Review: Jack in the Box - Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit

Currently, at a promo price of two for $3, Jack in the Box's Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit features a buttermilk biscuit with a fried egg, a slice of American cheese, and a sausage patty.

Review: Carl's Jr. - Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Shake

Carl's Jr.'s Banana Chocolate Chip Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shake features banana cream syrup, milk, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate chip flakes topped with whipped topping (i.e. not actual cream). You can choose whether to get it with malt powder.

It costs $3.19 for a 16-ounce cup but there's $1 off coupon available off of the Carl's Jr. website.  Note: the suggested retail price is $2.89 so the Banana Chocolate Chip Shake might be cheaper at your local Carl's Jr.

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Taiwan - Spicy Chicken Filet Burger

The Spicy Chicken Filet Burger at McDonald's Taiwan is a variant of your standard McChicken but adapted for Taiwanese tastes.  It is also sold by McDonald's China.  It's also about twice the price of a McChicken at approximately $2.

Review: KFC - Double Down Part Deux - The Fix

Here's part two of my KFC Double Down Sandwich review AKA the Fix.  I recommend it to anyone who, like myself, finds the Double Down too salty to enjoy.  It's all the goodness of the Double Down but with less saltiness (but, sorry to say, not less actual salt).

Review: KFC - Double Down Sandwich

With all the media coverage, everyone and their mom, their dad, and their extended family and friends, now knows that the KFC Double Down Sandwich is two boneless Original Recipe or Grilled Filets sandwiching two strips of bacon, a slice of pepper jack cheese, a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, and a squirt squeeze of the Colonel's Sauce.  The price tag on this almost all-meat monster is $4.99.

News: Free Food at Southern California Chick-fil-As This Week

Participating Southern California Chick-fil-A restaurants are giving a free snack item every weekday this week from Monday, April 12th to Friday, April 16th, from 2 pm to 5 pm.  The items being given out each day are as follows:

• Monday, April 12, 2010 - Free Chick-n-Strips (3-count)
• Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - Free Small Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries
• Wednesday, April, 14, 2010 - Free Yogurt Parfait
• Thursday, April 15, 2010 - Free Chick-fil-A Nuggets (8-count)
• Friday, April 16, 2010 - Free Fudge Nut Brownie

Details: No coupon necessary.  Only at participating Southern California Chick-fil-A restaurants.  One item per person per visit.

Chick-fil-A Restaurant Locator

News: Jack in the Box adds the Grilled Breakfast Sandwich

A natural extension of their Grilled Sandwiches line, Jack in the Box is adding the Grilled Breakfast Sandwich to its menu.

The Grilled Breakfast Sandwich features two fried eggs and two slices each of American cheese, ham and bacon nestled between two sliced of artisan bread.

The Grilled Breakfast Sandwich is available at participating Jack in the Box restaurants for a suggested retail price of $2.99. Interestingly enough, the sandwich is not available in San Diego where Jack in the Box is headquartered (It is also not available in Seattle, Yakima, Boise, Twin Falls, Austin, Beaumont/Pt. Arthur, Lake Charles, and Waco.)

News: Starbucks Offering Free Brewed Coffee to Tumbler Users on April 15, 2010

If you bring in your reusable traveler's mug or tumbler to a participating Starbucks on April 15, 2010 (i.e. "Tax Day"), they're offering to fill it for free with brewed coffee. The environmentally-friendly freebie is to encourage Starbuck's customers to stop using paper cups. I wonder if they'll still give you free brewed coffee if you brought in the mother of all tumblers...

Note: Starbucks has offered a discount for customers who brought in their own tumblers or mugs since 1985, which makes sense since they'd save on cup costs.

The company has a stated goal to ensure all of its cups are recyclable or reusable by 2015.

News: Boston Market Reveals New Sauces

Starting today, Boston Market unveiled five new sauces that can be added for free when you order their rotisserie chicken much like you can get sauces for your Chicken McNuggets or chicken strips although I imagine a wee bit fancier.  The five sauces come in different levels of heat ranging from "Mild" to "Medium Hot."

The five sauces are described by Boston Market as follows and present quite a bit of variety:

• Island Mojo - A Caribbean-inspired sauce with garlic, citrus and extra virgin olive oil. (Mild)
• Zesty Barbecue - Our signature BBQ sauce with molasses, brown sugar and pit spices mixed to create a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. (Mild)
• Sweet Thai Chili Garlic - A traditional Thai dip with chilies, rice wine vinegar and sugar. (Medium Hot)
• Frank’s Sweet Heat - A popular Red Hot Wing sauce featuring aged cayenne, red peppers, tomatoes, honey and molasses. (Medium)
• Honey Habañero - A mix of one of the world’s hottest peppers with some sweetness and a little southwestern kick. (Medium Hot)

News: Jamba Juice - Buy One, Get One Free Until April 25, 2010

Jamba Juice is celebrating 20 years of business, by offering a "Buy One, Get One Free" coupon for any of their drinks.  The offer is valid for roughly about two weeks from today, Monday, April, 12, 2010 until Sunday, April 25, 2010. You do need to print out a coupon from their site here to take advantage of the offer.

Details: Drinks include both hot and cold beverages.  Free Drink is of equal or lesser value.

Jamba Juice Store Locator

Review: Panda Express - Chow Mein

Panda Express offers four different "sides" as part of their entrees: rice (steamed or fried), mixed veggies, and chow mein.  Out of the three, I usually get the chow mein because I think they do a good job of it and it's the hardest of the three for me to make at home.  Panda Express' Chow Mein features whole grain noodles sauteed in a wok with shredded onion, celery, cabbage, and bean sprouts.  It's prices at $2 a la carte or $5.99 as part of a 2-entrée meal.

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.

Review: Zankou Chicken - Chicken Tarna Plate

Zankou Chicken is a popular family-owned chain in southern California specializing in Middle Eastern / Meditterean-style food and is quite famous for their chicken and garlic sauce.  Zankou's Chicken Tarna Plate runs for $9.99 and features slices of marinated chicken served with hummus, sesame sauce (tahini), tomatoes, lettuce, pickled turnips, peppers, pita Bread and garlic sauce.

News: Wendy's Testing New Premium Salads

Wendy's is currently testing a line of four Premium Salads at participating locations in the following markets: Columbus, OH; Nashville, TN; Salt Lake City, UT; Richmond, VA.  The four salads are: the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, the BLT Cobb, the Baja Salad, and the Spicy Chicken Caesar.

The Apple Pecan Chicken Salad features tender grilled chicken and real blue cheese crumbles mixed with fresh, hand-picked apples and sweet, dried cranberries.  It also appears to have walnuts or pecans.

Review: Panda Express - Orange Chicken

Panda Express' Orange Chicken is my favorite dish at the largest Chinese fast food restaurant chain in the U.S.  The dish features battered boneless chicken pieces stir-fried in a wok with a sweet and tart orange sauce.  I usually get a 2-entrée platter for $5.99 and choose Orange Chicken for both entrées!  You can also buy it a la carte in a single size for $3.00 or a family-sized large for $9.00.

News: Starbucks Reveals "Plenta" and "Micra" Drink Sizes

Starbucks announced on their company blog today that in response to customer requests, they are introducing two new and groundbreaking drink sizes in the fall: the 2-ounce Micra and 128-ounce Plenta.  The new sizes are the result of a year's worth of research and direct customer feedback through MyStarbucksIdea.com.

Okay, not really... Starbucks is getting in on April Fool's this year and perhaps mocking their Trenta test a bit.

News: KFC Double Down Sandwich Coming April 12th?

As we all know, today is April Fool's Day so it's with a bit of skepticism that a visit to KFC's homepage revealed a mysterious countdown timer with the words: "Countdown to Double Down."

Clicking on the timer revealed, KFC's Double Down Sandwich, a grotesque monstrosity of two original recipe (or grilled) chicken breasts sandwiching two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese, and (the dubiously named) Colonel's Sauce.

Review: Jack in the Box - Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit

Jack in the Box's Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit is exactly as described.  They are currently running a promotion where you can get two for $3.  Jack in the Box serves breakfast all day for us late sleepers.

News: Pretzel Time - Free Soft Pretzel on April 26, 2010

Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time is once again hosting it's day-long National Pretzel Day Pretzel Giveaway on April 26, 2010

When: Monday, April, 26, 2010, all day.

Where: Participating Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time locations. Store Locator

How: "Sing for your snack" i.e. sing a line from any song or just mention "National Pretzel Day" and get a free original soft pretzel.

Why?: It's a free pretzel! Everyone loves pretzels! They are soft, warm, and if there's too much salt you can just dust it off.

News: Dairy Queen - New Mini Size for Blizzards in August 2010

Starting this August, Dairy Queen will nationally rollout a new, smaller size of their Blizzard blended ice cream dessert: the Mini Blizzard. The Mini Blizzard will weigh (fill?) in at about 6 ounces or approximately half the size of a "small" 12-ounce Blizzard.

Pricing for the Mini Blizzard will range from $1.99 to $2.49 at most locations. Other sizes that Dairy Queen currently offers include the 12-ounce small, the 16-ounce medium, and the 21-ounce large.

Hooray for portion control and ice cream snacking!

The Asia Trip: Dunkin Donuts Taiwan

Dunkin Donuts in Taiwan is definitely tailored to more Asian tastes.  For one, they use less sugar and the dough ingredients seem to vary.  Some of the more locally-tailored offerings include kiwi-filled jelly donuts, sweet potato donuts, and pineapple donuts.  They range in price from 25 to 30 NT each (about 75 cents to $1).

News: Corner Bakery Offers Free Two Free Coffees via Facebook

From March 29th to April 26, 2010, fast casual chain, Corner Bakery Cafe is offering two free cups of their hand-roasted coffee to Facebook Fans who use their "Connect at the Corner" app to schedule a meet up with a friend (or family, random stranger, frenemy, etc.) at Corner Bakery.

It's a promotion encouraging people to actually meet up in person rather than online, via texting, phone, etc. Having been to Corner Bakery, it's actually a pretty nice place to meet up, as least, at the location near me anyway.

Review: Pizza Hut - Cajun Wings

Pizza Hut's Wing Street Cajun Wings are described as being "peppered with Cajun flavors from Louisiana." What the heck does that mean?  According to Wikipedia, "characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, "green onions" or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper."  They really didn't taste like any of that.

News: Burger King - New Breakfast Bowl and English Muffin

Burger King today announced two additions to their breakfast menu: the BK Breakfast Bowl and BK Breakfast Muffin.

The BK Breakfast Bowl features roasted southwestern potatoes, grilled onions and peppers, scrambled eggs and sausage topped with a blend of three cheeses and a smoky cheese sauce and has a suggested price of $2.79.

The BK Breakfast Muffin is a BK Breakfast Value Menu item priced at $1 and features a sausage patty, egg, and a slice of melted American cheese sandwiched between two halves of a freshly-baked English muffin.

Review: McDonald's - Hamburger

The burger that spawned the house that Ray built, McDonald's Hamburger is a simple grilled hamburger patty seasoned with salt and pepper sandwiched in a plain soft, toasted bun with ketchup, mustard, a sprinkling diced onions, and a couple of pickle slices for 89 cents. Back in 1955, you could buy a McDonald's hamburger from Mr. Kroc himself for 15 cents.

What's on the Menu: McDonald's Switzerland

This edition of What's on the Menu takes us to the land of neutrality, precision time pieces, and most importantly, chocolate!  Welcome to McDonald's Switzerland!

News: Subway Serves Breakfast Starting April 5, 2010

Subway Sandwiches formally throws its hat into the fast food breakfast arena starting April 5, 2010 when it begins serving breakfast at over 25,000 locations in North America.

Review: Jack in the Box - Chicken Sandwich

Jack in the Box's value menu Chicken Sandwich features a breaded chicken patty, lettuce and mayo onion sauce on a regular Jack in the Box bun for $1.

Review: El Pollo Loco - Grilled Chicken Nachos

El Pollo Loco's Grilled Chicken Nachos features chopped boneless chicken breast, refried beans, a Jack & poblano queso sauce, pico de gallo salsa, real guacamole, sour cream, shredded Jack and Cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeno peppers over a bed of tortilla chips for $5.29.

News: Carl's Jr. Introduces New Banana Chocolate Chip Shake

The latest additions to Carl's Jr.'s merry-go-round of limited-time shakes, and a mouthful to say, are the new Banana Chocolate Chip Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes and Malts.

The shakes feature hand-scooped ice cream, milk, banana cream syrup, and chocolate flakes, blended together and topped with whipped topping.  The malts add malt powder to the mix.

Both items have a suggested retail price of $2.89 for a 16-ounce serving and are served in a clear plastic cup with a matching clear plastic domed lid.

News: Whataburger Gives Free Milk with Cookies

Milk and Cookies!  Texas-based fast food chain Whataburger is promoting their new Chocolate Chunk and Sugar cookies by offering free milk when you buy one of the aforementioned cookies.

When?: March 30 & 31 from 11am to 8pm

Where?: All Whataburgers. Whataburger Store Locator

Why?: You are the Cookie Monster and you like milk and cookies! Nom Nom Nom!  Or, you just happen to be at Whataburger that day.  The cookies are 79 cents each (price may vary).