New Salads from Carl's Jr.

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.”

Ideas for Hot Dog Month and the 4th

July is National Hot Dog Month and the 4th of July is traditionally a big day for hot dog consumption.

Here's a few fast food ideas for your holiday hot dog cravings...

Krystal's has the Chili Cheese Pup and the Corn Pup:

Carl's Jr. has a Jumbo Chili Dog:

Sonic, of course, has their famous Extra-Long Chili Cheese Coney and their Corn Dog:

And if you happen to have a Wienerschnitzel nearby you have a whole variety of hot dogs to choose from including the Pastrami Dog (far right in this photo):

Wienerschnitzel's newest dog is the "Angus Chipotle Chili Dog"!!  Sure to give McDonald's Angus Third Pounder a run for its money!

btw, National Hot Dog Day is a little later in the month, July 18th.

Carl's/Hardee's Giving Away Six 2010 Camaro's

Starting today (6/24/09) you can enter to win one of six 2010 Chevy Camaro's from Carl's, Hardee's, and Dr. Pepper.

I don't know why I'm spreading the word. I'd kinda like to win one myself. Heck, they sent me a pineapple, how much more is it to ask them to send me a Camaro?

Anyway, you can enter at www.DrPepperCamaro.com and when you do you'll get a link to a coupon that will upgrade your Medium Combo Meal at Carl's/Hardee's to a Large Combo Meal for free.

Audrina Partridge in Carl's Bikini Ad

It has been a few years since Carl's Jr. heated up TV screens with their ad featuring Paris Hilton in a swimsuit washing a Bentley.

Now it is Audrina Partridge's turn. Partridge's "top-rated bikini body" is featured in a new ad for Carl's Teriyaki Burger. Sex sells fast food, too, apparently:

“During the summer, as my fans know, I’m always on the beach in my bikini,” said Patridge. “But, my one indulgence is the Carl’s Jr. Teriyaki Burger. I love the charbroiled pineapple and the Teriyaki glaze – I seriously crave it.”

The Teriyaki Burger has a charbroiled beef patty, teriyaki glaze, a charbroiled pineapple slice, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayonnaise, on a seeded bun. They are available in a single, double or Six Dollar™ version, and sell for $2.89, $3.89 and $4.69 respectively.

As part of this bikini theme and to further promote the Teriyaki burger, Carl's and Hardee's have partnered with Break Media for a "Hot Chicks Eating Burgers" video contest. 'Hot chicks' are supposed to submit videos of themselves eating burgers at www.HotChicksEatingBurgers.com.

Just a coincidence...
Less than an hour after I wrote the above, FedEx showed up at my door with this pineapple for me from Carl's:

The postcard 'from' Audrina reads: "Having a delicious summer with the Carl's Jr. Teriyaki Burger. Wish you were here... XO, Audrina."

So, since I plan on eating some of this pineapple, that should serve as full disclosure... although I really don't need to do that since I already wrote about it. Hmmmm.

I also wanted to mention that you can find a $1 off coupon for the Teriyaki Burger here.

Portobello Mushroom $6 Burger Back at Carl's

Carl's Jr. is bringing their Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger back to fast food.  It was originally introduced in 2005 and then again in 2007; it will now be a permanent menu item.

It features almost 1/2 pound of Angus beef, topped with Porobello mushrooms sauteed in a garlic-butter sauce, Swiss cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a seeded bun.

It costs $4.89 or $7.39 for the combo. There is a $1 off coupon available that is valid through 6/30/09.

“The Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger is one of those craveable tastes that people can’t seem to get enough of,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing at CKE Restaurants. “Maybe that’s because we combine sautéed Portobello mushrooms, often referred to as ‘the steak of vegetables,’ with a big, charbroiled, 100% Black Angus beef patty. In fact, the burger sold even better when we re-introduced it than it did the first time, so this time around we’re making it a permanent menu item.”

“This is a momentous day for mushroom fans,” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “Portobello mushrooms are delicious, versatile and part of a nutritious diet, especially for young hungry carnivores. We know fun guys will really like this burger. Fun guys, fungi…get it?”

Here's the TV ad, "Last Bite," that they'll be using to re-introduce it:

Padma Lakshmi Loves Carl's Western Bacon

Supermodel and no-nonsense host of Bravo's "Top Chef," Padma Lakshmi shows her love for Carl's Jr.'s Western Bacon Cheeseburgers in new TV ads. The burger is a special love from her youth that helped her transition from vegetarian to carnivore.

"I...started wolfing down bacon Western cheeseburgers [sic] after school at Carl's Jr. The sublimely pleasurable taste of bacon...was further enhanced by its mingling with the barbecue sauce, greedily licked off as it dripped down my teenage fingers," wrote Padma in her latest cookbook, 'Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet,' published in 2007.

That revelation drew the attention of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's advertising agency, Mendelsohn|Zien, which had been tasked with creating a new television campaign for Hardee's introduction of its very own Western Bacon Thickburger. The resulting ads will begin running on March 30th in markets throughout the Midwest and Southeast and will also be shown in limited Carl's Jr. markets on the West Coast beginning March 31st.

You can watch it below, right now:

Carl's Jr.'s Bourbon and Coke

Hopefully and fooled you with the title and made you think Carl's is the first fast food joint to start serving liquor... that's probably what they're going for, too!

But there's no alcohol here, it's just their Kentucky Bourbon Burger (and a Coke).

The Kentucky Bourbon Burger is a Charbroiled Black Angus Beef Patty, 2 strips of bacon, Pepperjack cheese, garlic-pepper onion straws, lettuce, tomato slices and Kentucky Bourbon Glaze (zero proof).

You can even get a dollar off with this coupon.

So you might not get a buzz, but as a bonus you'll get 100% of your daily value of Saturated Fat and Sodium, and 970 calories!  Come to think of it, you might get a buzz after all!

UPDATE: Here's an advance look at the TV spot that will start airing next week for the Kentucky Bourbon Burger (a surgeon talks about his need for a bourbon before surgery, of course it is revealed that he's talking about this new burger):

0 Proof (0.0% Alc./Vol.)... I love it!

Carl's Jr.'s Steak Sandwich ($1 off)

Carl's has a coupon for $1 off their Charbroiled Steak Sandwich.

This long sandwich is "100% sirloin steak" (aka, 'oblong hamburger patty'), onion rings, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a toasted steak roll.

It also generously includes 700 calories, 330 of them from fat, and 38 grams of fat. Here's the rest of the nutritional information from Fast Food Facts:

Carl's Jr.'s marketing slogan for this sandwich is: "It's how guys do fancy."

“In this economy, it’s understandable that guys would want to watch what they spend,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl’s Jr. “So, we’re giving them the opportunity to do just that with the new Charbroiled Steak Sandwich. It isn’t cheap, low-quality, value-menu fare like most of our competitors are pimping right now, but it does represent a great value for a big piece of steak compared to what guys would pay almost anywhere else. Even in these tough times, people still want quality food and great taste, but they also want to feel like they are getting a good value for their money. And, for a little over four-and-a-half bucks, the new Charbroiled Steak Sandwich from Carl’s Jr. delivers value in a big way.”

The TV ad for the Charbroiled Steak Sandwich are supposed to be funny... how about ridiculous and disturbing...

Here's the short version.

Carl's Jr.'s Big Country Breakfast Burrito

Carl's Jr. has introduced their Big Country Breakfast Burrito.

Appropriate for their "Breakfast As Big As Our Burrgers" campaign, this new breakfast item offers a complete country breakfast wrapped in a burrito.

The Big Country Breakfast Burrito has eggs, crumbled bacon and sausage, diced ham, shredded cheddar cheese, has rounds and "a generous ladle of sausage gravy," in a flour tortilla.

Wow. That's a big breakfast burrito alright. She weighs in at 2/3 of a pound, has 770 calories (420 from fat), 47 grams of fat and 165% of the daily value of Cholesterol (495 mg)!  Here's the rest of the nutritional info:

The Big Country Breakfast Burrito costs $2.69, or $4.49 for a combo which includes has rounds and coffee.

This the TV ad supporting the Big Country Breakfast Burrito, it's called "Not Much"

Carl's Jr. Expands Bacon Guacamole Burger Line

Carl's has a coupon right now for $1 off their Guacamole Bacon Burgers.  They're celebrating the success of their guacamole-topped burgers and chicken sandwiches.  (Carl's makes their guacamole fresh every day.)

“Carl’s Jr. has always had great success introducing menu items that deliver more authentic tastes and flavors than our competitors would ever attempt,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl's Jr. “So, we naturally wanted to prepare guacamole like people do at home, with real avocados and fresh salsa, to make our Guacamole Bacon Burgers taste like something you’d be more likely to find only in sit-down restaurants."

The Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger ($4.99) was introduced in 2003 and won Citysearch's "Best Burger of 2007."  And this year it is the official burger of the 2008 California Avocado Festival.  Now Carl's is also offering a Single Guacamole Bacon Burger ($3.29) and a Double Guacamole Bacon Burger ($4.29).

Other fast food eats that we've written about that include guacamole are Quizno's Turkey Bacon Guacamole Sub, Taco Bell's Guacamole Bacon Grilled Burrito, and El Pollo Loco's Chicken Nachos.

The Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger offers 130% of your daily fat intake and 145% of your saturated fat intake* with 1140 calories and 85 grams of fat.  The Single has 850 calories and 66 grams of fat.  Complete nutritional information:

Carl's Monster Breakfast Sandwich

Have you got a big mouth and want a quick 730 calories and 47 grams of fat first thing in the morning?

Then Carl's Jr. has something new for you. The Monster Breakfast Sandwich. Yup, 47 grams of fat. That's the fat equivalent of 5 glazed donuts or 5 McDonald's hamburgers. Take your pick!

The Monster Breakfast Sandwich has two eggs, two strips of bacon, a sausage patty and Swiss and
American cheeses between grilled sourdough bread.

"As we looked for compelling ways to make Carl's Jr. breakfast menu
stand out from the crowd, our consumer research revealed that many
people felt that typical fast-food breakfast items really didn't fill
them up, so much so that they often ordered two sandwiches at a time to
get enough food," said Brad Haley, executive vice president of
marketing for Carl's Jr.

Thanks for thinking of us Brad! But we would have to eat four, yes 4, Egg McMuffins to get the amount of fat your offering us in your new breakfast sandwich!

Don't get me wrong, it's not Carl's Jr.'s fault...artery clogging menu items like this ARE what American's want!

The Monster Breakfast Sandwich has:

• 730 calories
• 420 calories from fat
• 47 grams of fat
• 17 grams saturated fat
• 530 mg cholesterol
• 1210 mg sodium
• 39 g carbs
• 2 grams fiber
• 5 grams sugars
• 37 grams protein.

If you feel you've spent enough time in this crazy world (with these crazy, gluttonous sandwiches) and want to hasten your departure you can get a coupon for $1 off the Monster Breakfast Sandwich (thru 9/30/08).

The Monster Breakfast Sandwich is $2.89 a la carte or $4.49 as part of a combo.

Hardee's/Carl's Reality TV Ad Campaign

Hardee's and Carl's Jr. has a new ad campaign that's more creative (but less hot) than watching Paris Hilton wash a Bentley.

They set up a fake restaurant called "Grade A Restaurant." The 'bistro burger' restaurant, complete with hidden cameras, had staff and customers that were all actors. The "target" was brought to the restaurant by an "accomplice." The "target" was told about the high-quality bistro burgers on the menu ranging in price from $14 to $20. After enjoying their burger it was revealed to them that they had just eaten a burger from Hardee's.

In the video below, the "target" even says how much she hates Hardee's commercials!

More videos can be found at www.fakerestaurant.com or on their YouTube channel.

Carl's Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito

Carl's Jr. has added a staple Mexican dish to their breakfast line up and wrapped it in a burrito.

There new Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito has features refried beans, scrambled eggs, shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and Ranchero sauce, topped with corn tortilla strips, and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

"While originally starting out as a traditional Mexican breakfast, Huevos Rancheros has become a menu favorite at diners and sit-down eateries throughout the western states," said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl's Jr. "However, eggs, beans, melted cheese and Ranchero sauce don't make for a very portable breakfast. At Carl's Jr., we rolled it all up in a flour tortilla so it can be eaten as a burrito when you're on the go."

Carl's Jr.'s Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito has 660 calories, 34 grams of fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 490 mg cholesterol, 1550 mg sodium, 60 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein.

The Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito is priced at $2.39 or $3.89 as part of a breakfast combo meal, but you can save a dollar with this coupon.