We all have our die-hard fast food favorites. Those few menu options that we can always turn to, whether we’re looking for the most decadent desserts, hearty breakfasts, or simple snacks to help elevate our orders. But every few months, our favorite fast food brands drop a brand new menu item (or three) sure to give you a bout of drive-thru anxiety while trying to decide whether to try the hot new thing or stay with the tried and true standards.
Risk it all or bet on the sure thing? It’s a quandary as old as time!
The last thing anyone wants is to waste money and be disappointed in their fast food — which is why we like to take the hits for you by telling you what’s good and what’s trash. Today that means diving deep into all of the “best new dishes” in the fast food universe right now. We’re currently living in that weird transitional period between seasons, so move fast as some of these tasty new menu items will only be available for a limited time.
Arby’s — Prime Rib Cheesesteak
Why We Love It:
Unfortunately, right now at Arby’s, this is your ONLY new option, so it wins by default, not necessarily because we love it. The Prime Rib Cheesesteak combines prime rib steak and onions with shredded melted provolone and roasted bell peppers on a white roll. The steak has a nice savory and meaty flavor (but can sometimes be a bit too dry), with a sumptuous grilled onion layer that is complimented by the sweet vegetal notes of the red and yellow bell peppers.
Our only gripe is that Arby’s doesn’t put enough bell peppers on this thing.
The Bottom Line:
The Prime Rib Cheesesteak is only available for an unspecified amount of time so move fast if you want to try it. It’s leagues better than anything Subway has, we should know.
Find your nearest Arby’s here.
Burger King — Bacon and Swiss Cheese Royal Crispy Chicken
Why We Love It:
Burger King’s Ch’King Sandwich is the one thing this brand is any good at making, so we always welcome any spin on the chicken sandwich that Burger King wants to try. The new Bacon and Swiss Cheese Royale Crispy Chicken might play it safe, but it’s delicious — at the end of the day that’s all that matters to us.
This sandwich adds bacon, tomato, and Swiss cheese to the OG recipe, creating an elevated quality that makes for a more substantial and satisfying sandwich. BK’s Royal sauce is a sort of savory comeback style sauce that goes heavy on the mayo and pairs nicely with the sweet and nutty Swiss cheese, and smokey bacon, but the star of the show here is still that chicken patty, which is crispy, tender, and well seasoned with black pepper and garlic.
The Bottom Line:
A simple but ultimately tasty alteration of Burger King’s new chicken sandwich.
Find your nearest Burger King here.
Chick-fil-A — Peach Milkshake
Why We Love It:
Chick-fil-A doesn’t really do new menu items, the brand seems laser-focused on its core sandwiches, nuggets, and tenders, but they do have seasonal treats, and the summer’s peach milkshake is one of its finest. Available for a limited time — which is surely due to end any week now — the peach milkshake utilizes fresh peaches blended in Chick-fil-A’s soft serve ice cream base for a milkshake that is sweet as it is refreshing.
The initial flavor that hits your tongue is a pleasant sweet tartness that settles into a rich and creamy vanilla before ending with a slightly sour peach-skin finish. It tastes like summer in milkshake form.
The Bottom Line:
It’s fast food’s greatest milkshake. Period.
Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.
Del Taco — Carne Asada & Queso Torta
Why We Love It:
Del Taco has just rolled out a trio of tortas, which is kind of a big deal because no other Mexican-inspired chain has taken a stab at tortas yet — a shame considering tortas are f*cking delicious. Having said that, Del Taco’s tortas aren’t even trying to be authentic — which doesn’t really matter because they’re still good. The best of the new line is the Carne Asada and Queso, which consists of carne asada spread across a seven-inch toasted roll topped with Queso Blanco, cheddar cheese, and pico de Gallo.
The bread is soft and well toasted, and the flavors come together nicely, with the weakest link being Del Taco’s chewy carne asada. Sub chicken into this, add beans and you’ve got a much better sandwich.
The Bottom Line:
Del Taco’s new tortas are worth trying — if you’re looking for the best, grab the Carne Asada and Queso.
Find your nearest Del Taco here.
El Pollo Loco — Shredded Chicken Quesadilla
Why We Love It:
El Pollo Loco actually fire grills their marinated chicken every day on sight, everything they do with chicken hits, whether you’re eating your favorite piece, or enjoying the chicken in a burrito or bowl, and the new Shredded Chicken Quesadilla is no exception. The chicken is incredibly tender and full of smokey and citrusy flavors. Each bite is elevated with the fresh and peppery flavor of cilantro, onions, and melted jack cheese in a crispy buttery tortilla.
Definitely ask for extra avocado salsa with this one, it tastes even better dipped.
The Bottom Line:
El Pollo Loco makes some of the best chicken in fast food and as a result, this is now one of fast food’s best quesadillas — take that, Chipotle.
Find your nearest El Pollo Loco here.
KFC — Mac & Cheese Bowl
Why We Love It:
Admittedly, there is something unsettling about KFC’s Mac & Cheese bowl and if you’re quick to write this one off because KFC’s macaroni side is objectively terrible, that’s totally fair… but at least give it a shot. The main problem with KFC’s mac is that it’s almost always over-cooked, with engorged macaroni elbows that instantly turn to mush in your mouth, leaving you only with a wet salty cheese flavor.
But by adding tiny popcorn chicken into the bowl, those problems are fixed. It’s a lot easier to not focus on that mushy noodle because you have crispy crunch coming from the chicken. The garlic, onion powder, and pepper-forward flavor of the chicken pairs nicely with the sharp and salty Kraft-style cheese sauce, with a small pinch of a melted three cheese blend adding a bit of complexity to the cheese-y notes. Our only issue is that this bowl is really f*cking salty.
The Bottom Line:
Better than it looks but it’s stoner food. It’s not meant to be eaten with a sober mind.
Find your nearest KFC here.
Popeyes — Hushpuppy Butterfly Shrimp
Why We Love It:
I don’t love fast food sea food — it’s always a little bit funky — but this is fried shrimp we’re talking about, it’s kind of hard to mess this one up. Plus, it’s Popeyes! Global experts at frying things! The butterfly shrimp is salty, buttery, and a bit sweet with a crispy breading that practically shatters in the mouth.
Popeyes gives a side of Cajun Cocktail sauce to dip this fried shrimp in, and that’s fine, but ditch that shit and just order a side of mashed potatoes with gravy and dip it in that. You’ll still get some of those cajun spices, but with an added savory component that will elevate the simple shrimp.
The Bottom Line:
Popeyes is always switching out its seafood option but the Hushpuppy Shrimp is easily the brand’s best foray into seafood.
Find your nearest Popeyes here.
Shake Shack — Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Burger
Why We Love It:
It’s insane how good this burger is. The Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Burger was rolled out at the start of the summer, so it’s only a matter of time before this baby is gone and when that happens it’ll be a true shame. The BBCB features a Shack burger patty topped with bourbon bacon jam, white cheddar, fried shallots, and ShackSauce on a potato bun.
The bacon jam is made with actual Maker’s Mark Bourbon and features a sweet and sumptuous smokey flavor with a hint of oak that together with the beef and nutty and sweet cheddar creates a mouthwateringly delicious and savory flavor. It’s the kind of thing that makes you say “oh f*ck.” The crispy shallots add a lot of depth to the overall flavor, infusing each bite with a crunchy mouthfeel and a delicately sharp and sweet aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Shake Shack’s most decadent burger and it’s probably only going to be on the menu for a few more weeks. Move fast.
Find your nearest Shake Shack here.
Starbucks — Apple Crisp Macchiato
Why We Love It:
You wouldn’t know it because of how insanely hot it is, but it’s currently Pumpkin Spice season at Starbucks. Since it’s too hot to be drinking anything that tastes like Thanksgiving, give Starbucks’ new Apple Crisp Macchiato a shot. We actually like this a whole lot more than the Pumpkin Spiced Latte, it features a light and delicate flavor that starts off a bit sour, like apple skin, before settling into something sweet and comforting, like a slice of apple pie.
It’s fruity, delicate, and refreshing — the perfect (late) summer iced coffee.
The Bottom Line:
We know it’s Pumpkin Spice season but the Apple Crisp is our new favorite Starbucks fall treat.
Find your nearest Starbucks here.
Subway — Supreme Meats
Why We Love It:
Recently Subway revamped its whole menu and added a new series of 12 different sandwiches you can now order by name. We’ve tried all twelve of them and the best one is easily the Supreme Meats.
This sandwich features Black Forest ham, Genoa salami, pepperoni, capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, banana peppers, and parmesan vinaigrette on a toasted bun. Each bite provides a medley of smokey, peppery, and salty meat flavors, with tangy veggies that combine to create some umami-like qualities on the palate.
The Bottom Line:
Subway made a name for itself by giving people the choice to build their sandwiches however they’d like, that has resulted in Subway getting kind of a bad reputation. The Supreme Meats is a testament to the strength of Subway’s ingredients, which are pretty damn solid when combined the right way.
Find your nearest Subway here.
Taco Bell — Spicy Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito
Why We Love It:
Taco Bell’s Spicy Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito features jalapeño slices encased in a blend of cheeses grilled onto a giant flour tortilla, need we really say more? This is the kind of stuff we expect out of Taco Bell — insanely appetizing stoner food that turns your stomach but is worth the pain.
This burrito features steak, rice, and tortilla chips with sour cream, nacho cheese, and chipotle sauce wrapped in a grilled tortilla. Each bite is hearty, mildly spicy, and crunchy. The tortilla, in particular, is my favorite Taco Bell innovation in some time, if the brand could step up their steak game they’d really have one of the best burritos in all of fast food. Unfortunately, like all of Taco Bell’s best ideas, this burrito is held back by the sub-par quality of its ingredients.
The steak is chewy and the rice is bland and dry, but as far as Taco Bell burritos go, it’s one of the best on the menu right now. Seriously though, that tortilla, with its spicy, crunchy, and cheesy flavor is so damn good that we’d eat anything wrapped in it.
The Bottom Line:
For a Taco Bell burrito, it’s great… but at the end of the day, it’s a Taco Bell burrito. Only eat it if you’re stoned.
Find your nearest Taco Bell here.
Wendy’s — Hot Honey Chicken (Spicy)
Why We Love It:
Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches are fast food’s current obsession, just about every brand has given this concept a spin but none have done it as well as Wendy’s — probably why it’s a permanent menu item now. Featuring a spicy chicken breast filet, this sandwich is topped with pepper jack cheese, a habanero-based hot honey sauce, bacon, and the best culinary creation Wendy’s has ever given us, fried dill pickle chips.
The way everything comes together in this sandwich is perfect, it’s crunchy, spice-forward with a strong cayenne pepper kick, and a sauce that perfectly balances citrusy habanero notes with slightly sweet and floral honey. To round out the flavor, the fried pickles add an earthy tang that plays nicely with the strong and spicy aftertaste and helps to keep it in control.
There is a lot of balance in this sandwich that allows for a strong spicy kick that isn’t so hot that you can’t enjoy it. Really one of Wendy’s best sandwiches on the menu.
The Bottom Line:
2022 will go down as the year when fast food chains became obsessed with the hot honey chicken sandwich, but no brand did it as well as Wendy’s. No, not even Popeyes.
Find your nearest Wendy’s here.