REVIEW: Blue Bell Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream

/ / Reviews / 6 Comments

Blue Bell Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Pint

What is it?

Continuing the Blue Bell tradition of generally using the most straightforward name possible, the new Salted Caramel Brownie flavor contains exactly what you would expect: chocolate brownie pieces with a salted caramel swirl in vanilla ice cream.

How is it?

It’s good.

Blue Bell Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Brownie

OK, I guess I’m contractually obligated to provide a longer answer, so let me expound a bit. The brownies are the best part of this, although they seemed to be somewhat sparsely mixed into my pint. When I did get a brownie piece in a bite, it was perfectly chewy and chocolatey. The problem was most bites didn’t have any brownies.

The caramel swirl was also pleasant. It had only a subtle saltiness and a nice creaminess that reminded me of a Werther’s Original caramel, even though I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually had one of those.

The vanilla ice cream was kind of just there to hold the brownies and caramel. This might have been a bit better if the ice cream base was either chocolate or caramel, but Blue Bell didn’t consult with me for some reason.

Anything else you need to know?

Blue Bell Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Swirl

The “swirl” part was a bit different than I expected. Especially with caramel, it seems like a swirl usually consists of significant pockets of the gooey stuff that looks like rivers flowing through the ice cream. But for this flavor, you don’t get those big pools of caramel in different spots. Instead, it’s more evenly dispersed, so you get some in virtually every bite, even if it’s a little hard to see the caramel. As much as I like finding those nice mother lodes of swirl, I also enjoyed this version where it’s almost blended in.

Conclusion:

Blue Bell Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Top

This flavor falls into the broad category of PGBF, or Pretty Good But Forgettable. The brownies are good, the caramel swirl is good, and the vanilla ice cream is good, but this one doesn’t really differentiate itself from any other caramel brownie options that are out there.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: H-E-B
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 240 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheetos Bolitas Chile & Cheese

/ / Reviews / 7 Comments

Cheetos Bolitas Chile Cheese Bag

Frito-Lay has decided to increase the number of Cheeto dust variants in the US with the expanded distribution of the Chile & Cheese Cheetos Bolitas. According to the internet, these cheesy spheres were once only available in Mexico but are now making their US debut.

Cheetos Bolitas Chile Cheese Top

Cheetos Bolitas smell like hot sauce and cheddar straight out of the bag. The burnt red color and smoky chile aroma made me think these might be pretty spicy, but they were definitely in the mild heat index. The initial flavor is bright, like a vinegary hot sauce, and then rounds out to a light cheesy flavor. The brightness is similar to a chile limon-type seasoning but not quite so citrusy. It’s definitely less heavy on the pallet than a cheese-only flavor. I think this also makes them not as cheesy as US Cheetos products.

What surprised me most was the distinct corn meal flavor from the base puff. The corn flavor comes through strong and leaves a lasting corn meal aftertaste. It’s pleasant but definitely different compared to some of the US versions of Cheetos products in their varied formats. The Bolitas are light and airy but have that fried oil exterior shell that clings to cheese powder and seasonings so well.

Cheetos Bolitas Chile Cheese Bowl

Like any Cheetos product, though, these definitely cover your fingers in a tasty Cheeto dust with the same vinegar brightness and cheese flavor as the Bolitas. Yum. Overall I thought these were tasty and very snackable. I think it’s fantastic that we’re starting to see some expanded distribution of international flavors as innovations from Frito-Lay. Does this mean we might also see the return of All Dressed Ruffles in the States again? I’m All for it!

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 6 oz bag
Purchased at: Woodman’s
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 32 pieces) 170 Calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich

/ / Reviews / 22 Comments

Burger King Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Update 11/22/22: We also tried the Italian version! Click here to read our review.

If you’ve browsed Burger King’s menu recently, you may have noticed that the Ch’King is Mis’sing.

That’s right, it appears Burger King has deserted the paper-pouched Chicken Sandwich Wars with the discontinuation of the Ch’King.

Now I don’t know how you all felt about the Ch’King, but I’m not gonna miss it. I’m gonna miss saying it out loud and sounding like a confused rooster or an old-fashioned cash register, but I didn’t think it stood up against the Popeyes or KFCs of the world. It was ok, but it felt like BK was a little out of its element.

The higher-ups must have felt the same way because the new BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches are more in line with the traditional fast food chicken sandwiches that existed prior to Popeyes’ game changer. These are less substantial than their big-ticket predecessor but, in my opinion, taste better.

The Classic version consists of a “crispy” white meat chicken fillet topped with lettuce, tomato (not mine. Never mine), and a savory “royal sauce” nestled between a toasted potato bun.

Burger King Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich Fillet

While my chicken wasn’t as crispy as advertised, it was still good. I don’t think it’ll be as highly regarded as the big fat Ch’King patty, and it pales in size to all the other soldiers of the Chicken Sandwich War, but it still passes for a “premium” fast food chicken sandwich.

Burger King Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich Lettuce

The big draw of the BK Royal Crispy Chicken was definitely the “royal sauce,” which I think is brand new. I couldn’t find confirmation, so for all I know, this could be a sauce BK has used in the past. Either way, it’s killer. It’s slightly peppery and tastes a bit like parmesan cheese. The flavor profile fits that of a fancy Caesar dressing, and it lives up to its regal name.

Burger King Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich Split

Potato buns are just flat out better than the standard sandwich bun, so using them is always a win. Its flavor and texture definitely kicked the sandwich up a notch.

The lettuce was just kinda slopped on my absolute mess of a sandwich, but it was a necessary ingredient. It made this seem like a chicken sandwich topped with a nice savory Caesar Salad.

I imagine the BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches may not be as popular as their predecessor, but at least they come in multiple flavors such as Spicy, Southern BBQ, and the Classic topped with Bacon and Swiss Cheese. I’m of the opinion that bacon and cheese do almost nothing to enhance a chicken sandwich, but even I think they all sound pretty damn good.

Burger King Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich 1

The original long boy Chicken Sandwich still stands as my BK gold standard, but this new sandwich is a strong showing. So, don’t feel so bad if you are bummed about the Ch’King. This BK Royal sandwich is not as big and flashy, but you can still get a classy chicken sandwich at Burger King. Also, let’s be real, in two years, the chain will probably just ax these and start a “Return of Ch’King” campaign anyway.

No matter what happens, I just hope Burger King lets the royal sauce stick around as an add-on or dipping sauce.

Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 670 calories, 41 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1080 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 23 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Ridge Twists

/ / Reviews / 8 Comments

Ruffles Ridge Twists Bags

Everyone’s favorite ridged chip, Ruffles, is going out on a ridge – er – limb and bringing us a new take on the ribbed potato snack. Debuting in Double Cheddar and Smoky BBQ flavors, Ruffles Ridge Twists attempt to put a spin on the corrugated classic.

From their appearance on the package, these looked to me like braided pretzels, but in reality, they’re more like fusilli pasta or Fritos Twists. This seems like a silly point to make because the shapes are very similar, and I don’t think Frito-Lay was out to trick me. I just didn’t anticipate that these were going to be more of an extruded puff than a potato chip. Please don’t ask me how I expected them to braid potatoes.

Double Cheddar

Ruffles Ridge Twists Double Cheddar

Opening the bag of Double Cheddar Twists sends up a powerful aroma of cheddar popcorn which is very enticing even if it does look like someone has poured a batch of Cheetos Mac ‘N Cheese into my chip bag. The spirals are generously coated in bright orange powder that really delivers a buttery, cheesy taste.

What doesn’t deliver is the twist itself. It’s crunchy, but not in the same satisfying way that a chip is, and it doesn’t have the right potato flavor. Something is off, and a glance at the ingredients shows the first one to be dried potatoes. This makes sense when you consider the product is more of a puff, but because they’re advertised as “featuring the same iconic Ruffles ridges that fans know and love,” I was hoping for the base to be closer to what I know and love. I wouldn’t be mad if I went to some gathering and grabbed a handful of these to put on my plate next to a sandwich, but they aren’t a snack I would buy for myself and eat straight out of the bag. The cheddar part is on point, but after only a couple of them, I find myself not wanting to eat any more, and this very rarely happens to me with salty snacks.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (29 pieces) 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

Smoky BBQ

Ruffles Ridge Twists Smoky BBQ

The scent from the Smoky BBQ bag doesn’t draw me in quite as much. I found it slightly off-putting at first, but after tasting, it’s a pretty solid barbecue chip flavor. As advertised, it’s smoky and a little sweet with some tomato and vinegar notes. Some of the twists have a lot of seasoning, but others have only a dusting which leaves too much room for the dried potato taste and texture to take center stage. These remind me of the bags of TGI Fridays snacks with flavors and shapes that mimic items on an appetizer menu. They’re novel, and it’s my duty to try every form of processed potato available, but at the end of the day, I wish I’d also bought a bag of actual chips.

Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 pieces) 140 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of total sugar including 1 gram of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein.

Ruffles Ridge Twists Both

Even though these have grooves good for collecting flavor powder, they lack the same ridges that really define Ruffles and might’ve fared better with me if I never associated them with Ruffles to begin with. I can see where some people might enjoy them more than I did, but if you have four dollars and want to take a chance on something new in the chip aisle, I’d go with Lay’s Kettle Cooked Fritos Chili Cheese Chips.

Purchased Price: $3.99 each
Size: 5.5 oz bags
Purchased at: Mariano’s

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Snickers Brownie Blizzard

/ / Reviews / 2 Comments

Dairy Queen Snickers Brownie Blizzard Top

Dairy Queen’s website says that the Snickers Brownie Blizzard will “transform your taste buds forever.” Maybe it means you’ll be working so hard to determine the flavor that your taste buds will level up from sheer exertion? Maybe I can now be one of those people who can taste “notes of honeysuckle” in a glass of wine because I’ve become a flavor detective? It would be nice to think I got something out of this experience.

I had this twice and had a different reaction the second time. The first time, the brownie bits were missing chocolate flavor, and I was complaining that it was too bland. The second time, the brownie bits seemed much more flavorful. Was my palette fatigued the first time, or maybe I just got a few bigger brownie chunks in my mix the second time? The second event sounds more likely. When I properly tasted them, the brownie bits had a satisfying unctuousness and chocolatey bitterness.

Moving on to the Snickers, I think this would have worked if the candy bar pieces were a little bigger, but as it stands, it’s hard to discern much flavor. I didn’t taste major Snickers components like nougat and peanuts; there was caramel flavor, but it was kind of muted. The caramel did stick to my teeth though, so at least it was definitely present.

Dairy Queen Snickers Brownie Blizzard Spoon

The DQ description states that the Blizzard has “caramel topping,” which in this case means that the topping was mixed into the vanilla soft serve ice cream. This manages to make the soft serve even sweeter than normal, but it doesn’t really register as caramel flavor; it just amps up the vanilla.

Because of the brownie bits’ chewiness and the caramel’s sticky nature, there was textural variation, so the treat has that going for it. It’s just a little underpowered in the flavor department. This is the first Blizzard I can remember having where I felt the vanilla soft serve, bolstered by the caramel bits in the mix, completely overpowered any other flavors.

Look, Dairy Queen has a lot of Blizzards on its menu, and most of them are pretty darn good. Everyone has an off day once in a while, and I have compassion for that. I allow Dairy Queen a swing-and-a-miss, and that’s what we have here. If you want a Blizzard and are tempted to get this, unless you’ve got a real yen for brownie bits, you may want to get an Oreo Blizzard instead. In that treat, the bitterness of the chocolate contrasts with the vanilla soft serve in a truly delightful way, consistently. I’m actually sitting here feeling kind of cheated because I could have got an Oreo Blizzard (twice!) but got this instead. Blizzard Remorse is a sad, sad thing.

Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: Small
Purchased at: Dairy Queen
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 410 calories, 15 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 48 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

Scroll to Top