Fast Food Week: Quick Service Restaurant And Snacks News!

We have some ‘real food’ news this week! Popeye’s whole Cajun Turkeys are back. Arby’s has a new Pork Rib Sammy. McD’s is bringing back the McRib (no coincidence there, I suspect). And Krispy Kreme and Baskin-Robbins début new specialties for fall and Hallowe’en…

Arbys Country Rib - © 2021 ArbysArby’s new Country Rib Sandwich: Real Boneless Ribs with crispy onions, cheese and BBQ sauce

Arby’s reveals new Country Rib sammy

“Forget sandwiches made with restructured boneless pork patty,” Arby’s official announcement crows, taking a shot at sandwiches like McDonald’s McRib. The Arby’s offering features real boneless Pork Ribs that are smoked for 8 hours over a real Hickory wood fire. Then Arby’s tops these ribs with Gouda cheese, crispy onions, and smoky BBQ sauce. The sammy is available now, for a limited time – sort of a high-toned send-off for the 2021 BBQ season.

Speaking of which… McRib comes trotting back!

As if McDonald’s knew Arby’s was readying its new Country Rib sammy for release, McDonald’s is bringing back its controversial McRib Sandwich, starting in November. I say controversial because, whole some folks worship the thing, others can’t abide it. And there’s no middle ground. As we said in the Arby’s item, McRib is a boneless patty made from de-boned Pork, slathered in a BBQ sauce, and topped with onions and pickles.

Popeye’s brings back Cajun Style Turkey

It’s a U.S. Thanksgiving special offering – one which many fans will have been waiting for anxiously since last year.

Popeyes Cajun Turkey - © Popeyes

It’s hand-rubbed with ‘Louisiana Seasonings’, and comes fully cooked, so all you have to do is heat it up. It’ll be available at participating Popeye’s locations on October 18. Order ahead.

Beyond Chicken Tenders now available at retail

After several months of release in the restaurant and commercial sectors, Beyond Chicken Tenders are finally on retail store shelves. Only at Walmart and a few other selected retailers for now, they’ll be appearing at other stores later this year. Beyond Chicken Tenders have 50 percent less saturated fat than real chicken tenders, and use no GMOs, antibiotics, hormones or cholesterol.

Buffalo Wild Wings pours Doritos Sauce

It’s officially ‘Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Sauce’, and its meant to port-over the chips flavour to BWW’s wings. Tasting notes from one foodie who’s tried it report, “soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, garlic and paprika.” Available for a limited time at all BWW outlets across the U.S.

Krispy Kreme launches Cinnamon Rolls

Branching out from doughnuts, KK is adding Cinnamon Rolls to its menu.

Krispy Kreme Cinnamon Rolls - © 2021 Krispy Kreme

An Original Glazed Cinnamon Roll and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Roll (topped with General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch) are now available, for a limited time, as singles or in 4-packs, at participating locations.

Nabisco Cakesters coming back

Cakesters, which first hit the shelves 10 years ago, are back, in two flavours: OREO and Nutter Butter. If you can’t recall, they’re sandwich cookies using soft, cakey-textured cookies instead of the usual crispy, pastry-style wafers. They’re scheduled to appear early next year. You can find out more at the cakesters Instagram page, and enter a contest to get exclusive advance-release Cakesters.

Baskin Robbins floats wild Zombie Uniciorn cake

It’s for Hallowe’en, of course, and as such is available for a limited time only: through October, at participating locations.

BR Zombie Unicorn Cake - © 2021 Baskin-Robbins

It’s a round, green-frosted ice cream cake with chocolate-leaf unicorn ears and an OREO-crumb-coated horn.

C4 Energy Drink collabs with Starburst candy

The new energy drink – named after the military plastic explosive C4 because it provides ‘explosive energy’ – is now available on Amazon, among other online and retail sources. The Starburst flavours, Strawberry, Cherry, Orange, and Lemon, are claimed to me made with, “…no artificial flavors, colors, or dyes, and contain zero calories, sugar, or carbs.” More info is available at the C4 website.

And that’s the skinny…

… On what’s going to be making some of us a little fatter through the fall and into the winter. See you back here in 7 for the next edition of Fast Food Week!

~ Maggie J.