Menu Tracker: New items from Taco Bell, El Pollo Loco

will offer its third Doritos Locos Taco flavor, Fiery, beginning Aug. 22. The taco is made with a red, spicy, lime-flavored shell. It is priced at $1.39 for a regular and $1.69 for a Supreme, the same suggested price as the existing flavors, Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch.

The Yum! Brands Inc. subsidiary is also testing new breakfast items in about 100 units in three markets: Fresno, Calif.; Omaha, Neb.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.

The highlight of the new breakfast line is the Waffle Taco, a taco-shaped waffle that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, stuffed with scrambled eggs and a sausage patty. It is served with a packet of syrup and priced at a recommended $1.79.

The chain is also testing oatmeal with berries, a fruit-topped yogurt-and-granola parfait, and MTN Dew Kickstart, a fountain drink that blends the soda with orange juice and is the latest in the chain’s line of proprietary co-branded Mountain Dew drinks. Taco Bell currently serves breakfast in about 850 of its 5,695 domestic locations.

has introduced three new pasta dishes and a dessert.

The Primo Pizza Baked Sacchetti, Lasagna and Spaghetti are part of the the Italian quick-service chain’s popular Pizza Baked Pasta line, which it has brought back as a limited-time offer.

All three of the items are topped with creamy marinara sauce, caramelized sliced Italian sausage, bacon pieces, roasted mushrooms, pepperoni and four cheeses: mozzarella, provolone, Asiago and fontina. Prices start at $3.99.

The 220-unit chain has also introduced Italian Donuts, six miniature cake doughnuts coated in sugar and served with wildberry dipping sauce, priced at $2.49.

All of the items are available through Sept. 29 at participation locations. Fazoli’s is a subsidiary of Sun Capital Partners.

has debuted a new category of entrées called handcrafted braisers for its fall menu, which was introduced Tuesday. The three new items are seared and then slowly simmered. They are:

• Cremini Pork Shank, steeped in Marsala wine sauce with caramelized onions and served with cremini mushrooms and garlic rosemary potatoes, $23

• Chicken Cacciatore, a boneless half chicken braised in brown “hunter’s sauce” with mushrooms, served over pasta in tomato sauce, $18

• Classic Italian Bake, featuring meatballs, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes, ricotta cheese and rigatoni, $15.

Romano’s Macaroni Grills has 209 restaurants worldwide.

El Pollo Loco, Doc Popcorn and 16 Handles

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is offering three Signature Summer Burritos featuring its signature citrus-marinated grilled chicken for an unspecified limited time at all of its locations. The burritos start at $5.49.

The Chicken Bacon Avocado Burrito has bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado slices, pico de gallo and creamy cilantro dressing.

The Chicken Fajita Burrito is made with Monterey Jack cheese, black beans, avocado, and seared peppers and onions, topped with a poblano cream sauce.

The Chicken & Chorizo Burrito is made with Mexican rice, pinto beans simmered with Mexican spices, chorizo, Monterey Jack cheese, green cabbage, chopped onions, cilantro and poblano salsa.

Based in Costa Mesa, Calif., El Pollo Loco operates nearly 400 restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

Doc Popcorn has introduced Poppin’ Pizza popcorn as a limited-time offer at participating locations in its approximately 80-unit system. The snack is made with popcorn, cheese and Italian spices, and is being marketed as a back-to-school treat. It is priced at $4.50 for a regular bag and is available through Sept. 30.

Doc Popcorn is based in Boulder, Colo.

16 Handles is offering two new frozen-yogurt flavors at its 38 locations. Low Fat PB&J combines peanut butter and raspberry jam. Fat Free Peach Sangria Sorbetto combines peach and sangria flavors.

The New York-based frozen-treat chain has also begun testing a line of floats in its home market using Boylan brand cane sugar-based sodas and Tahitian vanilla yogurt. The 16-ounce floats are available in Root Beer, Orange Crème and Vanilla Crème flavors, and priced at $5.

16 Handles operates units in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Florida.

Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
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