Even if you’re not a habitual consumer of fast food, you’ve heard about it. Snack Wraps returned to McDonald’s earlier this month to much ballyhoo. I side with The Atlantic on this one. Last month, staff writer Ellen Cushing published an article entitled, “The Worst Sandwich Is Back.” She was talking, of course, about wraps.
Our current era has brought us many wonders, from movies streaming on-demand to tiny computers in our pockets. But putting crispy chicken inside a cold tortilla is not one of them.
If slimming down your fast-food order is the aim, keep looking. A Spicy Snack Wrap, which features a single McCrispy strip surrounded by unmelted cheese, wilted lettuce, and spicy sauce, features 380 calories. You will still be hungry when you’re done. And will have done your waistline no particular favors.
But I like to consider myself a fast-food Pollyanna. Even if I have no intention of actually trying them, I get excited about new innovations at the drive-thru. And when I do get to sample them, even a critic can admit that it’s sometimes fireworks. I still dream about the butter chicken poutine I had at a Burger King outside Toronto two summers ago (sadly a limited-time promotion).
Here are my hot takes on some of the other latest new additions to our fast food landscape:
Starbucks’ Secret Menu: My husband is a hazelnut latte aficionado, but I usually figure Starbucks drinks aren’t worth the calories. That said, my interest was piqued by the idea of adding vanilla sweet cream cold foam to the Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher. The idea reminds me of similar drinks I’ve tried at boba shops. So next time I’m at the drive-thru with my other half, I might give it a sip.
Taco Bell’s “Mocktails”: In general, I abhor mocktails as a lazy money grab by restaurants that want to trick teetotalers into spending more than soda prices for, well, soda. But when in Mexico, I love an agua fresca. Since these split the difference, I’m open to trying them, despite the high caffeine content of the three drinks on the permanent menu.
Popeye’s Chicken Dippers: I like a high batter-to-meat ratio when indulging in fast-food fried chicken. Popeye’s skinny new product offers just that. Since it’s already home to my favorite crispy coating, I’m all in on this one. And when I try it, I’ll be sure to order the brand-new Signature Sauce, which combines garlic and hot sauce with the Louisiana “holy trinity” of celery, onion, and bell pepper.
Feature image courtesy VGV/stock.adobe.com
