Fast Food Critic - Reviews, News and Nutrition Information about Fast Food.

What’s with all the chicken wraps these days? The wrap has become the new “it” item at most fast food establishments. Is it because they are lower in carbs? Are bread and bun prices on the rise? I’m not sure, however one thing seems certain - it appears wraps are here to stay. Hey, I’m not complaining. They’re an inexpensive snack and there’s a good variety on the market to choose from. Although, there’s not much variety at BK, as this is the lone lunch/dinner wrap they offer, and it’s for a limited time.

At $1.39, the Spicy Chicken BK Wrapper is a good value item. It’s a piece of spicy fried chicken, shredded three cheese blend, a “southwest” sauce and lettuce wrapped up in a soft flour tortilla. I felt the chicken was decent tasting but not overly spicy. The three cheese blend was no big deal, and barely noticeable. The spicy nature of the chicken mixed with the sauce took over in the taste department, preventing the cheese flavor from coming thru. Of course, there’s really not much cheese to begin with.

The southwest sauce seemed like a typical ranch dressing to me. Nothing special, but it does work well with the spicy chicken, similar to the way buffalo wings are complimented by a cool ranch sauce. The lettuce was a little on the rubbery side but still tied everything together nicely. The flour tortilla was fine (hard to mess that up) but I felt it was a little oversized for the small amount of food that’s packed inside.

Ok, so you’re not getting a very large wrap. It’s not as filling as the Popeye’s Loaded Chicken Wrap but maybe on par or even a tad bigger than McDonald’s Snack Wraps. On the chicken wrap totem poll, I’d put the Spicy Chicken BK Wrapper from Burger King around the middle. It’s decent, but not great. I would probably order it again but not alone. It’s really one of those items you’d add-on to your regular meal if you’re extra hungry, or perhaps order 2 or 3 if that’s all you’re getting. A single wrap definitely won’t satisfy a hungry appetite, but at this price you really shouldn’t expect it to.

Price: $1.39 / Website: BurgerKing.com

Fast Food Critic Score: C+

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Nutrition Facts - Burger King, Spicy Chicken BK Wrapper.

Calories - 350
Calories from Fat - 170
Total Fat - 19 grams
Carbs - 24 grams
Saturated Fat - 5 grams
Trans Fat - 2 gram
Cholesterol - 40 milligrams
Sodium - 960 milligrams
Protein - 22 grams

It seems that wraps are slowly but surely taking over the world of fast food. The trend McDonald’s started, by wrapping a chicken strip with lettuce, cheese and sauce inside a warm flour tortilla, has been followed by similar items from KFC, Wendy’s and Sonic. Recently Burger King joined the game too, but instead of using chicken they’re offering a breakfast wrap with egg, bacon, cheese and hash browns.

A few days ago, John reviewed the Cheesy Bacon Wrapper from Burger King, and last month I reviewed McDonald’s Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap. A couple weeks ago I also reviewed a side order of the same Red Beans and Rice used in this new item.

Now there’s another player in this war of the wraps, as Popeyes has just entered the contest with their brand new “Loaded Chicken Wrap”. After eating it the past two nights in a row, I’m comfortable saying they have a winner on their hands. Featuring a spicy chicken strip, red beans and rice, wrapped inside a cheddar cheese tortilla. This wrap tastes great, and it’s filling, with more food than a snack wrap from McDonald’s.

Don’t adjust your monitor, the tortilla is indeed yellow. Despite the color, it doesn’t actually have a very strong cheese flavor, and I was hoping for a bit more cheddar goodness. That’s my only real complaint. The chicken is juicy, tender and flavorful, with a crisp breading on the outside. It has a slightly spicy kick, and the strip itself is a good size. The red beans and rice are very good, a great compliment for the chicken, and make this wrap surprisingly hearty and satisfying for being relatively small.

On both occasions, there was plenty of red beans and rice surrounding the chicken, creating a noticeably bigger, thicker wrap than some of the competitors offer. They’re wonderful as-is, without any sauce, but I found that adding Popeyes hot sauce (which comes in small packets) pushed these over the top into mouthwatering territory.

The new Loaded Chicken Wrap from Popeyes is excellent. Not just another wrap, but something with a unique flavor and combination of ingredients. Like the Chipotle BBQ wrap from McDonald’s, I enjoyed every bite and wanted more. They’re both great, and I’d have trouble picking one over the other, though Popeyes has an edge in size.

Price: $1.49 / Website: Popeyes.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Popeyes, Loaded Chicken Wrap.

The company has not yet published the nutrition information for this new item. Fast Food Critic makes a point of including the nutrition facts with every food review, and will update this once the facts become available.

Between breakfast at McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Burger King, when the choice is up to me, I usually go for Burger King. Don’t get me wrong though, I still enjoy the McDonald’s McGriddle and I usually spend the extra money to add bacon to the sausage version. (It is definitely worth it.) I also like the sausage egg and cheese on a croissant from Dunkin Donuts. I just find myself going to Burger King more often for breakfast. I can remember the first time I had the ‘Enormous Omelet Sandwich’. I bit into it and said out loud ‘Oh My God this is amazing’. The Cheesy Bacon Wrapper is yet another item on BK’s breakfast menu that leaves me wanting another.

It features egg, cheese sauce, American cheese, hash browns, and bacon wrapped in a tortilla. The wrap is perfect for those who do a lot of eating while driving. I am one of those people, and have found some breakfast items too messy or hard to handle while trying to drive at the same time. The wrap though wasn’t messy aside from a slight cheese sauce drippage at the end, but that wasn’t too bad.

The first bite gives you a nice surprise with the added ingredient of the hash browns. Usually, you’ll just enjoy your hash brown as a side item, but added to the wrap is a nice touch. Another difference for this wrap was the cheese sauce. This article calls it a ’smokey cheese sauce’ but I found it to be sweet. It balances well with the saltiness of the bacon and other ingredients. Together with the bacon, American cheese, egg, and tortilla, it all works well, making a nice breakfast snack.

The only issue I have is the distribution of ingredients. On both of my experiences, there were problems. The first time it didn’t have a lot of American cheese at the beginning, but too much at the end. The second time (pictured here) gave me bacon at the end instead of throughout the entire wrap. This definitely takes some points off the grade, but overall the wrap was a positive experience.

At $1.49 each, or $4.49 for a value meal which comes with 2 wraps, coffee, and hash browns, I would totally get this again. It is definitely worth trying at least once with such an affordable price. If that’s all you get, you may still feel hungry afterwards so consider it more of a snack then your entire breakfast. I give this wrap a B plus. It would have received higher if the distribution was more even throughout the wrapper.

Price: $1.49 / Website: BurgerKing.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

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Nutrition Facts - Burger King Cheesy Bacon Wrapper.

Calories - 390
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 24 grams
Carbs - 29 grams
Saturated Fat - 8 grams
Trans Fat - 1.5 grams
Cholesterol - 150 milligrams
Sodium - 1080 milligrams
Protein - 14 grams

Let’s not waste time — the Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap from McDonald’s is delicious. This innocent looking little tortilla packs a flavor that’s much bigger than it’s size.

I reviewed McDonald’s chicken selects breast strips back in April, and found them very good overall. But when you add spicy chipotle barbecue sauce, a pinch of shredded lettuce, jack and cheddar cheese, then wrap everything up inside a flour tortilla, things are transformed into something even better. I’ve found it impossible to eat just one, not just because of the small size, because of the big and satisfying taste.

The combination of flavors, textures and temperatures are in a near perfect balance. Soft tortilla gives way to crunchy breading, cool crisp lettuce, tender warm chicken, a small taste of cheese and a fantastic BBQ sauce that’s sweet and tangy, with just the right amount of mild spicy heat. The sauce is a great partner for the chicken.

There’s not much lettuce, and very little cheese. That would be a problem with many items, but not here. Things are working together in harmony. The chicken and sauce are the stars of the show, while the lettuce and cheese are shredded very thin, and serve as light accents to the main attraction. It’s a small item to begin with, and the balance would be disrupted if they were thicker or larger in quantity.

Don’t expect to get full eating one of these, after all it’s called a “snack” and it’s only a single chicken strip. However, with a $1.49 price you can grab 2 plus large fries for under $5. That’s a nice meal, equal to a sandwich or burger in the same range.

McDonald’s Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (”Crispy”) has a new fan. I’m impressed with this item, and will definitely have it again. Please note there’s also a “Grilled” version available with less fat and calories, without the breading on the chicken.

Price: $1.49 / Website: McDonalds.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A-

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Nutrition Facts - McDonald’s Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap.

Calories - 330
Calories from Fat - 140
Total Fat - 15 grams
Carbs - 35 grams
Saturated Fat - 4.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 30 milligrams
Sodium - 810 milligrams
Protein - 14 grams