News: Jack in the Box - Free Fry Day on April 16, 2010

It's Free Fry Day on Friday!  (Pun, I know.)  Jack in the Box is giving away a free order of their small new fries on Friday, April 16, 2010.  Details and video after the jump.

Review: Burger King - BK Breakfast Muffin

While the name might bring to mind a small cake, Burger King's BK Breakfast Muffin is actually an English muffin sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese and a blatant copy of McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg. It's a recent addition to BK's Breakfast menu along with the BK Breakfast Bowl and retails for a tidy $1.

News: Arby's $1 Value Menu Now Nationwide

Just in case, you're not near one of the roughly 2,500 Arby's that were testing their $1 Value Menu, the Value Menu is now available at all 3,700 Arby's nationwide.

The items on the menu are as follows: value-sized shake, drink, and fries, Jr. Chicken Sandwich, Jr. Roast Beef, Apple or Cherry Turnover, and Jr. Ham & Cheddar Melt.

Arby's says they'll periodically update the menu with seasonal favorites and other signature items. Stay tuned and Brand Eating will be sure to keep you updated on changes.

Prices start at $1 and may vary by location.

Sunday Funny: From KFC Korea

Yes, singular! I suppose it's more cute than funny. It does show quite a few KFC Korea menu items though. There are no words, just music.

Review: Taco Bell - Cherry Limeade Sparkler

Taco Bell's Cherry Limeade Sparkler along with the Tortada is new to the menu.  It features a blend of Sierra Mist lemon-lime soda, lime juice concentrate, sugar, and natural cherry flavor served over ice with a lime wedge thrown in for good measure.  It is also available in sans natural cherry flavor as a Classic Limeade Sparkler and is priced at $1.69 for 16 ounces and $1.99 for 20 ounces.

Review: Taco Bell - Bacon Ranch Tortada

The Bacon Ranch Tortada is one of the latest limited-time items at Taco Bell.  It's a cross between a torta (sandwich) and a tostada hence the name "Tortada."  The Bacon Ranch Tortada is basically a panini-pressed flour tortilla folded into a square filled with pieces of marinated chicken breast with rib meat, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced bacon, and an avocado ranch sauce.  It's priced at $3.29 which puts it at the upper end of Taco Bell's menu.

Review: The Flame Broiler - Super Works Plate

The Flame Broiler is styled as "a healthy choice" and features a short menu of Korean-styled plates with a combination of meat, rice, and vegetables.  They boast no msg, no skin, no frying, and no trans fats.  You can also substitute white meat chicken for $1.50 and can choose brown rice instead of white for no charge.  A friend and I shared a Super Works plate which had everything on the menu and is good for sharing. It costs $8.99.

News: New at Taco Bell - Tortadas and Limeade Sparklers

Taco Bell introduced two items today: Tortadas and Limeade Sparklers.

The name "Tortada" appears to be a combination of "torta" and "tostada." Tortadas are available in two varieties: Bacon Ranch and Salsa Roja.  They are priced at $3.29 at my local Taco Bell (price may vary with location).

Review: Burger King - BK Breakfast Bowl

One of the new items on Burger King's breakfast menu, the BK Breakfast Bowl features a smörgåsbord of your typical breakfast items in a bowl.  Specifically, it contains bits of roasted southwestern potatoes, grilled onions and peppers, scrambled eggs and sausage topped with a blend of three cheeses and a smoky cheese sauce in a black plastic bowl.  The clear plastic lid resembles a large checker piece, with the large crown on it and all.

Around the World: Burger King Philippines Offers Free Shoe Shines

Burger King Philippines offers free shoe shining at selected outlets.

I like the tag: "Black Shoes? High Heels? No Heels? We shine 'em your way."

 I guess it's an interesting way to get people in the door in urban areas with heavy foot traffic.  I wonder if they run this promotion in any other countries.

What if you were wearing sneakers?  Would you still get a shoe shine?  Can you even shine sneakers?  Only if they're leather I suppose.

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Taiwan - Chicken McCrispy

I went to McDonald's Taiwan inside the Taipei Zoo, the largest zoo in Asia, and roughly about $2 for admittance (which has to make it one of the cheapest ways to spend a day in Taiwan).  While there, I tried the Chicken McCrispy, a value item menu for about $1 if I remember correctly.

Video: Burger King's BK Breakfast Muffin Ad

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's Burger King's TV ad promoting the new BK Breakfast Muffin:

Review: Wendy's French Fries

Wendy's French Fries are sliced a bit thicker than McDonald's and don't have the same beef flavoring. For 99 cents, you get the value-sized fries which is a little bit smaller than a small but still fine for snacking.  The small (shown above) costs $1.29.

News: Hugh Jackman Dances for Lipton

Hugh Jackman is the new face of Lipton worldwide and kicks off a global campaign with a commercial entitled "Tokyo Dancing Hotel." You can check out the 1.5-minute snazzy dance number here:

News: Check out KFC's Double Down "Sandwich" Ad

As you all know by now, KFC's Double Down Sandwich(?!) is unleashed (you know, because it's a monstrosity) on Monday, April 12, 2010 but you can check out the accompanying 30-second spot now:

News: Domino's Pizza New Pizza Holdout Ad Campaign

Dominos is continuing its documentary-style ad campaign which started with the story behind redesign of their pizza focusing on lackluster consumer feedback.

The follow up to that campaign is Pizza Holdouts which uses the same documentary-style type ads to follow their over-the-top efforts to get three people who hadn't yet tried their new pizza to try it.

The full video centering the campaign is a little over 4 minutes and you can check it out after the jump.

News: Dunkin' Donuts Serves New Bagel Twists

Today, Dunkin Donuts unveiled their new Bagel Twists.  It's a cross between the twist donut and a bagel.  The shape is purported to make the bagel easier to eat when you're on-the-go.

Their exact words were: "The new Bagel Twists feature Dunkin' Donuts' famous bagels, twisted into a more portable, easy-to-eat shape, perfect for busy people on-the-go seeking a delicious snack to keep them running throughout their day."   I can't say I've ever had trouble eating a bagel while walking though but maybe I'm just talented.

Review: Burger King - Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT

Burger King's Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT burger is a limited time item and part of Burger King's recent premium Steakhouse XT line which go head-to-head with similar premium offerings in McDonald's Angus Burgers and Jack in the Box's Sirloin Burgers. The Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT (The XT stands for Xtra Thick) features a flame-broiled, almost-half-pound beef patty (7 ounces), barbecue sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes, four strips of bacon, and two slices of Cheddar cheese on a special cornmeal-dusted bun for $4.49.

News: Cinnabon Giving Free Mini Cupcakes on Tax Day - April 15, 2010

Attention mall-goers! Cinnabon is giving away two bite-sized cupcakes to celebrate Tax Day. You can choose from chocolate-, vanilla-, carrot-, and Cinnabon-flavored mini-cupcakes.

Local Review: Louis Burgers - Torrance, CA

Louis Burgers is a random burger joint that I stopped by one day for lunch on a rare occasion when I happened to be in Torrance.  The restaurant offers a full fast food menu ranging from pancakes, sandwiches, and omelettes for breakfast and hot dogs, burgers, salads, and Mexican food for later in the day.  Basically, they have enough variety to please everyone.