Tag: Jack in the Box

What are Jack in the Box Mini Munchies Mac & Cheese Bites?

The fast food chain with a mascot that regularly ends up in my dreams and nightmares has a new limited time only side that features mac and cheese that’s been battered and then deep fried.

Jack’s Mac & Cheese Bites are available in a Mini Munchies size with six pieces, a Mega Munchies pack with 12 pieces, and a Mini Munchies Variety option that comes with an oily potpourri of three Mac & Cheese Bites, curly fries, and regular fries.

How are they?

The exterior has a decent crunchiness. I would’ve recorded audio of it to give you an idea, but then you’d have to listen to me chew, and I don’t think you’d want to hear that no matter how much of an ASMR eating fan you are. But what really matters is what’s inside that golden brown shell.

The macaroni that swims in the orange goo is tender. The goo itself is a combination of American, Romano, and a Cheddar & Blue Cheese blend, but it all tastes as if it’s sharp cheddar. While it has a pleasant flavor, it congealed a bit during the five minute trip home, so the interior texture wasn’t as gooey as I was expecting. But there isn’t anything here taste-wise that makes these stand out from something in the freezer aisle.

Anything else you need to know?

An order comes with a buttermilk ranch dip cup (sorry, I forgot to take an Instagrammable photo of a bite being dipped into the herbaceous white sauce), but you can get it with any sauce Jack offers. Maybe I’ve had too many Mac & Cheese bites in my lifetime, but the buttermilk ranch’s tang adds a welcomed flavor. They also bring back some creaminess that gets lost when the cheese congeals. If I wasn’t so lazy, I’d go to Burger King to try these with its Zesty Sauce.

Oh, this is not the first time Jack in the Box has had mac and cheese bites. Back in 2008, it offered wedge-shaped Cheesy Macaroni Bites, which, I’ll be honest, looks easier to dip into the sauce containers than these 2021 versions.

Conclusion:

Jack in the Box’s Mac & Cheese Bites are a decent addition to the chain’s sides menu. At their advertised three dollar price for a half dozen, they’re worth a try. But if you decide to order them, get some kind of sauce to enhance their flavor.

Purchased Price: $4.00*
Size: 6 pieces
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories, 19 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 1170 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. Most of you will probably pay three dollars.

What are Jack in the Box Sauced & Loaded Tots?

They’re a follow-up to Jack’s Sauced & Loaded Curly Fries. They’re available in two varieties — Cheddar Bacon and Jalapeño Ranch. The former features cheese sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon bits on top of tater tots. While the latter has cheese sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeño slices, and buttermilk ranch plopped on tots.

How are they?

In my experience, it’s rare that anything involving cheese-covered deep-fried potato thingies ends up being awful, so it’s not surprising I enjoyed these Sauced & Loaded Tots.

But having tried multiple varieties of Jack’s Sauced & Loaded Curly Fries, I think topped curly fries are a better experience than these. The curly fries’ seasoning stands out a little more among the cheeses and sauces, and the coating helps prevent the potato product from falling apart. With both tots varieties, by the time I got to the middle of their boxes, the viscous toppings softened most of the coated tater tots to the point where they fell apart when picked up with a fork.

Also, I don’t mean to be a Danny Double Downer, but Cheddar Bacon and Jalapeño Ranch are uninspiring flavors. If you’ve been eating Jack’s food for years, the flavor combinations will be familiar, so they’re not anything unique.

With that said, both are tasty, but if I had to pick a favorite between the two, it would be the Jalapeño Ranch. I prefer the ranch’s tang and jalapeño’s zing over the porky and cheesy flavors of the other one. Although, I do wish there were more pickled peppers in the container and with all the cheese and sauces, the jalapeños don’t have a strong kick.

Anything else you need to know?

I’m going by memory, but this might be the first time Jack has offered tater tots. Unfortunately, unsauced and unloaded tater tots aren’t its own thing on Jack in the Box’s menu. However, using the chain’s app, I could remove all the toppings to turn them into plain tots. But, of course, the price doesn’t change even after the deletions. I was able to try a few tots on their own and they taste like any ol’ tots you’ve had.

Conclusion:

If you enjoy anything involving cheese-covered deep-fried potato thingies, Jack in the Box’s Sauced & Loaded Tots will satisfy your cheese and carbohydrate cravings.

Purchased Price: $4.00 each*
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Cheddar Bacon), 7 out of 10 (Jalapeño Ranch)
Nutrition Facts: Cheddar Bacon – 740 calories, 47 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1670 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein. Jalapeño Ranch – 750 calories, 49 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1770 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 4 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.

Update 9/8/21: We also tried the BBQ version! Click here to read our review.

I don’t hang out with a gang of teenagers and a dog in a van who rip fake monster masks off the heads of conniving folks. So I’m probably not going to solve what the Mystery Sauce is in Jack in the Box’s new Cluck Sandwich.

It features Jack’s new thicker and crispier 100% all-white meat fried chicken fillet, pickles, and the chain’s Mystery Sauce on a toasted brioche-style bun. There’s also a Deluxe version with cheddar cheese, guacamole, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo on a brioche-style bun.

As you can see, I decided to go with the regular version since the Deluxe doesn’t come with the Mystery Sauce. Why? That might be the real mystery here.

The first thing I noticed after pulling the Cluck Sandwich out of the pouch that all post-Popeyes Chicken Sandwich chicken sandwiches seem to come in now is that it’s less like a cluck and more like a cheep. The previously mentioned Popeyes offering is noticeably larger. But thank goodness Jack’s new fillet is thicker. Or is it?

I mean, is Jack counting the breading as part of the thickness like how I use the top of my spiky gelled hair to determine my height? To be honest, I really can’t say it’s noticeably thicker than Jack’s previous chicken. But thank goodness Jack’s new fillet is crispier. Or is it?

Just kidding. It is, but only at the edges of the fillet. It’s not a hearty crunch, but it’s better than what came before. Taking a closer look at the breading, there’s some seasoning in it, which gives the fillet a slightly peppery flavor when eaten separately. It’s not Popeyes-great, but it’s a step above Jack’s previous chicken.

Now I’ll attempt to solve the Mystery Sauce. I thought it was a combination of peppery barbecue sauce and Thousand Island dressing (minus the chopped bits) with my first taste. But after a few more bites and licks, I realized its flavor is like a less zesty Burger King Zesty Sauce, which is the only excellent dipping sauce at Burger King. And that sweet, tangy, and peppery condiment gets enhanced with the pickles’ tang and slight sweetness from the brioche bun.

With all of that said, Jack in the Box’s Cluck Sandwich is the best tasting chicken sandwich I’ve ever had from the chain and I’d be happy if it ended up being a permanent addition to the menu. Is it better than a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich? No, but while I think the current king of chicken sandwiches has better tasting chicken and a better bun, I prefer Jack’s Mystery Sauce over Popeyes’ mayo.

Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 490 calories, 22 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 1260 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 23 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.

Click here for our previous fast food reviews.

Which came first, the chicken or the pea protein isolate?

Domesticated chickens date back to 2000 BC, but peas were present a few thousand years before that. When considering whether those peas were dried, milled, wet filtered, and put in a centrifuge to extract the protein… I’m going to just give the chicken a win. And Jack in the Box is giving the chicken a win too, sparing them from its new offering, the Unchicken Sandwich.

Jack in the Box is currently testing the Unchicken Sandwich only in restaurants near Reno, NV and Monterey, CA, making them just the second major fast food chain in the US to test plant-based chicken. This follows KFC’s Beyond Fried Chicken tests in 2019 and earlier this year. Jack in the Box has partnered with Raised & Rooted, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, to bring its Unchicken Sandwich to the meatless crazed masses.

Raised & Rooted advertises its chicken alternative as a blend of pea protein isolate, bamboo fibers, egg white, and golden flaxseed. The breading is Jack’s recipe, available in original and spicy. I opted for the latter.

Aside from having a plant-based patty, the sandwich offers the standard accompaniments of a toasted split top bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. My sandwich came with what can only be described as an aggressive amount of lettuce. While Jack in the Box is usually generous with lettuce, it seems it may have gone overboard to compensate for the very thin Unchicken patty.

Upon my first bite, I was immediately hit with an intense amount of spice. As someone who is often disappointed by the lack of spice in fast food offerings, the strong cayenne and paprika flavor from the crisp breading offered a welcomed punch. The plentiful amount of lettuce, along with the tomatoes, worked well to help cool down the heat.

If I was not cued to the fact that it was a plant-based sandwich, I don’t think I would question that it was anything but a thin, processed chicken patty sandwich. The grain-like aftertaste you get when tasting the patty alone is masked quite well by the spices in the breading. On close inspection, the Unchicken is denser than most chicken patties. But when eating the sandwich together, it is remarkably similar to the texture of chicken.

Having tried plant-based burgers and chicken nuggets in the past, Jack in the Box’s Spicy Unchicken Sandwich takes the top spot as the most convincing imitation. Keeping the patty thin and having a crisp, spicy breading really hides any shortcomings that come from utilizing a chicken alternative. If you’re inclined to eat a more plant-based diet, this is definitely one to try.

Purchased Price: $5.49 (sandwich only)
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available.