Welcome one and all to another Mastication Monologues! If you didn’t read my last post, it dealt with a super spicy ghost pepper salsa that has taken my tastebuds by firestorm. It seems like spicy food has been popping up all over the American fast food scene as of late. I’d like to bring you one of the most intriguing entries into this fiercely competitive arena from American fast food chain Wendy’s.
This hamburger chain is the third largest fast food chain in the world behind the two biggies McDonald’s and Burger King.
Wendy’s new “Image Activation” restaurants feature bold, “ultra-modern” designs that greatly enhance the customer experience, including lounge seating with fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi and digital menuboards.(PRNewsFoto/The Wendy’s Company)
What sets this restaurant apart from the rest are its sandwiches. While it does have your typical hamburgers and cheeseburgers, the patties are square, not round. Plus, they don’t really have a “signature” sandwich compared to the more popular Big Mac or Whopper from the two aforementioned larger franchises. Personally, I’m a big fan of Wendy’s given their commitment to providing a cleaner and tastier product everytime, and they seem to have more variety on their menu compared to McDonald’s or Burger King. All of which brings me to the two latest Wendy’s menu items that really made me stand up and take notice of their ever-shifting menu choices. First there was the jalapeño fresco spicy chicken sandwich. While it was a bit on the pricey end for a fast food sandwich ($5, if I remember correctly), the quality definitely came through for a one off experience. It’s a pretty substantial sandwich for the price as well. I noticed the bun looked a bit different from the typical white bread buns that typically accompany their burgers and sandwiches. Instead, it had more of an artisanal look to it as a sort of whole wheat roll.
I always appreciate good bread, so we were starting off on the right foot. Then I took a big bite, and it was quality through and through.
The thick, juicy, all-white meat chicken cutlet was crispy and the batter was dusted with a chili powder to start off the spice party. Then then chipotle mayo, raw onions, and verdant jalapeno pepper had my tastebuds in a very happy place. If you like hearty sandwiches with plenty of fiery heart, this is the one for you. This was just the slightly spicy prologue to the main objective of my Wendy’s trip: the ghost pepper fries. As I mentioned before, my previous post dealt with the new trend that is the ghost pepper, and it seems that Wendy’s has jumped on that wave. Was my experience a hang ten or a complete wipe-out? Eh, kind of in the middle. When I opened them up, it looked like a simple mound of cheese fries with a generous helping of raw jalapenos.
At the outset, it was bland with the nacho cheese thoroughly covering the fries, but it became slightly spicier as I got into the heart of the dish. At the very most, I might have had a little hint of flame here and there, but it was a low and slow burn. Once you try a ghost pepper, you won’t forget it, and these fries weren’t anything close to a ghost pepper level of spice. My lips weren’t super red. My mouth wasn’t watering and in pain. I also wasn’t in absolute fear of touching my face and having my own pepper spray party. Long story short, if you are a real pepperhead, then the ghost pepper fries will not pique your interest or palate. If you can’t deal with spicy food, then this will probably be spicy for you.
So, the next time you’re at Wendy’s and if you’re lucky enough before they remove these experimental items from the menu, I’d recommend the fresco chicken sandwich over the ghost pepper sandwich. You get more bite for your buck!
Mastication Monologues 