REVIEW: Taco Bell Caliente Cantina Chicken Menu

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Following its popular Cantina Chicken Menu, which debuted last year, Taco Bell has rolled out a new Caliente Cantina Chicken Menu for a limited time.

Of course, “caliente” means “hot” in Spanish. And, of course, Taco Bell gonna Taco Bell and use the same ingredients from the regular Cantina Chicken Menu but swap out whatever sauces were in the original lineup with a new sauce, which, you guessed it, is called Caliente Sauce.

Like the original Cantina Chicken Menu, there are five items available:

Caliente Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco – A crispy taco shell filled with slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, three-cheese blend, and more three-cheese blend grilled on the outside.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Bowl – A bowl filled with slow-roasted chicken, seasoned rice, black beans, Caliente Sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, freshly prepared pico de gallo, guacamole, and cheddar cheese.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Burrito – Double the slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, crisp lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, cheddar cheese, freshly prepared pico de gallo inside a grilled flour tortilla.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Quesadilla – Slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, and three-cheese blend melted inside and grilled on the outside, with guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream to dip.

Caliente Cantina Chicken Soft Taco – A warm flour tortilla filled with slow-roasted chicken, Caliente Sauce, crisp lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, freshly prepared pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese.

And all come with a free Avocado Verde Salsa sauce packet.

Because the two menus don’t differ much, other than sauces, my thoughts about them aren’t too dissimilar either. So, instead of repeating myself with this review, I’m just going to note several things with bullet points.

(If you want to read our original Cantina Chicken Menu review, click here.)

  • The Caliente Sauce and its citrusy and spicy flavor is an upgrade over the sauces in the regular Cantina Chicken Menu.
  • If I had to rank the items from least favorite to favorite, I’d go soft taco, quesadilla, burrito, bowl, and crispy taco. Not surprisingly, it’s how I ranked the original menu.
  • While getting free Avocado Verde Salsa sauce packets is great (it costs 20 cents to buy them usually), I preferred eating these without them. While it adds some avocado flavor, it can also negate the Caliente Sauce’s peppery and citrus flavors.
  • The Caliente Sauce isn’t too caliente at first, and it takes several bites to build up to a decent heat. At some point, my head started to sweat a little, and after eating, my nose was a little runny. However, I did eat a lot of it since I tasted multiple items with the sauce in one sitting.
  • According to the ingredients list, the sauce contains ghost pepper and jalapeño.
  • I got a container of the Caliente Sauce on the side. It was supposed to go with the quesadilla, which had no sauce inside. I added it to the quesadilla but also dumped some on my Cantina Bowl because it didn’t look like enough sauce.
  • The slow-roasted chicken is tender but not flavorful enough to eat these menu items without the sauce.
  • The cheese grilled to the outside of the crispy taco is still great. Adds a great cheesiness.
  • Purple cabbage is still a wonderful addition. Its crunch is welcomed.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the Caliente Sauce, but because the sauce has a strong flavor and kick, all the menu items kind of taste the same. However, there are some slight differences here and there, like the cheesiness with the crispy taco and the guacamole and sour cream with the quesadilla and bowl. But I like the sauce enough that I believe it should stay on the menu as a spicy Cantina Chicken Menu option.

Purchased Price: $3.79 (Crispy Taco), $9.99 (Bowl), $7.59 (Burrito), $7.99 (Quesadilla), $3.99 (Soft Taco)*
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Crispy Taco), 7 out of 10 (Bowl), 7 out of 10 (Burrito), 6 out of 10 (Quesadilla), 6 out of 10 (Soft Taco)
Nutrition Facts: Crispy Taco – 290 calories, 17 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 15 grams of protein. Bowl – 480 calories, 23 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 1150 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein. Burrito – 450 calories, 21 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1090 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein. Quesadilla – 560 calories, 30 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 1340 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein. Soft Taco – 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 510 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 12 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 Thin Mints Frosty

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I liken the new Wendy’s Thin Mints Frosty to the Tostitos “Hint of” line of tortilla chips. The flavor is there but doesn’t bombard your taste buds with it. This new Frosty doesn’t scream pineapple like the SpongeBob SquarePants Under the Sea Pineapple Frosty or shout salted caramel like the Salted Caramel Frosty from last year. Instead, you’re getting a less pronounced flavor.

Unlike previous varieties, this one comes with either the chocolate or vanilla Frosty base and then a rich, minty cookie crumble sauce inspired by the popular Girl Scout Cookie is swirled and topped on the treat. It’s not blended together, so unless you do some mixing on your own, expect spoonfuls of just the icy and creamy base as you eat your way through the cup. That’s not the worst thing in the world, especially if you have fries to dip into them.

If you sample just the sauce, the Thin Mints flavor is mainlined to your taste buds. It has a grittiness comparable to the iciness of the Frosty base. There’s a hint of crunchiness in those cookie specks and a minty chocolate flavor in the dark sauce that brings Thin Mints to mind. However, when scooped with the vanilla or chocolate Frosty base, the sauce’s taste gets, um, thin. This flavor dilution happens more with the Chocolate Frosty base than with the Vanilla one.

The chocolate mint sauce makes these treats look enticing, but I wish it was mixed throughout the base to give it that mint chocolate oomph that we all know and love from the cookies.

While I found them to be a little disappointing, I enjoyed these Thin Mints Frosty varieties. However, I won’t scream and shout from the mountaintops about them. Heck, I don’t even think it’s something you should rush out the door for right at this moment. Instead, I think you should wait, order a pack (or a dozen) of Thin Mints from your friendly neighborhood Girl Scout Troop and use them to scoop up these Frosty flavors from the cup or crush the cookies and sprinkle them over the top to give your taste buds more than a hint of Thin Mints.

Purchased Price: $4.49 each
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Vanilla), 6 out of 10 (Chocolate)
Nutrition Facts: Vanilla – 490 calories, 22 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 53 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Chocolate – 490 calories, 22 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 51 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Milk Bar Birthday Cake Churros

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Happy 63rd Birthday, Taco Bell!

Happy 17th Birthday, Milk Bar!

I don’t know whose birthday we’re celebrating, but you can do it with Taco Bell’s Milk Bar Birthday Cake Churros by sticking candles in both ends of a churro and lighting them. Available in a 2-pack or just one and made in collaboration with Milk Bar, the festive dessert features crispy churros filled with birthday cake frosting and topped with sprinkles.

But I should warn you that the number you decide to purchase might depend on how much you enjoy cleaning because these suckers are meeeessyyyyy. Having had Disneyland churros recently, I can definitely say these Taco Bell churros are más messy.

The spherical sprinkles and pink sugar cling to the churros’ sides with as much adhesion as a hippo trying to walk up the side of the Empire State Building. So, if you don’t want to make a gigantic mess, I’d recommend eating them just above the box they came in to catch the sugar. Or maybe consume them over a dinner plate, sink, or somewhere you can hose down easily. Surprisingly, what doesn’t end up making a mess is the birthday cake frosting filling. It didn’t ooze out when biting into the sugary sticks.

However, these Taco Bell Milk Bar Birthday Cake Churros are as delicious as they are messy. The fried dough, sugar, and vanilla-y filling do an excellent job of hitting the flavors of cake, but without being as overly sweet as a birthday cake. Initially, I thought the pink sugar had some flavor because nibbling just the fried dough with the sugar also had a cake vibe. But after tasting a pile of pink crystals that lost to gravity, it turns out they taste just like sugar.

Milk Bar Birthday Cake Churros are exactly what I imagine Taco Bell would do to Taco Bell-ize regular churros. I loved these, and I hope they return. But I would like Taco Bell to add regular churros to the permanent menu for my birthday.

Purchased Price: $3.99*
Size: 2-pack
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 churros) 550 calories, 37 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 6 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: Jack in the Box Sauced & Loaded Waffle Fries

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Oh, no!

Does the introduction of Jack in the Box’s new Loaded Waffle Fries mean my beloved potato wedges will soon be gone?

If so, how can I appease the Big Ball-Headed Fast Food God? Must I give it my firstborn? Do I have to sacrifice a fresh Big Mac and/or Whopper by throwing it into a volcano? Please keep potato wedges on the menu, oh, mighty and strong (and handsome) Jack!

For those who aren’t keeping count, Jack in the Box, at the moment, offers FOUR types of fried potato sides — waffle fries, regular fries, curly fries, and the fabulous potato wedges. (Also, tater tots were once on the menu for a limited time.) However, waffle fries are only available sauced and loaded, while all the others can be ordered unsauced and unloaded.

This might just be Jack testing to see if there’s possible interest in making waffle fries a permanent item. Or it might be a plot to get rid of potato wedges for good? (Don’t do it, Mr. Box!)

Jack in the Box’s Sauced & Loaded Waffle Fries feature waffle fries topped with cheddar cheese, nacho cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, and buttermilk ranch. If you’ve had previous Sauced & Loaded products, this waffle fries version will taste very familiar since it has pretty much the same toppings as the loaded tater tots and potato wedges Jack has offered.

Despite being doused and plopped with toppings and enduring a four-minute drive, the waffle fries, surprisingly, still had a crispy exterior when I bit into the sauciest and load-est(?) fry. However, that fry was also quite salty because of all the toppings. So, I spread out the heap of meat, cheese, and sauces so things wouldn’t be so condensed. When I did that, there was a balance between the bacon, cheeses, and ranch, with the potato flavor still noticeable. The waffle fries almost taste like the potato wedges, but the spudsiness is milder.

If I had to rank Jack in the Box’s newest potato product, but naked, I’d put it ahead of regular fries because they taste a little better and are crispier, but behind curly fries and potato wedges. As for these Sauced & Loaded Waffle Fries, while everything tastes familiar, they’re still satisfying.

But it’s not as satisfying as potato wedges. Please don’t take them away from me again, Jack!

Purchased Price: $4.79*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 540 calories. No other nutritional information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

*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: Starbucks Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew

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How many combinations of cold brew and cold foam do we think Starbucks has up its sleeve? The newest to the lineup is the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew. This one has the Starbucks signature Cold Brew with vanilla syrup, plus a hazelnut cold foam and a chocolate cookie topping.

Dear reader, I’m not going to chocolate/hazelnut-coat it for you. This one just didn’t hit the mark in my book. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing either. I find it easiest to break this review into a set of bullet points with my thoughts. Here goes:

  • The biggest thing missing from this drink was the hazelnut. I didn’t get a hint of it at all. I honestly thought the cold foam was chocolate versus hazelnut because the chocolate flavor was MUCH more prominent. That said, I did like the chocolate crumble topping. It got a little melty with the cold foam and was a nice treat to finish off at the end when it got to the bottom of the cup.
  • Despite the cold foam not having the flavor it should, it was its usual, nice foaminess with good volume on the top of the drink. It settled in nicely with the Starbucks Cold Brew, making the beverage smooth and easy to drink.
  • I will say the flavor got better as I went along. It took me about an hour or so to finish it, and I liked it a little more at the end. It could be attributed to that cold foam hitting the bottom of the cup, or it could be that I was warming up to it.

A final random musing: I do not know if this is part of the Starbucks revamp we’ve been hearing about in terms of its products and customer service, but I could NOT get the lid off this cup. Did the cups change? Someone, please let me know in the comments to make me feel better about my apparent hand weakness. This lid was absolutely locked. It made me feel better about driving with it and carrying it up three flights of stairs to my office, but apologies for not getting a photo with the lid off, internet friends.

This drink was okay but definitely not knock-your-socks-off good. We’ll see how long this one sticks around!

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: Tall
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 180 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein and 145 milligrams of caffeine.