REVIEW: Sonic Smasher

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If you’ve read any of the Sonic reviews I’ve written for this site over the past eight years, you’ll:

  1. Know that I tend to love nearly everything I try.
  2. Possibly recall the one time I said Sonic is better than In-N-Out.
  3. Probably discounted anything else I’ve subsequently said on account of B.

In my defense, I will once again point out—as I do each time—that it is one magical Sonic location in particular; I know that not all stores are created equal, and, in the parlance of online absolution, “your mileage may vary.”

It was with this predisposition of enjoyment that I tried the new Sonic Smasher, which features “two Angus beef, seasoned patties smashed and seared, crispy on the edges and juicy in the middle… two slices of melty American cheese, a creamy, tangy Smasher sauce, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, and…a pillowy soft potato bun.”

So, you know, a smashburger. With special sauce.

Pretty standard stuff.

That said, HOLY HELL was this delicious.

The patties—delightfully thin and crispy around the edges—had a beautifully earthy beef flavor, far better than any other major chain’s patty. The cheese was your standard fast food American, but it melted exquisitely into the meat. The sauce was a pretty run-of-the-mill burger sauce, Thousand Island-style, but maybe a bit sweeter than the sauce from the Sad Clown’s Big Mac. The next time I get one (which can’t come soon enough), I might try regular mayo; Sonic does good mayonnaise, and it is my preferred burger sauce. The onions were perfect, and while I’m not typically a pickle guy, these were leagues better than the regular floppy discs that adorn most chain burgers. (Though I will say, I feel like many places have upgraded their pickles over the past year or two, so maybe these are par for the course.)

My only complaint about this burger is that I didn’t go three patties. Well, and maybe also that I’m of an age where I shouldn’t responsibly consume more than one of these a month. But if my heart health was of no concern, I’d eat one of these a week, easy. I genuinely hope that Sonic keeps these around for the long haul and that you have a Sonic near you as good as the one on 91st.

Purchased Price: $6.59
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 600 calories, 37 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 1530 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 35 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jif Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread

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Jif has created its Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread to compete with Nutella, or as referred to on this Jif jar and in the rest of this review, “the leading hazelnut spread with cocoa.” In the back of my mind, I recall another Jif peanut butter and chocolate spread, but I don’t remember when it happened. If only there was a site that’s been around for over 20 years that focuses on new store products. It would probably know.

The foods I tried this Jif Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread with were unadventurous — whole wheat bread, plain Greek yogurt, and apple slices. I also tasted it straight from the jar with a spoon. They all were wonderful and tasty ways to consume the spread. The peanut butter and chocolate are balanced so well that if you blind taste-tested it, it might be difficult to tell if a peanut butter brand added chocolate to its product or a chocolate brand made a spread and added peanut butter.

However, while tasty, it lacks that addictive quality that makes me steal Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and all its chocolatey and peanut buttery ilk from my kid’s Halloween stash. Yes, I am a monster, a monster that loves Reese’s. I would never sink to that slime of the Earth level to steal this spread from my son. Also, I don’t find it as great tasting as the leading hazelnut spread with cocoa, which I find more decadent.

But there are a few things about Jif’s Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread that the leading hazelnut spread with cocoa can’t compete with — it has 50 percent less sugar and has more than twice the protein. It also has a thicker consistency and spreads, not surprisingly, like peanut butter.

As I mentioned earlier, the leading hazelnut spread with cocoa is more decadent than this, but both are great. However, with its protein and lower sugar content, Jif’s Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread could be eaten daily, while the other seems like a sometimes spread because it’s more of a treat.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Jif. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 15 oz jar
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Tbsp) 200 calories, 15 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 8 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Werewolf Tracks Peanut Butter Cups

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To prepare for this review of Reese’s Werewolf Tracks, I tried to immerse myself in lycanthropy to try to figure out what on earth this new candy has to do with werewolves. I watched The Wolf Man (1941) and listened to various werewolf songs. But I still can’t figure it out.

It’s just an ordinary Reese’s, except that the top is vanilla-flavored white creme. So here are the possibilities I have come up with:

  • Some wolves are white and some wolves are brown.
  • The round, white top looks like a full moon with jagged edges.
  • If a werewolf leaves a track in the dirt, it might fill up with water, which turns white when it freezes.

Questionable Halloween connection aside, how are they?

Eaten directly, the peanut butter cup does not taste all that different from a regular Reese’s cup. Vanilla-flavored creme just doesn’t impart that much flavor.

When I nibble the top off to try to isolate the creme, it just tastes like the white confection you can find in countless other candies. Nothing about it reminds me of actual vanilla.

I also should add that this is not the first time Reese’s has made a similar candy. It did the

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a top-tier confection, and if this were a brand-new treat, I would give it 10/10 based on taste alone. But this is simply a variation on a classic, and it’s just not that interesting or special.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 9.35 oz bag
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pieces) 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar including 14 grams of added sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Subway Spicy Nacho Chicken Sub

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In our house, Subway plays the role of the last line of defense before the tofu is deployed. When I’m all ready to make my famous (in my own mind) tofu and veggies stir fry for dinner, my husband will often say, with forced casualness, “Dear, you’ve had a long day. If you don’t feel like cooking tonight, you know, I could always just run over to Subway…”

Now, I should tell him that he will eat his gosh-darned tofu, and he will like it, but sometimes I give in to the lazy out he’s giving me. Then I watch as my family consumes subs heaping with cheese and deli meat that probably have more saturated fat than the entire Cheesecake Factory menu put together. I might be a bad homemaker.

Fortunately, Subway’s offerings are a little more extensive than just Italian Double Meat BMTs. It’s got some new offerings this summer, including the Spicy Nacho Chicken Sub. This fairly ambitious sandwich is made with rotisserie-style chicken, green peppers, red onions, jalapenos, cheddar cheese sauce, creamy sriracha, and “SubKrunch.” SubKrunch is a new option at Subway, little fried crunchy bits that add a nice bit of texture.

I was surprised by how much the SubKrunch added to the experience. They were generous with these little things, kind of like French fried onions, and the constant-yet-not-annoying crunch level was fun. You can supposedly add SubKrunch to any existing sub, and I’m curious to see what my favorite tuna sub tastes like with a bunch of crunch added.

Even though there are jalapenos and sriracha, the heat level never gets that high. I felt the heat from the jalapenos on the tip of my tongue as I ate them, but the spiciness didn’t seem to spread through my mouth that much. The cheddar cheese provides a nice contrast, but you don’t get it with every bite; it’s nice when it shows up. I found the chicken really savory and juicy, which was surprising because I haven’t been enamored of Subway’s chicken products in the past. The bread was, well, bread…it didn’t add much flavor, but the sandwich is so packed full of flavor it doesn’t matter. I’m curious if trying it with one of Subway’s other breads would make much of a difference. The veggies just add a bit of texture, I didn’t really taste them, but they added some vitamins, so yaaay?

On the whole, this is a really tasty sandwich. I don’t know if I’d switch out my classic Tuna Sub with veggies for this new guy, but I’d definitely at least consider it—which is saying something if you know just how many Subway Tuna Subs I’ve eaten in my life. But this is all irrelevant because I’m clearly going to start making vegan, home-cooked meals for my family all the time and not give in to the siren song of Subway take-out anymore…except for possibly Thursdays.

Purchased Price: $11.79
Size: Footlong
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 890 calories. (No other nutritional numbers for the whole sandwich are available on Subway’s website.)

REVIEW: Post Limited Edition Honey Bunches of Oats Salted Caramel Cereal

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As Post continues its string of limited edition products, I am continuing my sweetened cereal spree.

After chocolate cake and fruity waffle-inspired cereals, Post is now gifting my morning sweet tooth with Post Limited Edition Honey Bunches of Oats Salted Caramel. The cereal adds salted caramel flavor to the line’s classic mix of crispy, light-as-air-flakes and crunchy clusters.

The cereal smells strongly of caramel, but the taste is less consistent. Some flakes taste pretty plain. Others have a uniform caramel flavor, buttery and lightly sweet, reminiscent of kettle corn. Every fifth or sixth spoonful, a much sweeter piece with a sharp hit of salt stands out.

The inconsistency is both a strength and a weakness. On one crumb-covered hand, the cereal is balanced—sweet, but never candy-sweet—with interesting, varied bites that are both appropriate for breakfast and highly snackable. Conversely, the flavor can be underwhelming. A little extra indulgence (glazed almonds or caramel-flavored yogurt drops, perhaps?) would have added a hint more excitement.

Most of the salted caramel flavor seems to be concentrated in the flakes, but the oats provide a wonderful crunch with a toasty, molasses-tinged sweetness. However, clusters of them are hard to come by. Rifling through the bag, I found mostly loose oats. This was a bummer because I am the type of person who will feel weirdly proud and satisfied when I excavate an especially large chunk of cookie dough from a pint of ice cream. (Read: I will take small thrills where I can find them. Also, I like cookie dough.) If you are the same, do not expect to replicate that sensation with this product.

In milk, the flakes stay surprisingly crisp despite their lightness. The cereal also flavors the milk nicely, leaving a smooth, honeyed sweetness behind. Move over, Cinnamilk—it’s Honeybunchamilk’s time to shine.

Overall, Post Limited Edition Honey Bunches of Oats Salted Caramel teeters on the boundary between subtle and forgettable. Its refreshingly restrained level of sweetness and interesting pops of salt are highlights, but more flavor or texture would add interest. It’s a solid offering from the brand, but it will probably not replace your favorite flavor. My rating lingers between 6 and 7, but I’m rounding up in hopes that Post will trademark Honeybunchamilk and give me a cut of the profits.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Size: 12 oz box
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 cup serving) 160 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein

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