Fast Food

Dunkin' Donuts New Big 'N Toasty Sandwich Reviewed

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 28th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Dunkin Donuts new breakfast sandwich, Big and Toasty Photo: Sarah De Heer, AOL

This morning, Dunkin' Donuts introduced their biggest breakfast sandwich yet: The Big 'N Toasty. According to John Costello, Chief Global Customer and Marketing Officer at Dunkin' Brands, the Big 'N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich is targeted at those who need more than a bowl of cereal in the morning. "At Dunkin' Donuts, we realize that people on-the-go at times crave heartier foods to start their day," he says. "With the Big 'N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich, Dunkin' Donuts can satisfy even the biggest appetites with a fulfilling, portable breakfast at an affordable price," he said. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: The Big "N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich features two peppered fried eggs, four slices of cherrywood smoked bacon and a slice of American cheese, all packed between two thick slices of Texas toast -- the first sandwich to feature this thick-sliced bread.

The Price: $3.29 (prices may vary depending on location.)

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food

A New Fast-Food Comic Book from the Makers of 'Super Size Me'

COMMENTS 1

by Bill Sertl, Posted Feb 25th 2011 @ 2:00PM

Supersized comic book Photo: Amazon.com

Hold the mayo. Hold the fries. Maybe hold everything. The guys who scared the hell out of us fast-food fans with the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me are at it again. But don't wait up Sunday night to see if any Academy Awards are headed their way -- MTV's SplashPage reports that Supersized: Strange Tales from a Fast-Food Culture is a comic book this time. Director Morgan Spurlock and writer Jeremy Barlow penned the book, which hits shelves on March 9.

What can you expect from a fast-food comic book? Well-known graphic artists such as Lukas Ketner, Tony Millionaire and Ron English provide the illustrations, which at times are not so comic at all. The pages hold some original tales and also a few repeats spun out from Spurlock's movie. To kill time until then, why not queue up Super Size Me on Netflix. Or if you haven't seen them already, Fast Food Nation and Food, Inc. But don't expect to ever eat chicken again, much less fast food.

Filed under: Books, Fast Food

Subway Overtakes McDonald's for Fast-Food Crown

COMMENTS 3

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 24th 2011 @ 3:30PM

subway sandwich Photo: s.yume, Flickr

Someone should give Jared a bonus: Thanks in part to the success of his high-profile ad campaign, there are now 33,000 Subway restaurants in the U.S. That's more locations than McDonald's, and Entrepreneur has a list of the smart business moves that helped the sub shop topple the Golden Arches. Are you a sandwich fan, or do you stick with burgers? Spill it in the comments.

Get the whole story at Entrepreneur.com.

Filed under: Fast Food, Chain Stores / Restaurants

For Domino's Pizza, Chicken is the Next Big Thing

COMMENTS 30

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Feb 23rd 2011 @ 2:00PM

Domino's chicken wings Photo: Domino's Pizza

By now you're probably all familiar with Domino's "Pizza Turnaround" commercials. The documentary-style ads bend over backwards to convince consumers that yes, the company knows their pizza wasn't great, but things have changed. Evidently Domino's feels they've made thier point, so they're turning their attention to a new frontier: chicken. A new ad campaign launches next week, featuring a chicken chef named Tate and a new line of boneless chicken and chicken wings, reports Nation's Restaurant News.

Filed under: Fast Food, Chain Stores / Restaurants

U.S. Troops Finally Get Pizza Hut Back in Afghanistan

COMMENTS 0

by Jason Best, Posted Feb 22nd 2011 @ 2:00PM

pizza hut Photo: Javier Aroche, Flickr

Hoping for a quick end to the war in Afghanistan? Well, when you look at how long it took the military to reopen a Pizza Hut at a base near Kabul, you might have to rethink your definition of "quick."

As Slashfood reported way back in September, the current commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, decided to lift the fast-food ban on coalition bases that had been implemented by his famously no-nonsense predecessor, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. According to the Wall Street Journal, McChrystal viewed fast food as an "unnecessary luxury," and he told senior officers that he "didn't want to be the first American general to tell a grieving mother that her son died delivering frozen pizza."

Filed under: Food News, Fast Food

A Ban on Fast-Food Lawsuits Passes a Hurdle in Minnesota

COMMENTS 5

by Bill Sertl, Posted Feb 22nd 2011 @ 1:00PM

fast food burger and fries Photo: lehcar1477, Flickr

Okay, you can still blame Ronald McDonald if you're overweight. But it's going to be harder to take him to court. At least in Minnesota, where a House committee has just ok'd the Cheeseburger Bill -- the first such statute in the nation. The debate over the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act-the bill's official name-was spirited, with most House members voting along party lines, reports The Pioneer Press.

How you feel about it might depend on your views on whether individuals should be able to sue tobacco companies or not. (In all fairness, cheeseburgers might be addictively good, but they're not really addictive, and, as far as we know, no fast-food execs ever lied to the U.S. Congress about the number of calories in a Big Mac.) The bill still has to pass the full House and the Minnesota Senate to become law. So pig out at the Mall of America food court while there's still time to place the staff under citizen's arrest. And call your lawyer if your salad dressing didn't come on the side as requested.

Filed under: Food Politics, Fast Food

The Pros and Cons of Papa John's Heart Shaped Pizza

COMMENTS 3

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 14th 2011 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day as your own best friend or with your significant other, Papa John's Pizza is offering lovers a thin-crust heart-shaped pizza for quick take-out. (Maybe you've got better things to do than eat.) After ordering a pie for lunch, we found a handful of pros and cons to ordering this pizza for what's considered a pretty special occasion.

Lovers, you'll have to decide for yourself.

Pros:
1. Papa John's is the only national pizza chain offering a heart-shaped pizza.
2. The shape makes it easy to fold over and convert into a calzone.
3. Clean-up? Not a problem.
4. It's way cheaper than an actual restaurant meal. (This can also be a con.)
5. You can spice things up with the pepperoncino that's included with your pie.

The cons after the jump ...

Filed under: Holidays, Fast Food

Oprah Chef and Former McDonald's Execs Launch Lyfe Kitchen

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by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Feb 10th 2011 @ 2:00PM

Photo: Lyfe Kitchen

Our ears pricked up when we heard Paul Shapiro, senior director of the factory farming campaign for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) say he'd actually be excited to eat at new quick-serve concept Lyfe Kitchen. After all, most fast-food joints aren't exactly known as bulwarks of humanely raised beef, pork or chicken.

Lyfe Kitchen (Lyfe stands for "Love Your Food Everyday") seemingly has a lot going for it. At its helm are two former McDonald's executives, including Mike Roberts, former president and chief operations officer of the fast-food chain. Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's former personal chef, and chef Tal Ronnen, both known for making healthy food taste good, are in the development kitchen.

Filed under: Business, Food News, Fast Food

Wendy's Asiago Ranch Chicken Club Reviewed

COMMENTS 9

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Feb 9th 2011 @ 11:00AM

Wendy's Asiago Ranch Chicken Club Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

Wendy's has quite a reputation to maintain when it announces a new menu item. They have to not only live up to their current marketing slogan, "You know when it's real," by using the freshest ingredients that a national mega-chain can be supplied, but they must also strive to sustain their "recipe of quality" -- a formula which has earned them top honors in Zagat's Fast Food Survey for the past two years. Enter the new Asiago Ranch Chicken Club, the self-proclaimed "bold new take on chicken that's anything but boring." Here's how it rates:

The Claims: The Asiago Ranch Chicken Club sandwich comes in three variations of chicken -- Grilled, Homestyle, or Spicy – each topped with strips of applewood-smoked bacon, a slice of Asiago cheese, ranch dressing, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. (470-660 calories, depending on the style of chicken)

The Price: $5.19 each. (Manhattan, NY; prices may vary depending on location.)

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food

Taco Bell's Quad Steak Burrito and Quesadilla Reviewed

COMMENTS 18

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Feb 8th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Taco Bell's Quad Steak Burrito Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

A few weeks ago, the nation found out about a California class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell, in which it was alleged that the Mexican-inspired fast food empire was serving a "meat mixture" containing less than 35 percent meat. In response, Taco Bell fought back with a very public statement (and full-page ads). Additionally, they rolled out the Quad Steak Burrito (and Quad Steak Quesadilla) to showcase the fact that they do, in fact, serve real USDA Select beef. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: The Quad Steak Burrito is a burrito with four times the amount of steak pieces than the Steak Burrito Supreme, all wrapped in a flour tortilla filled with seasoned rice, "fire-roasted" salsa, reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese. Its quesadilla counterpart has the same ingredients -- with four times the amount of beef than a Steak Quesadilla -- although it's flatter and not as filling as the burrito. (Both contain 610-660 calories, according to a menu poster.)

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food