REVIEW: Arby’s Steak Nuggets

/ / Reviews / 8 Comments

Arby's Steak Nuggets with BBQ sauce container

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.

Arby's Steak Nuggets 5-pieces

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).

Arby's Steak Nuggets are so tender

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.

Arby's Steak Nuggets dipped in BBQ sauce

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.

REVIEW: Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drinks

/ / Reviews / Leave a Comment

Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drink cans

If there were a Monster Monster, it would probably say the full-sugar Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drinks are sometimes beverages. The energy drink brand describes Electric Blue’s flavor as “shockingly smooth blue raspberry popsicle” and Orange Creamsicle as “wickedly creamy orange vanilla ice cream blend.”

If your memory recalls another Monster Orange Dreamsicle, remind me to never play Concentration with you, because, yes, there was the Monster Reserve Orange Dreamsicle from 2022. Both flavors seem to be flavored versions of the original Monster Energy Drink, and both have a tasty flavor that brings to mind the ice cream truck favorite.

Monster Orange Dreamsicle in a glass

One of the issues I had with the older version was that the sucralose in it gave the drink a citrusy artificial sweetener aftertaste that reminded me of orange vitamin tablets, which hurt the drink’s initial citrusy, sweet, and creamy flavor. This new version also has sucralose, but there’s no funky aftertaste. Maybe there’s less sucralose? Or perhaps it’s because this version’s 51 grams of sugar brute-forced the aftertaste away, which the Reserve’s 28 grams of sugar couldn’t do?

Oh, speaking of the sweet powder, these use real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup.

Monster Electric Blue in a glass, but not the same glass as the Orange Dreamsicle

When I first tasted the Electric Blue one, the blue raspberry Pedialyte ice pops I give to my son when he gets sick immediately popped into my head. I also misremembered Electric Blue being the name of Debbie Gibson’s second album. Like music on Ms. Gibson’s pop album, this energy drink is bright and sweet. It’s also a bit syrupy, but it’s a familiar taste that I enjoy immensely. And just like the Orange Dreamsicle, it also didn’t have a sucralose-tainted aftertaste, perhaps thanks to its 46 grams of sugar.

With all that said, if I’m standing in front of a wall of Monster Energy options in a refrigerated case, the chances of me pulling out one of these flavors are significantly lower than me picking up something from Monster’s Ultra line because of its lack of sugar. While I enjoy these flavors equally, I agree with Monster Monster and believe these flavors are sometimes beverages for me, much like regular Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and Mountain Dew are.

Purchased Price: $2.69 each
Size: 16 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Orange Dreamsicle), 8 out of 10 (Electric Blue)
Nutrition Facts: Orange Dreamsicle – 200 calories, 0 grams of fat, 370 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 46 grams of sugar (including 46 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine. Electric Blue – 210 calories, 0 grams of fat, 250 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 51 grams of sugar (including 51 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

5 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 10/10/25

/ / Other Things I Consumed, Reviews / 4 Comments

7-Eleven Hawaii Cinnamon Toast Slurpee

7-Eleven Hawaii Cinnamon Toast Slurpee

I know the place card for the Slurpee is janky, but this flavor is decent. I’m not sure if it’s trying to replicate the cereal, but if it is, I don’t think it quite hits the mark. It has that hot cinnamon flavor, but without the hot. It’s kind of like a very mild Big Red chewing gum flavor. It’s a good attempt, but since it doesn’t seem to use actual cinnamon, its flavor isn’t quite comparable to the cereal. With that said, this was an enjoyable slushie, and its flavor is good enough that I might pick up another one before it disappears. However, I don’t know if you can tell, but there’s another new flavor with a janky place card that I’ll probably try next week..

Alani Nu Hawaiian Shaved Ice Energy Drink

Alani Nu Hawaiian Shave Ice Energy Drink

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been loving my journey through the Alani Nu energy drink flavors. However, that journey has hit a bit of a snag. While this flavor is good, it’s also too sweet for me. I mean, all the Alani Nu flavors I’ve tried are sweet, but this one goes over the edge. The flavor tastes like a combination of strawberry, pineapple, and vanilla, with a hint of coconut and a flavor that reminds me of the wooden spoon that comes with shave ice. It’s definitely not a flavor I’d repurchase.

Wonderful Chocolate Covered Pistachios

Wonderful Pistachios Chocolate Sea Salt and Chocolate Toffee

I received free samples of these from Wonderful in the two varieties available: Chocolate Toffee and Chocolate Sea Salt. Both are coated in dark chocolate. These are, um, what’s a word that would best describe these? Wicked. The good wicked. Wicked good. Or maybe Wicked Elphaba Good because the pistachios are green? If I had to pick between the two, I’d pick Chocolate Toffee over Chocolate Sea Salt. The latter definitely hits the sweet and salty spot, but I enjoyed the mild butteriness of the toffee more.

Mela Watermelon Water + Pineapple

Mela Watermelon Water + Pineapple

I picked this up after playing a round of mini golf on the least crazy mini golf course ever. No windmills. No mystery tunnels. No walls to bank off of. I was thirsty dealing with the heat, humidity, speed of the greens, and the fact that I haven’t touched a putter in over a decade. This tasted like I squashed watermelon with my hands because I was frustrated with taking 12 strokes on one hole, letting the juices go through a strainer, and into a glass. The pineapple is milder than the watermelon, so it was kind of easy to miss. Perhaps it tasted like I squeezed a pineapple wedge with my bare hands to let out my frustration for taking 11 strokes on another hole. While I suck at mini golf at this particular course, this watermelon water with a hint of pineapple did not suck.

Humm Mango Passionfruit Probiotic Kombucha

Humm Mango Passionfruit Probiotic Kombucha

My parents have a habit of picking up random stuff at Costco, even if they have no idea what it is. For example, they bought a case of Alani Nu Energy Drink, not realizing it contained 200 milligrams of caffeine per can. Another example is this kombucha from Humm. They picked it up based on the flavor combination, but didn’t know what kombucha was. So when my parents offered this to me during this week’s visit to my childhood home, I had to educate my parents about the fermented drink, which was one of the better-tasting kombuchas I’ve ever had. Sometimes kombucha has a light alcoholic vibe to it because of the fermentation, but I didn’t notice that with this one. It had a taste and feel that’s more like a probiotic soda than a kombucha, with a sweet mango flavor and a bit of tartness from the passionfruit. It’s decent enough that I’m kind of glad my parents impulsively bought this.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Oreo Reese’s Blizzard

/ / Reviews / Leave a Comment

Dairy Queen Oreo Reese’s Blizzard top

If you know anything about philosophy, please do not read this review because I’m about to mangle the work of 14th-century friar William of Occam (or Ockham if you prefer that spelling). As I understand it, Willie had some kind of magic razor, and it told him that simple and logical is better than complex and improbable. I might not have that exactly correct, but philosophy is open to interpretation, right?

What does the world’s worst interpretation of the principle of Occam’s razor have to do with Dairy Queen’s October Blizzard of the Month? Well, the new Oreo Reese’s Blizzard is about as basic and old school as possible, and yet it’s also glorious. DQ Blizzards have been around for 40 years, but somehow they have never combined two of the most popular components, Oreo cookies and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Until now.

This one isn’t extreme or potentially explosive like some previous Blizzard names imply, and there’s nothing fancy in it like truffles or red velvet. The name is completely unimaginative, and yet this Blizzard is wondrous for its simple splendor.

Dairy Queen Oreo Reese’s Blizzard Oreo pieces

I thought the chocolatiness of the Oreo might clash with and overpower the more subdued peanut butter flavor of the Reese’s, but just like my explanation of Occam’s razor, I was wrong. The crunch and potency of the Oreos certainly are more noticeable than the Reese’s, but they both complement each other and provide that great chocolate-peanut butter combination.

Dairy Queen Oreo Reese’s Blizzard toppings

I also thought the DQ mixologist tried to skimp on the ingredients in my Blizzard, but once I broke through the mostly barren surface, I found a wealth of large Oreo pieces and an ample amount of Reese’s. Together, the taste was not wholly unfamiliar, as I’ve had countless Blizzards with either one, but it was also different enough to be very satisfying. So I can’t say this is my absolute favorite Blizzard, but it definitely earns a high ranking. And not that DQ asked me, but if they were to mix in some of those decadent cheesecake bites, then this might be the perfect combination.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 760 calories, 32 grams of fat, 32 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 400 milligrams of sodium, 106 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 85 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae

/ / Reviews / Leave a Comment

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with Halloween crown

Burger King has had fun with its Halloween-themed menus in recent years, and this year is no different.

From least interesting to most interesting (in my opinion), the 2025 menu includes the following: Mummy Mozzarella Fries, mozzarella sticks in a mummy box; Vampire Nuggets, chicken nuggets shaped like bats and fangs; the Jack-O-Lantern Whopper, with bacon, American cheese, and an orange bun with black sesame seeds; and the Franken-Candy Sundae, vanilla soft serve with “franken-candy” purple syrup, Oreo crumbles, and green and purple popping candy. It is this last item that I’m reviewing here.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with Oreo crumbs and popping candy

The vanilla soft serve is soft and liquid-y enough that I was able to consume it with a thick metal straw. It’s just what you expect: sweet and satisfying, if uninteresting. And Oreo crumbles need no introduction. They add both flavor and textural contrast.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with purple Franken-Candy syrup

The interesting parts of the sundae come from the “franken-candy syrup” and the popping candy. The syrup mostly sticks to the side of the cup, and I can’t really tell what it’s supposed to taste like: It’s just sweet, and the name “franken-candy” doesn’t offer me any clues. It does taste like candy, but I don’t know what kind. Texturally, it’s something like melted white chocolate.

The popping candy is coated in a confection to keep it from popping prematurely, and I felt a need to let some of the pieces melt in my mouth so I could savor the popping qualities. If I just bite down on them, they’re mildly crunchy. I can only guess that the popping is supposed to mimic the electricity Dr. Frankenstein used to bring his creature to life.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae soft serve

Like Dr. Frankenstein, Burger King has simply stitched together preexisting ingredients to create something new. But unlike Frankenstein’s monster, this sundae is visually appealing and tasty. All the elements work together for a fun, tasty, and slightly spooky treat.

I associate popping candy with Fourth of July fireworks, so I would love to see BK bring this back in a red, white, and blue version for the summer.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 360 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 270 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of fiber, 42 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

Scroll to Top