Fast Food News

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Health Care Law Includes Menu Reform

2010-03-23T13:16:00.002-05:00

The health care reform legislation that President Obama signed into law today also includes a new requirement for the country's restaurant chains.

Restaurants chains with 20 or more locations will be required to post nutritional data for their menu items. The requirement is modeled on similar regulations already in place in New York City and California.

The NRA (National Restaurant Association) is praising the requirements:

“The passage of this provision is a win for consumers and restaurateurs,” said Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO. “We know the importance of providing consumers with the information they want and need, no matter in which part of the country they are dining. This legislation will replace a growing patchwork of varying state and local regulations with one consistent national standard that helps consumers make choices that are best for themselves and their families.”

The regulation will also apply to posting nutritional information on the outside of vending machines. The American Beverage Association has announced that their members were going to start doing this anyway.

WSJ Health Blog

Chipotle Supports Movie About Kids & Food

2010-03-02T06:56:00.002-06:00

Chipotle is promoting another film about food (the last was Food, Inc.). This one is aimed at kids and is called What's On Your Plate?

The film is a witty and provocative documentary about kids and food politics that addresses many of the same ideas behind Chipotle's "Food with Integrity" philosophy and the importance of supporting local farms.

"It's amazing to see two young kids address the issue of where our food comes from in such an empowering way," said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing officer of Chipotle. "It's important for people, including kids, to understand issues related to the food they eat, and we believe this film will reach them in a way that is more informed and honest than is typical in how food is marketed to children."

Have a look at the trailer for the film:

Wendy's Bacon & Blue Burger

2010-02-24T07:47:00.002-06:00

Wendy's new Bacon & Blue Burger has blue cheese crumbles and smoked bacon, with sautéed onions and steakhouse sauce.

"We've heard loud and clear that our customers love the new Applewood smoked bacon," says Ken Calwell, chief marketing officer for Wendy's. "This great bacon and real blue cheese crumbles takes the Bacon and Blue hamburger to a whole new level and offers gourmet taste for a value price."

The Bacon & Blue is available for a limited time and priced at $4.29.

The burger has 680 calories and 40 grams of fat. It proudly serves up 75% of your daily Saturated Fat intake (15 grams). Here are the complete nutritional facts:

I don't normally do this, but while I was checking to see if I could add this burger to our HFCS-free Fast Food list, I couldn't help but notice the rather extensive list of ingredients, so I decided to include them ALL right here. Seems like a lot... even for a 'fancy' burger! By the way, 3 elements of the burger have High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), the bun, the Creamy Steakhouse Spread and the ketchup; the mayonnaise just has regular corn syrup. Okay, here's all the parts of the burger and their respective ingredients...

Premium Bun
Enriched Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin, iron, folic acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Soy and/or Canola Oil, Wheat Gluten, Contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Dough Conditioners (contains one or more of the following: sodium stearoyl lactylate, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono and diglycerides, DATEM, calcium peroxide, calcium sulfate, L-cysteine, enzymes), Yeast Nutrients (contains one or more of the following: ammonium sulfate, tricalcium phosphate, ammonium chloride), Modified Food Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Wheat Starch, Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Propionate (preservative). Topped with Yellow Corn Meal. CONTAINS: WHEAT.

Hamburger Patty
Ground Beef. Seasoned with Salt.

Tomatoes, 1-2 slices
Tomatoes.

Lettuce
Lettuce.

Applewood Smoked Bacon, 4 Strips
Pork Cured With: Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphates, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.

Creamy Steakhouse Spread
Soybean Oil, Water, Blue Cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Egg Yolk, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Spices, Garlic (dehydrated), Onion (dehydrated), Shallots (dehydrated), Mustard Seed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (preservatives), Glucono Delta Lactone, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to protect flavor). CONTAINS: EGG, MILK

Seasoned Sauteed Onions
Sauteed Yellow Onions (yellow onion, sea salt, maltodextrin, evaporated cane juice, potassium chloride, fractionated coconut oil, caramel color, spices, natural flavor, extra virgin olive oil, citric acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), Onion Seasoning (maltodextrin, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavors, spice, garlic powder, onion powder, artificial flavors, less than 2% of each of the following: silicon dioxide and sunflower oil [processing aids]).

Real Blue Cheese Crumbles
Blue Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, mold, natamycin), Powdered Cellulose (to prevent caking). CONTAINS: MILK

Mayonnaise
Water, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup, Egg Yolk, Modified Corn Starch, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (preservatives), Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to protect taste), Yellow 5 and 6. CONTAINS: EGG.

Dill Pickles (4)
Cucumbers, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Alum, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, Yellow 5, Blue 1.

Ketchup
Tomato Concentrate (made from red ripe tomatoes), Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring.

Mustard
Water, Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric (color), Paprika, Spice.

Onion (4 rings)
Onions.

American Cheese Slice
Cultured Milk, Water, Cream, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid (preservative), Artificial Color, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY.

Fast Food Solutions for Lent

2010-02-16T15:02:00.001-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras!

I hope you celebrate Fat Tuesday in true fast food style today, but Mardi Gras, of course, also marks the beginning of Lent tomorrow. And some fast food chains have dining solutions available for those observing Lent.

Lenten season menu items and specials include:

Long John Silver's is, of course, a perennial go-to solution during Lent. They are currently launching their new Crispy Breaded Pollock with the supporting Spin & Win Fish Fry online sweepstakes.
Captain D's Seafood Kitchen has their new Butterfly Shrimp Dippers; the 15-piece meal is only $4.99.
Jack in the Box will be offering their Fish Sandwich for just $1.49 during Lent. They also have 2 other fish products: Fish & Chips for $3.99 and the Fish Pita Snack for $1.99.
Dairy Queen has a Popcorn Shrimp Basket which includes fries, coleslaw and cocktail sauce.
A&W Restaurants has brought back their 21-piece Shrimp and Fries.

Fast Food Study: Most Trusted Nutritional Claims

2010-02-16T11:38:00.001-06:00

Dallas, Texas based research firm, Decision Analyst, Inc., has conducted a study of which fast food restaurants' nutritional claims are most trusted by consumers.

Their conclusion: More consumers trust Subway’s nutritional claims, compared to all other popular quick service restaurants. According to Decision Analyst, Subway is the leader in consumer trust with almost one-quarter (24.2%) of consumers saying they “completely trust” its nutritional claims.

The percentage of consumers that "completely trust" the nutritional claims of other fast food restaurants are as follows: Chick-fil-a: 12.1%, Quizno's: 11.1%, Wendy's: 10.5%, KFC: 8.4%, and Taco Bell: 7.5%.

The study also found that 42% of Subway customers choose Subway because it "has a good selection of healthy items," versus only 3% of Taco Bell customers choosing Taco Bell for that reason.

Diane Brewton, Senior Vice President of the Market Intelligence Division at Decision Analyst, states the studies conclusion:

“Subway owns the nutritional claim relative to its competition, as there is a significant gap between Subway and these other popular fast food/quick-service restaurants. In fact, Subway is the only one of these restaurants with more people who ‘completely trust’ their nutritional claims than ’do not trust’ them. This finding illustrates the challenges and opportunities facing restaurants in their quest to gain greater acceptance of their health and nutrition efforts."

Anatomy of McDonald's Mac Snack Wrap

2010-02-10T08:30:00.005-06:00

Why didn't I think of that?!?! Take a Big Mac, lose the bun and wrap it all up in a tortilla. Of course... makes perfect sense!

Honestly, if someone had suggested that 10 years ago, they'd have been laughed out of the room. But that was before the wrap craze. The question now is: With the Mac Snack Wrap, has the 'wrap craze' officially jumped the shark?

Well, I had to taste this for myself... And it is exactly what you'd expect a Big Mac components wrapped up in a tortilla would taste like! If you're a Big Mac fan, but you've always dreamed of losing all those buns, you're dream has come true. If you didn't love the Big Mac, you probably won't like the Mac Snack Wrap. Actually, the one I got had way too much 'Big Mac Sauce' for my taste, but otherwise, no complaints.

The Mac Snack Wrap is 1/2 of a 1/4 pound beef patty, American cheese, lettuce, pickle, onion and Big Mac sauce (aka 1,000 Island Dressing, aka mayonnaise & ketchup) all wrapped up in a tortilla.

See, I took a picture, The Anatomy of a Mac Snack Wrap:

Another important distinction that McDonald's is attempting to make between the Big Mac and the Mac Snack Wrap (besides the bun vs. tortilla) is that the latter is a "snack," and the Big Mac is a meal. And clearly the wrap has less meat, specifically half a Quarter Pounder patty. It should be noted, though, that a full Quarter Pounder patty is bigger than a Big Mac beef patty, 220 calories vs. 180 calories.

Here's the nutritional data for the Mac Snack Wrap:

And here's the nutritional data for the Big Mac:

As you can see the Mac Snack Wrap has 330 calories to the Big Mac's 540. That's 60% of the Big Mac's calories. 70 calories are lost by replacing the buns with a tortilla (140 vs. 210) and another 70 calories are lost by using less meat (110 vs. 180). But the Mac Snack Wrap has more calories than a McDonald's Cheeseburger (300 calories), so is it really just a snack.

~~Find out for yourself!!! The first 10 people to e-mail me at tips@foodfacts.info with their snail mail address will receive a certificate for a free Mac Snack Wrap!!~~

~~You're address will be used strictly for this promotion, not shared with anyone and deleted after your certificate is mailed. It will be noted here when all 10 certificates have been given away.~~

Congratulations to Doug, Jessica, Briana, Ted, Robert, Sarah, Michael, Heather, Montgomery, and Jorge... they'll all be getting a certificate for a free Mac Snack Wrap from McDonalds!

[Disclosure: 10 certificates for a free Mac Snack Wrap were supplied to me and Fast Food News by McDonald's for use in this promotion. I paid for the Mac Snack Wrap that I ate. :)]

New Salads from Carl's Jr.

2009-12-17T08:23:00.001-06:00

Carl's Jr. claims they're making "lettuce luxurious" with 3 new premium salads:

The Cranberry, Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad (pictured) has grilled chicken on top of feta cheese and apple slices, served with dried cranberries, glazed walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It has a total of 460 calories (300 for the salad and 160 for the dressing) and is priced at $4.99.

The Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad has warm grilled chicken on top of sliced red onions, roasted corn and black beans, shredded cheese and bacon bits with a chipotle Caesar dressing and tortilla strips. This salad has 710 caloris (440 for the salad and 270 for the dressing) and is also $4.99.

Original Grilled Chicken Salad has Warm grilled chicken on top of red onions, shredded cheese, tomatoes, cucumber slices and croutons served with a choice of dressing. This salad (without dressing) has only 200 calories. Add Carl's Low-fat Balsamic Dressing (which has 35 calories) and you're still under 250 calories for this salad. It is priced at $4.79.

The underlying salad mix for all 3 salads was also upgraded to a blend of more than 10 varieties of lettuces including Green Leaf, Baby Spinach, and Arugula.

Carl's has picked Kim Kardashian to introduce the new salads. In the video below, Kardashian invites viewers to join her for an interactive lunch on January 13 on Carl's Facebook page. During the interactive lunch, Kim will chat via webcam with consumers while enjoying her favorite Carl’s Jr. salad. Consumers who purchase any of the new salads between Wednesday, Dec. 30 and Tuesday, Jan. 12 will be given a code granting access to ask Kim questions during the lunch date. No code is required to simply watch the event via streaming video.

“Carl’s Jr. pioneered premium quality entrée salads in fast-food over 20 years ago but other chains have caught up to us in that time while we were focused on bringing sit-down restaurant quality burgers to fast-food consumers,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl’s Jr. “Our new line of Grilled Chicken Salads put Carl’s Jr. squarely back in the forefront with salads that are just as big and indulgent as the burgers people have come to expect from us. With ingredients like grilled, marinated chicken, dried cranberries and candied walnuts, these salads are so full of flavor that even our most passionate burger lovers will be enticed by them.”

Fast Food Halloween Treats

2009-10-29T05:34:00.002-05:00

Taco Bell and Chipotle both have special offers for Halloween this year.

Taco Bell will be giving away their new Black Jack Tacos.

One free Black Jack Taco for every/anyone from 6 pm to Midnight on Halloween night. (Limit one per customer, while supplies last, etc, etc).

Chipotle is giving away a free burrito, tacos, bowl or salad to anyone who comes into a Chipotle dressed as a Chipotle burrito.

This promotion may not be at all locations, so call your local Chipotle for details, but the restaurants we've checked will be handing out Boo-ritos to the appropriately attired from 6 pm to close on Halloween night.

Chipotle's Kid's Menu

2009-10-26T14:22:00.002-05:00

This is a great move by Chipotle... they've introduced a kid's menu.

Fast food kid's meals are nothing new... most of the fast food chains have them. But many health-conscious parents will be thrilled to hear that they can now take their children to Chipotle for a healthier, more natural option with kid-sized portions.

I personally discovered the kid's menu at Chipotle when I saw the first guy on the production line at Chipotle cover one of the tortillas they use for burritos with cheese, fold it over and heat it on the tortilla grill-press. This was something I'd never seen before... then I saw that the woman in line had some kids in tow and then I looked up and saw the "Kid's Menu" addition to the menu board.

Here's the kid's menu as it appears at a Chipotle I visited:

All Kid's Menu items served with kid's chips and a drink.
Kid's Drinks: Juice, Organic Milk (plain or chocolate), Small soda.

Small Cheese Quesadilla. With a side of rice and beans. $2.95.
Small Meat & Cheese Quesadilla. With a side of rice and beans. $3.50.
Single Taco. Soft or crispy shell, and a choice of any three items (one meat or guacamole) and a side of rice. $3.50.
Taco Kit (they build it). Choose any three ingredients (one meat or guacamole) and two soft or crispy shells. Served on a tray for easy building. $3.95.

McDonald's Leaving Iceland

2009-10-26T14:15:00.002-05:00

McDonald's is closing all 3 of their restaurants in Iceland, following the island nation's economic collapse.

Taco Bell Adds New Color... Black

2009-10-15T03:39:00.002-05:00

Taking food coloring usage up a notch, Taco Bell has introduced their 89¢ Black Jack Taco.

Red was the color of choice with the Volcano line introduction... now it's all the colors, to create black.

A black taco shell and some pepper jack sauce and it is the classic crispy taco redux.

At 89¢, it is an addition to Taco Bell's 79¢-89¢-99¢ Why Pay More! Value Menu.

It has 210 calories and 17 grams of fat (.5 grams Trans Fat). Fast Food Facts complete nutritional info:

Wendy's NEW Bacon Deluxe

2009-10-13T17:32:00.002-05:00

The name remains the same, but changes have been made to Wendy's Bacon Deluxe.

The New Bacon Deluxe is "fresh-cooked beef, melted American cheese, hand-leafed lettuce, and sliced beefsteak tomato topped with four seriously thick, crispy strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon on a Kaiser bun."

Yup, you caught it: Applewood Smoked Bacon.

Wendy's is so excited about their new Applewood Smoked Bacon, they even have a special Twitter account to talk about it: @urBaconMeCrazy

Subway To Pass McDonald's Restaurant Number

2009-09-22T07:54:00.003-05:00

Sometime in the next few months Subway will surpass McDonald's number of world-wide restaurant locations.

Subway is expected to pass 31,800 restaurants this week bringing it within 400 of McDonald's 32,158 restaurant locations.

Subway remains way behind McDonald's in revenue, though. The average US McDonald's had about $2.3 million in sales last year; the average Subway, about $445,000.

Advertising Age

KFC Expands Value Menu

2009-09-02T04:18:00.002-05:00

KFC has expanded their Value Menu. For the first time it will include some of their new Grilled Chicken.

The new Value Menu items fall into 3 value price categories, $1.99, $1.49, and 99¢.

The $1.99 items include:

Kentucky Grilled Value Box – choice of either a Kentucky Grilled drumstick or thigh with Potato Wedges
Snack Boxes:

Popcorn Chicken with Potato Wedges,
Three Hot Wings with Potato Wedges,
Snack Size Bowl, or
Honey BBQ Sandwich

For $1.49:

Little Bucket Parfait
Side Salad or KFC Toasted Wrap

And 5 items for 99¢

Mini Melt – pulled chicken doused in Honey BBQ Sauce and mixed with a 3-cheese blend, wrapped in a fresh tortilla and grill-pressed
Brownie Bites – 3 pack
KFC Snacker Sandwiches
Two Biscuits
Two Apple Turnovers

McDonald's Using Foreign Beef in US Angus Burgers

2009-09-02T04:02:00.002-05:00

You would think that McDonald's would turn exclusively to US farmers for the Angus beef in their new Angus Third Pounder Burgers sold in US stores.

Instead they have upped their deal with New Zealand farmers to export over 22,000 tons of beef (that's enough for over 132 million Angus Third Pounders). They'll be mixing that NZ Angus with US Angus for the new burgers.

McDonald's must be getting a great deal, because they literally couldn't find someplace farther away from the US to get additional Angus beef.

Free Chick-fil-a for Fans on Labor Day

2009-08-28T15:20:00.002-05:00

In celebration of the second-annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will offer a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich to any customer wearing any sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game will be Saturday, September 5 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, pitting the University of Alabama against Virginia Tech. It will be televised nationally on ABC.

On the Monday after the game (Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7) from 10:30 AM to 8 PM, customers wearing any sports-related apparel to a Chick-fil-a restaurant will receive a free Chick-fil-a sandwich.

Appropriate attire includes any article of clothing with a sports team logo – from a little league uniform to a favorite professional or collegiate jersey, hat, t-shirt, socks or other accessory.

“Last year’s inaugural Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game was a huge success, and we are thrilled to see the excitement building for this year’s event,” said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A’s senior vice president of marketing. “This promotion has proved to be a great way to celebrate the beginning of college football season, and what better way to celebrate than giving away the Original Chick-fil-A Sandwich?”

But that's not the only way to get a free Chick-fil-a sandwich. You can also go to www.ChickenWave.com and sign up to receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-a Sandwich. The first 250,000 people to sign up get the free sandwich, the next 750,000 will get a coupon for a free Coke Zero. Plus there will be a daily drawing (8/24 to 10/31/09) for a $50 Chick-fil-a gift card.

Chipotle iPhone App Now Available

2009-08-25T16:31:00.002-05:00

Chipotle announced today that their iPhone app to locate, order from and pay a Chipotle is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch at Apple's App Store.

The mobile ordering app gives iPhone users the ability to create their favorite Chipotle order, place it at the Chipotle location of their choice and even pay for their food using the app.

“The breakthrough iPhone and iPod touch have really given us the ability to deliver a compelling experience to customers which includes simplicity, personality and attention to detail," said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. "We are changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast food, and the iPhone and iPod touch give us powerful new ways to engage and serve our customers. While we have always made our high quality food affordable and accessible so everyone can eat better, we've probably never been this accessible.”

Chipotle is also updating their online web ordering site (which we've written about previously).

Breakfast at Chipotle?

2009-08-25T16:18:00.003-05:00

This photo was just posted to Reddit:

Could it be true? We hope so.

~~We'll try and find out more and update this post.~~

Here's what we've found out...

The Chipotle menu board in the photo above is in Terminal B of Dulles Airport (Washington, DC).

You can read all about it at Dic Tailgate - A Virginia Tech Hokies Blog.

Basically, we've been informed that vendors in the terminals at Dulles must sell some form of breakfast. In order to comply and have a location there, Chipotle decided to experiment.

And evidently during Chipotle's last investor's call the possibility was left open to bring this concept to other locations!

As you can see on the menu board, there are 3 breakfast item choices:

Breakfast Tacos - "Three soft corn or flour tortillas with scrambled eggs, meat, salsa and cheese or sour cream."

Breakfast Burrito - "Flour tortilla with crispy herbed potatoes, black or pinto beans, scrambled eggs, meat, salsa and cheese or sour cream."

Breakfast Bowl - "Crispy herbed potatoes, black or pinto beans, scrambled eggs, meat, salsa and cheese or sour cream."

The 3 meat choices are Chorizo (naturally raised spicy pork sausage), Carnitas, or Barbacoa. The Chorizo being a new choice.

Three of the salsa remain the same, but the corn salsa is replaced with a spicy onion-jalapeno salsa.

We can just hope that this breakfast menu spreads to other, non-airport Chipotle locations soon!

What is Dublin Dr. Pepper?

2009-08-24T09:35:00.006-05:00

Here in Texas it isn't a mystery to anyone, we see "Dublin Dr. Pepper" all the time and it is starting to show up at more and more fast food restaurants. But I'm betting that some of you out there haven't heard of it, so here's a little background:

Dublin Dr. Pepper is only different from the regular Dr. Pepper soft drink in one important way... Pure Cane Sugar is as a sweetener instead of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).

With all the hub-bub about HFCS these days (justified or not), a lot of people seek out products without it and for Dr. Pepper fans who want to eliminate HFCS, this is their only option.

But what about taste? Just about everyone you ask, including myself, will tell you they can definitely tell the difference between Dublin DP and regular DP. With Dublin DP the sweetness is more 'natural' and many claim there isn't an HFCS aftertaste that is noticeable with beverages sweetened with HFCS.

But why Dublin? Well, Dublin Dr. Pepper is only produced in one place: Dublin, Texas. (By the way, we also have towns in Texas named London, Athens, Paris, and 'Cut and Shoot'!)

In the late '70s when most soft drink makers were switching from cane sugar to HFCS, the owner of the Dublin Dr. Pepper Bottling Company decided not to make the switch. To this day, they only use cane sugar, year 'round, to make their Dr. Pepper.

Technically, Dr. Pepper from the Dublin plant can only be sold in a 44-mile radius of Dublin, Texas, but 'bootlegged' bottles of Dublin Dr. Pepper can be found throughout Texas and even in other states. These bottles are purchased in the Dublin area and the shipped and re-sold elsewhere. It can also be purchased online.

By the way, the Dublin bottling plant is the oldest Dr. Pepper bottler. It has been in continuous use since 1891, just 6 years after DP debuted in Waco, Texas.

"Dublin" might even become an adjective to describe beverages (or other products) made without HFCS and with cane sugar. I drove by a Chicken Express restaurant recently and their sign out front advertised "Dublin Lemonade." I drove-through and ordered one and asked the girl why it was called Dublin Lemonade. I knew the answer before I asked, but she confirmed it, "It's made with real sugar, not that corn stuff."

Around here (Dallas/Fort Worth) you can go in just about any grocery store and pick up a six pack of 8oz. bottles of Dublin DP.

You never know where Dublin Dr. Pepper might pop up. Evidently it is available 'on-tap' at a Jason's Deli in Denver, CO.

The photo above shows the Dublin Dr. Pepper 8 oz. bottles. Note the "Imperial Sugar" logo on the bottle and 6-pack box. This is found only on Dublin Dr. Pepper as it is the only Dr. Pepper to use real pure cane sugar.

There are some other smaller bottlers that use pure cane sugar.

Mexico is another popular source of soft drinks made with real sugar (as opposed to corn syrup). Coca-Cola made in Mexico is not made with HFCS and is also available in many grocery stores in Texas and California. Another Mexican option free of HFCS is Jarritos sodas. Jarritos started in Mexico in 1950, is the first national soft drink brand in Mexico and the leading brand in the mexican soft drink category in the U.S. Jarritos is available in nine delicious fruit flavors: Tamarind, Mandarin, Fruit Punch, Jamaica, Lime, Grapefruit, Guava, Pineapple and Strawberry.

Another great Cane Sugar carbonated beverage is Boylan's. They have a ton of flavors and also don't use HFCS.

So, next time you're in Texas, give Dublin Dr. Pepper a try and see if you can tell the difference between using pure cane sugar and HFCS as a sweetener.

If you do, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Also let us know where you've found Dublin Dr. Pepper outside of Texas and any other Dublin DP stories.

McDonald's Japan: The Mega-Egg

2009-08-14T06:13:00.001-05:00

Check out this McDonald's sandwich, available for a limited time in Japan:

It's called the "Mega Tamago" and has (as you can see) 3 beef patties, 2 strips of bacon, an egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, a 'special' sauce and 3 buns. It is described on McD's Japan website as: "The Mega-Egg. Quivering with mega deliciousness."

Esquire: Famous Chefs Fast Food Favs

2009-08-11T10:44:00.002-05:00

Esquire Magazine has asked some well-known chefs about their favorite fast food indulgences.

In-N-Out Burger was the overall favorite among the chefs asked: "The hamburger is definitive, greasy but oddly clean-tasting at the same time and the sauce actually is 'special.' And the shake tastes the way shakes tasted back when I was a kid. It makes me tear up just thinkin' about it." — Alton Brown, host of Iron Chef America.

Chipotle, Dairy Queen and Burger King got honorable mentions. As did Whataburger: "It's like a fresh, clean Texas version of McDonald's" according to a chef from my city, Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro.

The chefs also spoke out about the worst fast food. Taco Bell topped that list: "It's just scary," Brian Bistrong, of Braeburn, NYC; "Utter bastardization of one of the finest cuisines in the world. What the f*&% is a chalupa?" Joey Campanaro of The Little Owl, NYC; "They use a meat hose for their meat. That's just plain gross," Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, TX.

White Castle was also panned by Craig Hopson of Le Cirque in NYC: "I like White Castle, but White Castle does not like me." So true!!

The also asked the chefs about their thoughts on fast food in general. I'll include this one from Jimmy Bradley of The Harrison and The Red Cat in NYC: "They all represent the same thing to me. Do the differences between Chairman Mao and Stalin really matter? Fast food is a symbol of the decline of civilization. It solidifies the journey we have made to separate ourselves from a connection to food and family, history and culture. It symbolizes all that is bad with the way food is viewed, what keeps us alive and provides our bodies with fuel we should not take so flip. Convenience is not always the best way. Just as Wal-Mart and Home Depot have proved to be the death of family businesses in small neighborhoods and communities, fast food has done the same. I mean, if you want real convenience, what's next, Soylent Green? As for the low-cost argument, they do not sell anything cheaper than you could make at home that would be better for you — and don't forget the travel expense. These stores can provide jobs to a community, pay taxes, and train the next generation, but so can any non-chain operation." Wow!

The Onion: Taco Bell Goes Green [Video]

2009-08-08T03:44:00.005-05:00

If you haven't seen it, satirical comedy site "The Onion" has a fake TV news piece about Taco Bell going 'green'... meaning that "from now own, none of Taco Bell's food will come from nature."

The fake Taco Bell spokesperson admits that the meat in Taco Bell's food used to contain 4% real meat, but they have now been able to eliminate even that 4% making it completely unnatural!

Funny stuff!

If you never seen The Onion before, be sure to check it out for more funny, satirical videos and articles.

Here's the Onion's Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature:

KFC Mystery Meat Photos

2009-08-06T16:47:00.004-05:00

An interesting photo has been added to our (Fast Food News') Flickr group, Frightening Fast Food.

According to Flickr member, jtolber, it is a photo of 'something' in a thigh piece he purchased at a KFC in Marshfield, Missouri...

jtolber writes:

"The store manager tried to tell me that it was nothing and was quick to grab it from my hands and throw it away. Offered me a free piece to replace it ... yeah, right ... last time I'll ever step foot in KFC ever again. Even tried to contact their corporate office to file a complaint and never get a response."

Frankly, I can look at it any longer to try and figure out what it might be because I'm starting to feel sick, but you go ahead and try. He has many more photos of whatever it is in his photo set on Flickr.

Any ideas?

Jack's Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito

2009-08-04T11:33:00.002-05:00

Jack in the Box has introduced a new breakfast menu item: the Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito.

It is scrambled eggs, crumbled Chorizo sausage, hash brown sticks and Cheddar cheese sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with a side of salsa.

“Chorizo has been a popular breakfast choice for years, but it’s hard to find on the menus of our major competitors,” said Teka O’Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. “With Latin flavors gaining in popularity and breakfast such an important daypart for our business, we thought this was the perfect time to add more south-of-the-border flavor to our menu. As with our full menu, our new Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito is available all day, every day.”

The Chorizo Sausage Burrito is priced at $2.99.

And it would be hard to imagine a healthier way to start your day! This baby weighs in with almost 700 calories, 35 grams of fat and 138% of your recommended daily value of Cholesterol! Not to mention 3 healthy grams of Trans Fat! </end sarcasm> Here's the complete nutritional info: