Business
10 Times Fast Food Didn’t Meet EXPECTATIONS (Part 3 )
When it comes to fast food, it’s easy to get carried away with all the expectations. Fast food is supposed to be tasty, innovative, and the perfect way to satisfy any kind of craving. However, these criteria aren’t always met, which leaves many stomachs disappointed. Here are 1o Times Fast Food Didn’t Meet EXPECTATIONS (Part 3).
10. KFC Donut Sandwich
Okay, it should go without saying that KFC is, yes, very greasy and artery-clogging, but also very yummy and the best-fried chicken fix. Having one of the most well-kept culinary secrets of all time, we expect nothing less than perfection in terms of novelty and, obviously, in terms of taste. KFC has tried to come up with a lot of new and fun menu items over the years, starring its famous 11 herbs and spices chicken recipe, and while we appreciate the effort, it hasn’t always been such a success. Like the time the chain came up with a Donut Sandwich, for instance. In theory, it sounds like heaven on earth. The combination of nicely glazed donuts with a delectable piece of fried chicken? It could’ve become the next best thing. But instead, it was a major let-down on so many levels. The first factor to consider with this was the nutritional value, or rather, the lack thereof. If you wanted to eat more than your required amount of fat and calories for the day, then this was the perfect meal for you. We never expected this to be a saint, but 1,100 calories and 65 grams of fat for one single sandwich? It sounds a little over-the-top. Maybe this would have been worth it if the taste of the Donut Sandwich was actually impressive. But no. It was said to be good but average. Just Sticky, oily, and plain. Nothing more, nothing less.
9. Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer
If you ever need a little break from your regular burger and fries, you can always count on Taco Bell to deliver some of the best and affordable Tex-Mex food on the market. With so many tacos, burritos, and quesadilla options, you can be sure to find something that fits your mood. However, for a little while there, you could get your taco and burger fix from the same place. Wouldn’t that be the dream? Well, Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer was supposed to be just that, the perfect marriage between a burger and a taco. Added to the menu in the 1970s, the Bell Beefer was very similar to a Sloppy Joe. The burger/taco contained seasoned taco meat, lettuce, diced onions, and some mild sauce and could be upgraded and go “Supreme” with some added tomatoes and a three-cheese blend. Sadly – or not – the Bell Beefer ended up phasing out in the 1980s before it was discontinued in the mid-’90s. Why was it removed from the menu? People just weren’t buying it. They weren’t as impressed by the flavor and quality as Taco Bell would’ve hoped, and so, the interest just slowly died down. Funnily enough, there are still some fans left out there who would do anything to get the Bell Beefer back, but it doesn’t look like Taco Bell is going to budge anytime soon. When something is underperforming, it’s time to say goodbye.
8. Cinnabon’s Pizzabon
Everybody knows Cinnabon for its delicious, always fresh, and always warm cinnamon rolls. They’re all so gooey and satisfying; it’s hard to resist stopping by the store if you’re nearby. But, as amazing as the cinnamon rolls are, Cinnabon hasn’t always kept its “tasty” reputation. Back in 2012, the chain decided it wanted to stray away from what it knew so well – and from what it was named after – and jumped into the pizza business. At least, it tried to. For a hot second, Cinnabon was offering some Pizzabon – a kind of hybrid between a pizza and a cinnamon roll. The idea was simple: keep the signature shape and dough of the roll, but replace the frosting and cinnamon sugar with some pizza toppings. So far, so good. But the real issue came from the quality of those said toppings. Cinnabon is a bakery, a dessert place, a sweet tooth paradise – not a pizza joint, and it evidently reflected on the Pizzabon. Every pizza lover knows that the crucial elements to make or break a pizza are a good sauce and good cheese. Without those, you can’t get anywhere, and unfortunately, the Pizzabons felt short in every category. Not enough cheese, too hard, watery sauce – all the critics came rushing out, and very little compliments. To succeed in the already saturated pizza market, it takes a lot of courage, determination, and quality, and Cinnabon only had the first two.
7. McDonald’s Lobster Roll
For anybody from New England, lobster rolls are a sacred thing. Whether you enjoy it Connecticut style with hot lobster meat topped with warm butter or à la Maine served cold with a light coating of mayonnaise, there’s one thing that really matters, and that’s the fresh and delightful lobster it’s made with. It’s one of the main requirements, and a true good lobster roll perfection cannot be achieved without quality lobster meat. With that in mind, it begs one question: how did McDonald’s ever think it could measure up to the greatness that is a lobster roll? Although, it was a nice try, really. They had the bun, the mayo, some extra toppings but lacked the most important part; fresh lobster. While it’s somewhat “okay” for the rest of McD’s meat to come in frozen, for the lobster, it should’ve been a no-no. When you have expectations so high, to be greeted with only a chunk or two of claw meat, it’s not exactly ideal. And the most disappointing thing of all? The price. For a whopping $9, you could enjoy a half-filled, frozen lobster roll at McDonald’s, instead of enjoying the real thing for only a little bit more money. Plus, it was said to be tasteless and to lack seasoning by many adventurous testers, so really, nothing about the lobster roll was worth it.
6. Burger King’s Coffee
When you think about Burger King, a nice cup of coffee is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Fair enough, Burger King is the home of the Whopper and not of the Latte, after all, but it still seems like everything served at the chain should at least be decent. And the coffee? It wasn’t it. You know how in movies, people spit out their coffee in a dramatic way whenever something funny happens? Well, with Burger King’s coffee, you didn’t even need the funny things, all you needed was one sip of the thing, and it was enough to make you want to spit it out. Let’s just put it like it was: Burger King’s coffee was not good – in any way – no matter how cheap it was. In March 2019, the chain decided to up its coffee game by launching a BK Café coffee subscription service through its app. Subscribers could get one small cup of coffee each day for only $5 a month. Sure, it sounds like the deal of a lifetime, especially if you’re an avid coffee drinker and live near a Burger King, but in retrospect, it was not even worth the 5 bucks. Burger King is supposedly using high-quality beans in its coffee, and yet, the taste has still been described as weak, bland, and with an omnipresent burnt aftertaste. What a crappy way to start your morning.
5. Starbucks’ Food
We’ve just talked about a fast-food joint trying to make in the coffee world, and now, here is a coffee place trying to join the food club; Starbucks. Starbucks is the number one spot to go to fulfill any of your coffee needs. Iced, warm, sugary, bitter – they have it all. For your morning, afternoon, or late-night runs, Starbucks will always make sure to serve you some of the best coffee out there, because well, that’s what it does best. And it’s probably what they should’ve stuck with and leave the food the real pros. It’s not that the food is bad, per se, they’ve had some pretty successful items like the bistro boxes, yogurt parfaits, and Sous Vide Egg Bites, but it’s just not at the same level as the drinks. First of all, all the food they serve arrives frozen. Yes, everything, so that nice breakfast sandwich you’ve been eyeing in the display is not the one you’re going to get. This means that your food could be months old by the time you get it. Yummy. If that was all that was wrong with Starbucks’s food, we could’ve let it side, but no. The biggest turn-off? The price. It’s no secret that Starbucks is a little bit on the pricey side, but to pay so much for a vulgar frozen sandwich? Hard pass. However, we have to admit that the fact that you can grab a boxed salad or a little muffin with your coffee is really convenient – it just doesn’t go any further than that.
4. Little Caesars Bacon-Wrapped Crust Deep Dish Pizza
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to win almost anybody’s heart, it’s pizza. And, if you want even better chances, just add some bacon on top, and you are good to go. Pizza and bacon are two of the most popular and delicious things in the fast-food world, so when you combine the two of them together, behold the tastiness. Or, at least, it’s supposed to be great. Little Caesars tried its best to make its Bacon-Wrapped Crust Deep Dish Pizza work, and while it had every element to be a raging success, it fell into oblivion, Of course, Little Caesars isn’t exactly known to be the pinnacle of pizza quality, but there are still some standards when it comes to what is acceptable or not. A pizza, usually, should have a good gooey-crunchy ratio and be easily eaten with hands. However, the Bacon-Wrapped Pizza was overly gooey and didn’t have its crunchy counterpart. Instead, it had flimsy, overcooked bacon strips that made eating it like a regular pizza practically impossible. Chances aare, you had to opt for a knife and fork to enjoy this dish, and that didn’t sit right with everybody. Not only that, but the 3600 calories and 184 grams of fat it came with didn’t really fly either. Basically, just because something sounds like a brilliant idea doesn’t mean the execution is going to be as good.
3. Arby’s Brown Sugar BLT
Ah, Arby’s and its famous Roast Beef Sandwich. Thanks to this meaty creation, Arby’s has been able to stand out from all of the other fast-food chains out there and keep a respectable status. With this iconic sandwich, it somehow managed to meet all the expectations almost every time, minus the few mishaps that happened over the years. But, there is still one sandwich that didn’t quite reach the same level of fame the Roast Beef was able to obtain: the Brown Sugar BLT – or really, anything with brown sugar bacon. The brown sugar bacon line made its way back to the menu for a limited time just last year, and it was just as disappointing as last time. Adding a little sweetness to a rather salty sandwich might sound like a good idea – provided it’s done properly, which is not exactly what transpired with this particular item. Burger King’s Hawaiian Brown Sugar Bacon Roast BLT was served with lettuce, tomato, mayo, roast beef, and a few strips of brown sugar bacon on a toasted King’s Hawaiian bun. Overall, it was good – but the sweetness was overpowering. Some people have even said that BK had put enough sugar on it to make it into a dessert. In other words, sweet and salty is a good mix, but when it’s bacon, it should probably stay salty.
2. Wendy’s Frescata Sandwiches
The competition between fast-food restaurants has always been fierce. Sure, it’s about offering the tastiest menu items, but it’s also about who can do so without going overboard on the health hazard grounds. In 2006, back when Subway was still considered one of the “healthiest” fast-food options, Wendy’s decided to try and give Subway a run for its money by rolling out a line of fresh sandwiches called Frescata. They came in four varieties: Frescata Club, Roasted Turkey with Basil Pesto, Black Forest Ham & Swiss, and Roasted Turkey & Swiss. Wendy’s was hoping to appeal to younger consumers that were more attracted to freshness and appear healthier. At first, it worked! Every sandwich was made to order, and the artisan rolls were baked fresh. So, what could ruin such a seemingly genius creation? Time. Preparing the sandwiches took way too long and was way more difficult than preparing any other item. Despite the Frescata sandwiches becoming a fan favorite almost immediately, the unconditional love wasn’t enough to make them stay, and the fresh sandwiches were discontinued in 2007. Wendy’s is still all about freshness today, but the beloved Frescata probably won’t show their faces on the menu ever again.
1. Burger King’s Satisfries
As we said, fast food and health don’t necessarily mix well together, but every once in a while. restaurants will try to be the health guru of the bunch and come up with new and improved versions of their menu items. Burger King did exactly that back in 2013 when it launched its Satisfries. The Satisfries were more like “saddest fries” if you really think about it. They were meant to be healthier French Fries and contained 40% less fat and 30% less calories. However, everybody knows that fast food isn’t healthy to begin with, and whenever you try to make it healthy, it will most likely turn into a disaster. It has been proven time and again, and yet, fast-food chains still think their attempt will be different. Let’s just say Satisfries were no exception to the rule. Apparently, less fat and less calories also meant less flavor and less fun to eat. And, to top it all off, the Satisfries weren’t even that healthy. A regular medium of the fries still clocked in at 340 calories, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t worth the lack of flavor. After months of poor sales, Burger King finally pulled the plug on the crinkle-cut fries, and everything was right with the world of fast food again.
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