Chain Stores / Restaurants

10 Fattiest Meals at Chain Restaurants

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 25th 2011 @ 1:00PM

nachos Photo: Getty Images

Ok, so it's not exactly a surprise that the huge bacon cheeseburgers and loaded beef burritos at your favorite chain restaurants are packed with fat. But chicken and broccoli pasta? The Daily Meal reveals this healthy-sounding dish from Ruby Tuesdays contains more calories than any other item on their dinner menu. (And a jaw-dropping 96 grams of fat.) Think you're safe opting for an appetizer instead? Reconsider: The innocent-appearing nachos at Houlihan's have 147 grams of fat piled between those delicious golden tortilla chips. And the rest of the list is just as shocking. Makes a Whopper (670 calories, 40 grams of fat) sound downright healthy, doesn't it?

Get the full list of the 10 Fattiest Chain Restaurant Meals at the Daily Meal.

Filed under: Food News, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Free Starbucks Coffee to Celebrate Earth Day

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 22nd 2011 @ 1:30PM

Free Starbucks coffee on Earth Day Photo: Starbucks

Here's a pretty irresistible Earth Day offer from Starbucks: Bring in a reusable travel mug, get a free brewed coffee.

Last year the company ran the same offer and claims to have saved a million paper cups. Which is no small change.

And just in case you're wondering, you can get a 10-cent discount on your coffee every day at Starbucks when you bring in your own mug.

Filed under: Chain Stores / Restaurants, Deals / Free Food

McDonald's to Bump Prices, Yet Ads Wax Fifties Nostalgic

COMMENTS 57

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 22nd 2011 @ 1:00PM

Replica of 1955 McDonald's in Des Plaines Illinois Photo: Jeff Haynes, AFP / Getty Images

As food costs are expected to rise about four percent in the United States and Europe from last year, McDonald's plans to raise its prices slightly and gradually. In March, the company raised all menu items by one percent, reports Nation's Restaurant News, and plans to "keep taking small, additional menu price increases."

McDonald's emphasized that it would not raise prices beyond the food-away-from-home inflation rate because, explains Pete Bensen, McDonald's Corp. chief financial officer, it is bad for traffic.

In a somewhat ironic move given the price increases, McDonald's has recently launched an ad campaign in Nordic countries that recalls the McDonald's of yore. The ads advertise a 1955 original version of the famous burger that used to sell for 15 cents.

Watch the new ad after the jump.

Filed under: Television/Film, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Feds Launch Criminal Investigation Against Chipotle

COMMENTS 107

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 22nd 2011 @ 11:00AM

Chipotle Photo: Neff Conner, Flickr

Looks like a federal investigation is bursting Chipotle's gold-wrapped bubble. The Denver-based burrito chain is once again under investigation for the hiring of illegal workers, this time in 59 Washington, DC, and Virginia locations.

Last year, approximately 450 Chipotle workers from Minnesota were fired after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raised questions about the validity of the worker's documents. This time around, ICE officials have "pulled the papers on every employee, about 25 in each location," reports WUSA9.

Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold told WUSA9 that every employee is required to fill out an I-9 form and that they are looking into their online E-Verify tool that looks into an applicant's status.

Filed under: Chain Stores / Restaurants

Taco Bell Demands an Apology After Beef Lawsuit Dropped

COMMENTS 124

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 21st 2011 @ 1:00PM

taco bell Photo: Moto@Club4AG, Flickr

Love may mean never having to say you're sorry, as the old Love Story theme goes, but lawsuits are another thing. Taco Bell would like an apology from the folks who brought (and then withdrew) the lawsuit against them that claimed their meat mixture was less than 35 percent beef. "Would It Kill You to Say You're Sorry?" asks the ad Taco Bell has launched today in newspapers across the country. Damage control is expensive, and the fast-food giant has spent millions in an ad campaign bolstering up its image as a result of the lawsuit.

They've even produced a video of Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed explaining that "Lawyers Got it Wrong!"

We'll see if an apology makes tomorrow's news, but we're not holding our breath.

Filed under: Chain Stores / Restaurants

7-Eleven Slurpee Built for Two

COMMENTS 17

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 21st 2011 @ 11:00AM

7-Eleven Slurpee Photo: 7-Eleven

7-Eleven has a new Slurpee scheme that will let you mix and match your flavors. On June 11, the company's launching a dual-chambered cup and special straw that allows you to sip one flavor at a time, or both at once. Just in case you really need to know how Peach Dragon Fruit tastes with a Mountain Dew White Out. We can only imagine the orders at 3 a.m.

And when is a Slurpee like the hammer of a Norse god? The Blue Lightening Blast Slurpee, says 7-Eleven, is "inspired by Thor," the upcoming movie, that is. You're prompted to "drop the hammer on your tongue... for a thunderous taste." We're still waiting for the Kryptonite Krush Slurpee.

Find out about more great shakes and frozen drinks coming this spring and summer.

Filed under: Food News, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Another Child Served Alcohol: Four-Year-Old Gets Mudslide at Chili's

COMMENTS 71

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 20th 2011 @ 11:45AM

Chili's Photo: Julep67, Flickr

In what can only be described as a bizarre and unintentional trend in the chain restaurant industry, yet another child was accidentally served alcohol, this time at Chili's, reports ABC news. There have been similar incidents recently at both The Olive Garden, in which a two-year-old was served sangria, and Applebee's, in which a 15-month-old was served a margarita.

The 4-year-old child, Brooklynn Morris, was allegedly served a mudslide instead of a chocolate shake and had three to four sips before she announced that she didn't like it. Her mother tasted the drink and immediately recognized the alcohol. Brooklynn was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with alcohol-ingestion overdose.

The mother, Tyree Davis, remarked to CBS, "I don't want it to ever happen again ... to any child, because I know this just happened last week to someone, and I heard about it, and it's crazy that it just happened to us yesterday."

ABC reports that ERJ Dining, the owner of Chili's, claims that the girl was served fruit punch and it was the mother that was served the alcohol drink.

Filed under: Chain Stores / Restaurants

Wendy's Fries vs. McDonald's Fries: Taste Test

COMMENTS 217

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Apr 20th 2011 @ 11:00AM

Wendy's Fries vs. McDonald's Fries Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

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.)

Filed under: Fast Food, Chain Stores / Restaurants

New Shakes, Slurpees, and Frappes Take a Walk on the Weird Side

COMMENTS 1

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 19th 2011 @ 5:00PM

new summer slushies and shakes Photos: 7-Eleven; Arby's; Dunkin Donuts

Love the jolt of a good old Mountain Dew? Then you're going to flip for the new very yellow, very slushy Dunkin' Donuts' Mountain Dew Coolatta, coming in May.

But before you plan a summer-long date with a poolside Dew-latta, you might want to check out USA Today's round-up of the other new (and slightly weird) spring and summer frozen drinks, from fruity Slushees to lemonade chillers.

Oreo cookie fans, heads up: The Sonic Double Stuf Oreo Blast (also being introduced in May) is made with ice cream that's made with the cookie's cream filling. No twisting apart your chocolatey outsides anymore to get to the middle. We're in.

Get all the details at USA Today.

Filed under: New Products, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Taco Bell Meat Lawsuit Withdrawn

COMMENTS 5

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 19th 2011 @ 11:00AM

Taco Bell Photo: soundman1024, Flickr

Remember the lawsuit filed against Taco Bell that claimed the fast-food giant's seasoned beef was, well, less than all beef? Turns out, the lawsuit's been dropped, reports the Associated Press.

Taco Bell always contended that the lawsuit was "absolutely wrong," the AP reports. And the company spent a total of $7 million dollars in advertising to drive the point home that their seasoned meat is 88% beef.

Guess it worked. Beasley Allen, the law firm that filed the suit, said the marketing and product disclosure that Taco Bell offered changed their minds, and they withdrew the suit. Apparently all they wanted was for chalupa-loving customers to know that 12% of the meat in their sandwich was beef-free.

Read the whole story at The Huffington Post.

Filed under: Chain Stores / Restaurants