Review: Jack In The Box Jumbo Breakfast Platter

I love breakfast. It has to be the best meal of the day for me. Every single breakfast food I find delicious. So naturally, I love fast food breakfast as well. One of the big things I look for in a good fast food breakfast is price. I feel like paying anything over $5 is way too much to spend on my morning food (Chick-fil-a is exempt from this rule). When I saw Jack In The Box had a "Jumbo Breakfast Platter" out for only $2.99 I had to check it out. I mean there commercial was not only hilarious (see below) but it made it seem like a lot of food for only $2.99. Was this breakfast platter really that much food?

I can thankfully say yes, yes it was. I have mixed feelings on Jack In The Box and their breakfast. Their standard items are done better elsewhere like BK and their good items are just too expensive. I guess that is why I was kind of surprised by this. I got the Jumbo Breakfast Platter with bacon. It came with eggs, hash brown sticks, bacon, and mini-pancakes.

The eggs were better then I expected. They were fluffy and not overcooked at all. They could of almost actually past as real eggs cooked at home. The hash brown sticks were fried golden brown, but not too greasy. A nice crunch on the outside with the actual potato bits on the inside. The mini-pancakes were what I expected. They were dry and had a spongy texture to them, but not horrible. If you have ever had pre-made pancakes, thats what you get here. The bacon was a HUGE letdown. It was that horrible fast food bacon that is so thin but so greasy all you taste is salt. It was like eating deep fried paper bits. I have had the sausage at Jack In The Box and recommend getting that and not the bacon.

Rating 3/5 "It's Just Meh"

For $2.99 it is actually a great value for anyone who is looking to eat a cheap, big breakfast. If you are looking for quality, go to IHOP. Nothing here blew me away but there were a few nice surprises. If you try this GET SAUSAGE. I regret not getting that and might have given it a 4/5 with that change. Oh well, at least the commercial is funny.

I will be doing a fall beer review next week sometime so get excited!

Review: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager and Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale

So now that I am of age to enjoy a good alcoholic beverage now and again, I do my best to try a variety of different beers. Sense Summer-time is typically a time for lighter, more refreshing flavors, I have been giving the seasonal beers a try. Fruity beers are very popular during summer, the fruity flavors are perfect for summer. I already tried the Ruby Redbird from Shiner. Now I have moved on to a strawberry flavored beer and an apricot flavored beer.

First up,

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

I felt very manly drinking this one. I tried it at my sisters place, I would not by this myself. I have too much pride. Anyways it comes out a nice golden color. One thing to worry about with fruity beers is too much fruit flavor. If the flavor is too strong it often ruins the beer. Seeing the beer is still a golden color even with the strawberry was good start. It definitely had an aroma of strawberries as well. As far as flavor goes, it is was pretty spot on. One can definitely taste the strawberry but it is not overpowering. The aftertaste is a bit to sweet for me personally but what can you do. Overall it is a refreshing beer that is good for a summertime treat but I would never drink it on a regular basis.

Rating: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale

It has a very cloudy, golden appearance. It is an unfiltered beer so that would make sense. The smell definitely rings of apricot, which i enjoyed at first but if you smell it too long it gets a bit too strong. Comes off almost more of a wheat then fruit flavor at first taste. Then the apricot hits and gives it a strong but crisp fruit flavor. After this it ends with the same wheat flavor from the beginning. It is a very smooth drink but also pretty dense. Much more heavy then the Abita.

Rating 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Overall: I would say these are both great beers to have during summer at a get-together. I would NOT recommend them as a regular drink. Think of them more as a summer-time treat.

McDonald's Cheddar Onion Hot 'n Spicy McChicken and Jalapeno Cheddar Hot 'n Spicy McChicken

I know I am super behind on these two but better late then never right?! A few months ago McDonald's released two new alternative versions of the Hot 'N Spicy McChicken that offer a little bit of variety. There is the Jalapeno Cheddar Hot 'N Spicy, which offers even more heat, and the Cheddar Onion, which offers some more flavor. These two are only released in certain markets across the country. Thankfully my hometown in Houston, TX is one of those markets. These juiced up sandwiches are both offered for $1.49 plus tax.

Cheddar Onion Hot 'N Spicy

I will start with what I thought was the weaker of the two. This one is made up of a Hot 'N Spicy filet, lettuce, white cheddar, and caramelized onions. Where the normal Hot 'N Spicy typically suffers from way too much mayo, this one suffers from being way too dry. The onions do offer some great flavor to the sandwich and are actually really well done as far as caramelization goes. The cheddar is almost non-existent. I could not even taste it in this one. If this had some Ranch on it or something I think it would be much better but it still is some nice variety from the regular Hot 'N Spicy.

Rating: 3/5 "It's Just Meh"


Jalapeno Cheddar Hot 'N Spicy

Who would of thought adding MORE heat to the Hot 'N Spicy would have made it that much better! this one is made up of the same as above, except sub out onions for jalapenos. The jalapenos, while not very fresh (it is almost a relish), adds a lot of flavor to the sandwich. Unlike the other version of this sandwich, this one does not suffer from dryness even without the mayo. I still think Ranch would be great on it but a small complaint. The cheddar here is more noticeable but still not a much as I would like.

Rating: 4/5 "It's Just Swell!"

Overall I would say that for the extra 50 cents, both sandwiches do a great job of adding variety and flavor to the Hot 'N Spicy, while still making it as affordable as it has always been! I really hope these become permanent additions all across the country!

Review: Wendy's Monterey Ranch Chicken Sandwhich

There really is not a whole lot to say about this one in all honesty. Once again, I give props for mixing up their value menu. They are smart and have really the closest fast food place to Taco Bell as far as a decent value menu is concerned, even with the shrinking of the menu. This is once again another solid attempt at mixing the value menu up.

The sandwich itself is pretty basic. It is just a chicken patty (the cheap processed kind), Monterey Jack cheese, Ranch, and lettuce. Nothing to crazy here. I will say that for a "value" chicken sandwich it is nice to have something besides mayo and lettuce with it. The ranch provides a nice flavor to it that makes it like eating a giant chicken nugget. The cheese gives it just enough of a little kick to make it new and different. Now the lettuce in really weak and needs to be discarded or fixed because it only gives me false hope for some freshness to it. I think they could really improve this by either fixing the lettuce or adding a tomato and onions. It IS a value item though so once again, it gets a pass on a lot of things for only being 99 cents.

Rating: 3/5 "It's Just Meh"

I find myself being suckered by a lot of value items as far as ratings go. On one hand it is not very good but on the other, it is what you pay for. Would I get this every time I go to Wendy's? Probably not. If I was super hungry for a chicken sandwich and on a budget would this be my first choice? Probably. Trade-offs I suppose. But once again. Props to Wendy's for mixing things up a bit.