp on the egg or steak patty. Won’t stick around long enough to get boring. Cheese and egg meld nicely with the steak for a savory taste.
Cons: Onion bagels. Burnt. Women who come within 10 feet of this sandwich often become spontaneously pregnant. 85%(!) of your recommended daily intake of cholesterol, and 58% of the sodium. The steak on its own is uninspired.