Tag: Jack in the Box

What is it?

A steak version of Jack in the Box’s Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, both of which come with broccoli, carrots, and now with your choice of white or brown rice (I got white rice). While it’s advertised as “new,” it’s not the first time Jack has offered a teriyaki bowl with steak.

How is it?

There’s a decent amount of meat, and the pieces are tender, but there were a few that I had to get a little rough with. The broccoli and carrots are bright, fresh, have a pleasant crunch to them, and there’s enough that it’s safe for me to proudly exclaim to anyone who cares about my health that I had a serving of vegetables.

As for the teriyaki sauce, it’s sweet with a slight peppery kick. But it’s also annoyingly salty and completely masks the steak’s flavor. If anyone who cares about my health tasted the sauce, they would most definitely say I negated any health benefits from eating the serving of vegetables in this bowl with the sodium in that sauce.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Use the fork that comes with the bowl to mix everything because the teriyaki sauce isn’t drizzled over the rice and vegetables. But there’s enough of it under and around the steak pieces to make the white rice not so blindingly white if you toss the ingredients well.

Conclusion:

Jack in the Box’s Steak Teriyaki Bowl is okay fast food fare. But the sauce makes me hesitant to purchase it again. I’ve had the chicken teriyaki bowl several times, but I don’t remember the teriyaki being that salty. Maybe it’s the combination of meat with the sauce. I don’t know.

Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (with white rice) 800 calories, 130 calories from fat, 14 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 2450 milligrams of sodium, 135 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 35 grams of sugar, and 36 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.

What is it?

The Cholula Buttery Jack features a double dose of the hot sauce, which I hope isn’t applied straight from an actual Cholula bottle with a drip top. Because that seems inefficient in a fast food kitchen where speed is important.

Along with the Cholula, the burger also has a 1/4 lb beef patty, garlic herb butter, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese, and crispy jalapeños on a gourmet bun.

How is it?

With all its ingredients and flavors, I can’t help but think the Cholula Buttery Jack tastes like I’m eating a taco in a bun. It’s got ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, and hot sauce. That’s taco filling.

While I could taste the popular hot sauce, the garlic in the butter, crispy jalapeños, and tomatoes elevate the condiment’s flavor. Those enhancements make this burger taste great. Sure it tastes like a taco, but I love tacos too and I like that it tastes the way it does.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Cholula isn’t too spicy to begin with and the crispy jalapeños are as hot as the sauce, so when combined it’s not overly spicy. There’s a tinkling of heat, but I didn’t feel the need to chug a Jack in the Box Oreo Shake or even water to temper any angry taste buds.

The lettuce that came with my burger was mostly green, which was surprising. The crispy jalapeños do add a slight crunch and make this burger a little messy since they easily fall out. I’m not sure my burger got pepper jack cheese, because it doesn’t look like it, but whatever came with mine added a nice creaminess.

Conclusion:

If you visit the Cholula website, it recommends adding it to burgers. If you’re visiting this website, I’m recommending this burger with Cholula sauce added.

Purchased Price: $6.19*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 770 calories, 46 grams of fat, 22 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1170 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 37 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.

If you decide to share your purchase of Jack in the Box’s new Pumpkin Spice Shake on social media, Jack would like you to use the hashtag — #OMGPumpkinSpice.

This new shake shouldn’t be confused with Jack in the Box’s Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Shake that we reviewed in 2013 or the Pumpkin Pie Shake that we reviewed way back in 2004. #OMGThisBlogIsSoOld

This updated pumpkin spice shake features real ice cream blended with pumpkin spice syrup and is topped with whipped cream, gingersnap cookie crumbles, and a cherry (mine didn’t come with one). The cookie crumbles appear to be the only difference between the 2017 Pumpkin Spice Shake and the one that came before it.

The ice cream and pumpkin spice syrup in my cup weren’t mixed well. But after some intense stirring, I got it to the color in its promotional photo. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make me think of pumpkin spice. Instead, it reminds me of the walls at my doctor’s office.

The shake’s flavor is almost as non-festive as it looks. There’s a wisp of pumpkin spice, but I don’t want a wisp. Also, the whipped cream doesn’t help. It dilutes the flavor even more.

But the doctor’s office-colored cloud has a silver lining.

The ample gingersnap cookie crumbles amp up the flavor of the shake with ginger and cinnamon. Although they move it away from being a pumpkin spice shake and move it towards being a gingerbread shake. But they also take it from blah to rah and kind of make up for the fact that the pumpkin spice flavor isn’t strong.

The ones that topped mine weren’t crumbles. Instead, they were straw-clogging chunks that surprisingly maintained their crunchiness as they sat in the dairy.

Full disclosure: I prefer Jack’s original Pumpkin Pie Shake over the version that came out in 2013 because its pumpkin spice popped. This latest iteration might be even weaker than the previous version, but the cookie crumbles add that punch I want. Although, if I think about it, maybe the shake itself is light because it might be overpowering if both it and the cookies provide strong flavors.

Overall, thanks to the cookies, I do think this version tastes better than the previous one, and I’d buy it again. But I don’t think it beats the original. #OMGItsGood

(Nutrition Facts – Regular – 860 calories, 41 grams of fat, 30 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 112 grams of carbohydrates, 92 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.19*
Size: Regular
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Gingersnap cookie pieces take this shake from a blah to rah and kind of make up for its lack of pumpkin spice flavor. Cookie pieces maintain their crunchiness.
Cons: Shake base has a weak pumpkin spice flavor. Its color reminds me of my doctor’s office. Whipped cream dilutes the already weak pumpkin spice flavor. Gingersnap cookies make it taste more like a gingerbread shake than a pumpkin spice shake.

*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.

There’s something about intoxication that draws people back to the basics. Whether it’s been a long night at the bar or a lost weekend at Bonnaroo. By the end, everyone’s palate reverts to an almost childlike state. Cravings for the greasiest, saltiest, and cheesiest delicacies emerge.

No franchise is wiser to this trend than Jack in the Box, whose Munchie Meals have made a fortune out of serving the midnight masses. For their latest trend, Jack has brought a diner favorite – stuffed hash browns – into the fast food field.

Munchie Mash-Ups top the chain’s classic hash brown patties with an assortment of fix-ins smothered in a white cheese sauce. The Wakey Bakey Hash features a whole fried egg, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and garlic butter, creating a sloppy sheet of breakfast standards.

As I was handed the hash in the drive through, I already had a sign of the meal to follow. The grease was visibly staining the brown paper bag. Opening the box revealed the culprit – the garlic butter had all pooled to a single corner. A yellow lake of greasy, salty delight. If the visuals of this box are off-putting, the taste won’t win you over.

Despite being smothered in egg, bacon, cheese, and butter – the hash brown patties were satisfyingly crisp down to the last forkful. Alone, these patties are rich and salty – dense with fryer oil. The egg, cheese, bacon, and butter weigh them down even further. Every bite is rich and fatty, full of similar flavors fighting to come out on top.

It’s the cheese sauce that typically proves victorious. When combined with the garlic butter, it creates an alfredo-esque flavor that saturates the palate like grease on a brown paper bag. Hearty and not half bad, but an odd pairing for a bacon and egg.

The egg is the same overcooked fried egg that ends up on most breakfast sandwiches, and the bacon bits are disappointingly small. They get lost in the trough of hash, which is a shame. A more pronounced protein may have been a better pick here, offering more contrast with the rich cheese and garlic.

In total, the Wakey Bakey Hash will satisfy those looking for something standard. It’s salty, cheesy, and has enough carbs to soak up the worst of hangovers. At $3, it’s also a satisfying value. But in the daylight, this hash doesn’t have the same appeal. Better versions of this same combination are available elsewhere, and won’t require you to say the words “Wakey Bakey Hash” out loud to another adult.

(Nutrition Facts – 790 calories, 570 calories from fat, 63 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 285 milligrams of cholesterol, 1400 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 19 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Crispy potatoes. Good size for the price. Viable hangover cure.
Cons: Cheese sauce is overpowering and clashes with rest of dish. Extremely greasy. Garlic butter is unneeded.

Happy Belated 66th Birthday, Jack in the Box!

Or Happy Early 67th Birthday, Jack in the Box!

I’m not sure which one because the fast food chain was founded on February 21, 1951, and we’re currently at the halfway point between birthdays. Well, no matter whose birthday it is, you can celebrate with Jack in the Box’s new Birthday Cake Shake. Or you could show that you care about that person by spending some cash to buy an actual birthday cake.

The creamy dessert features real ice cream, birthday cake syrup, whipped cream, and LOTS of colorful sprinkles. There’s also a cherry on top that, along with the sprinkles, makes the shake look as if a unicorn sneezed on a clown’s face.

Birthday cake shakes have been done before by other fast food chains (see Burger King) and this one from Jack in the Box tastes similar. It has a yellow cake batter flavor that’s become the default for birthday cake-flavored products. Some get birthday cake flavor wrong, making it taste more like frosting, but this one gets it right. It’s really sweet, but then again, it’s a shake.

The whipped cream’s flavor reminds me of cake frosting when mixed with the shake. As for the unicorn snot, I mean, sprinkles, they add a lot of bright colors and a crunchiness whenever one finds itself between your molars.

While Jack in the Box’s Birthday Cake Shake is a tasty sugar bomb, I wish the shake’s color was more vibrant. I never thought I’d be writing this ever, but the shake needs more food coloring. Its yellow hue was more bathroom wall yellow than birthday cake yellow.

Purchased Price: $4.19*
Size: Regular
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Regular) – 860 calories, 400 calories from fat, 44 grams of fat, 33 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 600 milligrams of potassium, 109 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 94 grams of sugar, and 11 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.