Fast Food – Page 90 – The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Shamrock Macchiato

Alex / March 2, 2022 / Reviews / 12 Comments

No, it’s not mint flavored.

I assume this is the answer to the first question that popped into your head when you saw the product name. And it’s a reasonable thing to ask: Dunkin’ introduced the Shamrock Macchiato in a news release only two days after the iconic St. Patrick’s Day shake with the same moniker and color returned to McDonald’s.

I love mint and coffee together, so I was let down to learn this beverage instead contained the preexisting (albeit seasonal) Irish Creme flavor swirl with a clover-hued makeover. Still, I think Irish cream is delicious and I love that this swirl lets me enjoy the taste of it sans alcohol, so my disappointment quickly dissipated as I became eager to see how it complemented a macchiato.

As I mentioned, the Irish Creme swirl is a bright, grassy green this year. It was drizzled into 2% milk (the default at that store) in the bottom half of my to-go cup, which lightened the shade to a pastel. With the espresso on top, there was a unique color blocking effect that would cause a few rubbernecks from passersby, but I honestly didn’t find the combination of colors all that attractive.

I’ve heard of people drinking a simple two ingredient cocktail of Bailey’s and milk, and I totally get it now. I took a sip of just the Irish Cremed milk before mixing the two halves, and it was rich and delicious. Dunkin’ definitely got the essence of Irish cream right and did a great job mimicking the taste and slight burn of the alcohol in this swirl. However, the sweetness of the syrup with whatever was used to give it a faux whiskey flavor oddly gave it notes of cherry and almond that, while tasty, would make more sense in an Amaretto flavor swirl.

Once mixed, the macchiato took on a nauseous green tinge that made it look like it had eaten some bad oysters. Luckily it tasted way better than it looked, and I think it was a smart move to add Irish Creme to a macchiato. The strong and bitter espresso toned down the sweetness of the swirl and made it more balanced than it would be in a drink made with Dunkin’s thinner and milder coffee. The Irish Creme paired nicely with the espresso and milk as one would expect, but the swirl may have tasted even more like the real thing if the drink had been made with whole milk since Irish cream is, well, creamier.

If you can overlook the misleading name, the occasional discomfort of feeling like you’re breaking the law as you drink it in the car, and the sickly green hue upon stirring, give this macchiato a try. I wouldn’t say it sham-rocks, but it’s clo-very good.

Purchased Price: $5.05
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (With whole milk) 280 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of total carbohydrates, 45 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher

Vin / February 16, 2022 / Reviews / 9 Comments

Strawberry and coconut are two of the most delicious fruits on Earth, yet I don’t think I’ve ever had them mixed together.

How’s that possible?

At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve tried almost every fruit duo you can throw at me, yet here I sit, wracking my brain, and I can’t think of a single snack, candy, juice, cocktail, pastry, ice cream, whatever, that prominently features a combination of strawberry and coconut.

I didn’t even have that realization until I saw this Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher in the Dunkin’ app. Then it hit me like a brick. Why haven’t I had this before?

I’ve actually been pretty mixed (no pun) on Dunkin’s line of “Refresher” drinks as a whole, but I had a good feeling about this one. It’s strawberry. It’s coconut. This one had to work, right?

Oh, it worked. I think this might be my favorite non-coffee drink Dunkin’ has ever released.

As it turns out, “pink strawberry,” is actually a concoction of strawberry and dragonfruit. While it’s most definitely an overpowering strawberry flavor, the dragonfruit adds a tart kick that levels off the sweetness you’d probably get from straight strawberry concentrate. Toss in the mellow creaminess of the coconut milk, and you’ve got a perfectly blended drink.

I genuinely don’t like to use the word “mouthfeel” (*shudder*) … but they really nailed the mouthfeel.

There’s no indication that the coconut milk is flavored, but I could be convinced there was a tinge of vanilla sweetener. If you’ve ever had Italian Ices mixed with vanilla custard – not sure what they call that around your way – it reminded me of one of those. I used to get Watermelon and Vanilla as a kid, and I was whisked back to those days*.

I also love when these drinks have that oil and water style separation. The way the coconut milk sat atop the vibrant pink juice and slowly cascaded down made me feel like I was drinking some kind of crazy theme park creation.

I gotta say, this lived up to its “Refresher” name. It gave me an energizing pep in my step, but if I had to dock it slightly, I would say this is more of a midday “pick me up” type drink. I don’t know if I’d ever order this in the morning over my standard coffee, as I tend to try and stay away from too much sugar to start my day.

I really enjoyed the flavors and the boost this Refresher gave me. This is definitely the proper use for coconut milk. I tried one of Dunkin’s coconut milk lattes and didn’t even wanna finish it. In this format, I wish I got a larger size. I’ll one hundred percent be a repeat customer.

So, I guess I’ve had strawberries mixed with coconut now. If anyone can tip me off to any other product that combines those two flavors, I’d appreciate it.

*Oh, and if anyone from Dunkin’ sees this – Watermelon Coconut Refresher. Let’s do it.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

Dunkin Dunkin Donuts Fast Food

REVIEW: Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos

Marvo / February 10, 2022 / Reviews / 19 Comments

What are the Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos?

The recently released Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos now has its own Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco shell. It’s available with a regular Crunchy (seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese) and Crunchy Supreme (seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream) taco. There’s also a Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch with the spicy tangy shell.

How are they?

Well, let me start with a few thoughts about Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos, the tortilla chips. I didn’t review them on the site, but I think I loved them slightly more than our reviewer did. I know it’s only February, but they are my favorite snack of the year so far. If you haven’t had them, they’re basically Cool Ranch with a noticeable kick. The tangy seasoning helps tone down the spiciness to a Flamin’ Not-Too-Hot, but that’s what makes the chips so hard to put down. There’s no need for beverage breaks that I have to take when eating regular Flamin’ Hot snacks, and I can just keep shoving them into my mouth.

This Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco shell is almost as outstanding as the chips. It has the same flavor profile — spicy Cool Ranch – although the flavor and heat are slightly less potent than the chips.

Even with the seasoned beef, the tangy seasoning comes through. Actually, I think the Cool Ranch shines better on this shell than what I remember from the original Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco (R.I.P.). Like the chips, the ranch seasoning tones down the Flamin’ Hot’s fieriness, and the taco’s vegetables (and the sour cream in the Supreme) affect the spiciness slightly more. But overall, I love the flavor and heat of these tacos, and I could probably eat a Party Pack of them. It’s my new favorite Doritos Locos Taco variety.

Anything else you need to know?

These are available for a limited time, and that makes me sad. I guess after they’re gone, I could publicly complain, get others to complain, and, if there’s enough of us, maybe Taco Bell will bring it back like the Mexican Pizza. Or perhaps it’ll return periodically like the Nacho Fries. Or maybe it’ll disappear from the face of the Taco Bell menu forever like my previous D.L.T. favorite — the Fiery Doritos Locos Taco (which, by the way, was spicier than this).

Conclusion:

If you enjoy Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos as much as I do, then these tacos are a no-brainer. If you love these tacos, eat a lot, because I really want them to return.

Purchased Price: $2.29 (regular) $2.99 (Supreme)*
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 23 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 8 grams of protein. Supreme – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 380 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 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.

Fast Food Taco Bell

REVIEW: Wendy’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich

Jenna / February 10, 2022 / Reviews / 24 Comments

I thought that the hardest part of eating Wendy’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich would be weathering the habanero hot honey (or saying its name three times fast). As it turns out, the actual hardest part was just getting to the honey.

Prying the top bun off to take a picture of the sandwich’s contents required some legitimate elbow grease, for which I was rewarded with an extremely strong aroma of pickles. I had known the sandwich would contain “pickle chips,” but honestly, I’d assumed that that was just a synonym for a couple of thinly-cut pickle slices, so I was pretty puzzled to discover a hearty heaping of what looked like straight-up potato chips, just a bit green (that’s more or less how they tasted, too). Delving into the “What’s on it” menu on Wendy’s website helpfully specified that these were actually “Crunchy Dill Chips” (as opposed to the more traditional experience of “Crinkle Cut Pickles”). Mystery solved, I sampled each of the other components in turn, a supporting cast consisting of:

“Premium bun”: Soft, airy, and inoffensive. Not immediately clear how it was different from the alternative option that the website has labeled “sandwich bun.”

Applewood smoked bacon: Thick and chewy, striking an impressive middle ground between too fatty and too burnt.

Pepper jack cheese: So creamy and mild that I mistook it for White American at first, though it finally left a whisper of peppery spice in its aftertaste.

Chicken: A typical breaded chicken breast (I opted for the “Classic” version of the sandwich, rather than “Spicy” or “Grilled”). Basically, one giant nugget.

And the titular hot honey?

My impression, frankly, was that it was difficult to locate, even after performing bun surgery. I expected the honey would be coating the chicken, so it took a while to realize that it was actually applied directly to the top bun, almost entirely obscured by pickle chips. On its own, the taste made a pleasant impact, with a spiciness that was noticeable but didn’t cross the line into painful, tempered as it was by a simultaneous rich sweetness.

Unfortunately, the sandwich as a whole ended up somehow tasting like less than the sum of its parts. The plump, juicy chicken dominated the experience both in terms of texture and taste. I guess it’s a positive sign that Wendy’s doesn’t skimp when it comes to meat, but you’d hope that the promising array of other ingredients would be way more prominent, and they simply did not deliver. After a few bites, I started to pick up on a bit of tanginess from the pickle chips and some sweetness from the honey (plus after swallowing, the roof of my mouth had a telltale tingle from the heat), but if I’d been taste testing this blind, I wouldn’t have even known the cheese and bacon were there.

Wendy’s also offers a dipping cup of hot honey that you can order as a side, so adding more might help the exciting-on-paper flavor to seriously shine. I did ultimately enjoy my meal, but that might just be because I really like basic chicken sandwiches. If you’re looking for something more exciting, this offering will probably not have you calling out, “Honey (Chicken Sandwich), I’m home!”

Purchased Price: $6.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 700 calories, 31 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 2040 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of total carbohydrates, 18 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of fiber, and 37 grams of protein.

Fast Food Wendy's

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos

Marvo / February 8, 2022 / Reviews / 4 Comments

What are Jack in the Box Nacho Tiny Tacos?

The newest Tiny Tacos iteration from Jack in the Box takes 15 original mini tacos and dumps nacho cheese seasoning on them. There’s also the Bacon Loaded Nacho Tiny Tacos, which involves dumping cheddar cheese sauce, bacon crumbles, ranch, and Spicy Good Good Sauce on Nacho Tiny Tacos.