Menu Tracker: New items from Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway

Wendy’s and Burger King have added new spicy items to their value menus for an unspecified limited time.

Burger King has introduced a Rodeo Crispy Chicken sandwich and Rodeo Burger made with a fried chicken fillet or beef patty, respectively, topped with onion rings and a sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce. Each sandwich is priced at $1.

Wendy’s has introduced a Spicy Chipotle Crispy Chicken Sandwich and a Spicy Chipotle Jr. Cheeseburger, each priced at 99 cents. The sandwiches are topped with melted pepper Jack cheese, jalapeños and a signature spicy sauce.

Subway is offering a new Jalapeño Cheddar Bread for a limited time. The chain of nearly 40,000 restaurants worldwide did not indicate how long the bread would be available, but it said it was a top performer in a national consumer taste test.

Taco Bell has introduced a Grilled Stuft Nacho for an unspecified limited time. The nacho is made with seasoned beef, spicy nacho cheese sauce and crunchy red strips, served in a portable grilled flour tortilla, and priced at $1.29.

Jack in the Box has added two spicy sandwiches to its menu at participating locations, as well as a new low-calorie option to the breakfast menu at its more than 2,200 locations.

The Fajita Ranch Melt is made with seasoned chicken, a melted pepper Jack cheese blend, roasted peppers and onions, and ranch and taco sauces, served on sourdough bread. The sandwich is available at participating restaurants in California, Idaho, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

The Jalapeño BBQ Burger is a beef patty served on a toasted sesame seed bun with crispy jalapeño and onion strips, American cheese, hickory-smoked bacon and jalapeño barbecue sauce. The sandwich is available at participating restaurants in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington and Kansas.

Both sandwiches are priced at $3.99 and are available until “early 2014,” a company representative said.

The new Egg White & Turkey Breakfast Sandwich, a permanent addition to the menu, is made with egg whites, grilled turkey, sliced tomato and American cheese on a classic bun. The sandwich has 250 calories and six grams of fat, and is priced at around $3.60, depending on the location. Additionally, all breakfast sandwiches can now be made with egg whites at no additional cost.

El Pollo Loco has introduced new shredded beef options and a dessert, as well as a variety of low-calorie items, at its 398 locations.

The slow-simmered, spiced beef is available in a torta, tacos and a quesadilla.

The Torta features the beef with sliced avocado, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pinto beans, chopped cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle cream on a bolillo roll.

The Grande Tacos are made with the same beef, cheese, pico de gallo and chipotle cream, served in tortillas and grilled to order.

The Stuffed Quesadilla is made with the beef, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado, cabbage and chipotle cream, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

The new dessert, Mexican S’Mores, is made with melted milk chocolate and marshmallows between graham crackers, stuffed in a warm chocolate tortilla and dusted with powdered sugar.

The beef offerings start at $5.49; the s’mores start at $1.99. All four items are available for an unspecified limited time.

The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based chain has also introduced five meals, each fewer than 500 calories and available at a suggested price of $5.99.

• Mango Grilled Tostada: Avocado, black beans, chopped lettuce blend, mango salsa and the chain’s signature citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken breast, wrapped in a warm whole-wheat tortilla

• Black Bean Bowl: Black beans, steamed broccoli florets, pico de gallo, avocado and chicken, topped with cotija cheese

• Avocado Salad: Chicken, black beans, avocado, steamed broccoli florets, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and a light creamy dressing

• Avocado Burrito: Chicken, cabbage, black beans, avocado, poblano salsa and pico de gallo, wrapped in a warm whole-wheat tortilla

• Mango Taco Plate: Chicken, cabbage, pico de gallo and mango salsa topped with cilantro, wrapped in a corn tortilla and served with a side of lettuce, black beans, avocado, cotija cheese and light dressing.

Smashburger, Taco Bueno, more

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has added a Salted Caramel shake made with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream and salted caramel syrup to its menu. The new item is available at the chain’s 243 locations for an average price of $4.49.

The Salted Caramel shake joins Oreo, Butterfinger and NutterButter shakes in the fast-casual chain’s line of Premium Shakes & Malts.

Taco Bueno is tapping into the social media phenomenon of “throwback Thursday” with a series of nostalgic foods.

The first item is a Chili Pie, made with Fritos corn chips topped with ground beef, melted Cheddar cheese, chili sauce and sour cream. The popular Tex-Mex item is available on Thursdays through Feb. 11 at the chain’s 175 restaurants. A cup of the Chili Pie is priced at around $1.49, depending on the location. A bowl is priced at $2.99.

Bonefish Grill has added a new cocktail to the menu at its 174 locations. The Winter White Chocolate Martini is made with Ghirardelli White Chocolate Flavored Sauce, white crème de cacao and rum-spiked horchata. The beverage is garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a candy cane. It is priced at around $7.50, depending on location, and is available through Feb. 11.

has rolled out a line of winter cocktails, available at its 64 locations through Feb 1.

• Mint Chocolate Heater: Hot chocolate with DeKuyper Peppermint Schnapps Liqueur topped with whipped cream and crushed candy cane sprinkles, priced at $6.99

• Mint Chocolate Tini: A blend of vodka, DeKuyper Peppermint Schnapps Liqueur and DeKuyper White Crème de Cacao served in a martini glass with a crushed candy cane rim, priced at $6.99

• Hot Buttered Rum: Warm Bacardi Oakheart Smooth & Spiced rum with brown sugar, cinnamon and spices, priced at $6.25, including a glass mug, which guests can keep

• Jolly Jerry: Angry Orchard Hard Cider and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, priced at $6.50

• Apple-Raspberry Rush: Angry Orchard Hard Cider, DeKuyper Blue Curacao and DeKuyper Razzmatazz, priced at $6.25.

Earl of Sandwich has permanently added pastas, Pizza Breads and stuffed baked potatoes, intended for the dinner daypart, to its menu. The items are priced between $5.99 and $6.99.

The 28-unit chain, which specializes in hot sandwiches, now offers three pastas — Tortellini Alfredo, Penne Bolognese and Pesto Chicken Cavatappi.

Its Pizza Breads — the chain’s sandwich bread spread with pizza toppings — are available in cheese, pepperoni and BBQ chicken varieties.

Stuffed baked potatoes come in four flavors: loaded with butter, sour cream, bacon, Cheddar cheese and scallions; broccoli and Cheddar; chili cheese; and Baja Chicken, with chicken, Cheddar, tomato, scallions and jalapeños.

Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
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