Menus start to swing into summer mode
By Patricia Cobe on May 17, 2021Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of summer for many Americans, and restaurants are at the ready with seasonal menu changes. Starbucks is going with strawberries for its county fair-inspired Frappuccino, while Auntie Anne’s plays up peaches in a new beverage. Several Lettuce Entertain You concepts have special Memorial Day menus for dine-in and carryout guests, along with grilling and picnic kits to go. And there are a number of new sandwiches, tacos and seafood items to lure summer customers.
Starbucks
The Strawberry Funnel Cake Crème Frappuccino is the latest blended beverage to launch on Starbucks’ menu. The beverage features layers of strawberry puree and whipped cream swirled with blended coffee flavored with funnel-cake syrup, then topped with crunchy funnel cake pieces and powdered sugar. The coffee giant claims that the drink is inspired by summertime memories of a day at the fair, where sweet, deep-fried funnel cakes are an iconic favorite.
Auntie Anne’s
Peach is the summer flavor of choice at Auntie Anne’s, which is bringing back Peach Lemonade Frost nationwide through the end of summer. The refreshing beverage layers the chain’s original lemonade with peach syrup and a creamy vanilla dairy base. It’s topped off with whipped cream and a drizzle of peach syrup. To mark its return, Auntie Anne’s is offering a Snack & Sip Duo of a Peach Lemonade Frost and 10 mini pretzel dogs for $8.99.
Hard Rock Cafe
Summer festival season is beginning, and Hard Rock Cafe is getting in the spirit with its limited-time festival menu items, running until June 1. Included in the lineup are Chips and Guacamole, Pulled Pork Nachos, Let’s Get Twisted Mac & Cheese Fries, Honey Soy Wings and Buffalo-Style Sliders. Participating locations are also be offering extra attractions, including live music and DJs, glitter stations for guests to decorate their faces and photo ops.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
Lettuce Entertain You’s tapas-themed concept, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago, is offering a Pintxos Picnic To-Go for Memorial Day Weekend (May 29-31). Included is a pintxos platter of Basque-style bites, an assortment of the menu's tapas and dessert. Cost is $45 for two and $90 for four; a pitcher of Sangria can be added on for $28 or a set of cocktails to go for $24.
Il Porcelino
Playing off the popularity of Lettuce Entertain You’s grilling kits last Memorial Day, Chicago’s Il Porcelino put one together for guests who want to continue the tradition post-pandemic. The kit, which feeds two, is comprised of mixed Italian sausages, shrimp scampi skewered with seasonal vegetables, watermelon salad with ricotta salata and fresh mint, Italian-accented potato salad, a fresh-baked baguette and zabaglione with local fruit and candied pecans for dessert. The package is $69.95 and pre-orders are available to pick up only on Monday, May 31.
Metro Diner
Metro Diner is adding two new burgers to its menu in time for Memorial Day Weekend and is offering a 10% discount to all uniformed first responders and retired military throughout the three days. The Breakfast Burger is a mashup of an Angus burger topped with melted cheddar cheese, hash browns, lettuce, tomato, bacon, any style egg and hollandaise sauce. There’s also a new Classic Cheeseburger topped with melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and red onions.
Fatz Cafe
A variety of summery seafood dishes joins the lineup at Fatz Cafe. Among the additions are Low Country Boil with shrimp, corn, kielbasa sausage and potatoes; Crab Dip served with house-made kettle chips; Calabash Calamari with red chile sauce; Blackened Red Fish served over cheese grits; Key West Red Fish topped with garlic-herb butter sauce and crab dip; Fried Oysters and U-Peel Shrimp seasoned with Old Bay. Meat eaters can opt for the new BBQ Brisket or Apple Spinach Chicken Salad.
Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s
Sister concepts Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are jumping onto the chicken sandwich bandwagon by repositioning their chicken tenders into the on-trend format. Three sandwich builds are launching today. There’s a classic Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich, featuring crispy fried white meat chicken on a toasted potato bun with pickles and mayonnaise, a Hand-Breaded Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich and a Hand-Breaded Chicken Biscuit, the last available only at Hardee’s. Each sandwich begins with a chicken breast filet that is marinated in 13 seasonings and dipped in buttermilk before going through a six-step hand-breading process in Southern-style flour.
Zaxby’s
Zaxby’s signature fried chicken sandwich has already made waves. Now the chicken chain is bringing back its Zaxby’s Fried Pickles, a shareable that can be ordered as a standalone snack or a side to that chicken sandwich. The LTO reflects the chain’s Southern roots. It starts with thin slices of dill pickles, which are coated with cornmeal, deep fried and served with Zaxby’s ranch sauce.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
The Spicy Chimi Taco is the latest addition to the roster at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. The limited-time taco offers a taste of summer through its herbaceous chimichurri sauce—a blend of fresh parsley, cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt spiked with jalapenos. The Argentinian-style chimichurri sauce tops grilled fajita beef, shredded cheese, Fuzzy’s signature garlic sauce and pico de gallo, all enfolded in a lightly fried flour tortilla.
Papa John’s
The Parmesan Crusted Papadia debuted today at Papa John’s, joining the lineup of piadina-style sandwiches that launched last year. This iteration of the flatbread sandwich features Parmesan cheese that's baked on the outside of the dough to form a crispy exterior. Customers can choose from several fillings, including meatball and pepperoni, and grilled chicken and bacon.