REVIEW: Popeyes Classic Chicken Wraps

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Popeyes is back in the wrap game, and it’s not the only non-Taco Bell fast food chain that has recently made a massive order for flour tortillas. So it appears 2025 might be the Return of the Wrap… the Chicken Wrap. Besides these new Popeyes Chicken Wraps, McDonald’s will soon be re-releasing its Snack Wraps featuring its McCrispy Strips, but that’s another review for another day.

Let’s focus on these menu additions from the chicken chain, which feature Popeyes’ hand-breaded and battered Cajun-marinated chicken tender, topped with crisp lettuce, shredded cheese, and two barrel-cured pickle slices, all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with your choice of mayo, spicy mayo, or honey mustard spread. You can also get the wraps with blackened chicken tenders if your heart so desires and you order them online.

I ended up getting the classic version with mayo and honey mustard. However, after trying both, I wish I had gotten the spicy version because perhaps the sauce’s heat would’ve excited my taste buds as they didn’t come away impressed with these flour tortilla-cloaked offerings. I’m not sure if I’ve had too many Popeyes’ Chicken Sandwiches or if I expected a euphoria similar to what I experience every time I eat the chain’s classic sandwich, but these wraps tasted ho-hum to me, which I find odd because I do enjoy the chain’s tenders.

I wonder if it’s the warm tortilla that makes all the other ingredients taste a bit flat. Because despite being applied liberally, the condiments were barely noticeable, especially the honey mustard, and the cheese’s flavor was nonexistent. With the chicken sandwich, the bun does add a bit of sweetness and is part of the taste experience, but the flour tortilla here may mute the flavors.

Although, now that I think about it, I’m not sure about that because the crunchy pickles do come through with the bites that have them. I also noticed the lettuce’s wilted flavor after it sat in a tortilla sauna for several minutes.

Finally, there’s the chicken tender, which had that familiar Popeyes taste but was overly salty. Yes, you can’t spell “you’re a fast fool for eating fast food” without “salty.” However, it was particularly noticeable with these wraps because the condiments were unable to counteract the saltiness.

While I’m not sure whether it was the flour tortilla that made these wraps taste the way they did, nothing about their flavor encouraged me to finish either one. Of course, your experience may vary. And if it does, please share your thoughts in the comments.

While they’re not very flavorful, I did find these new chicken wraps to be substantial with their long, meaty chicken strips. And, of course, Popeyes’ signature crunch is there. There’s enough to them that they could be a snack or a light meal. However, I’m not sure I want to eat them again as a snack or a light meal.

Purchased Price: $4.49*
Rating: 6 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: Honey Mustard – 661 calories, 31 grams of fat, 13 grams of sugar, 1 gram of trans fat, 64 milligrams of cholesterol, 2203 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 26 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: Baskin-Robbins Trolli Sour Blast

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After reading the description of Baskin-Robbins’ June 2025 Flavor of the Month, Trolli Sour Blast, my mouth blasted a “blasphemous.”

Although inspired by Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers, and features Trolli lime-flavored ice cream and Trolli orange-flavored sherbet with Trolli lime-flavored swirls, it didn’t contain bits of actual Trolli gummy candy. How could a Trolli-inspired ice cream not have Trolli candy in it? That would be like having an Oreo shake without cookie pieces.

But after spewing disbelief, I spooned the colorful ice cream and sherbet and discovered that the swirls were not sticky or gooey, unlike many ice cream varieties. Instead, they were firm enough to create a texture that’s almost like gummy candy. It’s definitely a noticeable contrast to the ice cream, but not quite the same as having actual Trolli candy. I suppose having Trolli bits might be an issue, as the freezing process could make them too gummy. What also helps the swirl is that it has a sugar crystal texture, similar to sour gummies.

Those green swirls give an extra burst of lime and a pleasant sour punch that you’d expect from sour gummy candy. And that citrus lime burst is on top of the already delicious citrus and sour tastes from the lime ice cream and orange sherbet. However, while the swirls add a bit more sourness, the scoop as a whole does taste like Rainbow Sherbet.

Baskin-Robbins’ Trolli Sour Blast no doubt provides a couple of blasts. It offers a sour blast from the ice cream, sherbet, and swirl. It’s also a blast from the past, with it tasting like a Rainbow Sherbet. I guess if you’re looking for an updated take on the classic flavor, the gummy-like swirl does enough to make it a little different and worthy of a try.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 2.5 oz scoop
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar (including 17 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Cheesy Garlic Pepperoni Bites

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I’m a simple gal: “cheesy,” “garlic,” and “pepperoni” are reliably three of my favorite things, so Sonic’s new Cheesy Garlic Pepperoni Bites should have been a slam dunk for me.

But I have to admit that their appearance made me hesitate. To get a bit philosophical on you, I consider a satisfying “bite” to be something that provides a consistent experience no matter where or how you chomp into it (take Little Caesars’ Crazy Puffs, for a recent example). While the triangular shape of the Bites is fun—if you squint, it could be reminiscent of a slice of pizza, which is a neat nod to their flavor, even though it also kind of makes them look like oversized Doritos—it creates a dilemma when trying to get a balanced mouthful.

The edges of each Bite are thin and crispy, with the filling packed in a plump pocket in the center, so if you were to take just a small nibble, you would totally miss what are arguably the most important flavors concentrated in the middle. But on the other hand, a bigger bite would inconveniently threaten to explode out the hot, liquid-like insides, and that’s not ideal either.

That didn’t end up being my largest issue with these, though. When I pulled apart one of the Bites, what I found didn’t look anything like the promotional image, which shows a neat delineation of gooey white cheese and perfect little pepperoni cubes. Even worse, it didn’t look pizza-adjacent at all. Frankly, what the orange mess specifically called to mind was wet cat food. I would describe the taste as “white noise punctuated by pepperoni.”

Befitting of the filling’s sludgy, indistinct appearance, I couldn’t taste clear notes of its garlic or cheese, just a general salty savoriness that occasionally tasted particularly pepperoni-ish. On paper, the filling is made up of mozzarella and provolone cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce; in practice, the filling is just “blah.” The thin morsels of meat did at least come through way more strongly than I would have guessed after having to squint to find them amidst the orangey ooze. And the cracker-like texture of the outer layer, while it was admittedly more flavorful and heartier than I expected, just wasn’t a good match for the filling. I think a soft center cries out for a doughy exterior, so the brittleness felt underwhelming.

These things aren’t very filling, either—you can order three, five, or seven pieces, and I had hoped that five would be enough to constitute a meal, but even with the extra Bite I swear my friendly cashier snuck in on purpose, I hardly felt nourished afterwards.

The Cheesy Garlic Pepperoni Bites are ultimately reminiscent of pizza in only the same way that a Lunchables pizza is: not very. (If you’re noticing, I’m making a lot of comparisons here; it’s because these things are simply not interesting enough to say much about on their own.) If you’re craving garlic, cheese, and pepperoni, why not just spring for the real thing?

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 5 pieces
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (5 pieces) 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Loaded Steak and Jalapeno Fries

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Taco Bell’s latest topped fries du saison are the Loaded Steak and Jalapeno Fries. It features marinated steak, nacho cheese sauce, jalapeno peppers, and creamy jalapeno sauce on a bed of nacho fries. With the twin jalapeno toppings, maybe this should’ve been called the Loaded Jalapeno and Steak Fries. Or perhaps it should’ve kept the name Taco Bell gave it in 2019 — Steak Rattlesnake Fries.

If you want to read our review of those fries, click here. Read on if you want to live in the present.

Some of you might be wondering what the bleep is with that white bloop of reduced-fat sour cream. It’s not supposed to come with this, and I didn’t customize my order to get it. So, um, a bonus? But I transplanted the white topping to a taco so that I could experience the fries as the Taco Bell Gods intended.

Although it’s a previous product with a new, less cool name, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s savory and tasty for the most part, which I’ll get to in a moment. The double strike of jalapeno ingredients brings the peppery flavor to the forefront, but both bring less heat than one might expect. I don’t know if the nacho cheese sauce had anything to do with the lack of spiciness, but if you’re looking to singe your taste buds, you won’t get that feeling from this unless you’re very sensitive to spiciness. The pickled pepper slices also have a satisfying crunch that the seasoned Nacho Fries wished they had.

The bites I enjoyed most were those where the meat took a back seat to the fries and sauces. I’ve had Taco Bell’s steak over a dozen times by now since it comes standard with every loaded fries, but the more I eat it, the less I like it. I know I shouldn’t expect much from Taco Bell, but I feel as if the meat tasted much better when the chain first updated it years ago. Now, it has a flavor that doesn’t excite my taste buds, and I’d rather eat Taco Bell’s seasoned beef than the steak.

Taco Bell’s Loaded Steak and Jalapeno Fries are a mixed bag of yum and meh. I enjoyed dipping my fangs into the fries, jalapenos, and sauces. But if I order this again, I’ll probably substitute the meat to create the Loaded Chicken and Jalapeno Fries or Loaded Black Beans and Jalapeno Fries.

Purchased Price: $5.49*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts:470 calories, 27 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 1420 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 13 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: Starbucks Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

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Horchata is such a fun word, isn’t it? It makes me want to do a little dance, as does the newest drink on the Starbucks summer menu: the Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. It’s been a while since Starbucks had horchata in the lineup – long ago, there was a Horchata Almondmilk Frappuccino – and this one does not disappoint.

This drink takes shots of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso (two for a tall, three for a grande, and four for a venti) and has horchata syrup. These ingredients are shaken over ice and combined with oatmilk.

What is horchata, you might ask? With origins in Mexico, it’s a drink made with rice, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors. And let me tell you, the cinnamon is definitely the star of the show. You know when you get a coffee with milk or cream and you can just tell by looking at the color that it’ll be perfect? Yep, this was it for me. I was impressed with how creamy this was, and the cinnamon was perfect – not too strong and not too faint. I think the oatmilk really helped balance out the flavors. And if you’re worried about the rice-flavored aspect here, never fear. It’s totally masked by the rest of the drink.

I also like to rate drinks based on how the flavor holds up as I slowly drink them (I’ve mentioned in my reviews before how I can really milk an iced drink), and I’m pleased to share that this one did the trick. The horchata, oatmilk, and espresso were there to the last drop.

I have to say – this drink didn’t feel any more special than anything Starbucks has recently released, but nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. It was refreshing, gave me the caffeine I needed to get through the day, and made a standard shaken espresso a little more exciting. I will definitely order it again!

Purchased Price: $5.65
Size: Tall
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 8 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 170 milligrams of caffeine.

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