Every menu category is seeing innovation action this week. Downsized chicken sliders are making their debut, along with an oversized smashburger. Pizzas and sandwiches are getting meatier, and baked goods are dressed for Easter. Healthy items are also trending, with tofu wraps and oatmeal bowls coming on menus. That leaves room for dessert, with new frozen treats and ice cream flavors to indulge in.
Hot Chicken Sliders arrived at Dave’s Hot Chicken, composed of hand-breaded, spiced chicken, kale slaw, a pickle and drizzles of Dave’s Sauce on a mini potato bun. Four sliders come to an order and each can be customized to three spices levels: No spice, medium or hot. The downsized sandwiches are partially in response to customers on weight-loss drugs who are eating smaller portions.
Hot Chicken Sliders at Dave's Hot Chicken. | Photo courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken.
Those who have bigger appetites can opt for Smashburger’s Jalapeño BBQ Bacon Stack Smash. It starts with a grilled and smashed Certified Angus Beef patty that’s piled high with applewood smoked bacon, fresh-sliced jalapeños, melted American cheese and sweet-and-smoky barbecue sauce. The limited-time item is inspired by the flavors in the chain’s top three best-selling burgers.
Moving on to pizza, Cici’s is bringing back its Tots ‘N Bacon Pizza for a limited time through June 1. The pie features a combo of crispy tots, bacon, the brand’s signature mac & cheese sauce and lots of mozzarella. A medium-size goes for $9.99, with larger sizes up to $13.99.
The crust is the thing at Hungry Howie’s, where the Everything Bagel Crust is new on the menu. Seasonings including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and salt, a combination that delivers extra crunch and flavor to the crust. Customers can order it as an option through June 30.
Emmy Squared launched a couple of meaty Detroit-style pizzas on its new seasonal menu. The Metsiah Pizza is topped with pepperoni, hand-crafted Italian sausage, thick-cut bacon and shaved ribeye, while the Mediterranean Ribeye Pizza features shaved sirloin, sauteed spinach, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions and confit garlic. Returning to the lineup is the Emmy Pizza with banana peppers, red onions and house-made green ranch, served with red sauce for dipping. Another fan favorite making a comeback is the Watermelon Burrata Salad, and for burger lovers, Le Bleu Burger is the seasonal offering.
Cauliflower Ceviche in the small dish is new at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar. | Photo courtesy of Lazy Dog.
Two vegetarian small plates share the starter spotlight on Lazy Dog’s spring menu: Cauliflower Ceviche and Spring Pea Hummus. In the bowl category, Loco Moco Fried Rice is an intriguing combo of wok-fried rice with shaved smoked ham, seasoned ground beef, ginger, garlic, cabbage, peas, carrots, soy sauce and garlic chili crisp topped with furikake, green onions and a sunnyside-up egg. There’s also a Spinach Enchilada Casserole and Cowboy Ribeye Burger topped with shaved ribeye and Mexican-style lager cheese sauce. Five seasonal cocktails offer light and refreshing flavors, including a Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita, Elderflower Lemonade Spritz, Limoncello Basil Spritz and Watermelon Margarita.
Maggiano’s Little Italy is promoting its family-style menu for families to enjoy on Easter and Mother’s Day. Suggestions include the new Wagyu Beef Meatballs as well as classics like Famous Rigatoni “D,” The Finest Fettuccine Alfredo, “The Grand” Chicken Parmesan and Rigatoni Alla Vodka. For dessert, there’s Tiramisu and Vera’s Lemon Cookies. For Mother’s Day, Wagyu Beef Stuffed Shells, Chef KB’s Lobster Carbonara, and Beef Tenderloin Medallions are specials on the entrée list.
For the breakfast crowd, Jamba is bringing back its Oatmeal Bowls in three variations. The Berry Brown Sugar Oatmeal Bowl is topped with brown sugar, strawberries and blueberries, while the Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Oatmeal Bowl comes with bananas, granola, peanut butter and honey. Rounding out the choices is the Strawberry + Nutella & Coconut Oatmeal Bowl with Nutella, strawberries and coconut flakes. All start with steel-cut oatmeal blended with oatmilk.
Grilled Tofu Salad at Salata. | Photo courtesy of Salata.
Tofu is the focus of two new items at healthy fast casual, Salata. The protein-rich Grilled Tofu Wrap layers tofu, almonds, arugula, red onions, cabbage, beets, cucumbers, broccoli, edamame and sesame sticks in a cucumber wrap, finished with ginger-lime dressing. The Grilled Tofu Salad is a mix of the grilled tofu with kale, arugula, spinach, beets, broccoli, carrots, red onion, bell peppers, strawberries and grapes, topped with walnuts and an herb vinaigrette.
The Prime Rib Sandwich is a meaty addition to Potbelly’s permanent menu. The build includes sliced prime rib steak, melted Swiss, house-made caramelized onions and roasted garlic aioli. The toasty sandwich is part of Potbelly’s “We’re bringing MORE to the table” campaign, with further additions coming later this year.
From sandwiches to sweets, Wendy’s is elevating its Frosty selection with new takes on the classic frozen treat. Three Frosty Swirls, launching Tuesday, are laced with indulgent sauces in flavors including Strawberry Frosty Swirl, Brownie Batter Frosty Swirl and Caramel Frosty Swirl. Frosty Fusions, which debut May 12, give fans mix-ins and sauces with the dessert. There are three varieties offered here too: Pop-Tarts Strawberry Frosty Fusion has strawberry sauce and chunks of strawberry-flavored Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers; Oreo Brownie Frosty Fusion is swirled with brownie batter and Oreo cookie pieces; and Caramel Crunch Frosty Fusion blends in crunchy toffee pieces and caramel sauce.
Frosty Swirls and Frosty Fusions from Wendy's. | Photo courtesy of Wendy's.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is launching two limited-time spring flavors. Strawberry Matcha blends strawberry ice cream with matcha ice cream for a pastel color palette, while Mixed Berry Cheesecake has a base of cheesecake ice cream swirled with blueberry and strawberry and finished with crunchy graham cracker ribbons. Both LTO flavors run through the end of April
For the indecisive ice cream lover, Baskin-Robbins is now offering Flavor Flights—four 2.5-ounce scoops of different flavors topped with waffle cone chips and served in a travel-friendly container. And for the latest Flavor of the Month, the chain is launching Paloma Paradise, a grapefruit-forward, citrusy frozen treat featuring paloma-flavored ice cream and sorbet swirled with mild chili pepper lime for a subtle kick. The flavor profile is also available to sip in the Paloma Paradise Fizz, a nonalcoholic beverage that combines scoops of Paloma Paradise with lemon-lime soda and Tajín.
Baskin-Robbins' Flavor Flights. | Photo courtesy of Baskin-Robbins.
Easter is on the menu at Krispy Kreme, with bunnies decorating doughnuts this year instead of eggs. The Bunny Basket Doughnut is dipped in chocolate icing and piped with chocolate buttercream, then topped with a confectionary bunny, while the Marshmallow Bunny Doughnut is filled with marshmallow-flavored cream, dipped in yellow icing and topped with a bunny face. One more bunny appears on the Bouncing Bunny Doughnut dipped in pastel blue icing and sprinkles, while the Strawberry Iced Doughnut with Sprinkles keeps it simple with pink icing and pastel sprinkles.
Paris Baguette is also tying into Easter with an Easter Basket Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Easter Bunny Strawberry Banana Cake, Easter Egg Mochi Donut and Easter Egg King Cream Donut. Candy-coated chocolate eggs, flaked coconut and Easter sprinkles decorate the cakes and donuts.
Refreshers are joining the cold beverage lineup at HTeaO, a brand-new product line for the chain. The fruit-forward drinks, designed to deliver a refreshing boost with natural energy, come in three flavors. The Razzler is a blend of Monin Glacier Clear energy with blue raspberry syrup and lemonade, while Mango Tango is a fusion of Glacier Clear, sweet mango iced tea, pineapple syrup and lemonade. Completing the trio is Cherry Peach Tea Lemonade made with the energy product, cucumber concentrate, stone fruit syrup and Georgia peach iced tea, brightened with lemonade and a squeeze of lime.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.