Steveats: Wendy’s (gooey and soggy) Jalapeno Fresco Chicken Sandwich

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

In contrast to the previously tried Angriest Whopper, Wendy’s jalapeno fresco chicken sandwich actually does have some spice and kick to it! I mean, not nearly as much as the commercial and ingredients list would suggest, but still. If you like spicy, it’s slightly spicy. It made my brow sweat.

However, again, it was a disappointing eat. As you can see from the photos, its main characteristic is a soggy sort of ghost pepper sauce. This is mildly hot, but it makes everything in the sandwich taste kind of mushy. Also, while the sandwich claims to have diced / chopped jalapeno on it, they honestly tasted and looked more like scallions to me. Bad scallions, at that, since I’m a guy who likes his scallions poppin’ and fresh.

Worse, much like the previous Steveats items, the jalapeno fresco chicken sandwich is not especially cheap or nutritious. The recommended (retail) price is $4.99, and I think mine was $5.25 or $5.50, probably because I got it from the Middletown (close to Newport) Wendy’s “all the way” out on Aquidneck Island. The default sandwich checks in at 590 calories, and it’s definitely not a guilty pleasure item that deserves that amount.

When I’m evaluating fast food options, I must admit that I always compare them to the old standbys – the McDouble and McChicken from McDonald’s, and the double cheeseburger from Burger King. Both are in the $1 to $1.50 range, so, it’s a simple equation – Would I rather have had this weird jalapeno chicken sandwich, or three McDoubles / double cheese burgers? It’s a definite “no” for this sandwich, although it’s better than the Angriest Whopper in a direct matchup.

If you have a request for a future Steveats, leave it in the comments on here or on my Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!

Steveats: The Oddly Disappointing Angriest Whopper

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

For the second time, I’m going to the Burger King well for a Steveats. And for the second time, I’m disappointed! Although this time, it’s for oddly disappointing reasons.

Frankly, the Angriest Whopper is not really that angry. The main gimmick is the bright red bun, which allegedly has hot sauce baked into it. However, it just tasted like a normal bun to me, and I’m someone who’s usually pretty damn sensitive to any sort of heat. Like, a jalapeno ring or two is normally plenty for me on some nachos or a burger. I’m not sure if the taste varies from bun-to-bun (teehee), but my particular Angriest Whopper was incredibly tame.

The other ingredients, according to the BK website, are jalapenos, thick-cut bacon, “angry onion petals” and the usual lettuce, tomato and mayo. The bacon was OK, but it tasted like the normal BK / fast food microwaved bacon to me, not any sort of special thick-cut variety. Likewise, the angry onion petals were seemingly just partial or smaller onion rings. They either had no or a weak hot sauce on them. My particular Whopper only had a couple jalapenos on it, and they were the hottest component by far. Still though, they’d probably disappoint anyone serious about setting their taste buds aflame. I didn’t really consciously want this, but if something is being billed as The Angriest Whopper, then I do kind of want it to be something that I regret eating for that reason, not just because it’s gross.

The worst part though? I paid about $5.50 for the “pleasure” of the Angriest Whopper. That’s about $2 more than a normal Whopper, even though the main differences seemed to be 1) the tasteless bun 2) a few strips of bacon and 3) jalapenos. To double down on the bad news, BK’s website said it’s 830 calories for the damn thing! And 1,530 mg of salt, more than half the recommended daily allowance. Blah. Anyway, this is a fast food item that y’all can safely skip. The best part is the design on the wrapper.

(Side TMI / gross note: At least this Whopper doesn’t have the poop problem the Halloween Whopper did, at least in my field research…)

If you have a request for a future Steveats, leave it in the comments on here or on my Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!