Tag: Fast Food

REVIEW: Burger King Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper

Marvo Leave a comment

NOTE: We also reviewed the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper and Mexican Street Corn Whopper

It’s been a while since Burger King had the courage to put fries into a burger, and over a decade later, the fast food chain has mustered enough resolve to once again use fries as a burger topping. Although this time, they are not French fries. Instead, it’s Pickle Fries in the new Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper that’s part of the Million Dollar Whopper Contest.

The offering features a 1/4 lb flame-grilled beef patty, lettuce, creamy pickle ranch, fried pickles, bacon, and Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. As you can see, this description I copied and pasted from the Burger King website calls them “fried pickles,” but they are definitely the same Pickle Fries the chain rolled out with these Million Dollar Whopper Contest finalists. And there was a good number of them in my order.

While I enjoyed Burger King’s Pickle Fries, in my review of them, I wrote I wish they had a more robust dill flavor or a pickle ranch sauce. Well, one of those solutions is offered with this burger. The pickle ranch sauce has a pleasant mild dill taste and a mild ranch flavor. It does enhance the fries instead of muting them, maybe because a lot of it was applied to my order. However, even with both ingredients, I wouldn’t say this Whopper has enough pickle flavor to make me dill-irious. Also, the combination of the wet ingredients—lettuce and pickle ranch—makes the usual crispy exterior of the fries into something slightly soggy. However, the snap of the pickles was still noticeable.

The Swiss cheese adds a salty creaminess, but I feel it’s there more to prevent the bacon from sliding out. Speaking of ingredients falling out, the Burger King lettuce is gonna Burger King lettuce and try to escape from your Whopper, but whatever amount sticks around, they do somewhat replace the crunch that is lost from the soggy pickle fries. The flame-grilled flavor from the beef patty and the saltiness and smokiness from the bacon also make themselves known with every bite.

However, while I enjoyed Burger King’s Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, I wouldn’t give it my vote for the Million Dollar Whopper Contest. While it has a couple of unique ingredients, I wish the pickle flavor was stronger, and I think the other finalists are more dill-icious.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 870 calories, 50 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 2120 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Pickle Fries

Marvo Leave a comment

Not satisfried with just turning potatoes and chicken into fries, Burger King has recently been on a crusade to turn whatever else it can into “fries,” like Mozzarella Fries, Churro Fries, and now the new Pickle Fries. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fast food chain someday changes its slogan from “Have it Your Way” to “Have it Your Way As Long As It’s Fry-Shaped.” And when that day comes, I imagine Whopper Fries will be an option.

Burger King’s newest side features thin dill pickle spears battered and breaded with a savory seasoned coating, then deep fried. It’s available in one size and comes with a container of Hidden Valley Ranch for dipping, which is just enough to double-dip the pickle fries you receive.

What caught my eye at first was the white specks that dotted the coating, which I thought could represent cucumber seeds, but later, I thought that would be too extra for Burger King to do. Even after nibbling on them, I couldn’t determine what they were, and I just chalked it up to be some kind of seasoning. But that nibbling helped me taste the coating, which had a nondescript savoriness. The golden brown exterior also had a satisfying crispy texture that helped hide how limp the pickles inside were.

Looking down the barrel of an individual fry, you’ll see that the pickle spear takes up most of the space, but there’s still some air between it and the breading. This gap makes them look slightly more substantial than they really are. This also causes something similar to what happens when you bite an onion ring and accidentally pull out the rest of the onion from the breading.

While the coating has nice crispiness, the pickles within also have a crunchiness, despite their limpness. If you’re expecting these to taste dill-heavy, get ready to be dill-sappointed. They have enough flavor that I could notice the tanginess through the breading, but it’s not overwhelming, and I wish it was slightly stronger. Because the pickle taste isn’t very bold, I prefer to eat these fries without the Hidden Valley Ranch. The sauce adds another level of tanginess, but the coating and pickles are tasty enough on their own, and the addition of the condiment hides the side’s flavor.

I enjoyed eating through a container of Burger King’s Pickle Fries, mostly sans sauce. It’s a tasty side, but I wish it had a more robust dill flavor or, if it ever returns, it comes with a dill ranch sauce, which would satisfy me.

Purchased Price: $5.49*
Size: One size
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories, 21 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 2280 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 7 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 Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger

Marvo 2 Comments

With its beef patty, roasted mushrooms, Applewood smoked bacon, muenster cheese, and creamy garlic spread, Wendy’s says that its new Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger is “literally oozing with umami.” With so many savory ingredients, I don’t doubt that, but the burger is also seeping with some surprising spiciness.

That hint of heat comes from the creamy garlic spread, which is literally oozing out from the sides of the burger. Here’s a list of the sauce’s ingredients to help figure out what’s causing the slight spiciness and to add 50 words to this review:

Soybean Oil, Water, Egg Yolks, Salt, Cider Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Garlic, Contains Less than 2% of Onion, Sugar, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic, Mustard Seed, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Monosodium Glutamate, Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Natural Flavor, Oleoresin Paprika (Color), Parsley, Citric Acid, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor. CONTAINS: EGG.

Well, whatever it is, that spiciness doesn’t enhance the burger. If anything, it was more of a distraction because I usually don’t associate heat with garlic sauces. The garlic flavor is mild enough that if your significant other ate this and wanted to make out after, you shouldn’t be offended by their breath. It’s also subtle enough that it allows the mushroom’s earthiness, bacon’s smokiness, and the beef’s, um, beefiness to come through with every bite.

What doesn’t come through is the muenster cheese, which is supposed to have a mild nutty/buttery taste. Whatever flavor it has gets lost with all the other oozing umami. It’s so inconsequential that folks could be tricked into thinking this has Swiss, another mild-tasting cheese.

But the bacon and mushroom flavors do come through, and I think this is a good cheeseburger, with the garlic spread providing some difference from a standard mushroom and Swiss. However, it’s not oozing THAT much of a difference.

Purchased Price: $8.19*
Size: Single patty
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 670 calories, 43 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 35 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: Dunkin’ Holiday Cookie Signature Latte

Erin 2 Comments

October is over and no matter how much Halloween candy you’re left with, the calendar is moving on to the winter months and sweets associated with them. Do you still have 25 mini Snickers? Eat ‘em quickly because it’s about to be cookie time. Dunkin’ is ushering in the season with its new Holiday Cookie Signature Latte. It’s a blend of espresso, milk, brown sugar cookie-flavored swirl syrup, and toasted almond flavor. The drink comes topped with whipped cream, a caramel drizzle, and cookie butter crumbles. At least, it should.

If you’re able to get this drink as described, I think you’re in for a treat. Dunkin’s brown sugar cookie swirl really does get the job done as far as providing you with a buttery, cookie-forward base. It works well with the espresso and gets additionally complemented by the unsweetened toasted almond flavor. The almond might be the unsung hero here because I don’t necessarily associate it with holiday cookies, but I’ll be darned if it doesn’t balance everything out. Holiday drinks tend to pile on the indulgences, but this still tastes of coffee, and it gives some holiday vibes without drowning me in sweetness. None of the components here are new, but they are enjoyable, and I would order this again if not for a major problem.

Signature lattes come with accessories. They’re always topped with whipped cream and then should be adorned with whatever really makes them stand out. A Holiday Cookie Signature Latte should come with cookie crumbles. My previous experiences with Dunkin’ tell me it excels at crumbly toppings. But I got this drink at two different locations and both were disappointingly devoid of the crumbly cookie bits. The first didn’t make an effort to substitute for them, and the second tossed on some brown sugar and cinnamon to compensate. I can’t fault the drink for being the well-balanced beverage that it is, but it feels somewhat plain and too close to some past drinks to differentiate itself. What Grinch is out there stealing all the crumbles? Can someone catch him soon because I would really like to give this one a higher rating.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories, 14 grams of total fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 45 grams of total sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Salted Caramel Frosty

Marvo 1 Comment

Wendy’s didn’t bring back its delicious Pumpkin Spice Frosty for the holiday season. Are you experiencing various emotions about it because you thought eating one would be an annual tradition because you believed something so tasty has to come back annually? Well, I’m sorry, my mad and/or sad friend, our consolation prize is the new Salted Caramel Frosty that combines a Vanilla Frosty with sea salt caramel syrup.

Speaking of anger, you should also direct some of that emotion at SpongeBob Squarepants. If not for the Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty, which came out at the beginning of October, we might’ve tasted the Pumpkin Spice Frosty this year. (Shakes fist at SpongeBob Squarepants boxers, which I got as a gift a long time ago but never wore because I’d hate to get caught wearing them.)

This is the fourth new Frosty flavor this year. It follows the delicious Orange Creamsicle, the disappointing Triple Berry, and the wonderful Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty varieties. Because Wendy’s is batting .666 this year with home run Frosty varieties, I had complete faith that this Salted Caramel one would be delicious, so I ordered a large. Thankfully, my fast food treats analytics paid off.

The dessert looks a bit French Vanilla off-white, but when a spoonful hits my taste buds, they’re flooded with salted caramel flavor. The caramel is sweet and buttery, and it’s bold enough that there’s no hint of the vanilla base, but it’s not overwhelming. A subtle saltiness enhances the caramel, which turns this treat into something so tasty that it makes me forget about being disappointed that the Pumpkin Spice Frosty didn’t return.

If you’re interested in trying Wendy’s Salted Caramel Frosty, I recommend ordering it RIGHT NOW. Because after what we’ve seen with the Pumpkin Spice one, who knows what’ll happen to this seasonal one in the future. This might be your only chance to treat yourself to it.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: Large
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 540 calories, 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 570 milligrams of sodium, 94 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 84 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.