Fast Food Reference: McDonald's U.S. Regional/Seasonal Menu Items

I've often highlighted some of the stuff McDonald's serves abroad that we can't get here in the States but there's also a bunch of stuff here in the U.S. that are available at only select McDonald's and some are only available seasonally.

It's not an exhaustive list (let me know if there's something I should add) but it's pretty interesting. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts especially if you've tried some of these or know where they can be had.

News: 88 cent Whoppers on 8/8 from 8 to 8 in the Los Angeles Area

Los Angeles area Burger King restaurants are offering a great deal to get your Whopper on for 88 cents a pop on Monday, 8/8/2011 from 8am to 8pm.

There might be buying limits and the deal is only valid at participating locations so you might want to check ahead.

An 88 cent Whopper is pretty cheap with the regular price around the mid-$3 mark these days.

News: Popchips - New Jalapeno Flavor

The un-fried, un-baked potato chip, Popchips, is now available in a new Jalapeno flavor.

The new chips contain the flavor of spicy green jalapeno peppers to deliver a taste that is purported to be spicy, but not too spicy.

Popchips are popped using heat and pressure which I imagine to be like the process of cooking kettle chips but with less oil.

However, they do cost a bit more than a comparable amount of regular chips for the trouble.

Review: Panda Express - Garlic Lover's Chicken Breast

Panda Express's Garlic Lover's Chicken Breast is a new entree on their menu featuring slices of chicken breast wok-tossed with broccoli, baby corn, red bell peppers, a savory black bean sauce and a lot of garlic.

I picked up a 2-entree plate including the chicken breast for $5.99.

News: Wendy's - New Lemonade and Wild Berry Lemonade

Wendy's is touting their new "all-natural" Lemonade and Wild Berry Lemonade this summer.

What does "all-natural" mean in this case? It means it's made of real lemon juice and cane sugar with no artificial colors and preservatives. It does not appear to be freshly-squeeze daily like Chick-fil-A though and beside sugar, "lemon juice & concentrate" is how it's listed in the ingredients.

Still, it's a step up from instant or plain old "from concentrate" lemonade.

News: Pillsbury - New Sweet Moments Bite-Sized Brownie Flavors

I don't think I've ever even seen these but Pillsbury has two new flavors of their Sweet Moments Bite Sized Brownies: Caramel Brownie Cheesecake and Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake.

The new flavors feature a combination of rich brownie layered with cheesecake with either a caramel or raspberry filling between them, encapsulated in a chocolaty shell and cocoa drizzle.

They're found in the refrigerated section at grocers nationwide next to Pillsbury refrigerated dough product; if you somehow mistake one for the other, you could end up with a mouthful of uncooked dough.

Retail pricing on these is $3.19 for a package of 12 bites.

News: El Pollo Loco - Brand Nuevo Grilled Chicken Burritos

In a bit of un-inspired nomenclature, El Pollo Loco has four Brand Nuevo Grilled Chicken Burritos. "Nuevo" means "new" in Spanish so basically El Pollo Loco has four new "brand new" Burritos.

The Brand Nuevo Grilled Chicken Burritos costs $5.00 and come in four varieties:

Review: Chick-fil-A - Multigrain Oatmeal

Chick-fil-A's new Multigrain Oatmeal comes in an 8-ounce bowl and features a mix of steel-cut oats, rolled oats, flax, buckwheat flour and whole wheat flour and three packets of toppings: cinnamon brown sugar, roasted mixed nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts) or a dried fruit blend (cranberries, blueberries, golden raisins and cherries) that you can use as you wish for $2.79.

News: Baskin-Robbins - Picnic Punch - August 2011 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins' featured flavor for the month of August 2011 is the summer-themed Picnic Punch sherbet.

The new flavor features watermelon and green apple sherbet swirled together.

Picnic Punch sherbet is available nationwide during the month of August by the scoop (in a cup or cone), in a sundae or in hand-packed pints, quarts and half-gallons.

As always, samples are available gratis in those mini pink sample spoons.

News: Jack in the Box - New Jumbo Breakfast Platter

Jack in the Box now has their own breakfast platter to throw into the fast food breakfast fray with the new, limited-time Jumbo Breakfast Platter.

Similar to competing options at McDonald's (Deluxe Breakfast) and Burger King (BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter), the Jumbo Breakfast Platter features mini pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash brown sticks and a choice of bacon or sausage for a budget-friendly price of $2.99 (may vary).

News: Wendy's - New Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap

Wendy's has introduced two new items to their Everyday Value Menu with the Monterey Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap.

Both items are available for 99 cents each and are built around Wendy's value crispy chicken patty.

News: Del Taco - New Chipotle Value Bean & Cheese Burrito for 59 Cents

On the cheaper side of cheap, Del Taco is offering the new, limited time Chipotle Value Bean & Cheese Burrito for 59 cents.

The burrito features slow-cooked beans, freshly-grated cheddar cheese, and a creamy chipotle sauce wrapped up in a flour tortilla.