Hey, G’Day, Eh!

This is Al Hunter reporting from that vast, foreign land sitting atop the USA. Fast Food Critic goes International with this, my first review of the Canadian fast food experience. I’m based in Toronto, which is a bit like living in Florida or Southern California regions of the US. We have most of the big US food franchises (often with modified menus), and also some interesting home-grown restaurants to add variety and exotic flavour (or ‘flavor’ after translation). This is a strange land that superficially looks and feels like America, but every exploration reveals subtle and satisfying differences.

Although an American restaurant chain established 1969 in Columbus, Ohio and now serving at over 6,500 stores worldwide, Wendy’s endeared itself to Canada in 1995 when it bought our iconic Tim Horton’s donut and sandwich chain. For over a decade, Wendy’s and Tim’s could be found cohabiting the same building.

Even now, after they’ve been separated since 2006, you will often find the two working together. On many trips across and around Canada I’d end up in a rustic motel in a smaller town with only a couple restaurants that were open late. Because of that Tim Horton’s connection, I could almost always find a Wendy’s, and when I did it was the Spicy Chicken Sandwich (introduced May 1996) that I chose, along with a side of Chili. The combo was always consistent, somewhat healthy, and very tasty!

The current trend is towards wraps rather than sandwiches, so I thought I’d check out my old favourite in a new package. The first time I tried the Spicy Chicken Go-Wrap without any personalization, just the default version. It was basically the well known sandwich chicken breast fillet cut in half, with iceberg/romaine lettuce, shredded mild cheddar cheese, Ranch dressing, all wrapped in a soft tortilla. Only the chicken fillet is heated, cooked with a nice mix of spices that are not mouth-searing hot but will remind you that you’ve just eaten the wrap up to 15 or 20 minutes later. The chicken breast coating is light and crispy and complements the tender white meat.

All the rest of the ingredients are cold, including the soft wrap. The combination of tastes, temperatures, and spices is quite nice but not easy to duplicate if you try to reheat it later. I became a little excited when I started to look at the personalization that could be applied to the wrap. To cut down on the calories somewhat, I ordered my next wrap with a fresh tomato slice and replaced the Ranch dressing with Mustard. It saved 30 calories and the result is way excellent! Other choices/substitutions include a light mayonnaise, two dill pickles, two onion rings, or ketchup to complete the wrap.

Sometimes a single wrap or sandwich is not quite enough to satisfy, and those times I add a side order of Wendy’s Chili. It makes me happy to know that I’m getting some significant fibre in my meal and really enjoying it too. The chili is especially yummy during the colder months. A plentiful mix of red kidney and navy beans with ground beef, tomato, onion, celery and green peppers. Occasionally I’ve found the chili to be a little watery, but most often it is a perfect mix of flavours and textures.

I often add a package of hot chili seasoning to boost up the spiciness and a couple of broken up Premium Plus salted crackers to extend the meal (both are available at no extra charge). You can also add shredded cheddar cheese on top but I’ve found it makes very little difference to the taste despite adding more fat and calories.

If you’re Canadian and want to sign up for the WendyMail Program you’ll need to be patient for another month or so until their website is updated to accept our quaint foreign addresses. Americans can sign up now to receive discount coupons!

Price: $1.99 Can + tax / Website: Wendys.ca

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

(standard menu item - Spicy Chicken Go Wrap)

Nutrition Facts - Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Go Wrap (standard).

Calories - 310
Calories from Fat - 130
Total Fat - 14 grams
Carbs - 28 grams
Saturated Fat - 4 grams
Trans Fat - 0.3 grams
Cholesterol - 40 milligrams
Sodium - 860 milligrams
Protein - 16 grams
Fiber - 1 gram

Price: $1.99 Can + tax / Website: Wendys.ca

Fast Food Critic Score: A

(custom - No Ranch Dressing, add Mustard, Tomato)

Nutrition Facts - Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Go Wrap (custom).

Calories - 280
Calories from Fat - 100
Total Fat - 11 grams
Carbs - 29 grams
Saturated Fat - 3.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0.3 grams
Cholesterol - 35 milligrams
Sodium - 840 milligrams
Protein - 16 grams
Fiber - 1 gram

Price: $1.59 Can + tax / Website: Wendys.ca

Fast Food Critic Score: B+

(small side order - Beef Chili)

Nutrition Facts - Wendy’s Beef Chili (small).

Calories - 190
Calories from Fat - 60
Total Fat - 6 grams
Carbs - 19 grams
Saturated Fat - 2.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0.3 grams
Cholesterol - 40 milligrams
Sodium - 830 milligrams
Protein - 14 grams
Fiber - 5 grams

Click here for rating system details.

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

Click here for rating system details.

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+

Click here for rating system details.

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-

Click here for rating system details.

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

Wendy’s has just introduced their new “Chicken Go Wraps”, an obvious attempt to copy the success of the Snack-Wrap line from rival fast-food giant McDonald’s. As you would expect, the wraps consist of soft warm tortillas stuffed with chicken strips, lettuce, cheese and flavored sauce. The new offerings from Wendy’s cost $1.50 and come in three different flavors: Homestyle, Grilled and Spicy. They should be available at most Wendy’s restaurants already, and the nationwide introduction should be completed by the weekend.

Homestyle Chicken Go Wrap.
Made from Wendy’s Signature Chicken Breast Fillet - specially seasoned and lightly breaded. Plus crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese and a zesty ranch sauce all wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Grilled Chicken Go Wrap.
Made from Wendy’s Ultimate Chicken Grill Fillet - dressed up with crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese and a honey mustard sauce all wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Spicy Chicken Go Wrap.
Made from Wendy’s Favorite Chicken Fillet - made with a fiery blend of peppers and spices. Plus crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese and a zesty ranch sauce all wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Interestingly enough, it’s barely been a month since KFC also introduced a similar line of new products called “Toasted Wraps”. It’s the same basic combination of chicken, lettuce, cheese and sauce, but KFC goes the extra step of grill-pressing the tortilla wrap before it’s served, so it arrives with a toasty shell complete with grill marks.

It would seem that Wraps are now the hot thing in fast food.