Editor’s Note: During this week’s update to the FFC website and server, there were a couple files found to be corrupted, which had been causing problems. In the process of deleting those files, 2 reviews accidently got trashed. Both reviews (Arby’s / Hardee’s) have been recovered, and are being re-posted below.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect since Arby’s is primarily known for their Roast Beef sandwiches, and my past experiences with their chicken products was hit and miss. But I’m pleased to report they hit the nail on the head with this one. It’s excellent.

The heart of the sandwich is pure white-meat 100% natural chicken breast filet. It’s not a very large sandwich to begin with, but it’s a nice size chunk of chicken. And it was cooked just right, with a thin crispy crust and a tender moist center. The crust has a light coating of black pepper. As soon as I took a bite, I rejoiced in the wonderful texture of natural chicken meat flaking away in layers. No formed or pressed mystery-meat inside. This is a very tasty piece of chicken for a fast food place, and dare I say a little similar to a Chick-fil-A, which is a big compliment in my opinion.

Sitting atop the chicken are two thick pieces of peppered bacon (3 if you’re lucky). They are cooked well-done, crispy and delicious. The bacon adds as much flavor to the sandwich as the chicken. Bacon lovers will be very happy, though hard-core eaters will find themselves disappointed if they only get 2 strips. Next is a slice of Swiss cheese, which unlike many fast-food products, actually tastes like real cheese. It’s a great anchor of subtle, mild cheesy flavor for the bacon and chicken to build on.

Finish off with a little honey mustard for a smooth kick, and pack it all into a warm toasted sesame seed bun that compliments the goodies inside without masking their flavor. The bun appears thick, but it’s soft and fluffy, compressing into the perfect size once you grab it and take a bite. The lack of lettuce or other veggies results in a rather plain looking sandwich, but that won’t matter once you have your first taste.

I should state that I’m a big fan of Chick-fil-A. In my mind, it’s been the Gold Standard for years. To find another sandwich I enjoy this much is rare. Today it happened.

The $4 price tag is not cheap in the world of fast food, but it’s worth every penny. And you won’t need to eat a whole bag of these to be satisfied. Next time you want a fast food meal, look past all those $1 menus and treat yourself to something better.

The Crispy Chicken Bacon and Swiss Sandwich from Arby’s is delicious. It has a wonderful combination of flavors, and each component is tasty on it’s own. It’s made from quality ingredients, a cut above the average. I look forward to having it again.

Price: $3.99 / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Arby’s Crispy Chicken Bacon and Swiss Sandwich.

Calories - 556
Calories from Fat - 212
Total Fat - 23 grams
Carbs - 51 grams
Saturated Fat - 5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 68 milligrams
Sodium - 1683 milligrams
Protein - 33 grams

Editor’s Note: During this week’s update to the FFC website and server, there were a couple files found to be corrupted, which had been causing problems. In the process of deleting those files, 2 reviews accidently got trashed. Both reviews (Arby’s / Hardee’s) have been recovered, and are being re-posted below.

I’ll start off by saying I hadn’t been to a Hardee’s in a long time. At least 5 years. Before that, it had probably been another 5 years. I was on the road this weekend and came across one, so I decided to see what I’d been missing. Since when did they begin delivering orders to your table? I thought it was a nice change from the usual fast food service. Something that differentiates one place from another is always welcome. Are there any FFC readers aware of other fast food places doing the same thing?

Anyway, I decided to try the Frisco Thickburger. At $3.59, it’s a little on the expensive side, but to be fair, it’s big enough to satisfy most appetites. Consisting of a 1/3 pound charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patty, 2 strips of bacon, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and a special onion flavored mayo, on buttered and grilled sourdough bread. As a combo with fries and drink, the total price was $6.39 plus tax.

The beef patty was big and hanging over the bread in some places. The Angus beef was juicy and tasted great, with a nice smoky flavor. I didn’t find a need for the bacon on this burger, and it really didn’t add much to the experience. Something I definitely did not like - WAY too much onion mayonnaise. Even after scraping some aside, there was still pockets and globs of the stuff remaining. It was pretty overwhelming. I know some may disagree but I wasn’t a fan of the mayo’s taste to begin with. If that sounds like a turn off to you too, ask them to go ‘light’ on the creamy white spread.

The burger had sliced tomato which tasted fine, but I think it would benefit from some cool, crisp lettuce. The Swiss cheese didn’t have much impact. Swiss cheese doesn’t pop with a lot of flavor anyway, and with so much going on with this burger, it got lost in the shuffle. By appearance alone the sourdough bread seemed to have a toasted crunch, but it didn’t. The toasting was much lighter than it looked, and limited to only one side. The texture was fairly soft, about the same as a regular burger bun. I was disappointed by that. On the bright side, the bread was sturdy enough that it held the sandwich together with no problem. A pet peeve of mine with big burgers is they often fall apart and create a mess. To it’s credit, this bread remained intact.

Overall, this was still a very good burger, even though I personally didn’t really like the onion-mayo. Maybe some raw onion and regular mayonnaise instead of the flavored variety would improve my opinion. A few changes here and there would have made me happier, but it can’t all be perfect. Regardless, it was a satisfying big burger with terrific tasting Angus beef. I doubt I’ll wait another 5 years for a return trip to Hardee’s.

Price: $3.59 / Website: Hardees.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Hardee’s Frisco Thickburger.

Calories - 910
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 68 grams
Carbs - 39 grams
Saturated Fat - 23 grams
Trans Fat - N/A grams
Cholesterol - 115 milligrams
Sodium - 1720 milligrams
Protein - 34 grams

A fast-food pork chop? No way! That’s what I was thinking yesterday when Philip sent me a message saying he saw a new Hardee’s advertisement with a pork chop and gravy on a biscuit. Today, the folks at Hardee’s contacted me with details. This new breakfast item features a boneless, breaded pork chop, covered in sausage gravy, served on one of the chain’s ‘Made From Scratch’ biscuits. It sells for $2.99 and is also available in a combo meal for $4.59 that includes hash rounds (small circular hash browns) and beverage. It’s actually the company’s second version of a pork chop sandwich.

“We first introduced a Pork Chop Biscuit a few years ago and, even though we stopped selling it last year, we still get many requests from people asking us to bring it back,” said Brad Haley, Hardee’s Executive Vice President of Marketing. “And, since we had many reports from our restaurants that people were ordering a side of our famous sausage gravy to dip the biscuit in – which I usually do myself, by the way – we decided to re-test it with sausage gravy already on it and it was more popular than ever. So, I guess the old saying among our test kitchen people is true: The only way to make it better is to add gravy to it!”

Arby’s has just introduced their own version of deep fried macaroni and cheese, called “Mac & Cheezers”. You might recall Jack in the Box’s similar item that came on the market a couple months ago. I reviewed those back in July, but despite being a big fan of the classic cheesy noodle dish, and loving all things deep fried, they failed to excite me. I’m hoping Arby’s has a different recipe which better captures the flavor of the real thing. Deep fried mac ‘n cheese sounds great on paper, but it’s not that easy.

Due to prior commitments I won’t get a chance to try these for a few days. I wonder if any FFC readers might beat me to it? Please post here and let us know.

Watch out Chipotle, the folks at Taco Bueno are going after the gourmet burrito (and bowl) market, and they’re serious about making it a success. The company is in the process of installing flame grills at all restaurant locations, and the transition should be completed by the end of this month. Bueno’s new menu will include Fajita Tacos, Gourmet Burritos and Gourmet Bowls. All the new items are made with flame-grilled steak or chicken, cooked fresh daily at each store.

“Taco Bueno is proving its commitment to scratch cooking by adding flame grills to our restaurants. Many other quick-serve brands advertise grilled products, but often the ‘grilling’ takes place in a faraway factory. At Bueno, the new fajita steak and chicken are cooked over fire all day at each of our units.” — Bueno

It’s breakfast time, so what are my options? Let’s see, a Sausage McGriddle from McDonalds? The Enormous Omelet Sandwich from Burger King? Seems as though most choices for a quick grab-and-go breakfast are completely greased-up and bad for you. Nutrition and fast-food breakfast go together like peanut butter on a pizza. So when I saw a commercial for the new Egg White Flatbread Sandwiches from Dunkin’ Donuts with low fat and under 300 calories each, I thought to myself… “Finally!”.

Fast Food Critic reported in July that Dunkin’ Donuts had released several flatbread sandwiches as ‘lunchtime’ menu items, and now they’ve decided to go the breakfast route. A smart move. They realize where their bread is being buttered, and that’s among the morning coffee and donut crowd. So I wasn’t really surprised to see them introduce these flatbread breakfasts. Yes, DD has carried breakfast sandwiches for a long while now, but they’re the standard egg/cheese, plus bacon/sausage on a croissant, sourdough toast or bagel. Now comes along something for the more health conscious, and part of the company’s expanding “DDSmart” menu lineup.

The Egg White flatbreads come in two choices, the Veggie and the Turkey Sausage. The cost is $2.99 each. In my personal opinion, I believe they are probably a dollar too much. There simply isn’t much going on to warrant a $2.99 purchase. There’s too much of the dry, tough flatbread. It’s a little overwhelming when compared to the actual egg filling portion. There needs to be less flatbread and a price drop… or they should increase the amount of egg and filling to merit the $2.99 price tag.

Veggie — I definitely prefer the Veggie Egg White Flatbread over the Turkey Sausage variety. The Veggie has a better flavor and you can tell it when take your first bite. This taste comes mostly from the green and red peppers. At only 290 calories and 9 grams of fat, it takes the guilt away from your morning breakfast. The Veggie version of this sandwich consists of egg whites, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and reduced-fat cheddar cheese on a multigrain flatbread. The Veggie version was not nearly as dry as the Turkey Sausage and it also had better, tastier cheese.

Turkey Sausage — The Turkey Sausage version is only 280 calories and 6 grams of fat. It’s made up of egg whites, turkey sausage, spinach, and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese on a multigrain flatbread. You can’t really taste much of anything but the egg with this one. There also isn’t any immediate recognition that what you are eating has turkey sausage in it, or spinach for that matter, or even cheese. And it’s too dry.

Neater and Healthier — These sandwiches are not messy and dripping with grease. As I mentioned before, they are not a breakfast you feel guilty about selecting. Both flatbread items are at least 25% reduced (in comparison to the sausage, egg, cheese on a croissant) in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium. With that, you of course lose the rich bold taste of butter, cheese and fried goodness… and replace it with something that many people would describe as being bland.

OK, so they’re not a home run, but I still enjoyed them. Honestly, I think just knowing they’re lower in fat and calories than almost everything else out there has boosted my impression. If it wasn’t for that fact, I’d be giving these sandwiches a lower score, but they go up a full letter grade for being healthier. If you’re looking for the tastiest most satisfying quick breakfast item… this is not it. However, if you’re looking for something more in the “guilt free” category, these should satisfy you, and for the moment they’re really the only game in town for a healthy fast-food breakfast sandwich.

Price: $2.99 / Website: DunkinDonuts.com

Fast Food Critic Score: C-

(Turkey Sausage)

Nutrition Facts - Dunkin’ Donuts Flatbread Sandwich, Turkey Sausage.

Calories - 280
Calories from Fat - 50
Total Fat - 6 grams
Carbs - 37 grams
Saturated Fat - 2.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 20 milligrams
Sodium - 820 milligrams
Protein - 19 grams

Price: $2.99 / Website: DunkinDonuts.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B-

(Veggie)

Nutrition Facts - Dunkin’ Donuts Flatbread Sandwich, Veggie.

Calories - 290
Calories from Fat - 80
Total Fat - 9 grams
Carbs - 39 grams
Saturated Fat - 4 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 20 milligrams
Sodium - 680 milligrams
Protein - 11 grams

Click here for rating system details.

The Arby-Q has returned, although for a limited time. This was actually the first time I’ve tried the sandwich, and after sampling it on 3 different occasions, I think Timothy had it right when he said they were… “Good” …but… “Won’t knock your socks off.”

Of course I was drawn to the sandwich mostly because it’s cheap (only 99 cents) but also because it’s BBQ, which is something I usually love. After seeing the recent commercials for the Arby-Q, I expected them to be ‘smothered’ with sauce, which it was not, but the roast beef did have a nice coating. That’s fine, because if they actually did ‘smother’ the meat with sauce, I feel some of the beef flavor would be lost.

The sandwich is simple: sesame seed bun, roast beef and bbq sauce. The roast beef is sliced and chopped very thin and tastes quite nice. Be prepared, the meat and sauce mixture has a way of making you very thirsty, so make sure to have something to drink on hand. The BBQ sauce itself reminded me of Kraft’s regular variety. Arby’s calls it a ‘tangy’ sauce, which I’ll give them, but they also mention the bun is toasted, which wasn’t true in my case. On all three occasions, the buns were not toasted.

Overall, it still tastes pretty darn good, and it’s totally worth the 99 cent price. I’m giving it a score of ‘B’… not quite great, but still very solid, and definitely above average.

Price: $.99 / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Arby-Q Sandwich from Arby’s.

Calories - 341
Calories from Fat - 98
Total Fat - 11 grams
Carbs - 49 grams
Saturated Fat - 4 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 31 milligrams
Sodium - 1089 milligrams
Protein - 16 grams

Burger King and The Inventure Group have just released a new potato snack, “Onion Rings”, based on the flavor and popularity of the deep fried side order from BK. This makes the third Burger King branded snack to appear on store shelves. The other two BK flavors, “Ketchup & Fries” and “Flame Broiled”, were released last year. A quick web search shows mixed reviews on both of them, but sales have been strong enough to convince the parties involved that another variety would be welcome. They plan to offer a package for just about every snacking need. Vending machines will carry .75-ounce and 1.125-ounce bags, with 2 or 3-ounce bags available in convenience and grocery stores, while discount and bulk food clubs get 9 and 12-ounce containers.

As a fan of Funyuns, a similar snack I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid, I’m interested to see how these compare. Thanks to FFC’s newest team member Ryan for the information. I will try and get some of these new onion snacks this weekend. Does anybody else here enjoy Funyons, or have any interest in trying this new snack?

Has anyone tried the Rodeo Cheeseburger from Burger King? Anyone? Turns out this tasty gem is not available everywhere, so I’m curious as to it’s availability. It’s been discontinued on a national level but still available as a ‘regional’ item. Currently it’s at some locations in the Washington Metro Area, specifically here in Maryland.

The Rodeo Cheeseburger was created to coincide with the release of the film “Small Soldiers” back in 1998. At that time it was my go-to burger at BK. It became a regular on the menu for a few years. Do you remember when Burger King introduced some new menu items including tacos? They didn’t last long. During the birth and quick demise of those BK Tacos, the Rodeo Cheeseburger was taken off the menu, and I resorted to my own tactics. See, the Rodeo Cheeseburger is pretty simple… it’s your standard BK cheeseburger (minus the ketchup/pickles etc) and what’s added in their place are 3 tasty onion rings and Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce.

This combination works well together. Very well. So in my times of need, when the Rodeo Cheeseburger was no longer on the BK menu, I’d resort to making my own. If your neighborhood Burger King doesn’t carry this item, just do it yourself. I did it for years. Order a plain cheeseburger… the burger patty and American cheese on the sesame seed bun, then order a side of onion rings and ask for some BBQ sauce. There you have it. Simple, delicious and worth the little extra effort.

Burger King re-introduced the Rodeo Cheeseburger in recent years for around $1.09, and it seems like every 6-8 months the price has gone up by a dime. It was holding steady at $1.39 for a while, but today I purchased one for $1.49, although still on the “Value Menu”. Worth every dime if you ask me. The only difference between the current Rodeo Cheeseburger and those of the past is the switch from Bulls-Eye BBQ sauce to Sweet Baby Ray’s. Both sauces are great. If you haven’t tried Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, it’s available in many grocery stores. Perfect blend of sweet and kick. I’ve already got a soft spot for BK’s onion rings and I’m happy they maintain good texture within the burger. No soggy rings here. There’s plenty of crunch in every bite.

I’ve tried to think of something negative to say about this burger, but for $1.49 I can’t. The BBQ sauce is tangy and sweet and goes well with the subtle flavor and crunch of the onion rings. The burger is held together nicely with melted American cheese. And if you’re eating on the go, you won’t make a complete mess, as with some bigger burgers. So if you’re in the mood for an inexpensive cheeseburger with a little western edge, go no further than your local Burger King for the Rodeo Cheeseburger. If it’s not available in your region, no problem, just make your own!

Price: $1.49 / Website: BurgerKing.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Burger King, Rodeo Cheeseburger.

Calories - 380
Calories from Fat - 180
Total Fat - 19 grams
Carbs - 40 grams
Saturated Fat - 8 grams
Trans Fat - 1.5 grams
Cholesterol - 30 milligrams
Sodium - 630 milligrams
Protein - 17 grams

Hello everyone, please help me welcome Ryan, the newest member of the FFC Team. Ryan is currently living the suburban life in the small state of Maryland. Among his favorite fast-food establishments are Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Roy Rogers and Arby’s. He enjoys watching and playing sports, especially football and hockey. He’s always listening to music of all different types. He also likes photography. Ryan has been a regular reader of FFC for a while, and wanted to help the site grow. He hopes to get his own site off the ground one day, specializing in more local “hole in the wall” type places. Recently he said to me…“Nothing better than finding a non-chain place that barely advertises but serves the best BBQ chicken brick oven pizza around.”

I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, and I don’t enjoy eating bad food, but sometimes it happens. Such is the case with Popeyes Cajun Rice. Despite being a fan of the chain, and enjoying the other items I’ve eaten there, this dish left me totally disappointed.

The first time I tried the rice it was bad, however I figured my experience might be an isolated incident or anomaly. But after eating the rice four different times now, I can no longer make that assumption or excuse. On each occasion, I got the same results. Some people refer to this (or similar dishes) as “dirty” rice, and I cannot help making a pun and joke here — because indeed this stuff does tastes a little bit like dirt.

It looks good enough, with plump grains of rice being coated with the Cajun meat mixture they use. Looks can be deceiving, and this might be the best example of that I’ve encountered recently. I don’t understand how ground beef, chicken gizzards, green onions and various other spices can blend together and taste so awful and dry, but they do. My eyes said it appears delicious, but my taste buds told a different story.

I simply have nothing good to say about the flavor of this item. I would not order it again under normal circumstances. I don’t want to harp on this too much because I’ve plenty of love and respect for Popeyes in general. So keep that in mind Popeyes fans, before you give me a hard time. Read my reviews of their other items like Cajun fries, onion rings, beans with rice, and loaded chicken wrap. You’ll see I’m a fan too.

The Cajun Rice from Popeyes is simply unappetizing to me. It’s dry, dull, almost bitter taste leaves me empty and unsatisfied. This dish escapes a score of “F” by a narrow margin, saved only because (#1) adding some Popeye’s Hot Sauce makes it edible, and (#2) I’m assuming it’s an ‘acquired taste‘, so I won’t write it off completely.

Price: $1.49 / $3.49 Website: Popeyes.com

Fast Food Critic Score: D-

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Cajun Rice from Popeyes (regular).

Calories - 170
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 6 grams
Carbs - 22 grams
Saturated Fat - 2 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 60 milligrams
Sodium - 530 milligrams
Protein - 8 grams