REVIEW: Popeyes Pickle Glaze Chicken Sandwich

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Popeyes picked a perfect point to present its Pickle Menu to the public. Pickle is in! I could parade a profusion of pickle-flavored products that we’ve published about. However, it would take a profound probing in every part of this online publication to polish off such a project. If I did, I could probably proclaim that the list would be pretty plenty.

Oh, you think I will write an entire review like the paragraph above?

Please.

Popeyes Pickle Menu features Fried Pickles, Pickle Lemonade, and this Pickle Glaze Chicken Sandwich. Like many previous chicken sandwiches from the fast food chain, it comes with a buttermilk-battered white meat chicken breast and barrel-cured pickles on a toasted brioche bun. The highlight condiment is a tangy and sweet dill pickle-flavored glaze that’s combined with a blend of Louisiana herbs and spices. While all that sounds good, I am plumb disappointed that this had the usual pair of pickles instead of a couple of those fried ones.

Before seeing the sandwich for the first time, I hoped the glaze would be somewhat green, but like Kermit the Frog said, “It’s not easy bein’ green…because of the Louisiana spices.” Thanks to those spices, the glaze is a bit gritty and has a heat that’s somewhere between a regular Popeyes Chicken Sandwich and a spicy one but leans towards the spicy one. Its pickle flavor is somewhat as intense as its spiciness. There’s a nice flavor balance between the sourness from the pickles and the pepperiness from the spices in the glaze, and I think the sandwich would’ve still had a pleasant pickle flavor without the green accouterments.

While the glaze’s flavor was particularly pleasurable, and the chicken’s exterior was perfectly crunchy, the portion of poultry I was presented with was pretty paltry. Its appearance paled in comparison to the usual poultry portions that Popeyes’ sandwiches put forward. Perhaps it was a piece of bad luck. Nevertheless, the pickle is prominently present, and I wouldn’t pause to purchase it again.

Purchased Price: $7.79*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 800 calories, 49 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 29 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: Subway Doritos Footlong Nachos

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Subway has been leaning hard on expanding footlong stuff for a footlong time now with the introductions of cookies, churros, dippers, and pretzels measuring around 12 inches. The latest to be footlong-ized by the sandwich chain is nachos.

Subway’s Doritos Footlong Nachos feature Nacho Cheese Doritos topped with cheddar cheese sauce, Monterey cheddar cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, red onions, Baja chipotle sauce and your choice of rotisserie-style chicken or steak. I ended up getting the chicken version. It comes in a special footlong box that I kind of wish every footlong Subway sandwich came in. Did I measure the box to ensure I got footlong nachos? No, I didn’t because I was too occupied with eating what was in the box.

As I looked over my order, I noticed the amount of chicken was a bit thin, but all the other toppings were plentiful. The sandwich artist chopped the tomato slices into quarters, but they didn’t chop the red onion and jalapeño slices into smaller pieces. With the vegetables being the sizes they were, it wasn’t easy getting them all onto one chip without having to play Subway Topping Jenga. However, using the sauces and melted cheese as a glue helped.

While visually, the Doritos look like they’re being overwhelmed by the toppings, their flavor is still pronounced with every bite. The vegetables and sauces enhance the nacho cheese chips, making every messy bite satisfying. I particularly enjoyed the moments when there was a strong tomato taste. As silly as I find the concept of footlong nachos, I have to admit I actually enjoyed eating it.

None of the chips got soggy while eating it, although I did start consuming it right after receiving it. Not sure if it would survive a 10 minute ride home with all the cheese and sauces.

Also, I’m not sure if all Subway locations are doing this, but even though I ordered via the Subway app, the workers waited until I got there to toast mine and put on most of the toppings because they said they didn’t want to get the chips soggy from them. Of course, your Subway may vary.

I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed my Doritos Footlong Nachos (I’m also surprised Taco Bell didn’t come up with this first). I could see myself repurchasing it as a snack because I’m not sure it’s filling enough as a meal for most people and I think it’s too much as a side for any Subway sandwich.

Purchased Price: $6.00*
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 590 calories, 41 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1240 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 20 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 the advertised $5 price.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Mixing Bowl Mashup Blizzard

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I think we should all chip in and send a calendar and dictionary to Dairy Queen headquarters. Why, you ask? First, it launched this year’s Summer Blizzard Menu on March 31, which is just 11 days into spring and a whopping 81 days before summer.

But whatever, I’m always down for a new Blizzard.

That’s issue number two. The “new” Mixing Bowl Mashup Blizzard that is one of five on the summer menu is perhaps new according to the Taco Bell definition of the word, which is just rehashing the same ingredients, but it hardly tastes new. It’s still good but quite familiar.

Despite the name implying a smorgasbord of ingredients, this Blizzard has just two: brownie batter and chocolate chip cookie dough. I really have no big complaints about it; this one is really chocolatey and the cookie dough has a great chewy texture. Because the brownie batter flavor is so powerful, it almost made my mind think that the cookie dough was instead brownie chunks, and only occasionally could I tell it was indeed the former.

If I walked up to you, handed you this Blizzard, and asked if it was new, I’m guessing most of you would say no. But please don’t accept a free Blizzard from a total stranger, not that I’m in any financial position to just be slinging around treats all willy-nilly. However, if a trusted friend who is better at budgeting their money than me offers you this one, then go ahead. Take it and enjoy it. There’s nothing wrong with it, as long as you are not expecting something you’ll swear you haven’t already had before.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: Mini
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 490 calories, 21 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 49 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard

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The Summer Blizzard Menu at Dairy Queen features five choices this year, and the star of the show, at least in my opinion, is the new Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard.

Along with the Mixing Bowl Mashup, it’s the only one labeled as new, but I’m just going to label it delicious. Similarly to the Mixing Bowl Mashup, this one doesn’t blow you away with a unique mix of flavors, but the cheesecake pieces, choco chunks, and strawberry topping all do their jobs to create a sweet, satisfying treat.

The DQ website describes this Blizzard as “summer romance in a cup,” and while that’s going a bit overboard, there’s a lot to love about it. Sometimes, one ingredient in a Blizzard will be a bit too strong and end up overpowering the other flavors, especially with some of the chocolate variations, but that’s not the case here. Yes, there is chocolate in the form of choco chunks, but it delivers the perfect level of chocolatiness, which I was surprised to find out is a real word.

The strawberry topping is sweet, and the occasional real chunks of fruit are the best part. The cheesecake pieces were a little mushy, but still pleasantly creamy. To me, this is a somewhat rare Blizzard in that all three components are easy to taste individually and they all blend wonderfully together. Anyone with three children knows there will always be some fighting or one trying to control the others, but this Blizzard is just three happy, sugar-loaded siblings who get along quite well.

This is not all that different than the delicious but often forgotten Royal New York Cheesecake Blizzard, which has graham cracker crust rather than choco chunks, and more strawberry because of the loaded center core. But it does stand out for the way the flavors all work in harmony, and I’m definitely going to get this again before it disappears at the end of summer.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: Mini
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 350 calories, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 42 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa

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Taco Bell is gonna Taco Bell when it finds something that sticks. When that happens, it attempts to add that thing to every menu item possible. The thing that has stuck for a while now is making cheese literally stick to the exterior of tacos, burritos, fries, regular Chalupas, and now compact Chalupas with its Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa.

These mini Chalupas come in two per order and feature Cantina chicken or marinated steak with onions, cilantro, cheddar cheese, and chile lime crema sauce. I ended up purchasing the chicken one, but I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t get one chicken and one steak with an order since there’s no upcharge for the steak one.

While they look a bit appetizing with the cheese attached to the shell, that cheese doesn’t make these taste as cheesy as expected. However, they do add some crispy texture to the soft-ish Chalupa shell. Now that I look at it again, the cheese adhesions remind me of zombie movie makeup. Okay, now it’s less appetizing.

Despite the cheese and the decent amount of ingredients within the shell, the most dominant taste was the Chalupa shell’s breadiness. While the shell is the eye-catching highlight of the menu item, it shouldn’t also be the most tongue-catching ingredient.

I tried the other components separate from the Chalupa shell, and they have a nice flavor, with the marinated chicken, onions, and chile lime crema sauce standing out the most. It’s pleasant enough that I wish I could’ve tasted it more with the Chalupa shell.

Now, let’s talk about their size. By calling them “Street Chalupa,” I know they’re supposed to be small like street tacos. However, even though there are two, their size makes them seem more like a value menu item. So what I paid for them, and even the advertised price of $5.49, is a hard price to swallow.

Taco Bell’s Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa won’t be sticking around permanently because it’s a limited-time item. But if it ever comes back, I’m sure I won’t be sticking it and its bread-y flavor in my mouth again.

Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: 2 Chalupas per order
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 order) 580 calories, 38 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1030 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 23 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.

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