Review: Carl's Jr. - Big Country Breakfast Burrito

A "kitchen sink" breakfast burrito, Carl's Jr.'s Big Country Breakfast Burrito features sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon bits, hash brown nuggets, and shredded jack and cheddar cheeses wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.

It comes at $3.29 a pop at my local Carl's Jr.

Review: Pizza Hut - Supremo P'Zone

The P'Zone is Pizza Hut's name for their calzones which are available in: Pepperoni, Meaty, and Supremo. I recently picked up a Supremo P'Zone (i.e. "supreme") which comes with Italian sausage, green bell peppers, red onions, and mozzarella cheese folded up in pizza dough and baked.

For a limited-time, Pizza Hut is offering them for an even 5 bucks.

Review: Jersey Mike's Roast Beef and Provolone Sub

Jersey Mike's Famous Roast Beef and Provolone cold sub promises "Certified Angus USDA Choice" roast beef cooked on the premises paired with provolone and then built the way you like it. I picked up mine "Mike's Way" which comes with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil and spices.

A sizable "regular" comes in at $7.75.

Review: Nabisco - Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable Crackers

Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable Crackers feature 5 grams of dietary fiber per serving and a dried vegetable blend of carrots, onions, cabbage, tomato and, green and red bell peppers mixed in.

It's normally $3.59 for a 7.5-ounce box (compared to a 10-ounce box of regular Wheat Thins) or around $2.00 to $2.50 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Edwards - Turtle Brownie with Ice Cream

Edwards Hot Turtle Brownie with Creamy Ice Cream is a frozen option for brownies a la mode that comes two individual servings to a box. Each serving features a fudge brownie with chocolate chips, praline pecan, caramel, and vanilla ice cream.

They're normally around $3.59 but can be found on sale for around $2.00.

Review: Arby's - Curly Fries

The standard fries at Arby's are seasoned Curly Fries. They used to have regular "homestyle" fries (skin-on) but I guess they weren't that popular.

The Curly Fries are available at $1.79 for a small, $2.19 for a medium, and $2.39 for a large.

Review: Subway - New Yogurt Parfait

In addition to the new, limited-time Oven Crisp Chicken Sub, Subway also has a new, permanent menu addition, Yogurt Parfait. It's made fresh daily with low fat vanilla yogurt with a layer of strawberries and blueberries and a granola topping.

A small cup is $1.49.

Review: Subway - New Oven Crisp Chicken Sub

Subway's new Oven Crisp Chicken Sub promises crisp, breaded chicken without the frying and oil and is part of their Fresh Fit menu with less than 7 grams of fat per serving.

I picked up a footlong (that's two servings) for $6 at my local Subway. A six-inch was priced at $4.

News: Subway - New Oven Crisp Chicken Sub

For those of you itching for the crunch of fried chicken without the actual frying, Subway has their new, limited-time Oven Crisp Chicken Sub which features chicken that is breaded and baked to give you crisp chicken without the grease.

A six-inch Oven Crisp Chicken Sub fits into Subway's Fresh Fit Subs clocking in at 420 calories and 6.7 grams of fat in its default build (which includes honey mustard and no cheese). Suggested price for a 6-inch is $4.00 and for a foot-long is $6.00. The sub will be available nationally until September 30, 2011 although I'm sure some Subway locations will try and keep it on the menu after that.

This is actually something Subway has been testing for a bit.

Review: Jack in the Box - Jumbo Breakfast Platter

Jack in the Box's Jumbo Breakfast Platter has your basic egg, meat, potatoes, and pancakes covered on one plate/container. Specifically, it comes with scrambled eggs, your choice of bacon or sausage, hash brown sticks, and mini pancakes.

I picked up a platter at my local Jack's for $2.99.

News: Subway - New Yogurt Parfait

Subway's new Yogurt Parfait is touted as "Made fresh daily with sweet blueberries, juicy strawberries, crunchy granola and creamy yogurt" which basically sounds to me like the McDonald's Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait. The yogurt used is a lowfat vanilla yogurt.

Subway's new Yogurt Parfait carries a suggested price of $1.49 and will be available all day. The $1.49 price puts it a little bit higher than McDonald's $1.00 but it's also a little bit bigger (164g to McDonald's 149g)

News: Arby's - New Smokin' Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

With limited availability and participation, some Arby’s restaurants now have the new Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich features a crispy chicken fillet topped with Arby's new Chipotle BBQ Sauce, as well as pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, diced jalapenos, lettuce and sliced tomato on a toasted bun.

It is also available with roasted chicken if you're looking for something less fried.

Review: Corner Bakery Cafe - Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad

Corner Bakery Cafe's Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad is new for this summer and features baby spinach tossed with freshly-sliced strawberries, oranges, red grapes, dried cranberries, green onions, creamy goat cheese and raisin pecan sweet crisps, drizzled with a house-made pomegranate vinaigrette. They also include a small breadstick to go with the salad.

It's available in cafe (which I got) and entree sizes for $5.99 and $6.99 respectively.

Review: Kettle Brand - Tias! Zesty Ranch Tortilla Chips

Tias! are Kettle brand's all-natural line of tortilla chips promising nothing artificial and only natural color ingredients as well as gluten-free eating. Their Zesty Ranch Tias feature tortilla chips made with organic corn and flavored with buttermilk, green onion, and garlic.

An 8-ounce bag carries a regular price of about $3.99 or about $2.00 to $3.00 on sale.

Frozen Friday: Haagen-Daz - Snack Size Vanilla Chocolate Sundae Cones

Haagen-Daz recently ventured into the sundae cone business so to how they were doing, I tried new Snack Size Vanilla Chocolate Sundae Cones which is Haagen-Daz's version of the classic sundae cone in a smaller, portion-controlled snack size.

A 11.2-fluid-ounce box of five individually-wrapped cones carries a suggested retail of $5.49, meaning: you're looking at a sales price of around $3.00 to $4.00.

Review: McDonald's - New Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich

McDonald's new Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich replaces their previous grilled chicken sandwich with a new bakery-style bun and a new, lower-sodium chicken breast filet; the rest is much the same with leafy green lettuce, a slice of tomato and mayo.

The price is at the lower end of comparable sandwiches at $3.79.

Review: Burger King - New BK Chicken Minis

The chicken version of Burger King's BK Burger Minis, BK Chicken Minis are very basic mini chicken burgers with mini, breaded, white meat chicken patties, a bit of mayo, and a slice of dill pickle on a mini-burger bun.

I picked up four Minis at my local Burger King for $2.99.

Review: Subway - Buffalo Chicken Sub

Subway's Buffalo Chicken Sub is their August Featured $5 Footlong and features a base of chicken strips, spicy buffalo sauce and ranch sauce with your choice of bread, cheese, and veggies.

News: Del Taco - 29 Cent Tacos on August 10, 3pm to 8pm

Del Taco is serving up 29 Cent Regular Tacos tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10, 2011 from the hours of 3pm to 8pm at most Del Taco restaurant locations.

For those of you looking to stock up on these ridiculously cheap tacos, hold your horses, as there's a limit of 12 tacos per customer.

The tacos are normally about 59 cents each.

Additionally, there is a handy list of about 40 or so non-participating locations on Del Taco's Facebook page for you to peruse in case you don't want to just call your local Del Taco and check.

Review: Burger King - New BK Burger Minis

BK Burger Minis are Burger King's slightly different return to mini "slider" burgers. They come simple with a mini flame-broiled patty, a slice of crinkle cut pickle, and a splash of ketchup on a mini burger bun.

I picked up a pack of 4 BK Minis for $2.99 at my local Burger King.

Fast Food Reference: McDonald's Hamburger University

Apparently, it's McDonald's Hamburger University's 50th Anniversary this year. To celebrate, Online Colleges has come up with an infographic giving a visual representation of the scope of Hamburger University with a look at its structure and various factoids.

You can check it out the full infographic after the jump.

News: Domino's Celebrates the Noid's 25th with a Video Game Contest for Free Pizza

Avoid the Noid! Starting today and running for a week, Domino's is celebrating the 25th birthday of their former mascot, the Noid, by offering their Facebook Fans with a chance to win one of 10,080 (with one given out every minute of the contest period) $10 Domino's gift cards.

To win, you have to "like" Domino's on Facebook, play The NOID's Super Pizza Shootout game and post the highest round score during one of the many one-minute periods. The game features throwback 8-bit graphics that were the norm when the Noid made his television appearances for Domino's.

For those hoping for a more substantial return of the Noid, don't hold your breath; he's just back for this one promotion which runs until Monday, August 15, 2011.

News: Caribou Coffee Serves Up New Grown-up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Second-place coffee chain, Caribou Coffee now dishes out new Grown-up Grilled Cheese sandwiches in expanding their meal options.

The sandwiches are available in four varieties: Three Cheese Classic, Gouda Turkey Pesto, Aged Cheddar Roast and Italian Chicken Melt and are available nationwide at most Caribou locations.

News: Arby's - Arby-Q Sandwich Back for a Limited-Time

The Arby-Q sandwich, Arby's barbecue sauced version of their roast beef sandwich, is back for a limited time. You're going to want to call ahead to check availability as the sandwich is designated as "limited availability at participating locations" which means your chances of finding one could be hit or miss.

The Arby-Q consists of Arby's trademark roast beef smothered in a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce and served on a toasted sesame seed bun. The last time I saw it, it was around 99 cents so you can expect a price around that mark.

Review: Frito Lay - Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips

Frito Lay's Jalapeno Jack Sun Chips are made with all-natural ingredients and combine the flavor of Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeño peppers

A 10.5-ounce bag retails for $3.79 or around $2.00 to $3.00 on sale.

News: Pizza Hut - Free P'Zone with Online Pizza Purchase

Looks like Pizza Hut is trying to drum up Facebook "Likes" and Email subscribers because for this week only, they are offering a free P'Zone (their version of a calzone) with any online pizza purchase to customers who either sign up for their email list (or are already signed up) or "Like" them on Facebook.

The promotion is good through Sunday August 21, 2011 and you can only use it once.

News: Taco Bell - 99 Cent Nachos Supreme Until August 27th

In with the new deal, out with the old deal: starting today and running until Saturday, August 27, Taco Bell is offering their Nachos Supreme for 99 cents.

Nachos Supreme features tortilla chips that are prepared daily in-house covered with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, warm nacho cheese sauce, diced ripe tomatoes, and a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream. They used to have green onions but Taco Bell removed green onion from their menu back in 2006 due to an E.coli outbreak connected with them. I miss the green onions...

What's on the Menu: Subway India

India with its large population and varied dietary preferences usually sports more localized fast food menu items than most other countries.

Subway India is no exception and, in additional to the typical Subway bread and veggies, has quite a few localized meat and vegetarian options to go with said bread and veggies. Options like the Chicken Tikka sub which features grilled boneless chicken breast pieces marinated in tikka seasonings.

International Weekend: Bergen - Apple-Raisin Cookies

This week's International Weekend again goes with Poland for Bergen brand Apple-Raisin Cookies picked up for an easy $1.00 for a 140g (4.94-ounce) box.

Review: Taco Bell - Burrito Supreme

One of Taco Bell's staple menu items, the Burrito Supreme has been available for the last two weeks or so at a promotional price of 99 cents (with today being that last day to take advantage of the offer.

It's normally priced at $2.69 at my local Taco Bell and consists of seasoned ground beef, refried beans, red sauce, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, diced onions, diced tomatoes and reduced-fat sour cream wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

Frozen Friday: Banquet - Chicken Pot Pie

Banquet's Chicken Pot Pie is a budget pot pie option that provides 7 ounces of the standard chunks of chicken, chicken gravy, peas, potatoes, and carrots for usually under a buck.

News: Cold Stone Creamery - August Flavor of the Month - Mojito Sorbet

Cold Stone Creamery's Gold Cone Collection is their name for their limited-time Flavors of the Month.

For August, the Gold Cone Collection is represented by Mojito Sorbet which couples the refreshing taste of mint with the texture and tart of a sorbet.

Mojito Sorbet is available all of August served up with your choice of mix-ins.

News: Pillsbury - New Egg Scrambles and Grands Biscuit Sandwiches

For people who are really pressed for time or really adverse to cooking anything (but still don't want to go pick something up), the Pillsbury Doughboy has you covered with new microwavable Egg Scrambles and Grands Biscuit Sandwiches.

Egg Scrambles combines fluffy egg, melty cheese sauce, Green Giants veggies, and bacon or sausage with the promise of " in just 6 minutes or less, weekend breakfast on a weekday."

They're available in four varieties which clock in at 300 calories or less: Sausage and Veggies, Bacon and Veggies, and Sausage.

Review: Popeyes - New Rip'n Chick'n

Popeyes' new, limited-time Rip'n Chick'n is partially sliced into strips before being marinated with a blend of cayenne, habañero, white and black peppers, and then is hand battered, breaded, and cooked up in Popeyes signature crispy batter.

It comes with Cajun Fries and a buttermilk biscuit for $3.99.

News: Dairy Queen - August Blizzard of the Month - Nutter Butter

On tap for August, Dairy Queen goes with the Nutter Butter Blizzard for their Blizzard of the Month.

The Nutter butter Blizzard features Nutter Butter cookie pieces  and Nutter Butter peanut butter creme filling blended with Dairy Queen's standard vanilla soft serve.

Mmmmmmmm... Peanut Butter...

As is often the case, the Cake of the Month follows suit and also showcases Nutter Butter.

Review: Papa John's - Double Layered Pepperoni Pizza

Papa John's new Double Layered Pepperoni Pizza offers two layers of different pepperoni: their regular pepperoni on bottom and another layer of premium deli-style pepperoni (wider, more flavorful pepperoni from what I can tell).

It's available for a limited-time at $10 for a 14-inch large pizza.

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.

News: Del Taco - New Nacho Crunch Burrito

Del Taco has a new Nacho Crunch Burrito out featuring seasoned ground beef, slow-cooked beans, warm nacho cheese sauce, crunchy tortilla chips, and sour cream wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

The Nacho Crunch Burrito is available individually for $1.29 or as part of a 5 Item Meal for $5 which is similar to Taco Bell's $5 Buck Box and includes the burrito, two regular tacos, small fries, and a small drink.

You can also score one for free with any purchase via printable coupon by "liking" Del Taco on Facebook.

News: Subway - Buffalo Chicken is the August $5 Featured Footlong

It's August which means Subway is once again showcasing another sub for their monthly $5 Featured Footlong. This month Buffalo Chicken is the offered for the promo price of $5 for a footlong sub all month long.

Buffalo Chicken features sliced, grilled (at some point) chicken strips, spicy buffalo sauce, and ranch sauce plus your choice of veggies, cheese and bread.

It returned permanently to the Subway menu last summer.