Recently in Fast food Category

I've professed my love for Carl's Jr's Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar burgers before - for a fast food burger, the patty is juicy, the guacamole tastes fresh complete with little chunks of tomato and cilantro, the chipotle spread instead of mayo and red onion, my favorite - it's delicious!
As much as I love that burger, I admit it can be much. I either can't finish the whole thing at once or can't move after I'm done and that does not include fries and a drink.

So when I saw the chain's new turkey burgers had a guacamole version, I gave in and needed to try it. I don't believe I ever had a turkey burger before. Actually, having turkey any time other than Thanksgiving is pretty rare for me - I'm all about the pork and beef.
But I was drawn by the fact that Carl's version is supposed to be under 500 calories and I can still enjoy the guacamole.

When I unwrapped my Turkey Guacamole burger ($3.99), it was already smaller than the six dollar burger. There was plenty of guacamole that for a second, I couldn't see the turkey patty. With the first bite, I was impressed with the texture of the patty, it wasn't too weird and it didn't have a strong taste, letting the guacamole and chipotle spread take care of that part.

I finished the burger pretty quick, for me that is, and happily I was not in a food coma. It was satisfying and a feeling of food guilt didn't follow.
I do have a few suggestions though for Carl's Jr store #7393 in Covina - I'm all for not wasting produce, including lettuce, but I would like some green in my lettuce and please don't be so stingy on the tomato or onion.

I'm not a huge fan of McDonald's food except for their breakfast. So when I saw the commercials featuring "The King" from Burger King, breaking into what is supposed to be McD's headquarters and stealing what looks like the recipe for their English muffin breakfast sandwiches. Of course, it's just a diagram-type picture pointing to the simple ingredients - muffin, cheese, sausage and egg.

The price of Burger King's English muffin is great - $1 each, plus tax - but I had to compare the taste.

The first thing I noticed that earned the BK breakfast sandwich points over McD's, is the egg. Usually, McD's egg is a poached-style egg. You can special order a "boiled" or "folded egg", which is a folded rectangle scrambled egg, which is usually what I do. At BK, it is already a scrambled egg, no dry yolk amongs the egg white - great.

The sausage had the right spices and texture, although I can't say if it would stand against McD's sausage on its own, since McD's has more of a pepper-kick that I like.

And surprisingly, the greasiness didn't come from the melted American cheese or the sausage, it came from the muffin. Yeah, pretty odd if I say so myself.

It was as if it was grilled in butter. Tasty, but I made sure to eat healthy the rest of the day, to try to stave off the heart attack it may have caused eating that sandwich.

The BK muffin is also available with egg, cheese and bacon, instead of sausage.

Which do you prefer - McDonald's or Burger King? 

I love Mexican food and I love shrimp. Now, one wouldn't consider Taco Bell to have authentic Mexican food, and I agree, but it sure does the trick when all you have time for is the drive-thru, or it's all that's nearby on a late night.

So when the taco chain announced their new Pacific Shrimp taco offerings, I had to try. Their site describes them as: "A warm, soft flour tortilla filled with six succulent shrimp marinated in a mix of spices, then topped with crisp shredded lettuce, Fiesta Salsa, and Avocado Ranch Sauce."

They were the size of any other soft tacos but still not much filling. There were six shrimp (I had to check), decent size, not huge but also not cup o'noodles-soup-size either.

The sauce absorbed the spices, probably from the shrimp, and it did have a little kick. All in all, it was a tasty shrimp taco, tasted as fresh as possible, considering it was from Taco Bell.

At 180 calories, these tacos aren't bad, but I don't know if I would have priced them at $2.49 each, (you can get a combo of two shrimp tacos with a very large drink for $5.99). I mean it is Taco Bell. But seafood isn't the cheapest thing on any other menu either.

I would get the tacos again, whenever I'm craving shrimp and don't have much time for a sit-down seafood joint. Or I could make a stop to Baja Fresh for their Diablo Shrimp Burrito - spicy and filling.  

Even though I knew it may disappoint, I gave Carl's Jr's new Grilled Cheese Burger a try anyway.

There are four ways to get the sandwich - single burger, double burger, six-dollar burger size or vegetarian with no burger or bacon - starting at $2.49 and up.

I thought I would try it the way they advertised it - with a single burger patty. It was exactly what I thought it would be - see my rant here.

It wasn't horrible but it was definitely not a grilled cheese sandwich. Carl's Jr. burger patties are generally good and the bacon is tasty, the cheese was plenty and tasty, but the sourdough bread was not the buttered and grilled toast we love about having a grill cheese sandwich. It didn't even taste freshly grilled.

Again, it wasn't a terrible burger or sandwich, but I don't think it was anything spectacular and I definitely wouldn't call it a grilled cheese.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE CARL'S GRILLED CHEESE BURGER?

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR FAVORITE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH?

I was one of probably many that took advantage of Jack in the Box's promotional offer this last Tuesday - get one of their new grilled sandwiches for free with the purchase of a large drink.

The sandwiches come in two choices - there's the Grilled Turkey Bacon Cheddar with roasted turkey, cheddar cheese and bacon, and the Grilled Deli Trio, with salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, provolone cheese and pickles. Both served on toasted artisan bread 

I decided to give the turkey bacon cheddar sandwich a try first.

When I first unwrapped my sandwich, sliced in half, I reached for one piece and as the melted cheddar cheese stretched from one slice to the other, so did my smile. I love melted, stringy cheese!

I'm not a huge fan of turkey but I love bacon. The cheese, turkey and bacon blended so well, there wasn't one flavor that overpowered the other.

The bread was nicely toasted, a little greasy but it was more like butter grease than oil grease, which is fine with me. It reminded me of grilled cheese butter. I can't confirm but I believe the artisan bread is sourdough, or that's what it closely tasted to, to me.

For $4.19 plus tax, it's a little pricey for Jack in the Box, but I believe the taste and size was worth it. The $2.29 I paid for the drink and free sandwich was a good price, even though I couldn't finish the monstrously sized "large" drink.

I'll have to give the Deli Trio a try soon...

DID YOU GET YOUR FREE SANDWICH? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT JACK'S NEW SANDWICHES OR WHERE YOUR FAVORITES ARE.

Of all the fast-food choices out there, Carl's Jr. is one of my top choices if I want to grab something tasty to go.

But their new menu item had me excited and then disappointed all in one commercial.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches - they're so tasty, buttery, and cheesy. Simple but they can hit the spot perfectly every time.

So when I saw the commercial about Carl's new "grilled cheese," I was ready to go out and try one until I realized their "grilled cheese" is just another big Carl cheese burger with bacon and extra cheese on sourdough bread.

Not to insult either fast-food chain restaurants but I would call it a Sourdough Jack with bacon and extra, extra cheese.

Saying they want to give their customers that comfort food they crave, the fast-food chain's newest creation started out as a menu item for vegetarian customers but instead created Carl's Jr. Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger - a charbroiled burger patty, bacon, four slices of melted American and Swiss cheeses in between grilled sourdough buns.

Though the vegetarian is also available, I wish they could have just given this new burger another name so as not to confuse (and excite) customers for no reason.

I have not tried the "grilled cheese" yet but not sure if I want to - I could just go order a grill cheese from my local Rick's.

WHAT'S YOUR TAKE? REAL GRILLED CHEESE OR JUST ANOTHER CHEESY BURGER?

To promote their new grilled sandwiches, Jack in the Box will be giving them away next week.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, only, buy a large drink and get one free grilled sandwich of your choice. No coupon necessary. At participating locations only.

You can either go with the turkey, bacon and cheddar which includes roasted turkey, bacon and cheddar cheese with a sun-dried tomato sauce on grilled artisan bread; or the deli trio with genoa salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, provolone cheese and pickle filets with creamy Italian dressing on grilled artisan bread.

 

By Eric Terrazas

I have made a recent addition to my list of most visited fast-food eateries.

Earlier this year I decided to sample the Flame Broiler, which had recently opened in my hometown of Whittier.

I ordered the rib plate, which featured two beef short ribs served over steamed rice. The meal also came with fresh green salad and orange slices. The tender ribs, topped by a helping of green onions, satisfied my taste buds. I also thought the salad, served with Oriental Sesame Supreme dressing, enhanced my meal.

After finishing off my ribs and salad, I wrapped up my dinner by eating my orange, which nicely completes the meal.

On a recent Saturday, I elected to spend my lunch at the Flame Broiler's location in Hacienda Heights. I once again went with my favorite selection, the Rib Plate, which costs $7.39. Granted it's a little on the pricey side, but overall it's still not a bad deal since you receive a healthy portion of food.  

Four other plates are available: chicken, beef, chicken and beef and The Works. All of those choices include the steamed rice, salad and the orange.

The chicken plate costs $6.99 while the beef, along with the chicken and beef, both cost $7.09. Those with more hearty appetites might be interested in ordering The Works plate, which carries a $7.39 price tag. The Works consists of chicken and beef that is served over steamed rice and steamed vegetables. It sounds like I might have to try The Works on my next visit.

If you happen to have a tighter budget, the Flame Broiler also offers several bowls, which are all served with steamed rice. At $4.99, the chicken bowl sounds especially good. The beef bowl costs $5.09. If you happen to be craving both beef and chicken, a half and half bowl is also offered for $5.09.

Vegetable lovers might want to try the chicken veggie or beef veggie bowl, which both cost $5.29. Both selections come with steamed rice and steamed vegetables. And if you want a meal without the meat, you can order the veggie bowl for $3.99. The Works bowl, which includes chicken, beef, rice and vegetables, costs $5.39.

The Flame Broiler has two locations in the San Gabriel Valley: 17110 Colima Road in Hacienda Heights, and 21750 Valley Blvd. in Industry. For information, call (626) 964-7041 for the Hacienda Heights location or (909) 598-5777 for the Industry location.

A few weeks ago, I was sent out to work out of one of our other sister papers' office in Torrance and while I was only there for a couple days, I thought I would venture out for lunch and see what the city had to offer.

The first day, on my way into the office I passed by a sushi place that caught my eye and I knew I had to try it for lunch - Sushi Boy.

From the outside it looked like a fast-food type of sushi bar and even though that didn't sound too appealing, I was intrigued.

As I walked in, it was just what I thought - fast food. They did add some cool Japanese art throughout the dining area to get a more authentic Japanese restaurant feel to it.

The menu featured a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and sushi, as well as combo meals with salad noodles and bowls offered.

Wanting to try a little of everything I ordered the Takumi value meal for $6.80 which came with four pieces of california roll, one salmon and one shrimp sushi serving, three pieces of tekka maki and kappa maki each (tuna and cucumber, respectively) and a spicy tuna hand roll.

Each value meal comes with a serving of miso soup, or get a fountain drink instead for a few cents more.

My order came out pretty quick - ten minutes or less - and with the price, I was a little hesitant.

Everything looked surprisingly fresh for how quick it was served. The soup was okay but there wasn't much, if any, tofu which I'm used to having in my miso soup.

I dug into the Califoria rolls first - they were average, nothing special but pretty good for fast food. I don't know what type of wasabi they served but it didn't taste like wasabi I've had before and it wasn't necessarily good.

The cucumber and tuna tasted fresh but the seaweed was sometimes a bit too chewy. The salmon and shrimp tasted pretty fresh and not fishy. I wish I had better wasabi to serve it with.

The best item by far was the spicy tuna hand roll. Not only did the spicy tuna have the right amount of heat but there was plenty in there and it all fit perfectly with the cucumber and rice.   

When I first spotted Sushi Boy I never seen anything like it and I thought maybe I was trying something that could only be found in Torrance but as I perused the to-go menu I discovered there is a Sushi Boy in the San Gabriel Valley!

Or at least a version of what seems like a franchise. The company has 12 California locations in all including one in West Covina - Marukai West Covina at 1420 Azusa Ave. 

I will definitely have to try Marukai in West Covina one day but I may still call it Sushi Boy because it sounds cooler. For the other locations, visit www.sushiboy.net .

For the variety and price, I was happy with the quality of my lunch at Sushi Boy.

SECOND DAY

For lunch on my second day in Torrance I thought I would entrust my new Blackberry to help me find something I hoped would be different and unique.

Craving noodles, I was torn between a Thai restaurant and a curry one.

Since I don't have too much experience with curry I thought I would give the Curry House a try and it was only across the street from the office.

When I stepped in it was a nice sit-down restaurant. I was seated by a hostess and soon visited by my waitress. She sensed I was new there and gave me more time to look over the menu.

I don't know much about what exactly is normal for a curry restaurant menu but there I knew it didn't seem normal to have jambalaya on the menu.

The jambalaya entree was special to Curry House because it also included curry sauces. 

I really wanted to try something with a good curry sauce but the Jambalaya-style curry meal came with rice and I was still craving pasta or noodles so I went with something else.

The Seafood Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine ($10.05), featured shrimp, white fish, baby clams, squid, onion and bell pepper in a curry cream sauce - perfect! Pasta and curry all in one.

I ordered hot tea and water but there was a wide variety of beverage options with tropical iced tea, iced oolong and green teas, shirley temple, iced cafe au lait and more.

And if you have a reason to celebrate or feel like a little libation they also serve alcoholic beverages such as plum wine and Kirin Ichiban, a Japanese beer, on tap.

The table settings and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice but it didn't seem too busy at the time but I was having a late lunch so I hope, for their sake, there was more customers there a little earlier.

Despite not having too many customers, my meal took a little while but that only made me believe it was freshly made to order by real cooks in the kitchen.

By the time I did get my plate, I was pretty hungry. It was hot but luckily for me not too hot (I can't stand extreme temperatures in my mouth).

I dug right into the squid and the fettucine, swirling it around in the curry sauce to get a nice taste of it.

The squid wasn't too chewy but it did have a bit of a fishy taste and after having some bites of the perfectly tender and flaky white fish I knew it wasn't that. Maybe it was the baby clams.

It was pretty easy to scoop them out of their little shells but they also had more of a fish taste than clam flavor. The fettucine was nicely cooked and the curry sauce was tasty but I was expecting it to be spicy and it wasn't.

Overall for a seafood dish it was tasty but I would skip the clams next time and maybe ask for some spicier sauce on the side or instead of.

Now, it being my second and last day in Torrance I thought I was having lunch at a restaurant that again, is exclusive to Torrance but once again I was mistaken.

Curry House is a small chain of restaurants with 11 California locations, (one being take-out only), including one near the Puente Hills mall in the City of Industry.

There is such a variety of food on their menu that it's a good thing there is one closer to me so I can try other offerings.

There is everything from salads to curry rice dishes to spaghetti dishes and even kid's meals.

Curry House in Puente Hills is at 17865 Colima Road in the City of Industry. For more information on other locations or menus, visit www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse.

So much for adventure dining in new cities.... At least I don't have to drive to Torrance to try these places again.

At only $3 a pop, I tried a few of the five varieties available of Quizno's Bullets, which are the same offerings for the $4 foot-long Torpedoes.

I'm not big on turkey but I thought I would give the Pesto Turkey Bullet a try first.

The sandwich with thin-sliced turkey, red wine vinaigrette, mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, topped with basil pesto and toasted in a ciabatta bread was all snuggled in its own paper sleeve for on-the-go munching.

Perfect for when I eat at my desk while checking emails, messages, etc....

The warm and toasty 8 inches of sandwich was just enough to save room for chips and a drink or if you're feeling really ravenous, another sandwich.

Even though this is the first one I tried, I must say it is my favorite and all because of the pesto.

The fresh ingredients were great but the pesto really brought it all together. I usually like to add some peperoncinis or some of their Batch 81 sauce, which has a nice kick to it, to my sandwiches but the pesto sauce was so flavorful it didn't need anything else and I didn't want to ruin it.

The second variety I tried was the Italian with pepperoni, spicy capicola, ham, mozzarella cheese and red wine vinaigrette, and chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

I liked the spicy capicola and ham, but the vinaigrette didn't impress as much as the pesto did so this seemed like a basic Italian sub.

The next sandwich I tried was the Beef, Bacon and Cheddar with thin sliced roast beef, crispy pieces of bacon, mayonnaise and cheddar.

I liked that there wasn't much mayo in this sandwich because I hate when I have to wipe off excess mayo that's oozing out the side of a sandwich or burger. If anything I would prefer no mayo.

The roast beef and cheddar was nice but it was the crispy bacon, not greasy either, that made this one my next favorite.

There is still a Turkey Club and Big Kahuna Tuna that I will try next, but so far these little bullet-sized sandwiches are worth their $3 price tag.

For a few bucks more you can make it a combo with chips and a drink. 

NEXT TIME: SUBWAY'S $5 FOOTLONGS

I gave Kentucky Fried Chicken a shot first in my exploration of the $5 lunch wars.

First off I was mistaken, I thought the $5 Fill-Up Box came with two pieces of its grilled chicken, a side and biscuit and regular drink, but there are actually quite a few options.

Instead of just two pieces of chicken, you can also choose from five pieces of wings, chicken strips, or a twister wrap.

I went with the five pieces of their version of hot wings, you know the ones without the sauce. The wings themselves were good, not great, I still prefer sauce-drenched hot wings, but they were pretty filling.

I went with a side of potato wedges and barbecue sauce to dip into, but I had maybe a handful and I was full.

Maybe it was the heat but I couldn't eat much, so I would say I definitely got a good deal for my $5.

My growing teenage sister, who has a bigger appetite than me, finished her twister wrap box and said she was happily full, well at least for another hour.

I live right across from a KFC so if I was really hungry and didn't want to drive anywhere I would definitely scrounge up $5 to get myself a meal there, but I can't say I would go out of my way to eat there.

NEXT UP: QUIZNO'S BULLETS.

With the economic recession not looking to drastically improve any time soon, many people are keeping their wallets tight and looking to get more bang for their buck.

Many restaurants and fast-food chains are taking note and lowering their prices or offering more value-menu-style items to their customers.

Just like the grilled chicken wars, there is now the $5 lunch war. This war has three competitors though with Subway, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Quizno's competing for lunch time supremacy.

Subway took the first blow with its $5 footlongs (no, please don't sing the song).

Eight of their sandwich varieties in foot-long size for a simple low price - tuna, BLT, Meatball Marinara, Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, Spicy Italian, Black Forest Ham, Cold Cut Combo and Veggie Delite.

Then Quizno's hit back with Torpedoes at $4. The foot-long sandwiches come in five varieties - Italian, Big Kahuna Tuna, Pesto Turkey, Turkey Club and Beef, Bacon and Cheddar.

Most recently, KFC has introduced its $5 Fill-Up Box working to outdo the sandwich mavens by offering a complete meal. The box comes with two pieces of its new grilled chicken, one side and biscuit and a drink.

And now Quizno's has added a junior version of their Torpedoe sandwiches with Bullets - at just eight inches of toasty sandwich.

To be honest I haven't had a Subway sandwich in over a year. Not since I found Bionicos in Baldwin Park with their freshly made, toasted sandwiches, complete with all the fixins at less than $5 have I craved anything at Subway.

And as soon as I tried for Quizno's for the first time about five years ago, I prefer it over Subway, when I could afford it.

So now with its new value sandwiches I can definitely forego the brown bag lunch at least once a week and eat out.

Over this week going into next week, I will give these $5 lunches a try. I will even give Subway another try.

TELL ME WHICH LUNCH VALUES YOU "SPLURGE" ON.

After my sliders and mini sirloin burgers post yesterday, my boyfriend surprised me with an order of the mini buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches from Jack in the Box when I got home. And I didn't have to mention anything to him - ain't love grand?

He assumed I hadn't heard about the sandwiches, knew my penchant for anything with buffalo sauce and decided he would grab some for me when he picked up his drive-thru dinner before the Lakers game.

It was a great surprise from him but unfortunately a not so good surprise from the sandwiches. I love the buffalo sauce but there wasn't enough for me. The chicken patties were juicy, but they weren't as filling as the mini sirloin burgers.

Also I would have preferred them with the ranch on the side instead of inside. Since there is really not many snack size buffalo sandwiches to go out there, I may try them again and ask for the ranch on the side and some more buffalo sauce to dip them in.

Whether it's because of the current economic downturn or more people favoring smaller meals to super-sized ones, many fast-food chains are adding smaller, quick and less-pricier items to their menus.

MINI MANIA

To add to their mini-sirloin burger craze, Jack in the Box has now added mini buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches - mini Homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank's® RedHot® sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

I love buffalo sauce so these are on my list to try. I already love the mini-sirloin burgers, with a nice juicy thick mini sirloin patty, slice of cheese, grilled onions all sandwiched between two mini sweet buns.

 

These are definitely not super-sized, but these three fill me up just fine. These mini's start at $3.89 plus tax, for three burgers or sandwiches alone.

 

SLIDER SENSATIONS

Moving on from their not-so-difficult fight with KFC and their new grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco is adding more items to their tasty menu such as their new chicken sliders, chicken carnitas tacos, and bringing back barbecue chicken for a limited time.

I recently took a chance on their sliders which come in three ways - bbq, original and spicy all on a mini telera roll - and start at 99 cents each, plus tax.

The original and spicy come with lettuce and either a chipotle spicy sauce or a cool mayonaisse, and a breaded, crunchy, fried chicken patty.

The barbecue is shredded pieces of their flame-grilled chicken smothered in a slightly tangy barbecue sauce with coleslaw.

 

I only tried the spicy and the bbq and they were pretty tasty for how small they were, but they're not very fillin. Even after three I was still hungry. They should also still be a little careful when shredding the pieces of chicken for the barbecue - I bit into a small piece of bone in my slider.

Maybe they'll try mini shakes and wings next.