Food

Hearts take shape on menus

Taste Tracker: Outback, 7 Brew, Logan’s, Dunkin’, Whataburger, Nothing Bundt Cakes, P.F. Chang’s, Portillo’s, Polly’s Pies, Baskin-Robbins, Lou Malnati’s and more headline restaurant menu news and trends.
heart pastries
Heart-shaped hand pies from Polly's Pies are a February special. | All photos courtesy of the brands.

Love is in the air and on the menu at restaurants nationwide as Valentine’s Day quickly approaches. There are heart-shaped desserts and pizzas aplenty along with special dinners for couples, families and groups of friends celebrating Galentine’s Day. Even beverage concepts are getting into the act, offering themed coffees. But hearts are not all that’s happening this week. Check out what’s trending so far in February. 

steak

To celebrate Valentine's Day, Outback is offering four-course dinners for two.

A romantic $65 dinner for two is awaiting couples at Outback Steakhouse. The four courses include a shareable appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert, with entrée options such as the new Teriyaki Filet Skewers—filet medallions glazed in teriyaki and paired with seasoned rice, and the Filet with Roasted Garlic Butter. Other courses include Three Cheese Spinach Dip, Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs seasoned like the famous Bloomin’ Onion, a Wedge Salad and Chocolate Tower for 2 featuring a six-layer chocolate cake.  

Drive-thru beverage chain 7 Brew is embracing Valentine’s Day with featured drinks all month long. There’s Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cold Brew; Raspberry Truffle Macchiato with white chocolate; Love Potion 7 Energy composed of kiwi, passion fruit and strawberry; Pink Mermaid 7 Fizz Soda with coconut, strawberry and watermelon flavors; and Cupid Special Cocoa with toasted marshmallow and white chocolate.

drinks

7 Brew's festive beverage lineup. 

Rival Dutch Bros is joining in the festivities with Pink Velvet Mocha, a beverage with a pink velvet-inspired flavor, as well as the Luvstruck Rebel, a combo of blackberry and vanilla mixed with Dutch Bros’ energy drink. Both are crowned with a signature pink velvet frosting Soft Top.

Dunkin’s limited-time Valentine’s Day lineup includes several drinks and treats. There’s the Heart Eyes Daydream Refresher made with strawberry and dragonfruit for a natural pink color finished with sweet cold foam; the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Daydream Refresher finished with chocolate cold foam; and the Blush Spritz Refresher with sparkling water. On the coffee front are the Toxic Ex-presso Cloud Latte with raspberry flavor and mocha swirl, and Sweet On You Cloud Latte with caramel and coconut flavors. Dunkin’ is also returning its heart-shaped filled donuts such as the Brownie Batter Classic Donut and Cupid’s Choice Classic Donut.

Also in the V-Day treats category is Polly’s Pies, which is bringing back its heart-shaped hand pies. Available in apple, cherry and boysenberry, each pie comes in a gift box with heart-printed wax paper and is priced at $7.99. The pies can be pre-ordered now through Valentine’s Day and limited quantities are on hand for walk-ins. 

heart shaped food

Lou Malnati's shapes pizza and desserts into hearts.

Heart-shaped pizzas return to Lou Malnati’s this month. Each is baked with the brand’s buttery crust, Wisconsin mozzarella and tomato sauce and comes in cheese, pepperoni and sausage varieties. New this year are heart-shaped desserts, including cookies and Eli’s cheesecake. Lou Malnati’s will donate $1 to local Make-A-Wish chapters for every heart-shaped pizza sold.

A Chocolate Raspberry Heart Made with Dove chocolate is Nothing Bundt Cakes’ contribution to Valentine’s Day. The bundtlet is filled with raspberry puree and topped with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate heart. The bakery chain is also offering several limited-time cakes in February and March. The Banana Pudding Cake is baked with banana puree and vanilla wafers, then filled and drizzled with vanilla pudding, while the Dubai Chocolate Pop-Up starts with a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake, filled with pistachio cream and shredded phyllo, and topped with chocolate ganache cream cheese frosting and gold sprinkles. It’s available in bundtlet size only from March 2-15. 

cakes

Banana cream Bundtlet cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. 

New Vintage Valentine’s Cakes come in two versions at Baskin-Robbins. The Vintage Heart Cake features a light pink frosted base trimmed with pink, red and white borders and dotted with frosted hearts, while the Vintage Cherry Cake is finished with cherries, piping and heart details. Each can be personalized with an icing message. Also hitting menus is February’s Flavor of the Month called Love Potion #31. It’s a blend of white chocolate and raspberry ice creams, raspberry swirls, chocolate chips and raspberry-filled hearts. A variation called Love Potion #31 Cappy has a coffee-flavored twist and is topped with whipped cream and a fudge drizzle.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is also offering February flavors themed to the holiday. On offer is Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, a rich chocolate ice cream with tart raspberry swirls and chocolate flakes, and Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream blended with strawberry swirls. 

The Pink Velvet menu is Paris Baguette’s tribute to love, with an abundance of heart-shaped pastries. The XOXO Strawberry Soft Cream Heart Cake has vanilla sponge layers filled with strawberry soft cream and fresh strawberries, then finished with a chocolate heart, while the three-layered Pink Velvet Chocolate Ganache Cake is geared to chocoholics. Also on offer is a pink Conversation Heart Macaron with fresh strawberries and a Pink Velvet Matcha Latte.

Chicken concept Tender Crush is partnering with Li-Lac Chocolates on a Valentine special available only until Feb. 15. The I Scream Tender transforms a typically savory item into a sweet one as it’s composed of vanilla ice cream molded in the shape of a chicken tender then coated with dark chocolate and a toffee “crust.” It’s served with a dark chocolate sauce dip and sells for $6.50.

ice cream

Tender Crush molds ice cream into chicken tender shapes for Valentine's Day. 

The Weekday Steak Break is being expanded at Logan’s Roadhouse in a pilot program. The $12.99 package consisting of a mesquite-grilled 6-ounce sirloin, two sides, a drink and bottomless scratch-made rolls originally was designed to pull in traffic on Wednesdays but is now offered from Monday through Thursday at test locations. 

Valentine’s Day is not the only celebration taking place this month. Whataburger teamed up with singer Lainie Wilson to proclaim Feb. 4 National Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit Day. On Wednesday morning, fans can score a free Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit at participating locations. The sweet-savory item features a crispy chicken strip tucked inside a warm buttermilk biscuit and finished off with a drizzle of signature honey butter sauce. 

Perhaps more noteworthy is the 2026 Lunar New Year, which kicks off this month. P.F. Chang’s is celebrating the Year of the Horse with a limited-time menu through Feb. 24. On offer are several symbolic dishes, including Long Life Noodles, Pork Belly Bao Buns, Sizzling Dumplings, Miso Lobster Dumplings, Butternut Squash Dumplings and Black Pepper Filet. A themed cocktail called the Midnight Gallop is a mix of blackberries, black cherry, lemon and a hint of vanilla with a choice of tequila or bourbon. Guests can also take part in the Red Envelope tradition, a gift with a redeemable future offer. bread

La Madeleine brings back complimentary bread and jam. 

Complimentary bread and jam is again a tradition at La Madeleine, a ritual brought back from the chain’s early days. In its elevated format, guests now receive a curated trio of freshly baked breads (including seasonal varieties) paired with house-made jams. The service is available for dine-in, takeout and delivery.

On Wednesday Portillo’s launches The Sauce Flight, a limited-edition package featuring five sauces. The quintet includes new Comeback Sauce, a creamy, tangy chicken dipping sauce with black pepper, garlic and paprika, along with BBQ Sauce, Buttermilk Ranch, Honey Mustard and Hot Giardiniera Sauce made with the brand’s signature hot giardiniera relish. The flight is $1.99 and pairs well with Portillo’s chicken tenders and sandwiches. 

taco

MVP Waffle Taco at Huddle House. 

Waffles are in the spotlight at Huddle House, with the MVP Breakfast Platter, MVP Waffle Taco and MVP Breakfast Burrito. All showcase breakfast staples like eggs, tots and bacon in different formats for sit-down or on-the-go eating. New is the Fried Waffle Wedge Basket, a dessert option of crispy waffle wedges drizzled with chocolate syrup, sprinkled with powdered sugar and crowned with whipped topping.

The Sorbet Smoothie Collection is the latest at Haagen-Dazs, featuring five non-dairy flavors made with fruit sorbets. These include the Aloha Mango Smoothie, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Mango Smoothie, Wildberry Smoothie and Pomegranate Berry Smoothie. The limited-time smoothie menu runs through Mar. 31.

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