Review: Wendy's - Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburger and Chicken Sandwich

Wendy's latest value-menu entries, the Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburger and Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sandwich feature a beef patty or crispy chicken patty along with a simple combination of pepper jack cheese, chipotle sauce, and jalapenos on a plain junior hamburger bun for 99 cents a piece.

The whole jalapeno and chipotle sauce combo didn't actually add that much heat; a mild and short burn at best. Mostly, there was a sour bite from the jalapenos and a fairly deep smoky, creamy tanginess from the sauce. Most of the spiciness came from the particularly mild jalapenos.

The combination worked better with the chicken than with the beef. The chicken sported more flavor and was crispier and thicker than the beef patty. For some odd reason, the chicken version had about twice as much jalapenos versus the beef version but, strangely, it didn't make much of a difference in terms of heat. The beef patty was often overwhelmed by the chipotle sauce and jalapenos and would probably work better in a more subdued burger. Both patties were pretty moist.

The cheese was more seen than heard and provided a generic creamy backdrop for the sandwiches. If I didn't know it was pepper jack, I would have thought it was just white American cheese.

Wendy's regular buns are soft and feel a little poofy.

Overall, Wendy's Spicy Chipotle sandwiches didn't come close to packing any more than a flicker of spicy heat, which was surprising given the components. It did however provide a tasty and interesting mix of flavors, especially in the Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sandwich, which I much preferred over the cheeseburger version.

Nutritional Info - Wendy's Spicy Chipotle Jr. Cheeseburger
Calories - 340 (from Fat - 170)
Fat - 18g (Saturated Fat - 7g)
Sodium - 930mg
Carbs - 24g (Sugar - 4g)
Protein - 17g

Nutritional Info - Wendy's Spicy Chipotle Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Calories - 420 (from Fat - 210)
Fat - 23g (Saturated Fat - 6g)
Sodium - 1110mg
Carbs - 36g (Sugar - 4g)
Protein - 17g