REVIEW: McDonald’s McDonaldland Meal feat. Mt. McDonaldland Shake

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“With hints of berry flavor and colorful, cloud-like pink Dairy Whipped Topping made with real cream, the Mt. McDonaldland Shake erupted from one of Grimace Island’s thick shake volcanoes.”

That’s how McDonald’s describes its new and limited time dessert on its website. But it’s hard to imagine thick shake volcanoes, just as it’s difficult to comprehend, despite McDonald’s constantly telling us, that Grimace is a taste bud. If it was a shake volcano, where’s the trail of devastation from the shake lava? Did Mayor McCheese call for evacuations when the eruptions happened? Were there earthquakes? And did those earthquakes cause Coke product tsunami waves? Did the Hamburglar take advantage of the chaos and loot the town? Is this a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs situation here? There’s no description of any of those things, so it just sounds like Grimace Island has a working McDonald’s ice cream machine. Or there is a massive McDonaldland government cover-up.

The Mt. McDonaldland Shake is available as part of the new McDonaldland Meal, which also comes with a side of fries and your choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Or you can also get it à la carte. The meal also comes with a collectible souvenir tin that comes with stickers and postcards. I’m not going to review the nuggets or QPC. Instead, I’ll just focus on the new product of the meal.

The light blue shake and pink whipped topping made me think of cotton candy, My Little Pony, what Luke Skywalker might’ve had as a dessert while on Tatooine, the worst baby gender reveal idea, and the colors you’d see if you snort Pixy Stix candy. With its pink color, I thought the dairy whipped topping might have some fruitiness, but it’s all tint and no fruity hint.

As for what’s under the whipped topping, I assumed it would be blue raspberry-flavored due to its color. There are notes of that berry, but it tastes more blackberry-forward to me, and that is not a complaint because the shake was gosh darn tasty. However, after sucking up half of it, my taste buds started to become a tad overwhelmed with sweetness. So I can imagine folks saying that this shake is too saccharine. Not even mixing in the significantly less sugary dairy whipped topping helped dilute the sweetness.

With hints of berry flavor and colorful, cloud-like pink Dairy Whipped Topping made with real cream, the Mt. McDonaldland Shake is a delicious treat, and one that I would slurp up again if it ever came back, even if that means more natural disasters on Grimace Island.

Purchased Price: $15.39 (meal)
Size: Medium Shake
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (medium shake only) 650 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 105 grams of carbohydrates, 84 grams of sugar (including 68 grams of added sugar), and 14 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Blueberry Breeze Refresher

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Over the course of this weekend, I noticed Blueberry Pie Oreos at Target, a Blueberry & Crème Pie at McDonald’s, and a whole menu of blueberry ice cream specials at Häagen-Dazs. After all, the vibrantly colored fruit makes the perfect summer snack—it’s in season, it’s light and lively, and it’s refreshing. That last keyword is why I only had eyes for one cerulean sweet, Dunkin’s new summer star, the Blueberry Breeze Refresher.

The press release for this drink emphasizes its customizability, and there is an array of options for bases that almost overwhelmed even my choice-loving brain. Perhaps you’re feeling simple (you can stick with water), fizzy (go for sparkling water), classic green tea (how about black tea?), or sweet ‘n sour (hello, lemonade). But I must have been swayed by the dessert-y blueberry foods I passed by, because I eschewed all those and even my usual go-to, the perky green tea, in favor of something more indulgent. Sure, it was hot out and I was excited for a drink to quench my thirst, but I also wanted something that would feel like a special treat, and so I opted for the oat milk base.

About three seconds after I’d placed my order, an extremely efficient employee handed it to me, and right away I could spot the differences from my typical Refresher base. The oat milk made my drink opaque and lent it a noticeably thick texture that looked closer to a smoothie than a tea. The first sip stood apart as well; it was creamy and full-bodied, with the oat milk bringing out the blueberry’s sweetness rather than its tartness. I can’t say that this drink didn’t taste like blueberry, but the blueberry was more of an aftertaste that made itself apparent once the initial onslaught of the oatmilk’s nutty sweetness had faded. Said another way: this Refresher didn’t evoke eating a handful of fresh fruit so much as it did eating a blueberry-filled baked good. In that way, it reminded me of 2022’s Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat; I recall some initial confusion about why that flavor had specifically been based on a muffin instead of just the berries themselves, but our reviewer for that product noted a cakey note that gave additional depth, and I noticed that same complexity here. That all being said, I didn’t feel like I was chugging straight sugar—despite its richness, the drink still felt light and zippy enough to allow me to fantasize that I was basking in an ocean breeze alongside my Blueberry Breeze. That worked for me!

I suspect the flavor would have been tangier and juicier with a different base, and I appreciate that flexibility. Whether I want to perk myself up before a day in the office, hydrate on a long walk, or relive the nostalgia of my childhood lemonade stand, there will be a Blueberry Breeze Refresher for any occasion. I’m usually one-and-done when it comes to limited-time seasonal variants, but this drink accommodates my desire for novelty and adaptability so well that I can see myself reaching for another whenever I’m feeling blue this summer.

Purchased Price: $4.56
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (w/Green Tea) 130 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar (including 28 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s x Wednesday Meal of Misfortune

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My digestive system wondered how much misfortune Wendy’s x Wednesday Meal of Misfortune would cause it. Because the meal’s main highlights are the two spicy mystery flavor chicken nuggets dipping sauces included, my mouth, stomach, and digestive tract were concerned about how spicy they could be. Will they have to contend with digesting and processing Wendy’s Takis heat all over again? Well, there’s only one way to find out.

The Meal of Misfortune features:

  • Rest in 10-Piece Nuggets (just regular nuggets, but can be swapped for Spicy Nuggets)
  • Small Cursed & Crispy Fries (just regular fries)
  • Dips of Dread, which are four “inferno-inspired” mystery sauces. They include You Can’t Hyde, This Will Sting, Grave Mistake, and Nowhere to Woe. While there are four total sauces, two of them are added randomly with every meal.
  • A small Raven’s Blood Frosty, which is a
    Vanilla Frosty with a dark cherry swirl, served in a Wednesday-themed cup, and with a “Spoon of Gloom.” You can also get it with a Chocolate Frosty.

The limited time meal inspired by the hit Netflix show is supposed to come in Wednesday-themed packaging, but as you can see in the photo above, by pure mischance, mine didn’t, except for the paper bag my order came in.

Let’s start with the Mystery Sauces, which is an idea that every fast food chain should adopt. (Also, why weren’t these called “Mistery Sauces”?)

The first one I opened had an unexpected purple color that made me wonder if the demented person who runs Wendy’s social media accounts had melted Grimace to make the sauce. It had a Tabasco-ish flavor to it, and had a spiciness that I’d put at a 3-4 on my personal heat index.

The second one was a blood red, and spicy ketchup came to mind the moment I tasted it. It’s probably as hot as the purple one, which means my digestive system was misapprehensive. I enjoyed both a lot and I wouldn’t mind getting them randomly again.

If you’re not into spicy sauces, you can get the nuggets with ranch or whatever sauce on the menu that would make you dance like Wednesday Addams.

While the sauces weren’t as spicy as I was expecting, the Raven’s Blood Frosty extinguished whatever lingering heat quickly. While it’s supposed to be dark cherry-flavored, my taste buds thought differently because the sauce didn’t taste like anything cherry-flavored I’ve had before. I kept thinking it tasted more like mixed berries. I guess my taste buds were mistaken. Overall, it’s an okay Frosty Swirl, but it’s not as satisfying as other Frosty Swirl varieties, and I wouldn’t order it again.

I’m not sure Wendy’s x Wednesday Meal of Misfortune is a meal that’s worth misappropriating funds for. While my digestive system believes the Mystery Sauces are worth a try, it doesn’t feel the same about the meal’s Frosty.

Purchased Price: $10.19*
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Mystery Sauces), 6 out of 10 (Frosty)
Nutrition Facts: (Whole Meal) 1250 calories, 69 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 2080 milligrams of sodium, 159 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 87 grams of sugar, and 36 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: Jack in the Box Pumpkin Spice Mini Churros

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Pumpkin spice season is upon us! Seeing pumpkin spice-flavored products in July/August is the notification reminder of all the things we might have to do when autumn actually arrives.

  • Finding space for a turkey in a freezer or fridge.
  • Bobbing for apples.
  • Rolling eyes at how many pumpkin spice-flavored products there are.
  • Harvesting the fields.
  • Explaining to children what cornucopias are.
  • Raking the orange leaves.
  • Eating pumpkin pies without hands.
  • Finding out the date when Starbucks’ PSLs return.
  • Scoring Reese’s candies at 30-50 percent off the day after Halloween.

Jack in the Box is reminding us that it’s pumpkin spice season with its new Pumpkin Spice Mini Churros, which are five bite-sized churros filled with sugary pumpkin spice filling and dusted with cinnamon sugar.

I wasn’t impressed with Jack in the Box’s Mini Churros when it debuted many years ago. It’s been on and off the menu, but I never gave them another try to find out if they’ve improved. But these seasonal ones are much more enjoyable than what I remember I had back in 2008.

If you’re hoping these have the same pumpkin spice punch as Jack in the Box’s Pumpkin Spice Shake or Basic Witch Shake, which are mysteriously not on Jack in the Box’s menu as I type this, you’ll be disappointed. Speaking of that excellent shake, it would’ve been awesome to have had the opportunity to dip these churros into that shake.

Missed opportunity, Jack.

The churros’ pumpkin spice filling has a mild flavor, but it has enough to let you know that there’s something different about these churros and that orange leaf season will soon be upon us. I’m a little disappointed that the sugary coating on the wonderfully crispy fried exterior didn’t also have a pumpkin spice flavor or a bold orange color. However, the cinnamon does enhance the same taste in the filling.

Jack in the Box’s Pumpkin Spice Mini Churros are pretty tasty and worth a try this pumpkin spice season. They’re not Disneyland churro-great, but I’d eat them again while explaining to my son what a cornucopia is or playing fridge Tetris to clear space for a heavy Butterball.

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: 5 pieces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories. No other nutrition numbers are available on the Jack in the Box website.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Reese’s Caramel Craze Blizzard

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Reviewing Dairy Queen Blizzards is not easy. You might think I just go down to my local DQ, order a Blizzard, snap some photos, and write up a few hundred words about said Blizzard. OK, so that’s exactly what I do, and it’s pretty easy. The hard part is coming up with a rating. Because unlike some of the wild food items we review (the Archie McPhee Lobster Candy comes to mind), any mixture of vanilla soft serve and candy, cake, brownie, or other sugar-packed ingredients is going to be good. The question is: How good? Well, the new Reese’s Caramel Craze Blizzard might be the best of the best.

Not to be confused with the Summer Blizzard menu that has two new concoctions, the new Reese’s Caramel Craze is the August Blizzard of the Month. It contains Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, along with salty caramel-filled truffles and chocolatey shavings.

I’m going to assume you know what a Reese’s PB Cup Blizzard tastes like. For me, it’s a solid 8, maybe even approaching a 9 if the DQ mixologist goes a little overboard with the PB cups. What makes the difference here is the truffles. They are truly glorious. I guess the truffles are added at the end of the mixing process, because while the PB Cups in my Blizzard were pulverized, the delicate truffles were all perfectly intact. When you bite into one, you can taste the chocolate coating and then the luscious caramel oozes out with just the right touch of saltiness. It might not look like much in the close-up photo of a single truffle, but that little thing is packed with goodness (and according to the DQ ingredient list, soy lecithin, whatever that is).

DQ has used salty caramel truffles a few times in the past, including with the Caramel Cannonball Blizzard back in 2019. I gave that one a 10, and I’m giving this one a 10 as well. Since I barely remember last week, much less six years ago, I can’t tell you which is better. But what I can tell you is that if you like peanut butter cups and caramel, then you should make a trip to DQ sometime this month. I’ll also be asking you to sign a petition I’m working on to have DQ pledge to use salty caramel truffles in more Blizzards.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: Small
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 770 calories, 37 grams of fat, 24 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 340 milligrams of sodium, 97 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 83 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.

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