Review: Jack in the Box Mini Corn Dogs

I was watching college football this weekend, like every red-blooded American. I of course had to watch some of the infamous Texas Vs. OU game in Dallas, one of the most rivaled games in history. Unfortunately, this year the game sucked hard... well Texas sucked hard. That meant I was much more focused on the fried food of the Texas State Fair, also an infamous tradition. Except this tradition is in a very different but an equally American sport. eating fried food. After all that fried food I got a craving for some myself. Easiest way to fix a craving? Go eat.

What is more of a fair food than Corn Dogs? Absolutely nothing that's what! So I decided this was a perfect time for me to try the Jack In The Box Mini Corn Dogs. This fat man made a great choice.

For less than $1.50 you get five mini corn dogs, about two inches in length. These things were fried nearly perfect. The outside was crisp and slightly greasy, but not bleed-thru-the-bag wet. The inside of the batter was moist and soft, as it should be in a good corn dog. Big Juicy wieners were hidden in the middle of these nuggets that were nothing amazing, but still not gross. Where they really got it right is in the ratios. Perfect sweet to salty and batter to dog balance is what makes a good corn dog and these are spot on.

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

I would get these again anytime I was craving a corn dog and this was a perfect way to fix that craving without having to go all the way to the mall or State Fair.

Until next time children

Review: Jack in the Box Bacon Shake and BLT cheeseburger

So I am walking home from class the other day, scrolling thru my twitter feed when grubgrade posted an article about Jack in the Box's new BLT cheeseburger and Bacon shake. I am by no means the worlds biggest bacon fan, but crazy fast food ideas like this one always catch my attention. Needless to say, I changed my walking direction towards the nearest Jack in the Box and gave these two a try.

I am going to start with the more intriguing of the two, the Bacon shake. Now this concept is not really new. Bigger restaurants all over the country have been mixing bacon with sweet for a while now. Heck, last year even Denny's got on this trend with their Bacon Milkshake. Regardless, I was still surprised a fast food place like Jack in the Box had the guts to throw this out there. I was also excited because I have never really had the urge to try a bacon desert and this made it easy.

I do not think Jack in the Box has staff meetings because when I asked for the shake, only one out of the seven employees even knew what the hell I was talking about. The rest of them just looked at me confused. Eventually I got my shake, and at first I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping it would have little bacon bits in it or something. I mean if your gunna go crazy, go all the way right? It just uses a bacon syrup flavoring that gives the shake a bit darker vanilla color. It smelled more like vanilla then bacon, with only a hint of smokiness. I was nervous to try it, after all it IS a BACON SHAKE. Honestly though, it tasted pretty good. At first it comes of more like a vanilla shake. The bacon flavor doesn't hit you until midway through your first few sips. I was impressed by how much it actually tasted like bacon, yet still have a strong enough vanilla flavor to not be disgusting. It was actually a really enjoyable shake all the way through with a good balance of sweet and bacon.

Now on to the BLT burger. This was also another pleasant suspire. When I think of Jack in the Box burgers, I think of a shit ton of meet and cheese slathered in mayo. This burger was pretty much just a whopper with no onions or ketchup, but I have never had this many veggies on a burger at Jack in the Box. I gotta say, I really liked it. The shredded lettuce gave the bigger a good heft and crunch. The tomatoes were juicy and plentiful. There was around 6 pieces of bacon on it too. It actually reminded me a lot of a BLT. I do NOT get why there are pickles on there, especially because they did not really had much to the flavor, and its not called a BLTP. Oh well, I am sure there is some research explaining why somewhere.

Ratings:
Bacon Shake: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"
BLT Burger: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

I gotta say I am impressed. They managed to recreate two tastes in common fast food items, and do it well. If you like bacon at all or are just curious like me I recommend giving the shake a try. If you like Jack in the Box burgers but wish they had more veggies, then give the BLT a go. I do not know if I will ever have either again, but thats more because I dont really care for Jack in the Box.

PS check out the impulsive buy for another view of the Bacon Shake.

tell next time folks

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!