REVIEW: Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich

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I haven’t been into all these Hot Ones food products because, well, I’m scared.

I watch these Hot Ones clips on YouTube, and I see celebrities sweating and crying, and I wonder, do I want to subject myself to that because I don’t have a movie or TV show to promote? But a wise person once said, “Pain is a fleeting feeling. Oh, hey, that rhymes.”

So here I am with the Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich, featuring a crispy chicken fillet with a Los Calientes Rojo spread and pickles on a toasted brioche bun. Of the three menu items advertised, the sandwich falls within the middle range of spiciness. However, spiciness can be perceived differently by each person, so what Popeyes and Hot Ones consider spicy might be popping eyes out caliente to me. Fortunately, it was not that intense.

Before I get into how hot this sandwich was, I must say that the Los Calientes Rojo spread was indeed tasty. It’s smoky, tangy, and peppery with a hint of sweetness. That flavor pairs well with the Cajun spices in the chicken and tangy pickles. But while taking my first bite, all that flavor kind of took a back seat to the sauce’s spiciness. Actually, the bun, chicken, and pickles help soften the blow from the spicy sauce because when I tried the orange sauce on its own, it was noticeably spicier.

After taking a couple more bites, the heat was not relenting. It was also at this time that I could feel my head’s bodily fluids wanting to excrete from where they excrete from. My nose started running, and my scalp began sweating. While I was enjoying the sandwich’s flavor, it was at this point that I really felt the need for something to help combat the heat.

BONUS REVIEW!

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Monster Cookie Shake

A wise person once said, “With milk from mammals that go moo, spiciness can be soothed. Oh, hey, that rhymes.”

The limited time only shake features Chips Ahoy-flavored syrup and Oreo cookie crumbs blended with ice cream, finished with whipped topping and more Oreo cookie crumbs. My order didn’t appear to have Oreo cookies blended into it, but I didn’t really care at the moment because I needed to give my mouth some cooling relief. However, to make up for that, I pushed down whatever crumbs sprinkled on the whipped topping.

The Chips Ahoy-flavored syrup doesn’t remind me of the Nabisco-branded chocolate chip cookie, but it has an artificial brown sugar cookie dough taste that’s not bad. Whatever Oreo bits my straw sucked up, they added chocolatey hits to my tongue. It’s a fine-tasting shake, that’s a nice change of pace from a Jack’s Oreo shake, but it doesn’t shake up the shake world.

One last thing. I hate to nitpick about the shake that helped me weather the spicy storm known as the Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich, but if it’s a “Monster Cookie” shake, shouldn’t it have M&M’s? That is one of the definitive ingredients in a Monster Cookie recipe. Maybe the chocolate Oreo crumbs are the stand-in for the chocolate candy?

Thanks, Jack in the Box Monster Cookie Shake, for putting out the fire in my mouth.

Purchased Price: $7.99 (Sandwich), $6.29 (Shake)
Size: Regular (Shake)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sandwich), 6 out of 10 (Shake)
Nutrition Facts: (Sandwich) 620 calories, 33 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat (that can’t be right, but that’s what the website says), 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1450 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein. (Shake) 800 calories. No other nutrition information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

REVIEW: Papa Johns Papa Dippa with a 4 Sauce Flight

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I am not great at naming things, but I think I can come up with a better name than the new Papa Johns Papa Dippa with a 4 Sauce Flight. Using “flight” is probably too fancy a word for a fast food pizza chain. So my suggestion is Papa Johns’ Papa Dippa GaGarlicfiesta.

Noppa? Gotcha.

The Papa Dippa is a three-cheese pepperoni pizza cut into 16 dippable strips and comes with four sauces, three of which are new: Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Creamy Garlic Pesto, and Garlic Hot Honey. The fourth one is the standard Special Garlic Sauce, which I’m not going to cover in this review.

Before I get to the sauces, which this review will focus on, I have to talk about the cutting of the pizza into strippas. I understand it’s necessary to make dipping easier, but it leads to four non-optimal pieces that are 60-70 percent crust. Yes, those pieces will be dipped into sauces, but, much like me when playing pickup basketball or dodgeball, they will be picked last. I feel sorry for me, I mean, them.

Now let’s get to the three new sauces.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan

With its appearance, smell, and taste, there’s a strong Caesar dressing vibe to this. The garlic doesn’t go as hard as Papa Johns’ standard garlic sauce, despite containing a good amount of minced garlic in it, and it definitely doesn’t take away the helm of this flavor train from the parmesan. Of the three new dips, it is noticeably the thickest and sticks to the pizza sticks well. It works as well as ranch dressing does with pizza, and it’s my favorite sauce of the bunch.

Creamy Garlic Pesto

This dip is similar to the Roasted Garlic Parmesan in that the garlic doesn’t stand out much, even though there’s minced garlic floating in it. It’s pretty much a pesto party, which I don’t mind since it adds another tasty level on top of the pizza’s pepperoni and cheese. However, the pesto doesn’t pop as much as the cheesiness in the Roasted Garlic Parmesan. Also, it has a surprisingly watery texture that doesn’t seem to cling to the pizza as well as the previous sauce.

Garlic Hot Honey

Finally, we have my least favorite of the bunch, and I feel like it’s going to be the least favorite for a lot of eaters. It’s sweet with a spicy kick, which is what you’d expect from hot honey, but there’s also a sour twist to it that may cause your face to grimace like it would if you had to pick me last for a pickup basketball game. With that said, yes, the sourness is weird, but at the same time, I don’t completely hate it, and kept dipping pizza sticks into it. One last thing, this is the most watery sauce of the bunch. So don’t use this dip while wearing your finest band tour t-shirt.

While the name Papa Johns’ Papa Dippa GaGarlicfiesta is not a good idea, Papa Johns Papa Dippa with its four sauces is. I really enjoyed two of them, liking them more than the standard garlic dip, which I find too rich. In fact, I liked them so much that they made me go gaga…rlic.

Sorry.

Purchased Price: $19.99*
Size: Large pizza with four sauces
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Roasted Garlic Parmesan), 7 out of 10 (Creamy Garlic Pesto), 5 out of 10 (Garlic Hot Honey)
Nutrition Facts: Creamy Garlic Pesto – 60 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Roasted Garlic Parmesan – 60 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Garlic Hot Honey – 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 0 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: Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Midnight Freeze

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Update: It appears, as of early September 2025, this is no longer on the menu. I had it mid-August, but didn’t get a chance to write a review until later, and didn’t realize it was gone. I’ll post this review anyway, in case it comes back.

Here we are in Autumn 2025, and there’s no sign of my beloved Mountain Dew Pitch Black. Instead, the only dark purple Dew available during this Halloween season is Taco Bell’s Mountain Dew Baja Midnight. Boo! Not ghost “boo.” Disapproval, “boo.”

Unfortunately, both times I went to Taco Bell to try the new exclusive Dew, there was no syrup available. The Baja Midnight soda spigot just spewed clear carbonated water, and I had to settle for Baja Blast to wash down a Crunchwrap Supreme and my sadness that was as dark as the Baja Midnight I was supposed to have in my cup. However, as a consolation prize, I ended up with Taco Bell’s Mountain Dew Baja Midnight Freeze.

Looking at the purple slush made me sad about not having Mountain Dew Pitch Black. Or maybe I’m experiencing some SAD (Slushie Affective Disorder) that’s caused by having to get the slush form of a Dew I wanted. Whatever I was feeling, this Freeze didn’t thaw my mood.

Baja Midnight is a Dew with passionfruit flavoring, which, if you’re keeping track at home, sounds precisely like Baja Passionfruit Punch that came out in 2023, which was also purple in color. Looking back at my review of it, I gave it a solid 7 rating. I can’t remember what it tasted like, which means it was either forgettable or I’m getting forgettable.

If Baja Midnight and Baja Passionfruit Punch are identical twins separated at birth, then maybe I didn’t care for Baja Passionfruit Punch as much as I thought I did. It had a decent tart passionfruit flavor with hints of citrus. But there was also a weird, floral-like aftertaste with the citrusy punch at the back end. But that floral flavor eventually went away the more I drank it. But whatever I was tasting didn’t wow me, and if given the choice between it and Baja Blast to wash down my Taco Bell meal and sadness, I’d prefer Baja Blast.

I guess it’s safe to say Taco Bell’s Mountain Dew Baja Midnight Freeze is not my cup of MounTEAn Dew. Oh, it’s not safe because I shoved “tea” in Mountain Dew, and you’re not impressed with that wordplay? Well then, you have now experienced the same disappointment I had with this Freeze.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: Large
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of carbohydrates, 51 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 60 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Little Caesars Cheesesteak Crazy Puffs

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I promise, Big Vegetable or Big Farma, is not making me or paying me to type the following: I wish Little Caesars’ Cheesesteak Crazy Puffs had green bell peppers in them.

Not having them with the seasoned steak, onions, and cheeses is surprising, especially since Little Caesars is also offering an Ultimate Cheesesteak Pizza for a limited time (and online only), which comes with a pick of pretty pint-sized peppers. Adding them might’ve given them a flavor that really hits home that the iconic sandwich inspired these Crazy Puffs.

If you’re not familiar with Little Caesars’ Crazy Puffs, think of them as being on the other side of the size spectrum from a cheesesteak in a long roll. They’re like mini pizzas, and there are four of them per order, which I find to be filling enough for lunch or dinner. I enjoyed the pepperoni and cheese versions that debuted last year.

These Cheesesteak ones are a bit meh. Also, the first one I bit into squirted at me, like it was an octopus shooting black ink at me, the predator, who wants to eat it. I was taken aback by the liquid and cheese that shot out from it, and then I instantly bit into the other three to see if any of them would do the same. Fortunately, for my dwindling napkin supply, which is 100 percent obtained from fast food visits, they did not.

For the most part, the steak was tender, but there were a couple of sinewy pieces. There seemed to be a decent amount of meat, but I didn’t find it to be very meaty tasting. I also didn’t really get too many onion pieces. But whatever there was, also didn’t have much taste. There was a sprinkle of parmesan on the crispy edges, which I thought added a cheesy sharpness. However, the other cheeses were flat tasting. Without any strong flavors from the main ingredients, these Crazy Puffs taste unexciting, and I don’t think they’re worth another go around, unless, perhaps, the powers that be decide to add green peppers to them.

Little Caesars Cheesesteak Crazy Puffs are not, as anthropomorphic Pop-Tarts like to say, crazy good. I believe they are a serviceable option for those wanting something different from the usual Crazy Puffs varieties. I also believe that raw celery sticks are as satisfying as a bag of potato chips.

Now that’s a line I’d gladly add to any review for the right price. Did you read that, Big Farma?

Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: 4 pieces
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 690 calories. No other nutritional numbers are available on Little Caesars’ website.

*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 advertised price is $3.99.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Sabrina’s Mixed Berry Daydream Refreshers

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Earlier this summer, I not so boldly predicted that Sabrina Carpenter’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher – her first flirtation with Dunkin’s Refreshers line – was only the beginning.

The Fall menu at Dunkin’ features two new Daydream Refreshers that don’t scream “Fall” in terms of what we’ve grown accustomed to in the pumpkin spice age, but the flavors aren’t totally out of place for September, and they definitely look the part. Mixed Berry and Mango Daydream Refreshers are here in all of their purple and orange glory, attempting to bridge the gap from fruity summer fantasies to convincing yourself it isn’t too early to buy Halloween candy.

Banking on my enjoyment of the Strawberry Daydream, I opted to try the Mixed Berry version. This Refresher blends the strawberry dragonfruit concentrate and blueberry breeze concentrate with oat milk and is served iced, topped with sweet cold foam. Was I just talking about Halloween?

As soon as I was handed my drink, a very different holiday scene came to mind. I couldn’t help but think of the movie Elf, where Buddy goes to work with his father and greets a coworker with “That’s a nice purple dress. Very purply.” This mixed berry drink is decidedly purply, and somehow just holding it and looking at it is enjoyable. Is this why Grimace is always smiling?

Getting beyond looks and into taste, I always enjoy the cold foam at Dunkin’, and this was no different, a thick and sweet layer on top that initially hides anything underneath but quickly dissipates into the drink. I couldn’t detect any strong berry notes until I got past the foam, and I was pleased to find the underlying bulk of the drink to be not too artificially blueberry-ish.

Not surprisingly, the flavor of this Refresher reminded me a lot of a mixed berry yogurt, and the creaminess of the oat milk only made it more reminiscent. You know it’s berry flavored, but no one berry really stands out. We can probably attribute this to the fact that the strawberry flavoring also includes dragonfruit and the blueberry includes juniper, making this a bit of a monster mash of berries. I’ve heard some people found the taste of this and the original Strawberry Daydream to be medicinal, but it never hit my taste buds in that way.

It’s sweet without being overly so, and the berry flavor is inoffensive but also about as exciting as mixed berry yogurt, which is to say, not very.

In addition to not being particularly exciting, I also don’t find this necessarily refreshing. It’s pleasant enough, but when I open the refrigerator searching for refreshment, I’m never going to reach for the mixed berry yogurt first. They say you eat (drink?) with your eyes first, and if you subscribe to that, you might be pleased with this purple concoction, but I don’t think it will warrant a repeat purchase.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 57 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 42 grams of total sugar, and 3 grams of protein

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