In the forever changing world, there is one industry that is always trying to find new ways to attract attention and customers: the fast food industry. Fast food chains release new types and combinations of foods to try and interest people into trying them. They may put a different twist on a customer favorite or collaborate with big names, such as Air Heads or Cheetos, to get people to try their food. It was necessary to try some new and interesting menu items from four different fast food restaurants to see exactly what kind of foods restaurants are trying to promote.

Burger King has started selling some of its items under the Cheetos brand, the most recent item being the Cheeto Chicken Fries. At a first glance, it was noted that the color wasn’t as vibrant as it is displayed in the advertisements. They’re a darker orange color and they have a very neutral, fried smell to them. The chicken fries were very bland and there were no hints of cheese in them whatsoever. They didn’t even have any extra spices added to them to give them flavor. It was just chicken and fried, orange breading. The one good thing about the Chicken Fries was the crunch. It wasn’t soggy or too hard, but it was fried just enough to make one aspect of the food enjoyable.  

On Sept. 19, Taco Bell added the Airheads White Mystery Freeze to their expanding slushie menu. It is based off of the White Mystery Airheads, a candy where the flavor is unknown until it’s tasted, hence the word “mystery” in the name. Taco Bell advertises that “it delivers the fun and flavor you expect from a Taco Bell freeze and Airheads candy but with a deliciously mouth-watering twist . . . the Airheads White Mystery flavor is top secret!” It was kind of fun to order the slushie and not know what flavor the slushie was going to be. The slushie did turn out to be white, almost looking like snow in a cup. After the first sip, there was a strong taste of cherry. It was very sweet, but also had a hint of sourness to it, which gave the drink a good balance. Once the taste settled in though, it had a very strong sugary aftertaste that gave off the impression of cough syrup. Overall, it was a refreshing drink with added fun in the mystery flavor.

Taco Bell also has a dessert option for those with a major sweet tooth, called Cinnabon Delights, which are fried dough balls covered in cinnamon and sugar and filled with a sweet frosting. They were about the same size as a donut hole and generously covered with cinnamon and sugar. They were also served warm, which was an unexpected plus. They were perfectly fried, which made the dough soft and flaky. After the first bite, there was a strong churro flavor, along with a mouthful of cinnamon and sugar, but after a while, the sweet frosting started to settle in. There wasn’t nearly as much frosting as expected, but there was just enough to get a good taste of it and to complement the donut. Dylan Hartford, senior, said, “Cinnabon Delights are a perfect anytime food. I would get them for breakfast or a treat.”

Little Caesars recently put a twist on its famous Crazy Bread, creating the Loaded Crazy Bread Bites. Little Caesars took its breadsticks and cut them up into bite size pieces, and then piled on massive amounts of melted cheese and bacon bits. The Loaded Crazy Bread Bites had a very pungent smell consisting of cheese and garlic. It had a nice, soft texture from the bread and a crunchy texture from the bacon as well. The cheese had a really nice stretch to it, and you can taste the bacon, as well as the butter and garlic from the Crazy Bread. The taste of cheese mainly came from the layer of nacho cheese on the bread, but the multiple layers Muenster, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese became a little too overpowering. You should get this if you’re craving something really salty, but you definitely shouldn’t eat this all by yourself.

The last food item was the new Belgian Waffle Breakfast Sandwich from Dunkin’ Donuts.At first sight, the sandwich already looked very bland. The waffle was softer than expected and there wasn’t as much bacon on it as there was in the picture. There were no unexpected or exciting flavors from the sandwich, and the waffle wasn’t as sweet as a Belgian waffle usually is. All that was really present was the taste of egg and a hint of bacon, and it is definitely safe to say that this was the least exciting sandwich out of all the sandwiches at Dunkin’ Donuts.

It was very interesting to walk into the restaurants and see the range of foods that they were trying to sell. They had a wide variety for everyone to choose from and some interesting menu items to draw attention towards their restaurant chain. Fast food restaurants are always rolling out test foods to various locations to see how the public will react to it, and there is no doubt that the fast food industry will continue to change.