Beverages make flavor news at Burger King, Krak Boba, HTeaO and Philz

Pumpkin drinks are still pouring out of chain pipelines, but other fall flavors are offering a bit of beverage competition. Vanilla, pecan, toasted marshmallow and apple are all on the upswing. Meanwhile, sandwiches, pizza and bowls are showcasing new ingredients, branded products continue to trend on menus, and seasonal steak and chops make their debut.

Summer isn’t over yet at Burger King, where Frozen Pink Lemonade launched to coincide with the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) taking place on Wednesday. The tart-sweet frozen drink was available at the end of August, and a small size is free with the purchase of $1 or more when ordered on the BK app through Wednesday. This is the fifth year that Burger King partnered with MTV on the awards, but the first time the chain created a product inspired by the VMAs.

Vanilla flavors two fall drinks at Philz Coffee. Vanilla Date Delight blends cold brew with Ghirardelli vanilla sauce, natural date syrup and spices, while Spiced Vanilla Soul is a mix of cold brew, vanilla sauce, and Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend infused with spices. Both limited-time offers (LTOs) follow on the heels of Oatmeal Cookie Cold Brew, which joined the permanent menu.

Color-changing butterfly tea is elevating two beverages at Krak Boba. The Cosmos Serenade combines strawberry lemonade with the butterfly tea for a vibrant hue, while CocoThai Butterfly marries Thai and butterfly teas with a mound of coconut cream in the middle. Also new is the Matcha Prince, a creamy matcha drink swirled with coconut juice and mini boba. On the smoothie front is a Cocoberry Smoothie, a blend of strawberry and coconut.

Texas-based HTeaO infuses its fall lineup with Texas flavors instead of pumpkin spice. The Texas Pecan blend from local roaster Free Rein Coffee is the base for the Texas Pecan Patch Brew. Other new additions are Mocha Butter Pecan and Dirty Chai Apple Crisp, available both hot and iced. “While pumpkin has its place, here in Texas, we do things a little differently,” said Heath Nielsen, president of HTeaO.

PJ’s Coffee is also going a mostly non-pumpkin route with Bananas Foster Cold Brew Cream, inspired by the classic New Orleans dessert. The beverage combines cold brew with vanilla, banana, brown sugar and rum flavors, topped with white chocolate sweet foam and a chocolate drizzle. There’s also a S’mores Velvet Ice, with a Pumpkin Latte rounding out the lineup.

Moving over to the food side, &pizza is bringing back its popular Farmer’s Daughter pie. The breakfast-inspired pizza is topped with Italian sausage, grilled onions and spinach over a spicy tomato base with fresh mozzarella. It’s finished off with a drizzle of garlic butter and Mike’s Hot Honey.

Cheez-Its are the latest addition to the free extras selection at Moe’s Southwest Grill. The small cracker squares are there to add cheesy crunch to build-your-own burritos, bowls, quesadillas, tacos and other custom entrees.

Salad chain Chopt collaborated with NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson to develop Jimmie Johnson’s Kale Caesar Salad. The bowl features a mix of kale and romaine topped with grilled chicken, avocado, corn, grape tomatoes, English cucumber, croutons and Parmesan tossed with creamy Caesar dressing. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from sales of the LTO salad will go directly to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which focuses on supporting K-12 public education.

Mexican street food concept Bodega Taqueria y Tequila added a “Birria” section to the menu with items like Yuca Fritas de “Birria” and Quesabirria. Dorado Tacos also made their debut, with vegetarian options such as  Refrito y Queso (black beans, chili crema, salsa), Elote y Rajas and Yuca Verde. On the healthy side, new greens-based items include the Elote Salad and Baja Caesar Salad.

Tangy Shrimp Cilantro Ramen launched at Jinya Ramen Bar, boasting a pork broth infused with shrimp flavor as a base with toppings such as shrimp tempura, mushrooms, cilantro and a spicy sauce with a hint of lime and Korean chili flakes. Also new are Chicken Wings with Sweet Soy Glaze for football fans looking for an alternative flavor profile.

Dog Haus kicks off its first Oktoberfest celebration with food and drink tie-ins. There’s a limited-time Oktoberwurst bratwurst served with caramelized onions, grilled sauerkraut and mustard aioli on King’s Hawaiian rolls, as well as the Oktoberwurst Burrito with beer cheese sausage, crispy tots and eggs. Also on offer are King’s Hawaiian pretzel bites with either beer cheese sauce or cinnamon-sugar iced with cream cheese frosting. Signature drinks include Paulaner’s Oktoberfestbier and Jägermeister shots.

The Steaks Around the World menu comes to Eddie Merlot’s, running through Nov. 11. The selection includes variations from France, Thailand, Cuba and the U.S. French-flavored Filet Rossini is a filet mignon served with foie gras, creamed spinach and buttered brioche, while the Crying Tiger New York Strip is Thai-inspired, as the beef is marinated in sweet soy and served with spicy Nam Jim Jaew sauce. Rounding out the menu is Cuban Skirt Steak and Chateaubriand Carved Tableside with fire-roasted bourbon corn brûlée and peppercorn sauce.

Each is paired with a wine.

Apple, bourbon and caramel are the fall flavor focus at Carrabba’s Italian Grill. On thecocktail list is a Sicilian Bourbon Sour made with blood orange sour, while the seasonal dessert is Caramel Apple Cheesecake. Appetizers include Calabrian Crispy Wings and Calabrian Grilled Wings, while two new entrees are Cheese Ravioli and Meatball Malfatti with spinach-ricotta dumplings and a 22-ounce Pork Chop with Sweet Bourbon Butter.

Several menus are not ready to abandon pumpkin, including coffee chain 7 Brew. On offer is the new Pumpkin Spice Blondie flavored with vanilla, caramel and pumpkin, plus three pumpkin shakes. The Magic Pumpkin Shake features white chocolate, Irish cream and pumpkin, while the Pumpkin Roll Shake is a mix of white chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin, and the Salted Pumpkin Shake pairs salted caramel with pumpkin. To balance the pumpkin, the menu debuted a Rocky Road Cold Brew with toasted marshmallow, caramel and hazelnut. And the Nightshade 7 Energy Chiller combines lavender, pomegranate and blue raspberry.

Salted maple joins pumpkin at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. The menu includes a Pumpkin Extreme Ice Blended, Pumpkin Dry Iced Americano with vanilla and pumpkin, and Pumpkin Chai Cream Iced Latte. But two maple drinks also make their debut: Salted Maple Ice Blended Coffee and Salted Maple Hot Latte. The baristas combine rich maple sauce with vanilla powder, espresso and milk to achieve the flavor profile.

Coffee concept Ziggi’s joined the pumpkin crowd with three new beverages and two breads. Pumpkin Pie Latte, Harvest Spice Energy Infusion—an energy drink with flavors of pumpkin and white chocolate—and Double Pumpkin Cold Brew are for sipping, while Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread and Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread are for eating.

Haagen-Dazs Shops are also getting into the pumpkin spirit. Customers can indulge in the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Dazzler, a treat that layers dulce de leche ice cream with caramel sauce, crunchy cinnamon cookie pieces, and a dusting of warm pumpkin pie spices. The chain is also returning its Pumpkin Spice Shake—a blend of dulce de leche ice cream and pumpkin puree topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spices.

Competing ice cream concept Baskin-Robbins released its Flavor of the Month for September—and it’s not pumpkin. Instead, Oreo Monkey Business claims the honor, a frozen treat that features creamy banana ice cream, cookie pieces and peanut butter swirls that tie it all together.

Oktoberfest is the theme of the latest burger at Burgerville. The Oktoberfest Cheeseburger is on the menu through Oct. 14, featuring a natural beef patty seasoned with locally sourced Jacobsen Salt Co.’s bratwurst seasoning, and topped with Tillamook Swiss cheese, roasted cabbage with whole grain mustard, and NW Gourmet garlic aioli, all on a soft pretzel bun. The Northwest peach crop is also being put to good use in a Spiced Peach Shake, Spiced Peach Sundae, Spiced Peach Cobbler and Peach Ginger Sweet Tea.

The comeback of original favorites and the launch of new standouts fill Tacodeli’s rotatingDaily Specials menu, created to commemorate the chain’s 25th anniversary. Returning favorites include Monday’s Carne Asada, Thursday’s grilled scallops, Friday’s Steak Chimichurri and Ceviche on the weekends. Chicken Tinga and Brisket El Ray with bacon, caramelized onion, salsa de arbol and garlic are the newbies.