Local News: Papa John's - 50% Off Online Pizza in SoCal Area

Starting this Friday, Papa John's will be offering a "50% off any pizza" deal good online only, and valid at only at participating Papa John's locations in Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.

Review: McDonald's - Deluxe Quarter Pounder

McDonald's "new" Quarter Pounder Deluxe is the replacement for the departed Angus Deluxe and features the same American cheese (but only one slice instead of two), tomato, leaf lettuce, red onions, crinkle-cut pickles and mayo. Different are the bun which is the same bun as their premium chicken sandwiches and the patty, which is the same quarter pound of beef you'll find on the Quarter Pounder.

These cost $3.99 each in my area.

News: Taco Bell Continues Protein Menu Test

While some burger chains, notably In-N-Out, offer their burgers in a "low-carb" configuration, Taco Bell hasn't really explored the option until recently with the bowl option of their Power Fresco Menu test in a few Southern California location. The menu is part of Taco Bell's efforts to include more better-for-you options and features a lower calorie, more protein theme.

It looks like the test did well (or at least well enough) and they'll be doing a small market test out in Dayton, Ohio starting July 25, 2013.

Around the World: Krispy Kreme Japan - Limited Edition Matcha Red Bean Donut

Embracing the Japanese love of limited-time items, Krispy Kreme Japan offers the exclusive limited-edition Matcha Red Bean Donut, which is available at all of one Krispy Kreme location in Japan.

The donut features a Krispy Kreme Glazed Original Donut split in two, filled with matcha green tea cream and sweet red beans, and dusted with matcha green tea powder. It's only available through July 9th at the JR Takashimaya Krispy Kreme store in Nagoya.

Review: Pizza Hut - Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizzas

Pizza Hut's new Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizzas feature a "slightly crispy 'wood-fired style' crust and come six single-serve rectangular pizzas in a lengthy 2-feet-long box for $11.99. You can choose up to three different topping combinations of up to three toppings on the six pizzas.

I went with pepperoni; pepperoni and sausage; and chicken, green bell peppers, and onions. There's a good amount of pizza to fill the floor of the box, but they don't quite cover the length of box and leave a noticeable gap.

Around the World: KFC Hong Kong - New Bucket Rice

While KFC is known for their iconic bucket of chicken, it looks like they're trying something else in a bucket over in Hong Kong: rice. Not just any rice though, but specifically Chicken a la King... in a mini bucket. They're calling it Bucket Rice and it's part of KFC Hong Kong's "Streetwise" value menu.

Inside the mini bucket, there's sliced fried chicken and mixed vegetables (corns, carrots, and peas) in a creamy sauce over rice. The price isn't bad at all at $20 HK (~$2.85 US).

News: Sonic - Half-Price Shakes All Day on June 20

In case you want a half-price shake from Sonic but don't want to wait until after 8pm this summer to get one, Sonic is celebrating the Summer Solstice, the day before on Thursday, June 20, by offering half-price shakes all day long.

Review: Jack in the Box - Jack's Big Stack Burger

Jack in the Box's Jack's Big Stack burger is stacked with two jumbo beef patties, American cheese, pickle slices, onion rings, mustard, and mayo onion sauce on toasted sourdough.

My local Jack in the Box offers them at $4.49 a piece. They also have a coupon on the Jack in the Box website for $1 off that doesn't expire until the end of July.

News: Pizza Hut - New Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizzas

Pizza Hut unveils their newest crust option with new, limited-time Firebaked Style Flatbread Pizzas. The Flatbread Pizzas are available to order in a box of six and, similar to the previous Pizza Sliders, can be topped in three different ways, with up to three toppings each. An order costs $11.99.

News: McDonald's - BOGO Quarter Pounders June 18 - 20

McDonald's entices you to try their three new Quarter Pounder burgers by offering a "buy-one-get-one-free" offer on Quarter Pounders starting tomorrow, Tuesday June 18, and running until Thursday, June 20, at participating locations.

Review: 7-Eleven - French Vanilla Iced Coffee

7-Eleven's French Vanilla Iced Coffee is a mix of coffee, sugar, milk, plus artificial and natural flavors in a chilled pre-mix. You just add ice in a cup and fill it yourself similar to a soda fountain. It's described as "light" and "sweet" on the 7-Eleven website.

7-Eleven is currently running a promotion where you can buy a 16-ounce medium cup for $1 (normally about $1.59).

News: McDonald's Tests Dollar Menu Expansion

McDonald's is looking to expand the Dollar Menu with new "Dollar Menu & More." The new menu expands the menu with some new burgers and new variations on current value burgers like the McChicken and McDouble. Most menu items range from $1 to $2.

Notable new items include the Dijon Swiss Burger and the Southwest Burger, while new versions add bacon or tomato and cheese to value-priced chicken and burger platforms. The menu also includes current Dollar Menu items such as the McChicken, soft serve cones, and the Cheddar Onion Burger.