2023 has already seen some overly wacky fast food concoctions, including olive oil-infused coffee,
questionable imitation chicken, and simply way too many onions.
McDonald's Cardi B & Offset Meal was offered as a Valentine's Day promotion,
and it featured the celebrity rapper couple's favorite fast food date night meal. This consisted
of Cardi B's beloved McDonald's Cheeseburger with tangy BBQ sauce and a large Coke,
as well as her husband Offset's favorite: a Quarter Pounder with cheese and a Large Hi-C
Orange Lavaburst. It also included a large portion of fries and an apple pie to share.
Despite the star power behind this meal, it faced significant backlash from franchisees.
There were complaints that Cardi B's and Offset's reputations didn't fit
McDonald's family-friendly atmosphere. So some franchises simply refused to promote the meal.
McDonald's management attempted to defend the promotion. As Tariq Hassan, the chain's Chief
Marketing and Customer Experience Officer for the U.S. market, put it in a statement,
"Cardi and Offset are an iconic couple who have their own date-night tradition
at McDonald’s that goes back years. We’re proud to share a little piece of that."
Chicken and waffles and ice cream sounds like an incredible idea. But perhaps it's
a little less appetizing when that ice cream is buttermilk-flavored and
the "chicken" is actually imitation fried poultry. So when Baskin-Robbins
introduced Chick'n & Waffles as its Flavor of the Month in March, it didn't exactly fly high.
Despite the initial buzz surrounding this sweet and savory treat, it simply
failed to resonate with customers. While some enjoyed the novelty,
the majority found the flavors to be an odd and unappetizing mix that contained
overpowering chunks of salty imitation chicken. Ultimately, this is a scoop
that will go down in culinary history as a daring but unsuccessful experiment in flavor innovation.
"I'm not sure if I'm on board with this yet."
Salad chain Sweetgreen's crunched some numbers and found that 70 percent of its customers chose
chicken as their preferred protein. They then came up with a new dish they thought would be
a sure winner: the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. It contains blackened pieces of poultry, roasted
tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, garlic, and chipotle salsa over rice and lime cilantro black beans.
Integrated with whole grains and other delicious ingredients, it offered a filling meal option
that could be enjoyed at any time of the day. Alas, the controversy arose when Chipotle sued
Sweetgreen for trademark infringement. The Mexican grill chain argued that the name and the marketing
of the bowl were too similar to its own Chicken Burrito Bowl. So Sweetgreen eventually changed
the name to the Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl in an effort to resolve the lawsuit.
Olive oil isn't exactly known for pairing well with coffee, which is probably why
Starbucks' Oleato Coffee Drinks weren't very popular. The line was part of an attempt to
revolutionize the coffee experience by playing up the alchemy of arabica coffee
and Partanna extra virgin olive oil. It debuted in Italy before being introduced in
select locations in Seattle, Japan, Chicago, London, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles.
But Starbucks customers weren't exactly impressed. It essentially sent some of
them running to the bathroom and even reportedly induced stomach cramps.
The negative press and the unappealing taste ultimately made the Oleato line a huge flop.
"Do you want a little bit more?"
"No, I'm okay. I'm okay."
Chick-fil-A attempted to venture into veggie-forward options with its new
Cauliflower Sandwich. The chain reportedly spent about four years
developing its first-ever plant-based entrée. It begins with a tender cauliflower filet,
which is then marinated and breaded in a signature seasoning before being pressure
cooked. It's served on a butter-smeared toasted bun with two dill pickle chips.
The Cauliflower Sandwich was Chick-fil-A's response to customers who asked for more
vegetarian options. But it also enraged other customers,
who took to social media to voice their displeasure.
Despite the hype, the Cauliflower Sandwich failed to impress,
with many criticizing its lack of flavor and disappointing texture. The limited availability
was another reason for its failure, as it was only released in three test markets:
Denver, Colorado; Charleston, South Carolina; and Greensboro, North Carolina.
There are a couple of things that Dunkin' Donuts does well, namely,
coffee and doughnuts. Savory foods simply aren't its strong suit. Its egg sandwiches,
for example, often have an artificial rubbery texture and a weird smell and taste. So when
Dunkin' debuted its Breakfast Tacos, customers weren't exactly lining up around the block.
Launched in March, they featured scrambled eggs, melted sharp white cheddar cheese, fire-roasted
corn, a lime crema drizzle, and optional crispy crumbled bacon in a soft white tortilla.
On paper, it sounds like a win, but the result was very disappointing. While commercials featured an
almost overflowing soft flour tortilla filled with fluffy eggs and crispy bacon bits, the reality was
often an almost empty shell with a bit of cheese. Unsurprisingly, they were quickly discontinued.
"You don't really necessarily want too much spice first thing in the morning."
Burger King attempted to put a spicy twist on its classic poultry offering by introducing
its Mexican Chicken Sandwich in January. It featured a lightly breaded chicken breast,
ghost pepper cheese, and crispy-fried jalapeños on a long sesame seed bun.
Despite the promising flavors, it failed to gain much traction among customers.
As one commenter mused on Reddit, this sandwich is essentially a chicken version of the Ghost
Pepper Whopper. Multiple people mocked the fake Mexican authenticity on display, while
others simply disliked the taste. Another serious issue was the inconsistent level of spiciness,
as some customers found this sandwich to be too mild, and others found the jalapeños barely
detectable. Ultimately, this sandwich was just not worth the money for way too many BK fans.
Sub shop Quiznos is famous for its toasted sandwiches and unique flavors,
which includes their Lobster and Seafood sub, which they offer on a seasonal basis.
51 percent of the sandwich's meat is derived from the red-clawed critter,
while the other half is Alaskan whitefish sourced from King & Prince Seafood.
This sandwich is typically served with shredded lettuce on toasted bread. Alas,
the customers who were brave enough to try it found it to be quite awful. As some of
them complained on Reddit, the bread tasted stale, and the whole thing was quite dry
and lacking in condiments. This sandwich is also served with lemon wedges on top,
so be careful not to eat them whole before taking a bite.
Quiznos has also introduced Cajun-flavored versions of
its lobster sandwich in the past. In January 2023,
the chain offered a lemon-herb variety alongside the original that was available at participating
locations for around nine dollars. According to the YouTube channel The Southern Snack,
it tasted like fish in a lemon tartar sauce, and the whole sandwich was just generally confusing.
KFC's Spicy Slaw Chicken Wrap was introduced as a limited-time offering alongside the Classic
Chicken Wrap in February 2023. Before being offered nationwide,
it was piloted in Atlanta in 2022. These wraps were meant to cater to consumer demands for more
portable menu options. Both wraps were served with an Extra Crispy Tender, crunchy pickles, and mayo.
As KFC noted in a press release, fans had long demanded the return of fried chicken wraps,
so the chain answered the call with these offerings. Unfortunately,
both the Classic and Spicy wraps were critiqued for their stingy portions,
as customers didn't quite feel like they were getting a decent bang for
their buck. But it was the fiery variant in particular that caught the ire of critics.
"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Some customers reported receiving wraps with too little coleslaw or an excessive amount of
spicy sauce. Reviewers also noted that while the spicy sauce adds a nice dash of flavor,
it quickly becomes mixed in with the slaw. The spicy variety was also critiqued for
its inconsistent quality across different KFC locations. The main
issue was the unbalanced flavor profile. Both wraps no longer appear on the menu.
Burger King is no stranger to pushing the envelope with bizarre menu items. They may
get plenty of attention, but they don't always satisfy cravings. Case in point: their attempt
at creating a dessert burger inspired by a Swedish pastry left a bad taste in many customers' mouths.
The Semla Dessert Burger was offered for a limited time in Denmark during Lent. Semla is
a sweet roll that's usually eaten once on Fat Tuesday before people begin fasting for Lent.
BK's Semla Dessert Burger features a sweet cardamom bun filled with whipped cream,
marzipan cream, and a brownie that looks like a beef patty. The resemblance to a hamburger
threw people off, resulting in a "yuck" factor that was strong enough to prevent some from even
trying it. According to YouTubers Justin + Geoff, it basically smelled like a greasy BK hamburger.
Some customers posted photos online in which all the whipped cream was melted.
Fast food critics noted that while the texture is quite juicy, the flavors are
fairly bland. There's nothing exceptional about this dessert burger, so it's certainly
not worth adding to your regular rotation, and indeed, it never made it onto the permanent menu.
Burger King's Spicy Chicken Fries are covered in a mixture of spices intended to pack just as much
of a punch as the previous varieties of Buffalo and jalapeño flavors. The eye-catching packaging
featuring a wicked-looking bird also contributed to the hype among fast food enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, though, BK's Spicy Chicken Fries have been a letdown
for too many customers. While the heat level is indeed higher than the original version,
the overall taste and texture leave much to be desired. The chicken is finely ground and
squishy, and the breading is thick and craggy, resulting in a less-satisfying crunch. Moreover,
the spicy flavor is reminiscent of the discontinued Ghost Pepper Nuggets. Other
complaints note that most people prefer their chicken tenders thicker instead
of thinner and that the flavor lacked depth and offered only a novelty burn.
"Sick burn!"
Part of what makes McDonald's one of the most successful fast-food restaurants around is
consistency. Customers know that no matter which location they walk into, the food will
always taste the same. And yet, after carefully building that reputation over decades, McDonald's
announced that "small but tasty improvements" were on the way for the Big Mac, McDouble,
double cheeseburger, hamburger, and cheeseburger. These changes included soft toasted buns, better
cheese slices, grilling onions with the burger patties, and more special sauce on the Big Mac.
Alas, this led to plenty of skepticism from some of the chain's most loyal customers.
Incorporating onions into the beef during preparation, which is a method based on
Oklahoma-style burgers, drummed up the most controversy. As one person tweeted,
"As someone who hates onions,
I'm worried about McDonald's new policy of cooking onions directly on the grill."
Another Twitter user declared,
"I have a significant intolerance to onions. They make me quite ill within 15-20 [minutes]."
And yet another onion-hating customer announced,
"I guess McDonald's really doesn't want my business. In their grand wisdom they
are going to make burgers with onions already in the patties it's not bad enough
they [...] already put a million onions on there. Now we don't get a choice."
Despite the blowback, McDonald's will reportedly continue to test
market the changes with a full national rollout by early 2024.
Coke versus Pepsi is one of the fiercest rivalries in the history of soda. Both
colas have carved out significant swaths of the fast food sector,
and when you mess with this status quo, there's bound to be an uproar.
In January 2023, Culver's announced that its 930 stores would soon begin dispensing Coke products,
thus shifting away from Pepsi for the first time since the restaurant chain was established in
1984. Culver's didn't immediately disclose the reason for the sudden vendor revamp,
but according to employees who discussed the matter on Reddit, it's likely all about money.
Unsurprisingly, plenty of Culver's customers were incensed and disappointed. One of them
took to Twitter to call it "a major bummer," while another tweeted,
"[I] had my last [Culver's] today. When you switch back to [Pepsi] I will be back."
"Pepsi! Pepsi! Pepsi! Pepsi!"