Meet The Team / Erik R. Trinidad

Arby's used to pride itself solely on its signature item -- the roast beef sandwich, and all its variations thereof -- but let's not forget that they also serve chicken, as well as salads and deli-style sandwiches. These days, their menu is quite diverse for a fast food chain -- much like their sibling restaurant chain Wendy's -- which they celebrate in song with their kitschy new jingle "Good Mood Food." However, there should be a disclaimer at the bottom of their ads which reads, "*Does not necessarily put you in a good mood," because sometimes their food just gets you full without really doing anything to your emotional state. Such is the case with the new Jr. Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: Arby's Jr. Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, a new addition to their Value Menu, is "value sized crispy tender all white-meat chicken," topped with shredded lettuce and Buffalo sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun. (Approx. 340 calories.)

The Price:$1.29. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

Get our verdict after the jump.

The Wendy's vs. McDonald's french fry war is heating up. You've probably read the latest pronouncement: "In a national taste test, consumers said Wendy's fries taste better than McDonald's. When asked which they thought taste better after sampling both, 56% of participants chose Wendy's Natural-Cut Fries with Sea Salt. Only 39% preferred the taste of McDonald's."

Go ahead; be skeptical. That info comes straight from Wendy's website -- it's a part of their new ad campaign to topple McDonald's long-running reign as "America's Favorite Fries (McDonald's trademark phrase, by the way). And although that claim is on the pompous side, it's not without clout -- enough people have raved about them over the decades that McDonald's very identity is synonymous with those fried spuds. While some may disagree with their claims, there's no denying that McDonald's fries have set the standard that others in the fast-food industry aim for. Burger King has been trying to dethrone the Golden Arches for years, once even claiming victory after their own taste-test survey.

Wendy's claims their nationwide French fry survey was conducted by an independent research firm in eight American cities. However, there's some question about whether their resulting data is skewed -- it's their marketing campaign, after all.

We figured it was time for an unbiased review:

The Claims (From Their Websites): Wendy's latest fries are "made from 100% Russet potatoes and sliced 'natural-style' with the skin on for additional texture and taste, then cooked in proprietary oil that has 0 grams trans fat per serving. They are finished with a dusting of natural sea salt to further enhance the flavor." (Medium size: 420 calories.)

McDonald's "World Famous Fries" are "golden on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Made with quality potatoes and cooked in our canola oil blend for zero grams of trans fat per serving." (Medium size: 380 calories.)

When you hear about Pizza Hut's "new Ultimate Stuffed Crust Pizza," you might think it's déjà vu -- haven't stuffed crusts been around for years? True, basic idea of stuffed crust pizza is nothing new, however their new "Ultimate" Stuffed Crust Pizza takes the slice's edge to a new level, adding not only cheese, but also meat inside. The result is an interesting new rearrangement of their staple ingredients that should satisfy anyone's curiosity about just what Pizza Hut could do to make their fare even more gluttonous. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: Pizza Hut's new Ultimate Stuffed Crusts come in two varieties: Pepperoni (with cheese), or the superlative "Meaty," stuffed with pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and cheese. Both pizza pies come with up to three toppings of your choice. We found no calorie count information for this specific product at the restaurant, nor at PizzaHut.com, although a non-ultimate Stuffed Crust Pizza with pepperoni toppings weighs in at 380 calories per slice (1/8 of a pie). With "Meat Lover's" toppings it's 480 calories per slice, so the Ultimate's calorie count is probably going to be a lot more than that, depending on what toppings you choose.

The Price:$12.99 for a large pie with up to three toppings. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

America is obsessed with bacon. No longer is it just a side with eggs or the 'B' in a BLT; bacon and bacon flavoring have managed to find their way into chocolate, into mayonnaise, and even into vodka. As the slogan of America's Pork Checkoff Program says, "Bacon makes it better."

Denny's is no stranger to bacon, having served it up at breakfast for decades with their Grand Slams. However "America's diner," along with support from America's Pork Checkoff Program, has stepped up its bacon offerings with the new, limited-time menu called "Baconalia!: A Celebration of Bacon." The crispy and salted pork product invades Denny's like never before, with items like Bacon Flapjacks, Bacon Meatloaf, and the BBBLT. But the most peculiar and talked about new offering is the new Maple Bacon Sundae. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae starts with a layer of maple-flavored syrup, topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream, topped with a layer of diced hickory-smoked bacon. All of this is topped by an additional set of the same layers.

The Price: $2.99. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

Burger King has a history of being inspired by the menu items of their long-time adversary McDonald's. In the '90s, BK revamped their old soggy French fries with a crispier recipe that suspiciously resembled the ones at the Golden Arches. It was also during that decade that BK blatantly ripped off McDonald's Big Mac with the introduction of the short-lived Big King -- a hamburger that also contained two all-beef patties, a special sauce-like Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun. Now, with the introduction of their new Chicken Tenders, it seems that BK is at it again -- this time looking to the McNugget for inspiration, and attempting to do more than just drop the "Mc." Here's how they rate:

The Claims: BK's new Chicken Tenders are "tender," "crispy," and contain "white meat." They come in servings of four (190 calories), eight (380 calories), or twenty (950 calories). If you do the math, you'll find that each piece is 47.5 calories, but that adds up when you dip it in any of the six sauces: Zesty, Honey Mustard, Ranch, Buffalo, Barbecue, or Sweet & Sour.

The Price:$1.00 for four; $1.99 for eight; $4.99 for 20. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)