REVIEW: Jack in the Box Crispy Chicken Wings

Marvo 2 Comments

My closest Jack in the Box is right next to a Popeyes. If I’m craving burgers, I can go to Jack in the Box. If I want red beans and rice or mashed potatoes, I can go to Popeyes. If I desire a crispy chicken sandwich, I’ll flip a coin, call heads for Popeyes, and then go to Popeyes because I used a two-headed coin. But, if I yearn for chicken wings, I can now go to either. Yup, Jack in the Box is now in the chicken wing game for a limited time. Yes, bone-in chicken.

Jack in the Box’s Crispy Chicken Wings are available in six- or twelve-piece orders and three varieties: Classic, Buffalo, and Garlic Parmesan. They also come with containers of buttermilk ranch sauce, but I don’t think they’re necessary after trying all three.

Before I go into flavors, I want to mention how surprisingly crispy these are. Okay, they’re not teeth rattling crunchy, nor are they as crispy as what you’d get at Popeyes, but they have a pleasant audible crunch that food ASMR listeners would love. Maybe I shouldn’t have had low expectations because these are from a burger joint. I also anticipated that these chicken wings from a burger chain would be dry within their crispy exterior, but I’m happy to report that the meat was surprisingly moist. I’m sorry for doubting you, Jack. I’m also sorry for using the word “moist,” everyone.

The Classic version isn’t tossed with any sauce, but unlike Jack’s nuggets, which NEED some kind of sauce to make them decent, these are actually good sans sauce. There are some mild flavored seasonings that I can’t really distinguish what they are, but they do make the wings tasty.

If you’re hoping the Buffalo ones have a spicy kick that’ll make you reach for the buttermilk ranch sauce to temper the heat in your mouth, I’m about to douse those expectations with a dipping sauce container of reality. While they are somewhat spicy, it’s more like a spark than a flame, but the sauce did have all the pepperiness and slight butteriness that I’d associate with Buffalo sauce. Despite the lack of heat, these were extremely tasty, and I found myself trying to nibble every bit of non-bone I could get my teeth on.

Finally, we have the Garlic Parmesan Crispy Chicken Wings, which, according to Jack’s app, is tossed in a garlic and herb butter sauce and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. As you can see in the photo below, the seasonings were applied liberally to most pieces, but I didn’t get a blast of that gar-parm love (trying to make gar-parm a thing). They were slightly garlicky, but the cheese was most noticeable thanks to the thick parmesan layer. I wish the garlic stood out more since I love garlic and how it keeps the introvert in me happy by keeping others away.

While I found the chicken wings’ flavors good, I wish the sauced ones were tossed better. I’m not sure how they’re made, but even with the Buffalo ones, I noticed that the sauces weren’t coated evenly over all the pieces.

Since I got a molehill of buttermilk ranch sauce containers with my order, I tried them with all three wing varieties. After dipping them into the white creamy sauce, I must say it doesn’t necessarily make them better. It’s a tasty addition to whatever seasonings and sauces that are already on the chicken, but as I mentioned at the beginning of my review, the ranch isn’t necessary to make these tasty.

Should I be surprised by how good Jack in the Box’s Crispy Chicken Wings are? After all, McDonald’s did a great job with its Mighty Wings over a decade ago. So, I guess burger chains can do wings well. If I had to flip a coin between Jack in the Box and Popeyes for chicken wings, I’d be fine with either result.

Purchased Price: $8.99 each
Size: 6-pieces
Rating: 8 out of 10 (all)
Nutrition Facts: (6 pieces) Classic – 440 calories. Buffalo – 470 calories. Garlic Parmesan – 670 calories. No other nutritional information is available on Jack in the Box’s website.

SPOTTED: Kellogg’s Crumbl Chocolatey Chip Cookie Cereal

Marvo 1 Comment

Kellogg's Crumbl Chocolatey Chip Cookie Cereal.

In case you missed it, we reviewed it already. But you might not want to buy the Family Size. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Mtn Dew Liberty Chill

Marvo 2 Comments

Mtn Dew Liberty Chill.

From what I’ve read, this is just a renamed Liberty Brew. But, also coming this summer are Mtn Dew Freedom Fusion (white) and Star Spangled Splash (red). (Spotted by Richard B at Dollar General.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Velveeta Cheese Dips

Marvo 1 Comment
Velveeta Queso Blanco Cheese Dip
Velveeta Jalapeno Cheese Dip
Velveeta Queso Con Salsa Cheese Dip

There’s something satisfying about watching Velveeta melt, but there’s also something satisfying about having Velveeta that’s already melted down. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

;ts1

REVIEW: Birthday Cake Loaded Cereal

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Happy 6th Month Birthday, General Mills’ Loaded Cereal!

It seems like yesterday that the Loaded Cereal line with vanilla creme filling debuted with three flavors: Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Trix. Usually brands celebrate birthdays after many years, like Oreo’s 100th, Pop-Tarts’ 50th, Starbucks Frappuccino’s 20th, Pebbles Cereal’s 50th, Cap’n Crunch’s 60th, and Slurpee’s 50th, But you do you, Loaded Cereal, because I’m not sure how long your line is going to be around. Will there even be a 5th birthday?

I ask because the Loaded Cereals have yet to impress me entirely. If you love sugary cereals, your sweet tooth will get its fill. The Cocoa Puffs and Trix varieties were good, while the Cinnamon Toast Crunch one was a slight disappointment. I like the crisp cereal pieces and vanilla creme’s sugary burst.

But the trouble with them comes with the addition of milk. It’s impressive how quickly they turn into milk sponges. I don’t even have time to put the milk back in the refrigerator before they end up halfway to Sogsville. And the cereal goes through stages of sogginess. First, the exterior gets a texture that I can best describe as sort of gritty and slimy. It’s definitely not crispy anymore. But wait a few more milky moments, and those pieces will arrive at Sogsville, but they came by boat, and that boat capsized. Any crispiness they had won’t be there. And that’s the case with this Birthday Cake Loaded Cereal.

On top of that, I’m not sure I taste the whole “birthday cake” vibe it’s trying to present here. I dunno. After trying so many birthday cake-flavored items over the years with similar flavor profiles, I have this expectation of what it should taste like. But I don’t notice it here. There’s a bit of a vanilla flavor, but that can be easily explained by the creme filling. Beyond that, there’s a slight strawberry taste, which might explain some of the pieces’ light red hue. But that berry flavor plus the vanilla doesn’t do enough to convince me that this cereal is supposed to taste like birthday cake.

With that said, Birthday Cake Loaded Cereal tastes fine if you want to start your morning with something sweet. If the short trip they take to get to Sogsville doesn’t bother you or you consume cereal like a competitive cereal eater, you’ll enjoy them more than I did.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 13 oz box
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 180 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.