REVIEW: McDonald’s Big Mac Bacon

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McDonald s Big Mac Bacon

Does bacon make everything better?

That is a question many companies have tried to answer with various bacon-flavored products that I’d list, but it’s so long that if you’re reading this on a smartphone, your finger will cramp from all the scrolling.

For some of those products, like

If you’re a person who’s unfamiliar with the Big Mac, it’s (everyone say it with me) two all-beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun. This pork-infused version has all that, plus three strips of thick-cut Applewood-smoked bacon and it’s available for a limited time.

But here’s the thing regarding the limited time availability: You can get the Big Mac Bacon long after it’s taken off the menu and you could’ve had it all this time. After all, it’s just bacon with a Big Mac, which you can custom order. It’s like requesting no salt fries, tartar sauce on a McChicken, or getting plain soft serve in a McFlurry cup so that you can make

How do I know this?

Well, because I ordered a Big Mac with bacon this way before the Big Mac Bacon was officially available.

So does bacon make the iconic Big Mac better?

Let me put it this way: If you were to offer me a regular Big Mac and a Big Mac Bacon, I’d choose the regular one.

McDonald s Big Mac Bacon Closeup

The three surprisingly crispy bacon slices add smoky, salty, and porky flavors, but perhaps too much of them. They cause the burger to lose a lot of its Big Mac-ness. The Special Sauce gets less special because the bacon flavors drown it out along with the pickles and onions. It loses a lot of its tanginess, which is what makes the Big Mac so appealing to me. If this had a better balance between the bacon and the Big Mac, I’d probably like it more than I do.

McDonald s Big Mac Bacon Center

With all that said, I enjoyed the Big Mac Bacon, and it’s worth trying. It’s a long overdue twist on a classic that doesn’t get many twists, but this twist doesn’t make it a better Big Mac to me.

Purchased Price: Not sure
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 610 calories, 33 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Arby’s Cajun Fish Sandwich

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Arby s Cajun Fish Sandwich

When I think of things that scream Americana, I think regional flavors, wholesome activities I never learned to do like fishing, and chicly decorated fast food restaurants that blare Kacey Musgraves music from their dining room halls. It makes sense, then, that Arby’s decided to welcome in 2019 with a regional take on its seasonal fish sandwich.

Now, I’m not from Louisiana, but I did once rack up a $103.67 bill at a John Besh restaurant. So, I have some experience with the stereotypical (and delicious) Cajun flavors, including the bayou’s take on aioli, remoulade.

Nominally, the remoulade makes Arby’s newest variation of its fish sandwich “Cajun.” I say nominally because Arby’s could have gone the extra mile and stacked shrimp, crawfish, and andouille sausage on top of the triangular fish stick that constitutes the (not-meat) of the sandwich. Overkill? Maybe, but we are talking Arby’s. If venison and pork belly can make it into the fast food world, then shellfish can’t immediately be ruled out.

Arby s Cajun Fish Sandwich Fish

The lack of gumbo-on-a-bun notwithstanding, the sandwich has some Cajun flavor. Emphasis on the some. The remoulade is zesty, with a slight back-heat and just enough sweetness to give that iceberg lettuce a bit of extra flavor, and a composition somewhere between creamy and bumpy (yes, bumpy). But, much like the fish itself, it’s relatively plain, like a slightly spicier version of tartar sauce (which, coincidentally, has nothing to do with steak tartare.)

Arby s Cajun Fish Sandwich Toppiings

Even with the double-sided application, the remoulade fails to achieve optimal bun-protein-sauce ratio, mostly due to the oblong state of the fish and the circumference of the bun. This result is different tasting bites—some more prominent with the fish, others more bun, still others the whole fish and caboodle. And while the fish is executed perfectly — crispy, mild, flaky — it begs for a more assertive guiding flavor.

I get it: Each year, fast food chains attempt to position themselves in the fish sandwich wars with a “new” and updated take on what is actually a very boring sandwich blueprint. And, sometimes, something as simple as adding a sauce makes all the difference. But in the case of Arby’s Cajun Fish Sandwich, the remoulade is a little too mild, and a little too sparse to do the bayou justice.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 590 calories, 260 calories from fat, 29 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 1060 milligrams of sodium, 63 grams of total carbohydrates, 43grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, 20 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Big King XL

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Burger King Big King XL

What is the Burger King Big King XL?

Well, as the name implies, the newfangled BIG King XL from Burger King is pretty much a jumbo-sized variation of its

For the uninitiated, we’re talking more than 1/2 lb. of flame-grilled 100 percent beef, a double serving of gooey American cheese, a smattering of sliced onions, a crown of lettuce, a deluge of pickles, and a heaping helping of the proprietary Stacker sauce underneath the topmost sesame seed bun.

How is it?

In a word? Heavy. Literally, metaphorically, figuratively and phonetically. I’m not quite sure how much the sandwich weighs, but this thing has to be at least a solid pound with all the accoutrements included. Indeed, it’s so big that it might prove a challenge to eaters with smaller mouths, so keep that in mind before you shell out the moolah for this one.

Burger King Big King XL Top

As for the overall taste and texture, it’s pretty much exactly what’s advertised — a humongous, sumo-wrestler-sized version of the tried and true Big Mac imitator, which is definitely more than enough to fill up just about anybody who doesn’t have the metabolism of a hummingbird.

Burger King Big King XL Patties and Toppings

Burger King Big King XL Lettuce

Is there anything else I need to know?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Big King XL, even though as a limited-time-only offering it’s rather staid. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed having some bacon in there, or it would’ve been cool to see the King give the plus-sized burger a more unique hook — perhaps one of the more esoteric toppings, like jalapeno rings or mushrooms, or even an all-new sauce. But as is it’s still a perfectly fine, flavorful and filling hamburger that ought to satiate anybody with a craving for high-calorie mega-fast-food.

Conclusion:

You know exactly what you’re getting into with the Big King XL, and that’s mostly a good thing. There’s no denying it’s a tasty burger, and if you’re on the prowl for a fast food offering that will stick to your ribs, look no further.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: XL… what else?
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 980 calories, 63 grams of fat, 27 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 gram of trans fat, 215 milligrams of cholesterol, 1660 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 56 grams of protein..

REVIEW: Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf Cake

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Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf Cake

What is the Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf Cake?

It’s one of Starbucks’ new winter food items, vanilla cake meets red velvet cake in this bakery treat, with a white chocolate icing. It’s served by the slice, and I was not disappointed with the size. The cake slice was even larger than I anticipated.

How is it?

I love red velvet, but I’ve always felt it’s something people either really like or don’t like. So as someone who adores it, this loaf cake was pretty darn good. On first bite I made sure to get the vanilla, red velvet, and icing all in one, and the red velvet was definitely the most flavorful. It was rich without being too sweet. I also appreciated the denseness of the loaf cake. But I will say the density makes it more of a dessert than a quick snack.

Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf Cake Icing

Now let’s talk about the white chocolate icing: A thin layer with nice flavor. I do wish there was more – my husband and I agreed we wish the icing-to-cake ratio was the same in every bite.

Is there anything else you need to know?

I would have a beverage on hand, because the loaf cake was just a teeny bit dry (hence my 8 out of 10 rating). Not enough for me to make a stink about it, but I was hoping it would be super moist. The red velvet portions of the cake were more moist than the vanilla. (Side note: My apologies for using the word moist. I know people dislike that almost as much as red velvet.)

Conclusion:

I would definitely order again – this was a nice treat that paired well with my latte for my afternoon pick-me-up.

Purchased Price: $2.95
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 16 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 470 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 grams of dietary fiber, 29 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Carl’s Jr. Beyond Famous Star

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Carl s Jr Beyond Famous Star

I realize it may not look like much, but the Carl’s Jr. Beyond Famous Star is probably the fast food burger of the year.

Yes, it may be only January, but God bless Carl’s Jr. for unleashing this wonderfully unknowing beef-substitute on their many meat-weary fans and, even more so, those just looking for something not only a bit healthier, but deliciously different in the new year.

Beyond Meat has been making a bit of a wave lately in fast food, making different partnerships with places like Del Taco — if you can find them — to live out its wholly utopian dream of replacing meat with a fully plant-based foodstuff. If its faux-beef patties taste this good — better even than the real thing, if you ask me — don’t ever wake me up. Allow me to forever slumber in this world.

The basic skeleton of the Carl’s Jr. burger is all here: the buns, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, secret sauce, and so on, with the option of cheese or no cheese to make it a bit more tangibly vegan. And while the smell is different than a usual slab of burger beef on the grill — think of it more like a wafting scent of Sunday morning on the busy farm, if you will — the Beyond Meat taste is quite like anything I know I’ve had, at the very least inside a Carl’s Jr.

Carl s Jr Beyond Famous Star Patty

You may expect something like this Beyond Meat to be remarkably dry, but it is actually the perfect balance between perfectly juicy and properly flambéed, the signature Carl’s Jr. mess running down the front of your shirt. Is it actually grilled? Who knows? But, like so many other things in this world, does it really matter when it tastes this good?

You’d really think that more fast food joints would offer the Beyond Meat as an option — or at least bring it to my town, won’t you Del Taco? — easing the usual vegetarian-phobics, at the very least, into a solvable Meatless Monday solution, like Paul McCartney and PETA routinely says.

I gotta say, this burger worked for me.

However, while the calorie count is not as terrible as the chain’s standard burger, the sodium is well over 1500 milligrams, giving people trying to cut that back a small pause for concern. Still, if you’re only eating one a week — that seems about fair, eh? — you should probably be fine. Just don’t substitute these for an everyday meal, usually on your lunch break, especially when detrimentally paired with fries and a Coke.

I’m thoroughly surprised with Carl’s Jr. latest endeavor for the vegetarian community — and the wannabe one — applauding its decision to go above and, yes, Beyond, with this latest call to a most tasty form of positively edible action. Cómpralo ya!

Purchased Price: $6.29
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 710 calories, 40 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 1550 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.

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