I’m wholly disappointed that Arby’s Steak Nuggets aren’t beef chunks coated in some kind of breading to give them a crunchy exterior. You know, chicken nuggets, but with beef.

Unfortunately, Arby’s didn’t seize the opportunity to do this and instead plopped five or nine bite-sized morsels of smoked steak into a container, added a side of Hickory Smoked BBQ dipping sauce, and called it a day. However, you can also get these in a special sandwich or in a bowl with mac & cheese and crispy onion strips.

These Steak Nuggets are a bit of a head scratcher for me. The idea of dunking meat into a sauce like chicken nuggets is odd, but I admit it sounds like something right up Arby’s alley. I mean, the chain plays with meat as often as a toddler plays with their food. Maybe they’re skating to where the meat is going, not where it has been, and we’ll see more fast food chains offer dippable steak chunks.

Steak Nuggets seem like meat that’s looking for a stew to dive into. They have a tender, fall-apart texture that’s reminiscent of beef that has been sitting in a stew for hours. They are tender AF (as flounder).

However, their flavor has a strong beef jerky vibe. So if you love the taste of beef jerky, but your teeth don’t like being jerked around by the toughness of it, these very tender morsels of meat will satisfy your taste buds without giving your jaw a workout. Personally, while I love the fall-apart texture, I was hoping for something without a taste that reminds me of convenience store snacking. An order does come with a container of Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce, which hides the beef jerky flavor, but does it so completely that I didn’t really taste any meatiness.

I imagine this would be appealing for an Arby’s customer on the carnivore diet or something similar. It’s kind of funny imagining a carnivore dieter shoving thinly sliced roast beef into their mouth, but less so if they’re popping these Steak Nuggets. As for me, they aren’t enjoyable enough that I’ll be popping them into my mouth again.

Purchased Price: $7.49*
Size: 5 pieces
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 340 calories, 27 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 670 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 17 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.