Menu Tracker: New items from Jack in the Box, T.G.I. Friday’s

has launched a late-night menu to compete with Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Wendy’s.

Jack’s Munchie Meal features four options available from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., served with “halfsie” fries (half seasoned curly fries and half regular fries) and a 20-ounce drink, priced at $4, or $6 with two tacos.

T.G.I. Friday’s has added three new Stacked Burgers, which feature two patties and a brioche-style bun, to the permanent menu.

• All-American Stacked Burger: Melted sharp Cheddar cheese, onion bacon jam, and Asiago and Parmesan spread between the two burgers, with Thousand Island dressing and peppered bacon

• Philly Stacked Burger: Braised shredded beef, mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan, roasted cremini mushrooms, spicy giardiniera vegetables and green onion between the two patties, topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, horseradish spread, onion bacon jam and peppered bacon

• Bleu Cheese Stacked Burger: Melted blue cheese, roasted cremini mushrooms, balsamic and green onion between the patties, which are crusted with blue cheese and topped with roasted garlic rosemary aïoli and peppered bacon.

The burgers are served with fries and priced within a dollar of T.G.I. Friday’s Signature Burgers, which are generally less than $10.

Following the success of previous seasonal offerings, McAlister’s Deli has introduced a turkey sandwich and a turkey salad, both available through Dec. 30.

• Turkey Cranberry Griller: Smoked turkey, Gorgonzola cheese, cranberry compote and sliced Granny Smith apple, served on ciabatta bread, for $7.99 at corporate locations

• Turkey Cranberry Salad: Smoked turkey, dried cranberries, candied pecans, Gorgonzola, sliced Granny Smith apples, grapes and cranberry-pecan vinaigrette, for $7.49 at corporate restaurants.

has extended its line of proprietary Mountain Dew-branded products with two new frozen drinks. Mountain Dew Distortion Freeze adds sour lime flavor to the soda, and Mountain Dew Typhoon Freeze is the soda with tropical punch. They are available at the chain’s 5,700 domestic locations at a suggested price of $1.99 for 16 ounces and $2.29 for 20 ounces.

Togo’s is reprising two French-dip-style sandwiches, which were originally introduced last fall, through Jan. 7.

• Roast Beef Toasted Dip: Roast beef, melted provolone and horseradish mayonnaise on a white roll, served with au jus, priced at $6.25 for a six-inch sandwich and $8.25 for a nine-inch sandwich

• Triple Toasted Dip: Turkey, roast beef, pastrami, melted provolone and horseradish mayonnaise on a white roll, served with au jus, priced at $9.25 for a six-inch sandwich and $12.25 for a nine-inch sandwich.

Ted’s Montana Grill has added two new burgers and a salad at its 44 restaurants.

• No. 10 burger: A classic cheeseburger with housemade pickles, lettuce, tomato and the chain’s signature Ted sauce — made with mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, Tabasco sauce and ranch seasoning. Prices vary by location, but it is priced at $13 with beef and $15 with bison in the chain’s Atlanta hometown. The burger was created last year for Ted’s 10th anniversary.

• No. 11 burger: A bison burger with melted horseradish Cheddar cheese topped with braised bison short rib, grilled mushrooms and horseradish sauce, priced at $16 in Atlanta

• Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad: Baby spinach, roasted chicken, roasted beets, spiced pecans, crumbled goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, priced at $13 in Atlanta.

Ted’s has also added a hamburger that was a popular limited-time offer last year to its permanent menu, and reprised a seasonal dessert.

• Madison burger: Topped with crumbled goat cheese, baby arugula and Z-sauce (a raspberry aïoli) on a wheat bun, priced at $14 for beef and $16 for bison in Atlanta.

• Apple Pecan Crisp: Granny Smith apples and caramel baked in an oatmeal pecan crust and topped with vanilla ice cream, priced at $8 systemwide.

Mama Fu's, Moe's and more

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Mama Fu’s Asian House has moved several items from its semi-secret Black Market Menu, which it uses to test potential new items, onto its permanent menu. All the items are available through April 2014.

• Spicy Seoul Stir Fry: A choice of pork tenderloin, chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu stir-fried with Korean chile garlic sauce, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, bean sprouts and scallions, garnished with cucumber sticks and served with white or brown rice. The dish cost $8.69 with pork or chicken.

• Sichuan Kung Pao: The same protein choices stir-fried with Kung Pao sauce, celery, water chestnuts, red bell peppers, onion, peanuts and chile peppers, served with white or brown rice. The dish costs $8.69 with pork or chicken.

• Korean Street Tacos: Flour tortillas filled with a choice of protein, plus kimchi, pickled carrots, daikon and green onions, priced at $7.49

• Bánh Mì: A Vietnamese-style sandwich with pork tenderloin or chicken cooked in spicy hoisin sauce and served on a French baguette with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro and cucumber slices, priced at $8.69.

The following items are on the fall Black Market menu:

• Miso Soup: Vegetarian shiitake mushroom broth with white miso, soft tofu, wakame seaweed and scallions, priced at $2.49 for a cup and $3.49 for a bowl

• Hoisin BBQ Ribs: St. Louis-style pork ribs seared with sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce, served on ginger soy kale, priced at $8.49

• Thai Fire Curry: Coconut curry sauce with lemon grass, onion, bok choy, carrots and bean sprouts with a choice of pork tenderloin, chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, served with white or brown rice

• Vietnamese Vermicelli: Thin rice noodles topped with vegetables or a choice of protein seared with lemon grass ginger sauce and served with greens, herbs, cucumbers and bean sprouts with Vietnamese dipping sauce and peanut sauce on the side. The dish is priced at $7.89 for vegetables; $8.69 for chicken, tofu or pork; $8.99 for beef; and $9.99 for shrimp.

• Tokyo Strip Steak: Flash-seared eight-ounce New York strip steak topped with shiitake mushroom teriyaki sauce, served with ginger soy kale and wasabi mashed potatoes, priced at $13.99.

Moe’s Southwest Grill is serving the winning recipe from its Raise the Salsa Bar contest, which it held on Facebook in summer 2012, until April 2014.

Three Bears Salsa, submitted by Cheryl Gallowitz, a veterinary technician from Newberry, Fla., is available for free with the purchase of any meal at all 510 units of the Atlanta-based chain. The salsa contains diced tomato, onion, red pepper, green pepper, tomatillo, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, red wine vinegar, sea salt and lime juice.

Sweetgreen, a 20-unit salad and frozen yogurt chain based in Washington, D.C., has added a new salad for October made with organic mesclun and shredded kale, local apples, pears, organic basil, organic white Cheddar and candied pecans dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. The salad is priced at $8.10 in Sweetgreen’s D.C., Philadelphia and Boston locations, and $9.10 in New York City.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: October 10, 2013 This article has been updated with the correct number of Moe's Southwest Grill locations.

Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
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