Author: Vin

REVIEW: Wendy’s Spicy Pretzel Bacon Pub Chicken Sandwich

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Wendy s Pretzel Bacon Pub Spicy Chicken Sandwich Top

If we can agree on anything in these divisive times, it’s that pretzel buns are one of the greatest food inventions since Jakob Gareth Food created food in 1295.

We can agree on that, right? I know you’re nodding your heads, “yes,” so I can just move on.

In 2013, Wendy’s released the Pretzel Pub Sandwich, and it instantly knocked the Bacon Mushroom Melt out of my Wendy’s gold medal spot.

The combination of that iconic chicken, two types of cheese (Muenster and cheddar), and honey mustard on a perfectly tender pretzel bun had me coming back at least once a week. I would throw those bad boys down faster than you can say, “Sir, this is a Wendy’s,” but alas, just as the employees were memorizing my name and face, it was gone.

I’m pretty sure Wendy’s dabbled with other pretzel bun fare in the years since, but nothing ever came close to that Pretzel Pub Sandwich. Well, guess what, folks? It’s a miracle. Pretzel Pub Sandwiches are back, but this time along with the cheese and honey mustard, there’s bacon, pickles, and fried onions along for the ride.

So that’s it. That’s the review. I gushed about the OG Pretzel Pub, and this is the same sandwich with three awesome additions. It’s a 10 out of 10, right?

Wendy s Pretzel Bacon Pub Spicy Chicken Sandwich Flipped Lid

No, and I’m bummed beyond belief. There is just way too much going on with this sandwich. Each ingredient is great on its own, but once plopped on top of each other, none really stood out, and it made for a buzzkill of a meal.

I remember the original sandwich being a compact, tasty, and harmonious masterpiece. Here, the two gloopy ingredients (beer cheese and honey mustard) mixed with the lightly melting muenster make a gross texture with a flavor I could only describe as…warm?

I got a spicy chicken filet, and even that familiar flavor ended up being bland and masked. Honestly, the pickles had the most dominant flavor in the sandwich and kinda didn’t belong.

Now, while I’m pretty mad, it wasn’t all bad. I didn’t hate it.

Wendy s Pretzel Bacon Pub Spicy Chicken Sandwich Middle

The pretzel bun was still God-tier. I just love a soft pretzel’s taste and texture and believe any sandwich instantly improves with them as bread. Wendy’s cooks the best bacon in the fast food game, so no complaints there. Crispy fried onions are the most underutilized burger topper in the world, and should replace every raw onion moving forward.

Wendy s Pretzel Bacon Pub Spicy Chicken Sandwich Bite

Again, these are all good ingredients on their own, but combined? What a mess. There were too many cooks in the kitchen when they came up with this updated sandwich.

You can order a Pretzel Pub Burger, and I suspect all these ingredients might work better with beef. But I think the move might be to customize your own variation in the app.

I’m not even positive that’s allowed, but I’m going back to try this with two fewer ingredients. I think I might just cut the “Pub” out entirely and lose the beer cheese. Two sauces were just too messy.

I’ve probably romanticized the 2013 Pretzel Pub too much over the years, so you may like this much more than I did. It’s worth a shot, but just make sure you’re parked or at home while you eat it, because it’s a big sloppy experience.

Purchased Price: $6.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 840 calories, 42 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 105 milligrams of cholesterol, 1780 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Stuffed Bagel Minis

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Dunkin Stuffed Bagel Minis Everything Seasoning

What are Dunkin’ Stuffed Bagel Minis?

Dunkin’ is finally taking a cue from Starbucks by adding mini bagel rounds filled with cream cheese to its menu.

How are they?

Before I get into that, I have to whine.

Ya know those donut holes Dunkin’ is famous for? The snackable miniature versions of its famous donuts? What are they called again?

The only reason I ask is because Dunkin’ completely dropped the bagel ball by not calling these “Bagel Munchkins,” right? Why aren’t these called “Bagel Munchkins”? Honestly, if that name is being phased out because it’s mildly offense, I’m ok with it, but why aren’t these called “Bagel Munchkins”? They had that one on a tee – Dunkin’ Bagel Munchkins.

I should probably stop saying the word just in case. Besides, it reminds me of the Secretary of the Treasury, and that dude owes me $1200.

Dunkin Stuffed Bagel Minis Coffee

Ok, so stuffed bagel minis – are they good? Yeah, sure, they’re pretty good.

The Everything seasoning-topped bagel shell had the exact texture I dig. I like a fat, chewy, room temperature bagel.

Dunkin Stuffed Bagel Minis Cream Cheese

These are a good bite, but I didn’t love the cream cheese filling. There’s too much of it, and it was burning hot, even after driving home a few minutes. I expected that but realized I definitely prefer cold, more solidified cream cheese.

Still, these are fun. The “M-word” version of a Dunkin’ bagel is much better than its regular bagels, which are trash-tier.

Anything else you need to know?

Dunkin Stuffed Bagel Minis

These come in packs of two, which is a perfect serving size.

You can also get a Plain bagel version. I was going to try those as well. But honestly, I think I can make my assumption on those from eating the undoubtedly superior Everything topped one.

Conclusion:

I would get these again 100 times out 100 over a regular bagel, but I would wait a couple of minutes to let the cream cheese lava cool down.

I hope Dunkin’ eventually uses Bantam Bagels as inspiration to try some flavored cream cheeses and more varieties of bagels.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 2-pack
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Minis) 260 calories, 12 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 30 mg of cholesterol, 400 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of total carbohydrates, 5 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Dunkin Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte Cup

What is the Dunkin’ Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte?

If you’re searching for a slight remix on the typical Pumpkin Spice Latte, Dunkin’ has you covered.

How is it?

Quick, without looking, what’s today’s date?!

Yeah, I had no idea either, but I bet you’re a little shocked we’ve already reached Pumpkin Spice Season. Sure, it seems to come earlier and earlier every year, but if you told me it was June 10th, I wouldn’t put up a fight. Times and dates have become a complete blur.

If you need something to help shake that fog, might I suggest this new Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Dunkin Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte Dunkin Logo

The word “Signature” might be fogging my thought process here, but this tastes like an “upscale” iced pumpkin spiced latte. A slightly more mature tasting Dunkin’ drink if you will. The difference here is a shot of espresso and vanilla.

The vanilla flavor definitely bleeds through nicely. The espresso balances the pumpkin flavor, which prevents it from being too overbearing or artificial tasting.

Anything else you need to know?

The downside about lattes, especially at Dunkin’, is that they ultimately end up tasting more like a milk drink than a coffee. That sounds obvious, but if I told you this was some kind of NesQuik-style coffee and pumpkin-flavored milk, you’d believe me. I acknowledge how nitpicky this sounds.

Dunkin Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte Whip

I’m hot and cold on whipped topping, but the cinnamon-topped cream here was a perfect addition. I actually think I liked the last few sips of latte and melted topping best.

Oh, and speaking of hot and cold, you can get this hot or iced. I always opt for iced.

Conclusion:

So, this really isn’t an extreme departure from the pumpkin spice fare you’re used to, but it’s still quite good.

I like the thought process. Pumpkin spice is a bit played out, so why not start mixing it with other flavors and really ramp it up? Vanilla is a good start, but I want some Mocha Pumpkin Spice stuff or something weirder like Coconut Pumpkin Spice. That should be the bridge coffee from summer to fall.

It’s fall now, right? What day is it again? I forgot already.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: Small
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 gram of trans fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 20 mg of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of total carbohydrates, 38 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Dunkin’ Cereal

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Post Dunkin Cereal

Don’t even talk to me in the morning until I’ve had my Dunkin’ coffee…cereal?!

That’s right folks, Post and Dunkin’ have collaborated on a coffee-based cereal.

Why it’s taken this long is anyone’s guess. But it makes sense as both coffee and cereal (along with about seven other things) have long been part of “a complete breakfast,” according to commercials. Why not combine the two?

This isn’t Dunkin’s first cereal, but it’s the first time the brand has cerealized a beverage flavor. You can now try Dunkin’s famous Mocha Latte and Caramel Macchiato in a bowl instead of a cup. I mean, you can probably use a cup if you want. You do you.

Post Dunkin Cereal Marshmallows

The cereals consist of Cocoa Puffs-style pieces with flavored marshmallows that look like little foam swirled lattes, and feature real Dunkin’ coffee, so you can add an additional, but negligible amount of caffeine to your morning. Sounds good to me.

Post Dunkin Mocha Latte Cereal Bowl

Mocha Latte hit me with a huge waft of coffee smell, which is both pleasant and mildly strange coming from a cereal. As far as taste, the cereal pieces aren’t that far off from the Cocoa Puffs they resemble. They’re chocolate heavy, with a generic coffee flavor accompaniment. The marshmallows burst with the titular coffee drink’s flavor. They taste exactly like sugary coffee foam and syrup.

If I had to narrow down a description, I’d say this is Count Chocula if you swapped coffee for milk (more on that later). Imagine a cereal called “Count Coffula” or “Café Chocula” or “Count Chock Full o’ Nutsula,” OR, don’t imagine anything. You do you.

Post Dunkin Caramel Macchiato Cereal Bowl

Caramel Macchiato smells like, and forgive me for crossing company lines, a Caramel Frappuccino. Think of any caramel centric cereal you’ve had, but with a kicker – you get a nice little coffee flavor infusion.

Imagine one of those gourmet popcorn companies making a “caramel coffee” flavor. That’s the flavor profile I keep coming back to. To use this example again, think of when you get to the bottom of your caramel Frap and its mostly ice, whipped cream, and caramel drizzle. It tastes like that.

I could have gone for even more coffee flavor, but I guess they have to appeal to kids. The cereal piece shapes are a bit uninspired, but the marshmallows are cute, and they’re the star of the show for me.

As far as the cereal milk flavor, Imagine the drinks the cereal is based on, but swap the coffee to dairy ratio. They each tasted like a coffee drink that is 75% milk or whatever your preferred dairy is.

Oh, and just out of sheer curiosity, I tried this: both cereals with coffee instead of milk.

Look out, we got a wild man here!

Post Dunkin Cereal Mixed

Why not? I had some coffee left over, threw in my splash of half and half and mixed equal parts of each cereal in. It was a half and half and half and half. I kinda loved it. The coffee sopped into the cereal pieces and gave it that extra oomph I wanted, and the mocha and caramel flavors pushed through. If you’re feeling bold, give this a shot, but obviously, use cold coffee.

So yeah, these are ultimately a winner for me. There’s just enough coffee flavor to get your fix while also not scaring off the kids. I’m probably just gonna mix the two bags together at this point. I may even isolate a bag of the marshmallows and use them as ingredients in some kind of snack mix. Feel free to leave some suggestions on what I should add.

I’m hoping this leads to more coffee cereals. You have to imagine Starbucks will put something out if these do well. Hit us with a line of Frap cereals. As for Dunkin’, I’m not sure which coffees they can mimic next, but how about a Munchkin Cereal that features ALL the Munchkin flavors in one box?

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11 oz boxes
Purchased at: Received from Post Cereals
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Mocha Latte), 8 out of 10 (Caramel Macchiato)
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup) Mocha Latte – 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Caramel Macchiato – 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Chex Mix MAX’D Chili Jalapeno

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Chex Mix MAX D Chili Jalapeno Bag

What is Chex Mix MAX’D Chili Jalapeno?

Chex dropped its latest “MAX’D” variety featuring a cheesy, zesty kick with a splash of lime.

Chex Mix MAX D Chili Jalapeno Back of Bag

How is it?

It’s still hard to get used to a savory flavor on a “Muddy Buddy” textured Chex piece. When you associate a certain texture with a certain taste, it really throws you for a loop when it’s the complete opposite.

That being said, I did semi-adjust to the Chili Lime MAX’D pieces in time, and this is probably my favorite MAX’D variety. It’s slightly better than the other two I’ve tried thus far.

Chex Mix MAX D Chili Jalapeno Bowl

The chili flavor was an indiscriminate spice bomb, so the cool blast of lime on the finish was a real saving grace. The citrus balanced out the mix as a whole, which wreaked havoc on the back of my tongue. They weren’t quite Ghost Pepper Chex Mix level, but they probably rival the Flamin’ Hot line of Lay’s snacks in the heat department.

While the chili was kind of a bummer, the Jalapeno Cheddar non-blasted Chex pieces were fantastic. I’ve somehow avoided regular Jalapeno Cheddar Chex Mix my whole life, and these were a revelation. The jalapeno flavor dust wasn’t as caked on, but it was still somehow more recognizable than chili. The bag even smelled like the pepper.

Anything else you need to know?

Chex Mix MAX D Chili Jalapeno Pieces

This mix has the perfect role players in pretzels and cheddar crackers. Everyone’s favorite Chex Mix piece, (and probably my least favorite) the bagel chip, wouldn’t have worked here. I’m also glad they kicked those crappy little breadsticks to the curb.

I imagine this MAX’D line is gonna continue down the “spicy” path, but I would really love to try a sweet mix with Muddy Buddy pieces front and center.

Conclusion:

I liked MAX’D Chili Jalapeno, and I think you’ll like ’em too, but they feel like a first draft. All the pieces are there, but I wish the flavors were flipped a little. If the flavor blasted pieces were Jalapeno Lime, and the regular Chex were Chili Cheese, this snack may have been near perfect.

If anyone at General Mills is reading this, please make a Sweet Chili or Pizza Chex Mix next. I’ll even accept them in the MAX’D variety.

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 4.25 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 140 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 380 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 gram of protein.