REVIEW: Dunkin’ Mike’s Hot Honey Sandwich

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Ever since Mike’s Hot Honey debuted in 2010, it’s been oozing its way onto pizza, ice cream, and everything in between. Dunkin’s menu is the latest to fall into Mike’s sticky fingers with its new Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich, Wake-Up Wrap, and Snackin’ Bacon. The sandwich stacks hot honey bacon, a fried egg, white cheddar, and a hot honey drizzle on a brioche bun. Honey seems like a perfect condiment for a breakfast sandwich, so this collaboration is a no-brainer, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Dunkin’ might be a little late to the game, but there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a slam dunk.

Upon unwrapping this sandwich, I took note that it looked like a lot of buns and not much else. The cheese was visible, but that was about it. I don’t typically feel the need to dissect my food before eating it, but sometimes it can be helpful when reviewing to make sure you actually have all the correct ingredients since (this will come as no shock to my fellow fast food purchasers) plenty of times – you don’t.

Opening the sandwich revealed everything that was supposed to be there, albeit none of it looked very appealing. The cheese wasn’t well melted, the bacon mediocre, and the egg looked squishy, perhaps due to sitting on the bottom bun that was soaked in the hot honey glaze. I reassembled things, which did make for a more complete picture. Although unfortunately not a better eating experience.

For having both hot honey bacon and a hot honey drizzle, there is zero heat present in this sandwich. I couldn’t detect any whatsoever, and if I hadn’t seen the employee who made it using a bottle with a Mike’s label, I would have thought it was regular honey, and maybe the location ran out of the real stuff. My dad is the kind of spicy food-averse person who starts coughing if they look at a red pepper flake, and I think he could eat this with no problem. Dunkin’ must have mellowed out the pepper content in hopes of a more universal appeal to its sweet-leaning fanbase, but it’s disappointing to expect a sweet/hot combo and lack half of it entirely. Trying the bacon on its own, I found it to be serviceable fast food bacon with a honey flavor, but the heat is still missing. The egg was as unpleasantly squishy as its appearance promised. I didn’t expect a great fried egg in this situation, but a spongey, sweet one does not help things. Perhaps if a more viscous honey drizzle was used or if it was placed elsewhere on the sandwich, it would work better, but as it is things just get soggy.

When I tried this, there was a deal in the app to get it for $3, and it’s definitely not worth more. Fans of hot honey and good breakfast sandwiches should get their fix elsewhere because Dunkin’ dropped the ball on this one.

Purchased Price: $3.00 (app offer, normally $5.99)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 600 calories, 29 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 265 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 23 grams of total sugar, and 24 grams of protein

REVIEW: Starbucks Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

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Here’s a little TMI about me. My go-to drink at Starbucks is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Actually, it’s the only drink in my regular Starbucks coffee rotation because, as my therapist has pointed out, I don’t like coming out of my comfort zone. Also, it’s a simple drink — vanilla syrup, vanilla sweet cream, ice, and cold brew. The only times I deviate is when I have to review something new. But no matter how good those new products are, none of them stick with me, so it’s back to c-old relia-brew.

But there’s now a new cold brew drink on the menu that might have a chance to stick with me — the Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Yes, it’s the same drink, but it’s nondairy. Oatmilk and soy milk are used to make the dairy-less vanilla sweet cream, which helps make this coffee drink slightly healthier than the regular version. In a grande, we’re talking about four grams less saturated fat and a slight decrease in calories, total fat, and sugar.

There’s a slightly odd vegetable flavor with the very first sip. I want to say pea-like. But that taste disappears after a few quick swirls to mix the drink. The vanilla and cream flavors are less pronounced in this nondairy version, but the level of coffee also tastes less striking than with the regular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. I’m all for hiding the taste of coffee behind cream and sugar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like this more than the dairy version. I enjoy both equally. However, since the nondairy vanilla sweet cream is a permanent addition to the menu and, as my primary care physician has pointed out, I need to cut back on my saturated fat, I’ll be ordering this from now on. Actually, I’ve already purchased it three times since it debuted.

So, I now have a new go-to coffee at Starbucks, which is almost exactly like my old go-to at Starbucks. I guess it’s sort of like replacing original Oreo cookies with Oreo Thins as my favorite sandwich cookie.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 185 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee

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Summer is here, and so is another iced coffee from Starbucks to keep you hydrated. (Note: I am not a doctor, who would probably tell you to hydrate with water, but iced coffee is made of water too, so it counts… right?) The coffee chain recently released the Carmel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee, and honestly, I would have thought something like this was already on the menu. Nonetheless, this flavor profile is right up my alley, so I was excited to try it.

I was delighted to find out this iced coffee features caramel syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream. I LOVE the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream and could probably drink it straight. My initial thought was that they would have just combined vanilla and caramel syrup, so this got me excited right off the bat.

Readers, this iced coffee did not disappoint. I’ll start with the only negative – when I received the coffee, it did not look pretty and swirled like the promotional photo. But as my grandfather used to say, if that’s the worst thing, then we’re still doing pretty well.

At first sip, the Vanilla Sweet Cream flavor really hits you up front—so much so that I wondered if they forgot the caramel. But don’t worry! The caramel syrup really shined through in the aftertaste. The flavors paired together nicely and were very present while I milked the drink (I’ve said before in my reviews that I can make an iced beverage last several hours, depending on what I’m caught up in).

The other thing I really liked about this iced coffee was that it wasn’t too sweet. With 26 grams of sugar in a grande, it certainly had the potential to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. And the caffeine also packs a nice punch – I could see myself getting this either as my first OR second coffee of the day!

I’ll definitely be adding the Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee to my rotation, and you should too!

Purchased Price: $4.25
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 26 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 165 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ S’mores Cold Brew

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The classic summer flavor of s’mores has descended on Dunkin’, so if you’re the kind of person who enjoys campfire-melted candies smashed between graham crackers, get ready to mix all that up in your coffee. The S’mores Cold Brew combines Dunkin’s classic cold brew with s’mores flavored syrup and is topped with marshmallow cold foam and graham crumbles.

Before I get into how this drink tastes, I must say I’m absolutely smitten with its visual appearance. The initial presentation was pleasant enough with its thick layer of cold foam. But after a few minutes, as the foam cascades down and mixes into the cold brew, the drink divides itself into three neat sections of white, tan, and brown, looking like some sort of s’mores-inspired candy corn cup. Just carrying it around, I feel like I’m holding a special treat. It could taste like garbage and I would still not be angry that I purchased it because it brought my eyes several moments of joy. Luckily, it’s more than a pretty picture.

The drink is topped with a hefty layer of cold foam that is so distinctly marshmallowy in taste and texture. It’s not just foam that’s vaguely vanilla or marshmallow flavored; in fact, it’s less like foam and more like you’ve scooped half a jar of marshmallow fluff on top of your coffee. It even has the slightly sticky consistency you’d expect of any gooey marshmallow product, and while stickiness may sound like an unappealing quality in a drink, I assure you it isn’t here.

Noticeably absent from my first purchase of this was the graham crumble topping, and I wondered how much that changed the overall feel of the drink.

Once you get beyond the sweet foam (which may take a few sips if yours came with as much as mine), you’re met with Dunkin’s cold brew mixed with s’mores syrup. The syrup contributes more sweetness but not a whole lot in terms of s’mores flavor. I thought I could maybe detect a very slight suggestion of mocha, but given that s’mores only have three ingredients, and one is chocolate, you’d expect that to be more prominent. I also didn’t pick up anything particularly toasty or graham cracker-like. But I was happy with the smooth coffee taste of the cold brew, and the marshmallow foam continued to be a standout, maintaining some presence even as I got to the end of the cup.

My second attempt came with the graham crumbles, and they’re a welcome addition as far as s’mores authenticity goes. They’re more sandy and cookie-ish than graham crackers exactly, but they bring toasty, honey notes and a slight saltiness that helps cut the very sweet marshmallow-forward beverage. The foam is the star here and your enjoyment will largely depend on your feelings towards those squishy confections. If you love marshmallows, don’t miss this one. If you don’t, I’d probably give it a pass.

Purchased Price: $4.89
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 390 calories, 20 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 66 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pizza Hut Chicago Tavern Style Pizza

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As a born and bred New Yorker, just hearing “Chicago-style pizza” puts me in a fighting mood. Deep-dish pizza is not pizza! It’s a casserole! How many times do we need to have this debate? How long will it take for everyone to accept the plain, unvarnished truth?

Then I read that Pizza Hut has released a Chicago Tavern-style pizza, which has a thin crust, not unlike a certain other type of pizza that gets enthusiastically consumed in my house on a nearly weekly basis. Ah well, I guess I need to put away the boxing gloves and nunchaku and give this thing a fair shot. You have a choice of Double Pepperoni, Pesto Margherita, Spicy Chicken Sausage, or Ultimate. I went with the Double Pepperoni since I didn’t want the different toppings to complicate the eating experience.

My first thought was that the crust was actually not as thin as I was expecting; I think Domino’s has had thin crust pizza with thinner crust than this. Aside from being a little thinner and cut differently, the Tavern-style pizza is actually very similar to another Pizza Hut product, The Big New Yorker; it has the same parmesan-forward taste. The main differences are that the thinner crust on the Tavern pizza makes for a cheesier bite (although it’s a fairly subtle difference), and the whole thing is a fair bit less greasy.

And yes, I have ordered The Big New Yorker several times, despite being located in NY and having access to actual, authentic NY pizzerias. I can only attribute this to some kind of sophisticated mind control programming on Pizza Hut’s part. I always start dialing the number to Johnny D’s Authentic New York Pizza, then slam the phone down, muttering, “But you can’t Out-Pizza the Hut….”

Ahem, anyway, due to the nonstandard cut, some pieces of the Tavern-style pizza have toppings that go all the way to the edge, while some have a more traditional crusted end. I found the exposed crust, pleasantly studded with air bubbles, was the most fun part of the pizza to eat. It’s just really satisfying on a texture level, almost like eating a cannoli and feeling the crust flake apart under your teeth. That said, it was kind of a bummer that many of the slices in the box were missing this feature.

Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is lighter fare because it’s thinner: I ate three pieces, which, while much smaller than three slices of traditional pizza, made me feel like I just ate enough fat and salt for the rest of the week. However, it was not to be the extent of my salt and fat intake for the week because I had some again…the next day. Microwaved.

I know, I know, microwaving pizza—especially thin-crust pizza—is usually a bad idea. I can only argue that I was extremely hungry and impatient and was easily swayed to the dark side. Surprisingly, this pizza holds up pretty well to microwaving. Some of the crust became limp, but the crunchy end pieces were still delightfully crunchy.

On the whole, Pizza Hut’s Chicago Tavern Style Pizza was enjoyable enough to make this New Yorker consider the possibility that maybe good pizza can come from other states. Just don’t try to get me to compliment Detroit-style pizza. I have my limits.

Purchased Price: $12.00
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Double Pepperoni)120 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 15 mg of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of protein.

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