GrubGrade

The current “Go Wraps” at Wendy’s are pretty decent, but it’s time for an upgrade.  Wendy’s should be rolling out New Fresh Wraps sometime this year after being available in test markets, and by appearances, they look similar to the great “Cool Wraps” available at Chick-fil-A (read our review).  Your two choices of wrap are the Baja Chicken Fresh Wrap and the Smokehouse BBQ Fresh Wrap.

• Baja Chicken Fresh Wrap: Lightly breaded all white-meat chicken breast, pico de gallo, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, seven kinds of lettuce, cilantro lime sauce, salsa tortilla.
• Smokehouse BBQ Fresh Wrap: Tender all white-meat chicken breast, Applewood Smoked Bacon, crispy onion straws, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, ranch and honey BBQ sauces, Monterey Jack tortilla

It has been months since the last time I had a burger.  Crazy right?  I knew the streak had to end at some point and what better way to end it than with my favorite kind of burger.  I’m pretty predictable when it comes to burgers.  Sure, I will try just about any style, but I will always have a special place in my stomach for a “western-style” burger.  It seems extremely long overdue that a place like Roy Rogers now comes out with one of it’s own.  This new burger is in test phases in select restaurants and they call it the Tumbleweed Burger.

If you aren’t familiar with Roy Rogers or Roy Rogers restaurants, just know that it’s a place for cowboys like myself.  Fried chicken and burgers are the main players at Roy’s and the western-theme is strewn all over the place.  Cowboy hats, cactus murals, wagon wheels etc.  Slap some BBQ sauce on just about anything and you can fit in quite comfortably with the “western” name tag.  The Tumbleweed Burger is a brand new creation from Roy’s, but doesn’t really break any new ground.  This is a good thing actually and I’m glad that Roy’s went in this direction.  I hope this burger sticks around and expands to more restaurants.  The Tumbleweed Burger contains a 1/4 pound beef patty, natural sharp cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and onion straws all contained in a kaiser roll. So the main components of a western-style burger are present…burger/cheese/BBQ sauce/fried onions.  I’m excited to report that this burger was pretty stellar.

I’m already a big fan of the Roy Rogers burgers that you can customize yourself at the Fixin’s Bar (check out my review of the regular 1/4 pounder).  Sometimes, I’m not in the mood to customize and would just like to order something as-is and have all the ingredients work together.  Shame on the places that offer a western burger and ridiculously add sliced tomato, lettuce and ketchup!  What are you thinking? To each their own of course but seriously, a true burger of this caliber is successful by only a few ingredients and adding anything else just makes it something entirely different.  Some might say that bacon is also one of the standard ingredients of a western burger and I can’t really argue with that.  I can go without the bacon personally but I know some of you must have some present.  A bacon option for a little extra shouldn’t be an issue seeing as though the Roy’s Gold Rush Chicken Sandwich has it standard.  But getting back to what you get with your non-customized Tumbleweed Burger order, let’s review.  The beef patty is a 1/4 pound and not overly greasy while still having a savory beef flavor. It’s what I’m used to from Roy’s burgers.  The fried onions are pretty decent sized and at first glance thought the burger was stuffed with fries.  The fried onions also provided a nice crisp crunch and didn’t suffer from being soggy or limp. I would love Roy’s to add the fried onions as a side order.  The BBQ sauce was generously applied and hit me with a nice combination of sweet and tangy.  I would’ve liked a little spicy to go with the sweet and tangy but I still really liked the sauce. The kaiser roll is a Roy’s standard and never disappoints.  I never experience any dried out or stale buns and it had no trouble containing the ingredients. My only major issue with the Tumbleweed would be that the natural sharp cheddar cheese did absolutely nothing in the taste department. I would think cheddar would completely dominate in this area but it was just way too mild and forgettable.

So in closing, I guess you can tell that I’m a fan of the Tumbleweed Burger. It really isn’t a complicated creation and as I mentioned before, long overdue.  At a price of $3.99, it’s a little pricey for a fast food burger but it’s not unusual for Roy’s prices…they need a value menu by the way.  The Tumbleweed comes highly recommended and deserves a restaurant-wide roll out.

• Pros: Crunchy fried onions that deserve a place as side order.  Tangy, sweet BBQ sauce.  Fresh, soft and sturdy kaiser roll.  Overall an exceptional western-style cheeseburger.
• Cons: May be a tad pricey since it wasn’t especially filling.  Cheddar was way too mild and didn’t add much to the experience.

Taste: 9.50/10

Value: 5.75/10

Grubbing on the Go: 7.00/10

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GrubGrade: 9.00/10 (Exceptional)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $3.99

RoyRogersRestaurants.com

Nutrition Information Not Available

From the mind of David Roshinski.  The dude behind Supermarket Eats.  Thanks!

When there is an opportunity to go 45 minutes out of my way for a killer sandwich, I might not even think twice about it.  I was in beautiful, flooded New Jersey this past weekend and on the way back down south to Maryland, decided to head north first.  The lunch destination was Towne Deli in Staten Island, New York.  Towne Deli is home to a sandwich called “The Mess”.  The Mess consists of salami, cappicola, mortadella, turkey, roast beef, peppered ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, oil, vinegar & spices. This massive sandwich seemed to be over a foot long and completely stuffed with the Boar’s Head Brand.  The bread was fantastic too.  Yeah it’s called The Mess but the bread contained this beast easily.  Quality stuff.

The price tag was a mere $8.25 and for a sandwich that had this much weight to it, a major bargain.  You could take this sandwich apart and make about 4 decent sized sandwiches.  Paying under 10 bucks for The Mess was a steal.  Pictures and words don’t do the sandwich justice but feast your eyes and check out Towne Deli if you’re ever in the area.

Oh I almost forgot… The Mess humbled me.  It took lunch and dinner to finish.  I have failed you all.

5373 Arthur Kill Road

Staten Island, NY

(718) 227.1985

(718) 948.9813

Modeled after the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, Burger King plans to release the $1.00 BK Breakfast Muffin later this month.  Tentatively scheduled for March 22nd.  A head to head comparison may be in the offing.  Stay tuned.

Free Cone Day is happening at Ben & Jerry’s on Tuesday, March 23rd.  Between 12-8pm, stop by your local Ben & Jerry’s for a freebie and try a new flavor perhaps.

Thanks for all the comments everyone.  Well over 150 comments and just 1 winner.  Congrats to Michelle Scurlock. Please email me your contact information so we can get your prize to you.  Email me at GrubGrade at Gmail dot com.

Hey there GrubGrade readers, it’s time for a giveaway.  A Hardee’s Happy Star Slanket and a bunch of Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburgers are in your future if you are the lucky winner.  Of course I’m going to make this as simple as possible for you folks.  Just leave a comment on this post and I’ll randomly pick a winner by tomorrow night, (let’s say comment by 9pm est, 3/11/10).  Good luck!

Why the Happy Star Slanket? Well, Hardee’s just introduced the Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburger. It’s comfort food for grown-ups: melted American and Swiss cheeses on grilled sourdough bread, and (since it is Hardee’s) the addition of a charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patty and crispy bacon… all for the starting price of $2.79. It’s just like mom used to make… but better. Because it’s a burger. With bacon.

There’s something new at Panda Express and they call it Honey Walnut Shrimp.  It debuts today and you’ve got a chance to try it free.  Click here for a free single entree.

Honey Walnut Shrimp is fresh tempura shrimp wok-tossed in a gourmet honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts. It’s a mouthwatering combination of sweet and crispy, and a delicious new reason to visit Panda Express today.