Slashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gifSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Shock Over Taco Bell Burrito Price Leads to Shootouthttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/21/shock-over-taco-bell-burrito-price-leads-to-shootout/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/21/shock-over-taco-bell-burrito-price-leads-to-shootout/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/21/shock-over-taco-bell-burrito-price-leads-to-shootout/#commentsFiled under: ,

Taco BellPhoto: Paul Sakuma / AP Photo

A gun-toting outlaw sends patrons at a local watering hole diving for cover...over the price of a Beefy Crunch Burrito?

Yeah, it sounds like a latter-day spoof on an old spaghetti western, but the joke was no doubt lost on the employees and customers at a local Taco Bell in San Antonio on Sunday as they watched a man take an assault rifle and handgun out of his car in the parking lot and head toward them.

His biff? He'd just gone through the drive-thru and been informed that the price of the Beefy Crunch Burrito had gone up from 99 cents to $1.49.

Continue reading Shock Over Taco Bell Burrito Price Leads to Shootout

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Burrito priceBurritoPricefeaturedTaco BellTaco Bell shootoutJason BestMon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:00 ESTIs Ronald McDonald Getting Phased Out?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/04/is-ronald-mcdonald-getting-phased-out/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/04/is-ronald-mcdonald-getting-phased-out/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/04/is-ronald-mcdonald-getting-phased-out/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ronald McDonald Photo: Ben Hider / Getty Images


It's the fate of celebrity icons everywhere: One minute you're adored by legions and the next thing you know, you've somehow drifted into middle age and the tepid waters of cultural obscurity.

It's downright tough these days to be clown in the fast-food biz. Just ask Ronald McDonald. As Bloomberg reports, the 48-year-old face of all that's supposedly happy in Happy Meals is finding it harder to land work these days.

Blame it on the changing times. McDonald's is undergoing a dramatic re-branding of sorts, launching its uber-popular line of Starbucks-style coffees under the McCafe label and committing upwards of $1 billion to renovate hundreds of restaurants to make them look less like one big Playland and more like...well, again, Starbucks. And it appears that Ronald doesn't exactly fit in with the aesthetic of the latte-sipping, iPad-toting crowd.

Continue reading Is Ronald McDonald Getting Phased Out?

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>McDonaldsRonald McDonaldJason BestFri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:00 ESTTop Ten Fast-Food Breakfastshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/15/top-ten-fast-food-breakfasts/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/15/top-ten-fast-food-breakfasts/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/15/top-ten-fast-food-breakfasts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

IHOP veggie scrambled eggsPhoto: IHOP

About to grab the usual Egg McMuffin from Mickey D's for your fast-food breakfast fix? According to Health magazine's March issue, you might want to grab the McDonald's oatmeal with fruit instead. You'll get less fat, more fiber, and fewer calories.

Health has come up with their top-ten list of the healthiest fast-food breakfasts under 400 calories, says USA Today. The list includes not only that oatmeal, but a simple and fit veggie omelet from IHOP (pictured here), and, for fruit lovers, Jamba Juice's berry topper ideal meal, of yogurt, fruit, seeds, and granola.

For all the full list, with calorie counts, see the story at USA Today.

See our Starbucks vs. Dunkin' Donuts Breakfast Sandwich Taste Test

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>fast food breakfastfeaturedhealth magazinehealthy fast foodSlashfood EditorTue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 ESTObama Look-alike As Pitchman for Chinese KFChttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/02/obama-lookalike-as-pitchman-for-chinese-kfc/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/02/obama-lookalike-as-pitchman-for-chinese-kfc/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/02/obama-lookalike-as-pitchman-for-chinese-kfc/#commentsFiled under: ,

Chinese KFC ad with fake ObamaPhoto: YouTube

It sounds like a setup for a joke: An American president (well, a look-alike) is in China, hawking a fish sandwich for a chicken chain.

But we're not kidding. An Obama doppelganger has been hired by China's KFC marking team to advertise the chain's new fish sandwich. Obama Foodorama, a blog dedicated to rounding up Obama-related food news (someone's gotta do it, we suppose), reports that KFC, the most popular fast-food chain in the country, is hoping the "Mmmm, change is good!" ad campaign will boost sales. Whether "Fauxbama" does the trick remains to be seen.

Read the story at Obama Foodorama.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Barack ObamafeaturedKFCKFC ChinaObamaSlashfood EditorWed, 02 Feb 2011 17:00:00 ESTTaco Bell Fights Back in Meat Lawsuithttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/27/taco-bell-fights-back-in-meat-lawsuit/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/27/taco-bell-fights-back-in-meat-lawsuit/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/27/taco-bell-fights-back-in-meat-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: BLW Photography, Flickr


When a lawsuit filed last week claimed that Taco Bell meat was pretty light on the actual meat (and heavy on the fillers), those were fighting words to the company that stakes its reputation on meaty burritos, tacos, and chalupas. According to an ABC News report, Taco Bell is now running defense.

Taco Bell President Greg Creed called the lawsuit "bogus and filled with completely inaccurate facts," says ABC. "There is no basis in fact or reality for this suit, and we will vigorously defend the quality of our products from frivolous and misleading claims such as this."

How much beef is "in fact" in Taco Bell's "seaoned beef recipe?" According to Creed, it contains 88 percent USDA-inspected beef, along with ingredients that provide "taste and moisture." And don't forget those "extenders" that pump up the meat's volume. To be continued, folks. And may the best meat evidence win.

Check out all the ingredients, listed at Taco Bell's website.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>taco bellTaco Bell lawsuitTacoBellSlashfood EditorThu, 27 Jan 2011 13:00:00 ESTBest Burger Chain? Wendy's, Says Pollhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/25/best-burger-chain-wendys-says-poll/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/25/best-burger-chain-wendys-says-poll/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/25/best-burger-chain-wendys-says-poll/#commentsFiled under: ,

Wendy's favorite fast food restaurantPhoto: Will Pate, Flickr


The little girl with the curvy red braids beat out both Ronald McDonald and the Burger King in a recent poll, UPI reports. In a telephone poll of a thousand people, conducted by New Jersey-based Rasmussen Reports, 61 percent gave a favorable rating to Wendy's, versus 56 percent for McDonald's and 51 percent for Burger King. Those Wendy's Baconator burgers must be on the right track.

But here's the survey result that gave us pause. UPI reports that "people who regularly eat fast-food said they do so mostly because of the cost and convenience, not because they like it." That's a lot of forced fries, then. And you can make a burger a lot more cheaply at home. C'mon folks; give it up. You love your Whoppers.

For more on the poll, check out the UPI story.

View Poll

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>burger kingmcdonaldspollsWendysSlashfood EditorTue, 25 Jan 2011 15:00:00 ESTMcDonald's "Legends of McRib" Video Contest Winnerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/mcdonalds-legends-of-mcrib-video-contest-winner/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/mcdonalds-legends-of-mcrib-video-contest-winner/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/29/mcdonalds-legends-of-mcrib-video-contest-winner/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Photo: YouTube


Gather 'round children, and ye shall here, of a quest for ribs that took many a year;
Ten grand was offered, a mighty big prize, and every last cent is now Sawyer Frye's.

Yes, folks, the grand-prize winner of McDonald's Legends of McRib Contest, a young North Carolina native, concocted a video tale about the last McRib on earth. (Apparently the sandwich's popularity resulted in all but one of the meaty marvels being eaten before the EPA had a chance to add it to the endangered-edibles list), which took him from Central America to a forest in Canada where the croque McRib in question lay buried (either frozen, we hope, or shot through with enough trans fats to keep it preserved and still tasty).

Frye also won a trip to Germany, the only country in the world where the McRib is served year-round. Try it with a side of McKartoffelsalat and a McWeisswürst. (McDonald's, we thought of it first!) See the video after the jump.

Continue reading McDonald's "Legends of McRib" Video Contest Winner

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredlegends of mcribmcdonaldsmcribBill SertlWed, 29 Dec 2010 12:00:00 ESTFresh Fries or Else! McDonald's Customer in Standoffhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/mcdonalds-french-fry-standoff-in-sandusky-ohio/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/mcdonalds-french-fry-standoff-in-sandusky-ohio/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/mcdonalds-french-fry-standoff-in-sandusky-ohio/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: geligakmn, Flickr


There's a running joke in the Cary Grant-Doris Day film That Touch of Mink (1962), about how much mischief the folks from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, are willing to get up to. In a word, not much. Seems contemporary Sandusky residents are a lot more cranky and aggressive than in Doris's day.

At a Sandusky-area McDonald's, cops had to be called in when customer Robert Quillen got ticked off about what he claimed were less-than-fresh french fries, says a report from the Sandusky Register. Quillen refused to leave until he got better fries, and threw some choice words at the Mickey D's employee who disagreed with him but offered to refund his money. Nope, nothing doing: This dude wanted hot fries for his wife, who was waiting for him in the car.

Quillen claimed another employee went after him with a mop, but no charges were filed because, says the Register, there were conflicting reports. Mrs. Quillen, it seems, went fry-free that day.

Which reminds us of a classic MADtv moment, with comedienne Anjelah Johnson as sassy "King Burger" employee Bon Qui Qui, who believes the customer is always wrong. Check out this YouTube video.

Continue reading Fresh Fries or Else! McDonald's Customer in Standoff

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>customer satisfactionfrench friesmcdonaldsSlashfood EditorTue, 28 Dec 2010 14:00:00 ESTIn Japan, 'Tis the Season for Fried Chickenhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/in-japan-tis-the-season-for-fried-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/in-japan-tis-the-season-for-fried-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/20/in-japan-tis-the-season-for-fried-chicken/#commentsFiled under: ,

KFC and Colonel Sanders in JapanPhoto: Khaled Kassem / Alamy


Nothing says Christmas like a monster bucket of KFC -- if you're in Tokyo, that is.

In what may be one of the most bizarre cases of lost in translation, it turns out that the Japanese love the Colonel's secret recipe come yuletide. They love it so much, in fact, that they line up for blocks in order to nab one of KFC's Christmas Party Barrels or reserve their finger-lickin' good favorites two months in advance.

"Japan is well known for taking foreign products and ideas and adapting them to suit domestic taste, and Christmas is no exception. A highly commercialized and non-religious affair, lots of money is spent annually on decorations, dinners and gifts," writes the Financial Times, which credits an ad campaign in the 1970s for placing KFC at the center of the Japanese holiday table.

The Christmas Party Barrel includes eight pieces of chicken (either all fried or half seasoned with garlic and soy), a Caesar salad and a chocolate-mousse cake on a decorative plate, all for the equivalent of about $46.

Continue reading In Japan, 'Tis the Season for Fried Chicken

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>ChristmasJapaneseFoodkfcmcdonaldsJason BestMon, 20 Dec 2010 15:00:00 ESTMcDonald's Sued Over Happy Meal Toyshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/16/mcdonalds-sued-over-happy-meal-toys/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/16/mcdonalds-sued-over-happy-meal-toys/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/16/mcdonalds-sued-over-happy-meal-toys/#commentsFiled under: ,

McDonalds happy meals lawsuitPhoto: David Paul Morris / Getty Images


Making good on a threat it issued this summer, a public advocacy group has filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's to stop the burger giant from putting toys in Happy Meals.

Last June, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) warned McDonald's that unless the company immediately stopped using Happy Meal toys to market to kids, it was going to take McDonald's to court. No surprise: McDonald's didn't exactly "cease and desist," as any parent who's recently stumbled over a cheap plastic Transformer on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night will tell you.

CSPI contends that by luring kids in with the promise of toys, McDonald's is encouraging them "to develop a preference for nutritionally poor Happy Meals," according to its press release. While McDonald's counters that parents can choose healthier Happy Meals for their kids, such as those that include low-fat milk and apple slices, CSPI charges that fries and sodas are essentially the default option at the majority of McDonald's franchises, and no such Happy Meal is healthy for a four- to eight-year-old.

Continue reading McDonald's Sued Over Happy Meal Toys

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredHappy MealslawsuitsmcdonaldsJason BestThu, 16 Dec 2010 14:00:00 ESTEurope Edging Out U.S. in Innovative Fast Food?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/07/europe-edging-out-u-s-in-innovative-fast-food/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/07/europe-edging-out-u-s-in-innovative-fast-food/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/07/europe-edging-out-u-s-in-innovative-fast-food/#commentsFiled under: ,

McDonald's dessert ice creamPhoto: dbgg1979, Flickr


While American foodies have long cast an envious glance across the Atlantic to Europe (French cheese! German beer! Italian pasta!), fans of fast food have generally contented themselves with the notion that if the U.S.A. has a lock on anything culinary, it's figuring out how to satisfy all manner of gustatory cravings in a flash.

So what gives!? First we find out that while Americans have to content themselves with the McRib "for a limited time only," Germans get to feast on the cult classic year round. Now we learn, courtesy of Burger Business, that both McDonald's and Burger King are testing entirely new restaurant concepts -- but only in Europe.

Craving a Caramel Mocha McCafé but don't want to stand in line behind a woman ordering half a dozen Happy Meals? Head to the UK, where not only has McDonald's started operating stand-alone McCafés, it offers a whole slew of tantalizing sweets, from brownies to doughnuts. Apparently in Germany, that includes a menu of cupcakes named (ironically) for New York City neighborhoods.

Not to be outdone, Burger King is testing its own dessert-driven concept: the aptly named Dessert Bar. No burgers here -- just a mouthwatering array of delights, from BK Fusions ice cream treats to brownies, cakes, cookies and muffins. It's enough to make you feel like a kid in a candy store, but only if you're a kid in London or Spain, because those are the only two places you'll find The Dessert Bar.

Ok, Europe -- you can keep your cathedrals, culture, palazzos and palaces, just give us back our fast-food firsts.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>burger kingdessert bareruopean fast foodfeaturedmcdonaldsJason BestTue, 07 Dec 2010 14:00:00 ESTFast Food Chains Sending Online Vouchers to Kidshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/06/fast-food-chains-sending-online-vouchers-to-kids/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/06/fast-food-chains-sending-online-vouchers-to-kids/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/06/fast-food-chains-sending-online-vouchers-to-kids/#commentsFiled under: , ,

kids eating fast foodPhoto: Getty Images


As if it weren't hard enough to dissuade your children from billboards and television ads touting fast food, a new tactic has entered the ad world. Fast food chains in Australia have begun emailing free-food vouchers to kids under 12. But could it happen here?

This "direct mail" marketing campaign from Australia-based chains Hungry Jack and Taco Bill strategically bypasses parents with an online "Kids Club," where children can register to receive "free meals on their birthdays, vouchers for free ice cream" and finger puppets, reports The Daily Telegraph. And you'd better believe health organizations went after them.

Under the umbrella of The Obesity Policy Coalition, the prosecuting organizations include: The World Health Organization, Diabetes Australia, VicHealth and Cancer Council of Victoria. But when they called on the Federal Government "to amend the Privacy Act to outlaw direct mail advertising to children," the Feds said children were already protected by spam laws, reports the Telegraph.

Jane Martin, the coalition's senior public officer, believes no such thing. And, really, if that were true, wouldn't the chains stop sending the mail?

Continue reading Fast Food Chains Sending Online Vouchers to Kids

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>australiachildrenfast foodfast food marketingkids mealsmarketingJessie CacciolaMon, 06 Dec 2010 16:00:00 ESTMcDonald's Oatmeal: Full Nutritional Detailshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/03/nutritional-details-on-mcdonalds-new-oatmeal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/03/nutritional-details-on-mcdonalds-new-oatmeal/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/03/nutritional-details-on-mcdonalds-new-oatmeal/#commentsFiled under:

McDonald's oatmealPhoto: creepyed, Flickr

Back in September, we reported on a new item joining the menu at McDonald's -- oatmeal! -- but the company wasn't quite ready to reveal all the details. Well, Nation's Restaurant News reports that the new "Fruit & Maple Oatmeal" will be available "all day long, with or without brown sugar, for $1.99" starting on January 3rd at more than 14,000 locations.

Other chains have recently adopted the comforting breakfast dish, including Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, Ja

Related Stories

mba Juice and Prêt à Manger, notes Nation's Restaurant News, so a McD version of oatmeal isn't a shocker.

Their version contains "five grams of dietary fiber and two-thirds of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended daily allowance of whole grain." Not bad, golden arches. The dish will also come with half a cup's worth of "red and green apples, dried cranberries and golden and regular raisins." This amounts to 290 calories of sugar (260 without the added brown sugar) largely from the fruit, of course.

Continue reading McDonald's Oatmeal: Full Nutritional Details

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>breakfastfast foodfeaturedmcdonaldsmenu itemsoatmealJessie CacciolaFri, 03 Dec 2010 13:00:00 ESTWendy's New D.T. Doublehttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/30/wendys-new-d-t-double/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/30/wendys-new-d-t-double/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/30/wendys-new-d-t-double/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: ferret111, Flickr

First there were the sea-salt fries, then Dave's Hot 'n' Juicy Cheeseburger. Now, there's the D.T. Double. Wendy's is on an end-of-year roll. Another homage to founder Dave Thomas, the D.T. Double, reports Nation's Restaurant News, has pretty much all the components of a Big Mac: two burgers, two slices of cheese, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and a "signature sauce." Launching in Rhode Island and Texas, it will go nationwide if customers cotton to another Dave burger.

But we're wondering: Isn't "D.T." (also the abbreviation for delirium tremens) a little depressing? Wendy's, may we make a suggestion? Stick with just plain "Dave's" for your Double.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Dave ThomasfeaturedhamburgerwendysSlashfood EditorTue, 30 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTFrance Debuts a Fast Food Foie Gras Burgerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/29/france-debuts-a-fast-food-foie-gras-burger/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/29/france-debuts-a-fast-food-foie-gras-burger/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/29/france-debuts-a-fast-food-foie-gras-burger/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: Denis Charlet, AFP / Getty Images

We already thought other countries beat us on quality fast food -- crawl through any backstreet in Southeast Asia and find a healthy bundle of dumplings with local spices, or Mexico for hot-off-the-grill strips of meat with freshly mashed avocado. But leave it to the French to design a foie gras burger (priced at 5 euros, no less) for their national fast food joint, nonchalantly called Quick.

A decided rival to the golden arches, according to Daily Mail UK, Quick will serve a limited-edition "Supreme Foie Gras Burger" for a mere 5 euors -- that's under $8. Try finding that at a drive-though near you. We on this side of the Atlantic have to reserve a spot with a tablecloth to get this kind of decadence.

Foie gras is produced manually by over-stuffing the livers of duck, literally translated in French as "fatty liver". It's been featured on many a high-end table, like at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne, and has been the object of much debate over animal cruelty versus culinary allegiance, ranked up there with the truffles and fish eggs of the world. According to Daily Mail, in the Aquitaine region, it can go for 100 euros per kilo, and even more during the holidays.

But in France, for three days -- December 17 to 19 -- there'll be sliced "foie gras over a minced beef patty, with onion and rocket leaves" at Quick's 360 outlets. So get it while it's hot, you lucky French; we'll just have to stick with our seasonal rib-less beast.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>fast foodfoie grasfrench foodhamburgersJessie CacciolaMon, 29 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTStuffing Secret -- Add White Castle Slidershttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/23/stuffing-secret-add-white-castle-sliders/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/23/stuffing-secret-add-white-castle-sliders/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/23/stuffing-secret-add-white-castle-sliders/#commentsFiled under: ,

White Castle sliders for thanksgiving stuffingPhoto: adam coster, Flickr

Ok, at first we thought this was a joke, but a newspaper columnist in Ohio has admitted to one of the most bizarre (or disgusting or ingenious -- take your pick) stuffing recipes ever: White Castle sliders.

In a recent blog post on the Columbus Dispatch's website, Jeffrey Sheban writes: "When I stuff a turkey, I eschew traditional bread cubes in favor of White Castle hamburgers," which, as he points out, are mostly bread and onions -- staples of most stuffing recipes.

Although it seems a little suspicious that the type of person who would resort to a fast-food drive thru for his holiday ingredients would also be able to use the word "eschew" correctly in a sentence, other aspects of his post corroborate his claim. For instance, he admits that he didn't actually debut his whacked-out stuffing recipe on Thanksgiving, but at a Super Bowl party. "No one in my family trusts me with real holidays," he writes. (Gee, wonder why.)

Continue reading Stuffing Secret -- Add White Castle Sliders

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>stuffingthanksgivingthanksgiving foodwhite castleJason BestTue, 23 Nov 2010 14:00:00 ESTHappy Meals Back On the Menu In San Franciscohttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/15/happy-meals-back-on-the-menu-in-san-francisco/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/15/happy-meals-back-on-the-menu-in-san-francisco/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/15/happy-meals-back-on-the-menu-in-san-francisco/#commentsFiled under: ,

Girl eating a Happy Meal in San FranciscoPhoto: Eric Risberg / AP Photo


Another kind of toy story is being told in San Francisco, and, depending which side of the issue you're on, it now has a happy ending. Or at least a happy most-recent chapter. Mayor Gavin Newsom has vetoed the city Board of Supervisors' ban on fast-food restaurants selling kids' meals that include toys unless, reported the San Francisco Chronicle, the meals "meet a strict set of nutritional standards of reduced calories, salt, fat, and sugar, and also contain fruits and vegetables."

Yes, Mickey D's, the city by the bay was talkin' to you. Most Happy Meals, reports the Chronicle, pack more than the policy's cap of 639 milligrams of sodium, and more than 599 calories per meal. And with San Francisco's initiatives to combat childhood obesity, such as its Shape Up San Francisco program of healthier eating and more exercise opportunities for kids, the ban seemed to be just another step in the right direction.

But, said Mayor Newsom, the city was acquiring the reputation of playing parent to its citizens, banning the use of plastic bags and instituting mandatory recycling. Now it was going to tell actual parents what to feed their kids? Veto that!

Bay Area children can't bank on their Happy Meals, though. The Board of Supervisors can still override Newsom's veto. And then,say good-bye to the "Megamind" toy with your burger and fries.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>fast foodmcdonalds happy mealSlashfood EditorMon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:00 ESTHeart Attack Grill's Come-on: Weigh More, Save Morehttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/11/heart-attack-grills-come-on-weigh-more-save-more/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/11/heart-attack-grills-come-on-weigh-more-save-more/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/11/heart-attack-grills-come-on-weigh-more-save-more/#commentsFiled under: ,

Heart Attack Grill, Double Bypass burgersPhoto: ejharaldseid, Flickr


How about this for a thumb in the eye to America's obesity epidemic: the Heart Attack Grill in suburban Phoenix, Arizona. According to its slogan, it's "taste worth dying for."

The over-the-top restaurant features four tiers of death-defying burgers, from the Single Bypass to an unwieldy tower of four thick patties, the Quadruple Bypass. Customers (called "patients" here) are invited to round out their meal with a side of Flatliner Fries and Jolt cola, followed by Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarettes. "Patients" are cared for by "nurses" (at a place like this, everything seems to need ironic quotes), who appear more like Hooters girls than licensed health-care practitioners. Funny, though, how the "nurses" are all thin and curvy. Maybe the grill doesn't give its employees the same encouragement to power-eat that it does its customers.

As owner Jon Basso, decked out in a lab coat and stethoscope, puts it in a video on the restaurant's website: "No dangerous yo-yo syndrome. I personally guarantee a stable, upward progression of body weight while you're enjoying great tasting foods like a Double Bypass burger and Flatliner Fries. Along with a cold beer and cigarettes, it's a diet program you can stick to for life. (Back in February, Slashfood reported on Basso's legal fight that he was the originator of the "unhealthy" diet plan.)

Continue reading Heart Attack Grill's Come-on: Weigh More, Save More

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>fast foodheart attack grillobesityJason BestThu, 11 Nov 2010 14:00:00 ESTWendy's New "Dave's Hot 'n' Juicy Cheeseburger" and Sea-Salt Frieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/10/wendys-new-daves-hot-n-juicy-cheeseburger-and-sea-salt-fri/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/10/wendys-new-daves-hot-n-juicy-cheeseburger-and-sea-salt-fri/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/10/wendys-new-daves-hot-n-juicy-cheeseburger-and-sea-salt-fri/#commentsFiled under: ,

dave's hot and juicy hamburgerPhoto: Wendy's

For Wendy's, what happens in Vegas will hopefully not stay in Vegas. The company is testing a new burger, named after its founder, the late Dave Thomas, in the gambling capital of the U.S., according to Nation's Restaurant News. What does Dave's Hot 'n' Juicy Cheeseburger have that Wendy's other cheeseburgers don't? It's "a thicker quarter-pound patty," reports NRM, and has "new ingredients, like crinkle-cut pickles on a buttered, toasted bun." Will it come to your town? Depends on if Wendy's gamble pays off.

The new spokesperson for the Dave burger is the original Wendy, Dave's daughter, Wendy Thomas, who's now all

Continue reading Wendy's New "Dave's Hot 'n' Juicy Cheeseburger" and Sea-Salt Fries

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>burgersfast foodfrench friesWendysSlashfood EditorWed, 10 Nov 2010 13:00:00 ESTEgg Yolks Versus Fast Food in Cholesterol Showdownhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/04/egg-yolks-versus-fast-food-in-cholesterol-showdown/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/04/egg-yolks-versus-fast-food-in-cholesterol-showdown/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/04/egg-yolks-versus-fast-food-in-cholesterol-showdown/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: adashofsass, Flickr


Pop quiz. Which food contains more cholesterol: one egg yolk or a Hardee's Monster Thickburger (which is two thirds of a pound of beef, three slices of cheese and four strips of bacon)? Sadly, folks, it's the egg yolk at 215-275 mg of cholesterol compared with the Monster's 210 mg, a fact reported in a paper in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The recommended daily intake for cholesterol is 220 mg or less. But even knowing this, would you cease with the scrambled eggs and start inhaling KFC Double Downs (with all the fat and calories) instead? The point that these docs are trying to make is simply that, despite all the stories about how eggs are back, eggs are good for you, and please eat more eggs, if you're very concerned about cholesterol, and if you're at risk for cardiovascular disease, a high-cholesterol diet is ill advised. So maybe you should rethink the daily frittata. Visit AOL Health for the whole story.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>cholesteroleggsfast foodSlashfood EditorThu, 04 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST