News: McDonald's - The McRib Returns October 17th!

Missing your McRib fix? Hate the McRib? Either way, McDonald's is bringing back the McRib for a limited time starting on October 17th, 2011 at participating restaurants.

The last time it came around, it was available for a little more than a month and you can probably expect the same this time as well.

It costs about $2.69 in my area but your mileage may vary.

The McRib features ground pork meat shaped in a very rough approximation of a mini rack of ribs (like if it came from a pygmy pig) and then slathered in barbecue sauce with pickles and onions and served on a roll.

News: Jack in the Box - Holiday Shakes are Back!

Once again, Pumpkin Pie and Egg Nog Shakes are back at Jack in the Box for a limited time through the holidays.

As with all of Jack's shakes, they are available in large (24-ounce) and small (16-ounce sizes).

Retail pricing is $2.49 for a regular and $2.99 for a large.

Both shakes features a base of vanilla ice cream, their respective flavors, and are topped with whipped topping and a maraschino (preserved and sweetened) cherry.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - Fall Offerings 2011

Fall means pumpkin in your food and drinks and Dunkin' Donuts is no exception with their line up of limited-time offerings for the Fall of 2011:

Pumpkin Coffee and Latte: Pumpkin spice in coffee and lattes is once again on tap at Dunkin' You can get it hot or iced.

New Pumpkin Packaged Coffee: For the take-home-and-brew-yourself crowd, new Pumpkin packaged coffee is available in a special 8 oz. size (the standard for coffee is 12 oz) for a suggested price of $5.99.

Pumpkin Donut and Munchkins: Pumpkin cake donuts and donut holes.

News: Arby's - New Ultimate Angus Philly Sandwich

The latest in Arby's Ultimate Angus line of sandwiches, the new Ultimate Angus Philly features roasted, thin-sliced Angus beef along with fire roasted onions and green bell peppers, a garlic aioli spread, and Swiss cheese on a toasted roll.

I believe the standard cheese is usually provolone or Cheese Whiz on a prototypical Philly Cheesesteak but Arby's goes with a fairly standard variant.

It's $4.99 a sandwich although Arby's tends to send out pretty good coupons in their mailers.

The Ultimate Angus Philly joins Arby's current Angus line up of the Cool Deli Ultimate Angus and Three Cheese & Bacon Ultimate Angus.

Review: Quaker - True Delights Wild Blueberry Multigrain Fiber Crisps

Billed as a wholesome snack, Quaker's True Delights Wild Blueberry Multigrain Fiber Crisps feature blueberry flavor in a thin, round multigrain crisp. They don't actually contain blueberries though.

A 3.5-ounce bag should run you about $1.99 at retail or a buck on sale.

Review: Nabisco - Triple Double Oreo Cookies

In a less-than-inspired bout of innovation, the wonks at Nabisco came up with new Triple Double Oreos, a club-sandwich-like Oreo with three chocolate cookies sandwiching two layers of creamy filling (one layer of chocolate creamy filling and one layer of vanilla).

It's about $2.99 for a 13.1-ounce package.

News: Arby's Goes with Healthier Kids Meals

Similar to McDonald's recent change, Arby's is making their Kids Meals healthier by default.

The new default for Arby's Kids Meals is an entree, apple slices with dipping, and the choice of either low-fat milk, Capri-Sun fruit juice, or bottle water.

Arby's also has two new entree choices for their Kids Meals: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and the Jr. Turkey & Cheese Sandwich. These choices are in addition to the Jr. Roast Beef Sandwich and Prime-Cut Chicken Tenders.

Parents still have the option to request curly fries and a fountain drink as substitutes for the healthier choices.

News: Baskin-Robbins - Trick Oreo Treat - October 2011 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins goes with a Halloween theme for their featured flavor for the month of October 2011: Trick Oreo Treat

Trick Oreo Treat features vanilla ice cream mixed with orange (the color not the flavor) creme Oreo cookies (the Halloween ones) and Baby Ruth and Butterfinger pieces.

Trick Oreo Treat is available nationwide during the month of October by the scoop (in a cup or cone), in a sundae or in hand-packed pints, quarts and half-gallons.

Samples are available gratis in those mini pink sample spoons.

Frozen Friday: Stouffer's Spaghetti with Meatballs

Stouffer's Spaghetti with Meatballs is one of their Signature Classics frozen entrees and features spaghetti with meatballs in a tomato sauce accented with spices.

A roughly 12-ounce box will run you about $3.59 at regular price or $2.00 to $2.50 on sale.

News: Dairy Queen - October Blizzard of the Month - Pumpkin Pie

It's pumpkin season! Every year around this time, companies like Starbucks and Sonic trot out their seasonal pumpkin offerings. Dairy Queen is no different and is here this October with the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard.

The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard features pumpkin pie blended with vanilla soft serve finished with whipped topping and nutmeg and is only available for the month of October.

In their other monthly promotion, Dairy Queen also has their Chicken Strip Basket for $3.99. It comes with four batter and fried strips of chicken, fries, and Texas toast.

Review: Burger King - Peach and Granola Sundae

Burger King's new Peach and Granola Sundae is one of the new premium sundae in their new soft serve line up and features a simple cup of vanilla soft serve with peach topping and crunchy granola.

Unlike the slightly larger Oreo Sundae, it's the same size as the $1 "traditional" (read: chocolate, caramel, or strawberry) sundaes but costs a little more at $1.79.

News: Taco Bell - The XXL Chalupa Returns

For a limited-time the XXL ("Double XL") Chalupa returns to Taco Bell.

First (and last) seen around this time last year, the XXL Chalupa rides on an XXL Chalupa flatbread filled with Fiesta salsa (tomatoes, onions, and cilantro), reduced fat sour cream, Taco Bell's three cheese blend (mozzarella, monterey jack, and American), lettuce, nacho cheese sauce, red tortilla strips, and seasoned ground beef.

At $2.79 at my local Taco Bell, the XXL Chalupa presents a little more bang for the buck than its smaller brethren.