News: IHOP - 2014 New Summer Time Pancakes

IHOP welcomes a trio of three new, limited-time pancakes this summer featuring seasonal fruits. The new pancakes are Strawberry & Banana Cream Pie Pancakes, Raspberry & Peach Pancakes, and Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes.

Around the World: Denny's Canada Invites Fans to Create Next New Dish

Denny's Canada recently launched their second annual "MyDenny's Dish" contest where they invite fans to submit original recipes with the winning recipe to be served in Denny's restaurants all over Canada.

News: Taco Bell's New Quesarito Coming June 9th

Taco Bell's quesadilla-burrito hybrid, the Quesarito, has made it out of test and will be launching this upcoming Monday, June 9, 2014 at participating Taco Bell restaurants nationwide.

Taco Bell's Quesarito features seasoned beef, Latin rice, chipotle sauce, and reduced-fat sour cream, rolled up in a grilled cheese quesadilla.

Review: Krispy Kreme - Birthday Cake Batter Donut

Krispy Kreme's Birthday Cake Batter Donut is a yeast shell donut filled with a blend of Kreme and birthday cake batter filling, topped with yellow icing and confetti sprinkles.

I bought one for $1.19.

News: Wendy's - New Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad

New this summer, Wendy's offers the Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad. It features hand-sliced California strawberries, applewood-smoked bacon, crumbled blue cheese, sliced red onion, sliced grilled (or crispy) chicken, and honey-roasted sunflower seed on a bed of spring mix greens. For dressing, there's Marzetti's Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette made with apple juice, bacon, balsamic vinegar, shallots, and Dijion mustard.

News: Carl's Jr. - New Bacon Ranch Fries

Carl's Jr. adds bacon crumbles and buttermilk ranch to their Natural-Cut French Fries for new Bacon Ranch Fries.

The new side is available at a suggested price of $2.49 (may vary) and may also be ordered as an upgrade side item to any combo meal.

News: Burger King - New Orange Freeze

Burger King is offering the new, limited-time Orange Freeze, an icy orange-flavored slush drink for the summer. It features ice, orange juice, and natural flavors that the company describes as "a refreshing blend of oranges to create a sweet and tasty frozen treat."

Review: Arby's - Auntie Anne's Cheddar Pretzel Nuggets

Arby's teamed up with Auntie Anne's to offer new Cheddar Pretzel Nuggets for a limited time. They're mini salted pretzel nuggets filled with a warm cheddar cheese sauce.

I picked up an order of 5 for $1.99.

Around the World: Starbucks Serves Up Frozen Dessert Dumplings this Summer... in China

Starbucks is offering a pretty interesting dessert for the summer over in China. They call them "Dragon Dumplings" and they are basically frozen dessert dumplings.

Specifically, they feature a filling of shaved ice mixed with coffee, tea, and fruit flavors wrapped in a translucent shell.

News: Wienerschnitzel - 2014 Summer Menu

Wienerschnitzel kicks off the summer with a line up featuring two new Angus Beef Hot Dogs: BBQ Bacon and Blue Cheese & Bacon.

News: White Castle - New Sriracha Chicken Sliders

White Castle goes with spicy for the summer with two new, limited-time Sriracha Chicken Sliders and Crispy Jalapeno Cheese Fries.

The two new sliders are the Sriracha Chicken Slider and the Ultimate Sriracha Chicken Slider.

News: Baskin-Robbins - June 2014 Flavor of the Month

New Triple Chocolate is the Flavor of the Month at Baskin-Robbins for June 2014. It features Swiss Chocolate, Chocolate Fudge, and Classic Chocolate ice cream swirled together.

For vanilla fans, there's Triple Vanilla. First introduced this time last year, it features a combination of Classic Vanilla, French Vanilla, and Vanilla Bean.

Review: Krispy Kreme - Brownie Batter Donut

Krispy Kreme's new Brownie Batter Donut features a chocolate yeast shell donut with a brownie batter filling, topped with chocolate icing and mini chocolate chips.

For whatever reason, they only had plain yeast shell donuts when I went so that's what I got. It cost $1.19.

Request a Review Voting - June 2014

It's a new month and a brand new slate to submit and vote for what item you'd like to see reviewed on Brand Eating with me going out and eating/drinking the top vote-getter(s).

Last month's Request a Review Voting ended with a fast food chocolate milkshake round up winning out so be on the look out for that sometime this month. I also have some Rally's/Checker's reviews coming up ("anything from Rally's" garnered the second most votes).

Here's how it works:

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Grilled Chicken Flatbread Sandwich

Dunkin' Donuts debuts the new Grilled Chicken Flatbread Sandwich as a permanent addition to their sandwich line up.

The sandwich is made-to-order and features grilled chicken, ancho chipotle sauce, and reduced fat cheddar cheese on a multigrain flatbread. Coming in at 360 calories, the sandwich is part of Dunkin's DDSmart "better-for-you" menu.

News: Dairy Queen - June 2014 Blizzard of the Month

Dairy Queen's Blizzard of the Month for June 2014 is the same as June of last year: the S'mores Blizzard.

The S'mores Blizzard features mini marshmallow-filled chocolate bars, toasted graham topping and Honey Maid graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow topping blended into vanilla soft serve.

News: Entenmann's - New Red Velvet Donuts

In the lead up to National Donut Day on Friday, June 6, 2014, Entenmann's Bakery introduces new Red Velvet Donuts.

According to Entenmann's Master Baker Kathleen Robbins, the new donut "combines the familiar taste of the fan favorite Red Velvet with the flavor of cream cheese in the glaze that we know will certainly delight our consumers."

Around the World: McDonald's Piles Thin, Square Beef Patties in New Burger... in Hong Kong

Continuing from last month's German Chicken Sausage Burger, McDonald's Hong Kong continues the World Cup theme with the limited-time Spicy Beef Burger as their nod to Spain.

Review: Nabisco - Birthday Frosting Filled Chips Ahoy Cookies

Birthday Frosting Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies feature a white frosting with confetti nonpareils core inside of a soft-baked chocolate and confetti chip cookie.

A 9.6-oz package set me back $2.79.

News: Subway - June 2014 Featured $5 Footlong

It looks like Subway is shelving the Featured $5 Footlong for June 2014 and is instead going with the Tuna sub as the $6 Footlong Special.

News: McDonald's - New Yogurt Side Option for Happy Meals

In an ongoing effort to provide healthier options, McDonald's will begin offering strawberry yogurt as a side option for Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals starting July 4, 2014.

According to the chain, the yogurt in question will be Yoplait's Go-Gurt  Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt made exclusively for McDonald's.

Review: Nabisco - Oreo Creme Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies

Oreo Creme Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies feature a Oreo vanilla creme-filled core inside of a soft-baked chocolate chip cookie.

It cost me $2.79 for a 9.6-oz package.

News: General Mills - New Cheerios Protein Cereal

As more people look for protein-rich breakfast (read: Greek yogurt), General Mills introduces new Cheerios Protein, toasted Cheerios cereal with crunchy granola clusters.

Cheerios Protein is good for 7 grams of protein per 1.25 cup serving, plus you get an additional 4 grams with a cup of milk. In comparison, a 1 cup serving of regular Cheerios is good for 3 grams. Not sure why there's a quarter cup difference between the serving sizes (6 grams seems the likely number if we're comparing cup to cup).

News: Mars - New Twix Bites

Calling it the "biggest innovation in Twix brand history," Mars Chocolates introduces new Twix Bites.

The bite-sized candies feature the same caramel, crunchy cookie and milk chocolate of a regular Twix Bar only smaller.

Twix Bites are available nationwide in a 2.83-oz sharing size as well as a a 7-oz resealable pouch. They join Snickers, 3 Musketeer, Milky Way, and Milky Way Simply Caramel as part of Mars' Bites portfolio.

Frozen Friday: Dreyer's - Blueberry Medley Outshine Fruit & Veggie Ice Bars

Dreyer's Blueberry Medley Outshine Fruit & Veggie Ice Bars feature a blend of beet, blueberry, pear, apple, and sweet potato juices and/or purees frozen into an ice pop.

A 14.7 fl oz box was $3.49 and contains 6 bars.

Around the World: Starbucks Hong Kong's Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino Gets Its Own Muffin

Starbucks' Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino is once again making an appearance in Hong Kong and this time around it's brought a friend: the Red Bean Green Tea Muffin.

The Red Bean Green Tea Muffin was first introduced last summer and features a muffin mixture with green tea powder and whole red beans.

News: New Oreo Creme Filled and Birthday Frosting Filled Chips Ahoy Cookies

To celebrate Chips Ahoy's 50th birthday, the brand has come up with two new flavors of the iconic chocolate chip cookie: Chips Ahoy Birthday Frosting Filled and Chips Ahoy Oreo Cream Filled cookies.

News: Cinnabon - Free Cinnamon Roll Iced Coffee on June 7, 2014

Cinnabon will be giving away free cups of Cinnamon Roll Iced Coffee on Saturday, June 7th, from 1 pm to 5 pm, as a summer promotion to raise awareness for No Kid Hungry, a charity dedicated to ending child hunger here in the US.

News: Panera Bread - 2014 Summer Menu

Panera Bread's Featured 2014 Summer Menu is headlined by their new Flatbread Sandwiches and the annual return of the Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad.

But there are other interesting new items like the Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat (i.e. a bagel thin).

Here's the full list of what's featured this summer:

Review: Rally's - Cheddar Pub Burger

Rally's Cheddar Pub Burger is one of their current specials and features a beef patty, "savory, flavory cheese sauce," crispy onion tanglers, fresh red onions, shredded lettuce, and mayo on a sesame seed bun.

I bought one for $1.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Blueberry Cobbler Donut and Free Donuts on June 6, 2014

Dunkin' Donuts will be debuting their new Blueberry Cobbler Donut this upcoming Monday, June 2, 2014. Additionally, like many a donut shop in the US, Dunkin' will be celebrating National Donut Day on Friday, June 6, 2014, by offering a free donut of your choice with any beverage purchase at participating locations nationwide (while supplies last).

News: Tim Hortons - Free Donut with Purchase on June 6, 2014

Like its competitors Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons will also be plying you with the offer of a free donut on National Donut Day, Friday, June 6, 2014.

Similar to the Dunkin' Donuts deal, the donut is only free with any purchase (Krispy Kreme will be offering a free donut with no purchase necessary).

News: Pizza Hut - $8.99 Dinner Box Deal

Pizza Hut drops the price on their $10 Dinner Box to $8.99 for a limited time, but only when ordered for carry out.

The Dinner Box comes with a medium rectangular, one-topping pan pizza, five breadsticks, and 10 cinnamon sticks with a sweet icing cup for $8.99.

News: Arby's - New Auntie Anne's Cheddar Pretzel Nuggets

Arby's partners up with Auntie Anne's to offer new Cheddar Pretzel Nuggets for a limited time. Like the name suggests, the new menu items are small pretzel nuggets filled with melted cheddar cheese.

Review: Papa John's - Greek Pizza

Papa John's new Greek Pizza features a hand-tossed pizza topped with the standard mozzarella and pizza sauce, plus basil pesto, black olives, Roma tomatoes, pepperoni, Feta cheese, and banana peppers.

I picked up a large for $12.

News: Krispy Kreme - Free Donuts on June 6, 2014

Krispy Kreme is once again continuing their annual tradition of celebrating National Donut Day on Friday, June 6, 2014, by giving away one free donut per guest on the day.

News: Caribou Coffee - New Creamy Cold Press Coffee

Caribou Coffee offers new, limited-time Creamy Cold Press coffee for the summer i.e. cold press coffee with cream plus one of three flavors: vanilla, salted caramel, and chocolate almond.

Chocolate almond can be made with either dark, milk, or white chocolate.

News: Wendy's Tests BBQ Brisket... on a Cornbread Bun!

Apparently, Pulled Pork isn't the only barbecue meat Wendy's is looking into, they're testing a Beef Brisket Cheeseburger out in Jacksonville, Florida.

The new burger was brought to my attention by one of my readers who provided the photos shown here. Following Wendy's recent success with different types of buns, they're trying a cornbread bun for the new sandwich.

Inside the bun, you'll find a quarter-pound beef patty, cheddar cheese, sliced beef brisket, crispy fried onion straws, and a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.

Review: Wendy's - Steakhouse Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe

Wendy's new Steakhouse Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe features a junior hamburger patty seasoned with Montreal steakhouse seasoning, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, seasoned butter spread, and a garlic aioli sauce made with a combination of roasted garlic, onion, and Dijon mustard, on a plain hamburger bun.

The price of admission was $1.49 i.e. the same as a regular Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe.

News: Burger King - New Extra Long BBQ Cheeseburger

Burger King essentially doubles up on the Rodeo Cheeseburger for the new, limited-time Extra Long BBQ Cheeseburger. It's basically two Rodeo Cheeseburgers served on a long sesame bun (the same as you'd find with the Original Chicken Sandwich).

News: Papa John's - New Greek Pizza

Papa John's latest pizza is the new, limited-time Greek Pizza. It starts with the standard mozzarella and pizza sauce and tops it with basil pesto, black olives, Roma tomatoes, pepperoni, Feta cheese, and banana peppers.

News: Popeyes Brings Back Chicken Waffle Tenders

Chicken Waffle Tenders are back at Popeyes for a limited time. The chain's most successful limited-time offer to date features white meat chicken breast strips marinated in Louisiana seasonings and dipped in light waffle batter before a quick trip to the deep fryer.

Review: The Habit - Tri-Tip Sandwich

The Habit's Tri-Tip Sandwich features hand cut tri-tip steak with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and a choice of barbecue or teriyaki sauce on a French roll.

It was $6.25 for the sandwich. I ended up getting mine without any sauce.

News: Pepsi - New Spire Customizable Soda Fountains

Not to be left out of the customizable soda fountain game, Pepsi introduces the new Pepsi Spire fountain beverage platform. It looks like their answer to Coca-Cola's Freestyle machine.

This should be particularly welcome news for Mountain Dew fans, who can try their best to figure out the best drink combinations to mimic hard-to-find or past Mountain Dew flavors, like Livewire or Pitch Black.

News: New Magnum Infinity Ice Cream Bars

Magnum Ice Cream recently announced the U.S. launch of new Magnum Infinity ice cream bars. "Infinity" seems to be the brand's code for chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

Magnum Infinity bars come in two flavors: Chocolate Infinity and Chocolate Infinity & Raspberry.

Review: Portillo's - Italian Beef

Portillo's Italian Beef features thin-sliced seasoned roast beef with meat juices on an Italian-style roll. Sweet and hot peppers are optional.

It was $5.29 for the sandwich. I went with sweet peppers for 59 cents extra. You can order it either: dry, with extra gravy, or dipped. Dipped is the way to go and I'll explain why in a bit.

News: Hershey's Krackel Now Back to Full Size

Hershey's Krackel candy bars are now back to full-sized bars for the first time since 1997. But that's not all, you can also get them in 4-oz "XL" bars and 6.5-oz "Giant" bars.

News: Cape Cod - New Buffalo Cheddar Waffle Cut Chips

Cape Cod adds new Buffalo Cheddar Waffle Cut Chips to their kettle-cooked potato chip line up.

The new chips are extra crunch and pair the flavor of spicy Buffalo sauce with creamy cheddar cheese. The brand recommends them with a creamy dip such as ranch or spinach, especially since the waffle cut chips are sturdier than regular ones.

Review: Cheddar Ranch Cheez-It Grooves Crackers

Cheddar Ranch Cheez-It Grooves Crackers are described as "crispy cracker chips" i.e. they're meant to embody aspects of both a cracker and a chip. Seeing as Cheez-Its are already cheddar flavored, Cheddar Ranch just means they added a ranch-like seasoning.

A 9-oz box was $2.50.

Burger King Now Flame-Grills Their Sausage Patties... in Singapore!

I found out that Burger King recently introduced new combinations of their breakfast platters over in Singapore and I thought, "No big deal. It's probably the same stuff we get." That is, until I saw the picture... Okay, the platters are mostly the same as we get here in the States: there's eggs... potatoes... hm, tomatoes are a bit more British... and sausage... wait, the sausage patties have grill marks on them... THEY HAVE GRILL MARKS! They're flame-grilled!