REVIEW: Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich

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Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich

What is the Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich?

Starbucks has entered the plant-based sausage revolution with its new Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

How is it?

Burger King’s reign on top was short, because one week after claiming the Impossible Croissan’wich was my favorite plant-based breakfast sandwich, Starbucks has already dethroned it.

I’d put the new Starbucks Impossible Sausage on par with any breakfast meat – cow, pig, chicken, or plant – currently on a fast food menu.

Right out of the gate, I was relieved that the sausage patty didn’t have that “vague sagey Stove Top” flavor I always whine about.

Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich Top

Flavor-wise, I’d say it toed the line between a standard breakfast sausage and Italian butcher shop spiral sausage links, or as my mother would call them (my apologies for the phonetic spelling) “Shiv-a-lots” (pronounced with a bastardized Brooklyn Italian accent).

I took a bite of the patty isolated, and while the texture is still not 100% where I’d like it to be, it was less chewy than the others I’ve had to this point.

I give Starbucks credit for its eggs as well. It’s a fried egg, but the yolk was closer to soft-boiled, and the whites weren’t plastic, like the stuff McDonald’s serves.

Anything else you need to know?

Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich Split

I expected the bread to be the downfall because I usually think ciabatta is a trash-tier sandwich bun, but it was perfect. The shell was crispy while the inside was pillowy soft. It was like eating a bagel that came out of the oven two minutes before you ordered.

I could have easily just caught them at the right time, but every ingredient, including the aged cheddar, paired perfectly to make a delicious and perfectly sized sandwich. It curbed my hunger without that immediate fast food regret we all know so well.

Conclusion:

I won’t pretend I get a lot of food at Starbucks, but this is easily the best savory menu item I’ve ever ordered there.

We’re now at the point where you won’t even notice you’re not eating meat, and I continue to think that’s an exciting prospect for the future. Not to push an agenda, but if science can further distance plant-based proteins from real meat nutritionally, we’re all gonna be better off in the long run.

Absolutely pick up one of these next time you get a coffee.

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories, 23 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 830 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of fiber, and 22 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa and Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam

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Starbucks Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam

What are Starbucks Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa and Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam?

Starbucks continues to add drinks with non-dairy alternatives to its menu, but it now has a new cold foam made with almondmilk. You’ll find it on two new cold brew concoctions: The Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam (almondmilk cold foam, mocha sauce, and cocoa powder) and the Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam (almondmilk cold foam, cinnamon, and vanilla syrup).

Starbucks Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam

How are they?

I really wanted to love these drinks, but I have to say I just like them. They’re good, but nothing special. I have two main reasons for the ratings I gave:

Starbucks Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam Top
Starbucks Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam

1. The texture and look of the almondmilk foam is NOT anything close to the regular cold foam we know and love. I think it has to do with almondmilk being the base, but the foam was more of a liquid – it quickly sank into the drink and didn’t look bubbly and light like the foam we’re used to seeing. It seemed more like the Vanilla Sweet Cream, which gets poured on top of the cold brew and gradually mixes it in. It was a much different experience than with the dairy version of cold foam.

Starbucks Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam Top
Starbucks Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam

2. The flavors fell flat. I was expecting the cocoa and cinnamon to shine through and really jazz up the cold brew, but neither did. The taste of the almondmilk was far more overpowering. If I do try these again, I might add more pumps of the corresponding flavors.

Anything else you need to know?

At only 40 calories each for a grande and with minimal sugars, this is a good choice if you’re looking for a lower-calorie alternative.

Also, I maintain that the cold foam beverages are a better experience with the straw-less lids…I got these on two different days from two different Starbucks. When I got the Cinnamon, that Starbucks was out of those lids. With the straw-less lid, there’s a better foam to cold brew ratio with each sip.

Conclusion:

I’ll stick to the regular cold foam beverages when I want to add pizzazz to a cold brew. If you steer clear of dairy and always go for almondmilk in your coffee, I’d be interested to know how others feel about the foam and flavor.

Purchased Price: $4.75 each
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Dark Cocoa), 5 out of 10 (Cinnamon)
Nutrition Facts (16 oz) Dark Cocoa – 40 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein and 210 milligrams of caffeine. Cinnamon – 40 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein and 205 milligrams of caffeine.)

Click here to read our previous Starbucks reviews.

REVIEW: Burger King Impossible Croissan’wich

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Burger King Impossible Croissan wich

What is the Burger King Impossible Croissan’wich?

After the success of the Impossible Whopper, Burger King has brought the plant-based revolution to the breakfast menu in the form of the Impossible Croissan’wich.

How is it?

Before the McGriddle took over the fast food breakfast game, Burger King Croissan’wiches were number one in my heart with a bullet. I’ve probably eaten 200 Sausage Croissan’wiches in my lifetime, and I can happily report the “Impossible” version is about 95% as good as the old reliable I love so much.

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Top

I’ve had a couple plant-based breakfast sausages, and this was easily the best texturally. It wasn’t chewy or gritty at all. Coupled with BK’s classic fluffy egg and croissant, it actually had the exact same bite as a regular Croissan’wich.
The only reason I won’t say it’s quite as good is because the flavor of the sausage was slightly off.

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Patty

Burger King Impossible Croissan wich Side

This seemed to overcompensate, and pump too much of that smokey sausage gravy spice that always puts me in mind of Stove Top Stuffing. I said the same thing in my review of the Dunkin’ Beyond Sausage Sandwich (You’d think I’d know the spice I’m talking about by now).

I don’t.

Anything else you need to know?

I actually made a resolution this year to stop eating pork products*. I wanted to slowly but surely wean myself off eating meat every day, and I figured pork would be easier to kick than beef or chicken.

I was right, but man have I been craving a nice breakfast sandwich. I eat turkey bacon, but I haven’t had any sausage in 2020 until this, and it didn’t disappoint at all.

*Ok, I cheated once last month for the review of the Dunkin’ Croissant Stuffers. There was so little bacon in that, I’m not counting it.

Conclusion:

This is my favorite plant-based fast food item to date. I was right on the edge before, but now I’m a full-blown believer in “plants” as a sustainable protein source.

Between this and the Whopper before it, Burger King is absolutely leading the way when it comes to fast food plant-based options. I’m probably gonna eat a lot of these going forward.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 491 calories, 29 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1058 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 21 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad

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Wendy s Summer Strawberry Salad Dressing

Summer is often a terrible time for many people, including me. As the uncomfortably cruel and rigidly taunting sun beats down on me, salty sweat drips down my head as I desperately try to find a cooling balm to bring my core temperature back down to a normal range, oftentimes failing miserably.

But this is when I raise my sunburned hands to the sky and thank the equally-heliophobic Wendy’s for its yearly berry salad. For 2020, it’s the Summer Strawberry Salad.

On a cool bed of crisp green lettuce — mainly romaine — sits a Tuscan cheese blend dusting, cuts of applewood smoked bacon, succulent grilled chicken breast, and surprisingly candid candied almond slivers. The salad’s complete reason for being, the sliced bits of strawberries, lay in the leafy shade, giving the entrée its summer branding and doing it remarkably well.

Gently spritzing the large helping of zesty champagne vinaigrette over the top of the salad, it managed to slide down into every nook and cranny, guaranteeing a savory experience. The strawberries are plump and notably firm, not a bruised berry in the bunch.

Each juicy bite, like a fruity fire extinguisher, cools me down internally as I nibbled carefully, enjoying the salad wholeheartedly. The tangy dressing, with its olive oil feel and garlicky taste, offers a decent counterpoint to the abject sweetness of the strawberries and, even more so, the candied almonds.

Wendy s Summer Strawberry Salad

The romaine lettuce leaves were also surprisingly fresh. Bits of the Tuscan cheese — featuring a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, and Fontina — tantalizingly resting on them with the vinaigrette acting as a delectable glue keeping them in their place. The bacon, though predictably salty, mixes well with the grilled chicken, the candied almonds giving a sweet aftertaste that was definitely needed.

Wendy s Summer Strawberry Salad Berry Close

But what it all comes down is to the strawberries in the nomenclature. While I would have liked more of them, they held this summer salad together perfectly, especially in the half-salad I ordered, the large size only about two dollars more.

In these cruel summer months, Wendy’s has gifted us with a berry-good meal-deal that has me counting down the heated days to next year’s salad unveiling. But, until then, this will definitely do.

Purchased Price: $5.69
Size: Half
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 410 calories, 21 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 790 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 45 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger

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What is the Jack in the Box Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger?

It features a beef patty, smoked cheddar cheese, chipotle sauce, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes on a buttery bakery bun. If you want something with a bit more heft, it’s also available in a double version that has two beef patties and two slices of cheese.

How is it?

I thought it gave me an idea of what a cheeseburger would taste like if Jack in the Box decided to make one using two of its tacos as the burger’s bun. (Please make this happen, Jack in the Box!)

It’s all thanks to the beef patty and chipotle sauce, which I’ve said previously tastes like a combination of Jack’s taco sauce and mayonnaise. It’s not at all spicy, but instead more smoky and peppery. I’ve enjoyed it with other Jack in the Box chicken sandwiches and breakfast burritos, and I like it on this.

The other ingredient that gets product name-billing, the smoked cheddar cheese, doesn’t seem to enhance the burger. I’m not sure it does anything else besides sweat. I mean, look at the photo above. It appears as if it’s guilty of something. What are you hiding, smoked cheddar cheese?

Maybe the cheese helps with the smokiness of the chipotle sauce. Or perhaps it sweats to make you not pay attention to how little flavor the grilled onions have in this cheeseburger.

Also, I feel as if the vegetables in the cheeseburger slightly affect the flavor punch of the chipotle sauce.

Is there anything else you need to know?

You can get it a la carte, but it’s being promoted as the headliner of a $4.99 combo that also comes with a small fries and drink.

Conclusion:

I know it reads as if Jack in the Box’s Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger isn’t worth the price. But here’s the thing, it’s worth it because of the chipotle sauce, and because the price of the combo is low enough that I can forgive the other ingredients.

Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: Medium combo
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available at time of publication.

*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. The combo has an advertised price of $4.99.

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