Fast Food Review – Page 5

Cheesy Jalapeno & Bacon Quarter Pounder from McDonald’s

Published on March 12, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 25 The West Mall, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html

One thing I appreciate about McDonald’s versus most other fast joints: they aren’t shy with the sauce. I think they’ve smartly realized that a fast food burger patty, on its own, kinda sucks. It needs a bit of help to make up for the lack of moisture and flavour.

Which is to say that the new Cheesy Jalapeno & Bacon Quarter Pounder is saucy as hell (it was one of the messier burgers I’ve eaten in a while), and pretty decent.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes it: “A quarter pound of 100% Canadian beef topped with a cheesy jalapeño sauce, hickory-smoked bacon, pickled jalapeños, ketchup, mustard and two slices of processed cheese served on a toasted sesame seed bun.”

It definitely lives up to its “Cheesy” moniker, with the two slices of cheese and the zippy cheese sauce being a tasty combo. I wish they had skipped the ketchup, though, because it kinda overpowers the burger’s other flavours.

As for it living up to the “Jalapeno” part of its name… not so much. I think there were maybe two or three jalapeno slices in there? And I guess the cheese sauce is technically jalapeno-flavoured, but the ketchup is really all you can taste.

The bacon is a nice addition (bacon is always welcome on a burger, for obvious reasons), but it gets a bit lost among the other ingredients.

Mike’s Hot Honey Sandwich from KFC

Published on February 20, 2025 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 156 The Queensway, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.kfc.ca/

I mentioned recently that KFC has really been leaning into wacky novelty items of late, which I quite enjoy. Mike’s Hot Honey Sandwich, on the other hand? Pretty standard stuff. It’s just a generic fried chicken sandwich that’s a little bit sweet.

Not the most exciting thing ever, but I guess they can’t all be delightfully weird.

The sandwich, as per KFC’s website: “The Mike’s Hot Honey® Sandwich features our triple-breaded chicken and is topped with signature Mike’s Hot Honey® – crafted from 100% pure honey and chili peppers. It’s also topped with crispy jalapenos for the perfect blend of sweetness and heat.”

(The website doesn’t mention it, but the sandwich also has pickles, and a decent amount of a mildly zippy mayo-based sauce.)

It’s… fine? Like I said, it’s a pretty standard sandwich, though the slight sweetness from the honey does work pretty well. I was afraid it was going to be too sweet, but it was actually pretty subtle. Plus, the zippy pickle slices do a good job of balancing out the honey’s sweetness.

As for the heat, it’s mildly spicy, but nothing that’s going to get anyone too hot and bothered. Even McDonald’s recent attempt at a spicy chicken sandwich, the McSpicy, is hotter.

Mostly, it’s a solid sandwich. Mostly. This is a luck of the draw thing, but the chicken itself was pretty dry and tough. I know they can’t do this (because it would acknowledge that the current way they do things sucks), but if you’re not in a rush, I really wish they’d let you wait for piece of chicken that’s freshly fried, rather than getting one that’s been drying out in a drawer. Oh well.

McSpicy at McDonald’s

Published on February 12, 2025 by Michael Nusair2 Comments

Location: 1001 Islington Avenue, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html

The McSpicy isn’t the most exciting new item at McDonald’s. It’s basically a spicy McCrispy? I don’t think the chicken patty is identical, but the flavour and texture of the breading is similar enough that if they had called this the Spicy McCrispy, no one would have batted an eye.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes it: “The McSpicy chicken sandwich brings the heat, made with 100% seasoned white meat chicken breast marinated, battered and breaded in a fiery seasoning blend. Enjoy this crispy delight topped with shredded lettuce and cooling mayo-style sauce, all in a toasted sesame seed bun.”

It’s not super exciting, but also: it’s pretty good. Notably, the spice level is actually surprisingly pronounced. No, it’s not going to blow your face off, but for something from a fast food joint, it’s got some heat.

And that spice actually does make a difference — it takes what would otherwise be a pretty ho-hum, vaguely dry fast food chicken sandwich and gives it a decent amount of personality.

Garlic Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy’s

Published on November 20, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 5250 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.wendys.com/en-ca

Wendy’s is on a roll — the last burger I tried here, the French Onion Cheeseburger, was easily a top-tier fast food hamburger. This one? Not on that level, but still quite tasty!

The Garlic Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger, as per their website: “A quarter pound of fresh, never-frozen Canadian beef, roasted mushrooms, 3 strips of Applewood smoked bacon, muenster cheese, and Renée’s Gourmet Creamy Garlic Spread. Literally oozing with umami.”

Muenster cheese! On a fast food cheeseburger! Ooh la la.

Also, normally I’d mock the line “literally oozing with umami,” but you know what? It kinda is. It’s savoury AF, and is definitely more umami-packed than your typical fast food fare.

Maybe too umami-packed? On top of being incredibly savoury, it’s a bit of a salt bomb. Something with a little sweetness and/or acidity to cut through the salty richness would be nice.

Still, I can’t deny that it’s tasty. The very rich, garlicky sauce pairs nicely with the mushrooms and the bacon, and the slice of muenster cheese definitely sets it apart from its American-cheese-topped fast food brethren.

Seriously though, throw some pickles on there or something? It’s a lot.

Cajun Ranch McCrispy at McDonald’s

Published on November 14, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1001 Islington Avenue, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html

I’ll admit that after the upsettingly bad Raptor Chicken Nacho Poutine, I thought, maybe I should give McDonald’s a break? Maybe I don’t need to keep doing this to myself?

But no, I do need to keep doing this to myself. I am compelled. Maybe admitting I have a problem is the first step?

I actually enjoyed this one, though. What do you know!

The Cajun Ranch McCrispy, per McDonald’s website: “A crispy chicken sandwich made with tender and juicy 100% Canadian-raised seasoned chicken, topped with shredded lettuce, red bell pepper crisps and creamy Cajun ranch sauce, all served on a toasted potato bun.”

I quite liked that Cajun ranch sauce. It had the usual ranch flavour, but was also enjoyably zesty with a very, very mild spicy kick. I’d buy a bottle of that stuff.

And the red bell pepper crisps were a nice touch. They were basically like the crispy onions or crispy jalapenos that McDonald’s has used a few times before, but… with red bell peppers. Little crispy fried bits are always going to be welcome on a sandwich.

Otherwise it’s a standard McCrispy, but that sauce actually does elevate it.