Fast Food

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

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

McDonald's to Hire 50,000 in One Day

COMMENTS 3

by Jason Best, Posted Apr 7th 2011 @ 3:00PM

McDonald's national hiring day, April 19 2011 Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images

For millions who have ever faced unemployment, or even the prospect of losing their job, it's the thought that lingers as the last-resort fallback option in the back of your mind, inspiring as much dread as comfort: You could always work at McDonald's.

But before you send out your next batch of resumes, McDonald's wants you to know two things: One, working under the Golden Arches isn't all about flipping burgers. And two, the company is hiring--big time.

As Nation's Restaurant News reports, Mickey D's is looking to take its own big bite out of the nation's stubborn unemployment rate. The company has announced a one-day hiring bonanza: 50,000 new employees on April 19, or what it has declared "National Hiring Day."

Filed under: Food News, Fast Food

Happy Meal Toys to Be Banned in NYC?

COMMENTS 6

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 6th 2011 @ 1:00PM

McDonald's happy meal toy Photo: David Paul Morris / Getty Images

Yes, the nuggets taste fine, but let's face it: Most kids beg their parents for Happy Meals because they regard fast-food drive-throughs as drive-by toy stores. The city of San Francisco has already banned toys in fast-food meals, and now it looks as though New York City may follow suit.

Councilman Leroy Comrie, a coucilman from Queens, said "Prohibiting fast food restaurants from giving out toys with highly unhealthy meals will reduce the allure of such establishments for children while hopefully incentivizing the fast food industry to provide their customers with healthier and more nutritious options," reports the New York Post.

It's not just Happy Meals that are being targeted: Comrie's bill would prohibit any restaurants from giving out kid-targeted trinkets with meals that have more than 500 calories, 600 milligrams of sodium and 35 percent of calories from fat, excluding nuts, seeds and nut butters.

Think those tiny meals don't pack a caloric punch? Check out the data compiled by Comrie's office: McDonald's Happy Meal contains 1,090 calories, Burger King's Kid's Meal contains 1,460 calories, Wendy's kid's portion meal contains 1,080 calories and KFC's Kid Meal contains 680 calories.

Toy or not, those numbers are no fun at all.

Filed under: Fast Food, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Qdoba Mexican Grill Mini Street Tacos Reviewed

COMMENTS 13

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 22nd 2011 @ 12:00PM

Photo: Erik R. Trinidad for AOL

It's ironic that perhaps a decade ago, "street meat" sidewalk food was frowned upon by uppity gourmands, because these days, it's all the rage. Food trucks and sidewalk cart vendors are now the go-to spot to get good, inexpensive meals, and the fervor over these portable eateries has spawned the Vendy Awards and food truck rivalries in different American cities. Restaurants, including fast food chains, have embraced the trend: Last year Taco Bell introduced street-inspired "Cantina Tacos," and now Qdoba Mexican Grill has jumped on the urban bandwagon with their Mini Street Tacos. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: An order of Mini Street Tacos is a "light meal, heavy on authentic flavors" consisting of "three snack-sized soft corn tortilla tacos with your choice of pulled pork or shredded beef, finished with diced red onion and fresh cilantro." Completing the combo is lime wedge for a squeeze of citrus, plus a small side of ancho chile baked beans.

The Price: $4.99 for the combo (480-510 calories). (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

Filed under: Fast Food, Reviews

Taco Bell's New Pacific Shrimp Reviewed

COMMENTS 73

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 18th 2011 @ 4:00PM

Taco Bell Pacific Shrimp Burrito Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

As the "Fish Fridays" of Lent continue, the folks at Taco Bell want remind all the observant omnivores out there that fish isn't the only game in town -- shrimp is fair game, too. And as we all know from "Forrest Gump," shrimp can be prepared in many ways -- you can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, or sauté it. Taco Bell has jumped on the proverbial shrimp boat, and now offers the Pacific Shrimp Taco and Burrito. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: Both the Pacific Shrimp Taco and Pacific Shrimp Burrito are made with soft flour tortillas, and start with "six succulent shrimp, marinated in spices, crisp shredded lettuce, creamy avocado ranch, [and] fiesta salsa." The tortilla of the burrito is larger, allowing for two additional ingredients: a shredded three-cheese blend and crispy red tortilla strips.

The Price: $3.29 for the taco (170 calories); $4.29 for the burrito (460 calories). (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

See the verdict after the jump.

Filed under: Fast Food, Reviews

Wendy's Menu: Premium Fish Fillet Reviewed

COMMENTS 86

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 11th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

It's that time of year again, the 40-day Christian season of Lent, a time when fast food restaurants ramp up their seafood menu selections to capitalize on religious dogma -- hell, even KFC plays up their Fish Snacker. The rules of the season mandate that no meat is to be eaten on Fridays -- vegetarians need not change their eating habits -- but to the observant carnivorous fast foodie, this usually means replacing those burgers and fries with fish and chips. Wendy's heeds this call, and has jumped back on the bandwagon this year, offering a Premium Fish Fillet sandwich to fill this religious niche. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet is 100% North Pacific cod breaded with panko crumbs, served in a bun with a leaf of lettuce and tartar sauce (500 calories). A slice of American cheese is optional (for an additional 40 calories).

The Price: $3.99 for the sandwich, plus an extra 30 cents if you want cheese. Add their natural-cut fries to make it a "fish 'n chips" combo with a drink for $5.99. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food

Sonic's Menu: New Hot Dogs Reviewed

COMMENTS 64

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 7th 2011 @ 11:00AM

Sonic's Premium toppings hot dogs Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

Nathan's and Wienerschnitzel have dominated the fast food chain hot dog arena for years, but now Sonic, America's Drive-In, has stepped up their game with the introduction of four new premium hot dogs -- and you don't even have to leave your car for them. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: The frankfurters in Sonic's new lineup all start with a grilled, all-beef hot dog inside a "soft, warm bakery bun," and are each differentiated by their fixings: the All-American Dog has ketchup, mustard, relish, and chopped raw onions (386 calories); the Chili Cheese Coney is topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese (420 calories); the New York Dog has spicy mustard, grilled onions, and sauerkraut (352 calories); and the Chicago Dog is topped with a pickle spear, relish, tomatoes, hot peppers, chopped raw onions, celery salt, and mustard, with poppy seeds on the bun (435 calories).

The Price: Each hot dog sells for the introductory price of $1.99, at participating locations.

Read our review after the jump.

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food

Domino's Pizza: New Chicken Reviewed

COMMENTS 5

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 4th 2011 @ 2:00PM

Domino's Chicken wings Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

Now that folks at Domino's Pizza are finished revamping their pizza recipe, they've turned their attention to their chicken offerings, introducing new Boneless Chicken (basically nuggets), and a reboot of their Chicken Wings. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: Domino's new Boneless Chicken is "lightly breaded with savory herbs, made with 100% white breast meat." The revamped wings are "now tastier than ever. Sauced with your choice of Hot, New Sweet Mango Habanero or BBQ Sauce." The Boneless Chicken can be "customized" with those same three sauces for dipping, in addition to the standards, Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing.

The Price: Boneless Chicken comes in 8-, 14-, or 40-piece combos, at $6.99 (410 calories), $10.99 (710 calories), or $29.99 (2030 calories), respectively. The new wings also come in eight, fourteen, or forty, for the same prices. (580-680 calories, 1010-1200 calories, 2890-3420 calories, respectively.)

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food

Chick-fil-A's 'FryDay' Waffle Fries Giveaway

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Mar 3rd 2011 @ 4:00PM

Chick-fil-A waffle fries Photo: j.reed, Flickr

Heinz is rolling out a new ketchup container to replace their ubiquitous little packets, and Chick-fil-A is celebrating the new "Dip & Squeeze" ketchup by offering free waffle fries to customers tomorrow from 2-4 p.m. During the two-hour window, it's "Free FryDay:" All you have to do is ask for a Heinz Dip & Squeeze ketchup at the counter and they'll hand over a medium waffle fries to go with it.

But while the free fries are nice, we're way more excited about this ketchup innovation: We can't believe it's taken a ketchup company so long to make a ketchup container that you can dip your fries into. It may be a small luxury, but we'll take it.

Read about Heinz's new green ketchup bottles at The Huffington Post.

Filed under: Fast Food, Deals / Free Food

Arby's Menu: Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich Reviewed

COMMENTS 38

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Mar 3rd 2011 @ 2:30PM

Arby's Menu Angus Three Cheese and Bacon sandwich Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

Arby's is known for their roast beef sandwiches, and now, like other chains before them, they are jumping on the Angus beef bandwagon -- that breed of cattle whose name has become associated with leaner, tastier, and higher-quality meat. This is good news for the carnivores out there, especially since the Angus beef is sliced and piled into a sandwich with bacon and three types of cheese. Here's how Arby's new Angus Three Cheese & Bacon sandwich rates:

The Claims: The Angus Three Cheese & Bacon sandwich contains USDA Choice Black Angus beef, slow-roasted with a rub of garlic and onions, sliced fresh in the store, and piled onto an Italian roll. The roast beef is draped with slices of Swiss cheese, and topped with shredded cheddar, a Parmesan peppercorn ranch sauce, and thick-cut, pepper-spiced bacon. (660 calories sans condiments)

The Price: $4.99.

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food