Harvest Chicken Salad - Wendys - © 2018 Wendys

Fast Food Week!

Fast Food news this week comes largely from the Sandwich Sector: Taco Bell with a new Tortada, Wendy’s with a pair of give-away deals on its ordering app, Arby’s testing new Beer-infused Meats and Cheese, and McDonald’s launching mass-market bottled Frappés in competition with Starbucks…

Taco Bell Tortada - © 2018 Taco BellCross section of Taco Bell’s resurrected Tortada, now with Chicken Chips…

Taco Bell brings back Tortadas

The Bell is bringing back its popular Tortada, described as a cross between a Burrito and a Torta. The thing was first featured as a new menu item back in 2010 but has been in semi-retirement since then. TB is testing two new flavour combinations in this limited time, limited scope market test. The Avocado Ranch, and Mango Habanero Chicken Tortadas both feature the same basic construction: four Chicken Chips, Lettuce, Cheddar, Pico de Gallo, and Red Tortilla strips. Different sauces give each variant the identity declared in its name. You can try them now until mid-October at Taco Bell locations in Kansas City, Missouri. Yah. There’s always a catch…

Wendy’s celebrates the season with new Salad…

Wendy’s underlines it’s commitment to healthier food and offers a new fall menu item with its new Harvest Chicken Salad. The new creation features grilled Chicken Breast, Brown Sugar Walnuts, Green and Red Apples, Feta Cheese, Applewood-smoked Bacon, and Marzetti Simply Dressed Apple Cider Vinaigrette on a bed of Romaine, crisp Iceberg and spring mix Lettuce. For a limited time, you can get a free half-size Harvest Chicken (regular price: (US)$4.79) free with any purchase using the new Wendy’s online ordering app.

…Gives away Singles for Hamburger ‘week’

Wendy’s is also promoting its ordering app with a Burger give-away this coming week. You can get a free Dave’s Single with any order using the app. It’s in honour of National Hamburger Day, Tuesday, September 2018… You can apparently get one such freebie a day over the term of the promo…

Arby’s tests Beer Cheese and Beer-braised Beef

Could it be uncredited homage the chain’s rocketing popularity in the Great White North? After all, Wayne and Garth, in their TV show of the same name, always maintained that, in Canada, ‘Beer goes with everything, eh?’… But, silliness aside, the chain now famous for asserting, ‘We’ve got the meat!’ is now testing beer-infused Cheese and Beer Braised Beef. At least in Evansville, IN. The selection of new sandwiches includes: Beer Braised Beef, Beer Cheese Triple Stack, Corned Beef and Double Roast Beef. All feature beer cheese, crispy onions, mustard, and pickles on a toasted pretzel bun.

McD’s premium Frappé drinks coming to Supermarkets

McDonald’s seems to be playing the ‘match’ game with Starbuck’s in a new deal with Cocoa Cola to bottle and distribute McCafé Frappé drinks at supermarkets and all the other usual outlets for packaged beverages. The deal will place the McCafé brand right alongside the Starbucks label in single-serve beverage coolers across the U.S. soon. In case you’re not familiar with them, McCafé Frappés come in Vanilla, Caramel, and Mocha flavours, are made with Coffee from real Arabica Beans, and contain ‘real Milk and Sugar’.

Starbuck’s fêtes fall with a new Doughnut

The Apple Cider Doughnut is a Cake Doughnut made with Apple Cider, topped with a Vanilla Glaze and sprinkled with coarse Turbanado Brown Sugar. Not bad, I suppose, but I must echo the opionion of one reviewer who would have liked to see some real Apple chunks in the dough, or something more elaborate in the presentation than for something I’m supposed to pay $2.25 for…

Chipotle’s presses on with a new Guacamole deal

Apart from their signature Burritos, Chipotle’s is known far and wide for its creamy, chunky Guacamole. The standard side-dish order is just 4 oz. / 175 ml, but you can now order twice that amount. I, for one, think that’s quite reasonable, considering that the regular 4 oz. order has never been enough to last all the way through the bog of chips you get as a side order. Now… If Chipotle’s could just shake off the food poisoning stigma and get its sales back up…

And that’s the skinny…

…On what could help make you fat this coming week. And don’t forget National Hamburger Day!

~ Maggie J.