Snacking picks up traction this week—a move that fits several trends. Football season is getting into full gear, calling for more tailgate and game-day food finds. And consumers continue to seek out bites and smaller portions to fit both health and value goals. Fall flavors are still coming onto menus, too.
Steak Nuggets at Arby's.
Chicken nuggets are a fast-food favorite, so why not nuggets made of beef? Arby’s, the self-proclaimed meat specialists, launched Steak Nuggets nationwide Monday. The hand-cut bite-sized pieces of steak are seasoned with garlic and pepper and cooked until juicy and tender. The new format turns steak into a portable, grab-and-go option.
Southwestern Queso launches at Chili’s Tuesday, a new menu item that was two years in the making. The creamy blend of American and cheddar cheeses, fire-roasted green chilies, onions and a hint of lime replaces the Skillet Beef and White Skillet quesos previously on the menu. Southwestern Queso is available free to My Chili’s Rewards members through Oct. 21.
Chips without queso are making news at Cava, where the fast casual’s pita chips take on a sweet flavor: Cinnamon Sugar. The chips are sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar and a touch of cardamom, then served with honey for dipping. Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips are available for a limited time this fall.
Applebee's Pickle Fries.
Crispy Pickle Fries are Applebee’s fresh take on snacking; the fries are tossed in Tajín and served with a choice of dipping sauces. On the entrée side, there’s a new Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger featuring a beef patty layered with four slices of American cheese and bacon jam on toasted potato bread, paired with tomato basil soup for dipping. Spooky Sips are also back at the casual-dining chain. The Tipsy Zombie combines rum, passion fruit, pineapple, cherry and lime garnished with a gummy brain, while Dracula’s Juice is a mix of rum and tequila with strawberry and lemon sour.
The Honey Baked Ham Company is better known for its family-style meals, but this fall the chain is celebrating football season with Take & Serve Tavern Club Sliders. The tailgate snacks feature ham and smoked turkey breast with bacon and cheddar cheese, layered on soft King’s Hawaiian Rolls. Now through the end of October, customers can purchase two 12 packs of sliders for $44.99; each comes with mayo and honey mustard.
Sliders at Honey Baked Ham.
Football is also the theme at TGI Fridays, where the new Kick Off Platter is available for dine-in and takeout at $15.99. The snack collection includes wings, pretzel bites, sliders and loaded potato skins, and for $5 more, fans can add dessert. Guests watching games in the restaurants have more choices, including the OG Tower with mozzarella sticks, boneless wings and pretzel bites; the Tailgate Tower with loaded tots, boneless wings and sliders; and the Sweet n Spicy Tower with Whiskey Buffalo Ribs, Whiskey Buffalo Pot Stickers and Whiskey Buffalo Mozzarella Sticks.
Wahlburgers created a special menu timed to the release of “Play Dirty” on Oct. 1—a movie starting Mark Wahlberg, a partner in the chain. The lineup leads with the Stackhouse Smashburger featuring two Certified Angus Beef patties blended with brisket and short rib, topped with white cheddar, crispy onion rings, fried pickles, lettuce, tomato and house-made Cowboy sauce, a spicy garlic-herb butter. A seared chicken breast can be swapped in for the beef. New beverages are also on hand: Wicked Vanilla Cola, a dirty soda with vanilla syrup, and a float of half-and-half and Wicked Root Beer, which uses caramel syrup for a Boston twist.
The Stackhouse Smashburger at Wahlburgers ties in with "Play Dirty."
Catering has ramped up at Jason’s Deli with several new offerings suitable for game-day spreads. There’s the Gather & Graze Charcuterie Box with sliced pepperoni, hard salami, cubed pepper jack and cheddar cheese, Italian olives, fire-roasted piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, pesto aioli, garlic toasts and flatbread; the Fall Flavors Sandwich Tray; and Fall Flavors Dessert Tray. Additionally, Vegetable Soup has returned to the permanent menu along with several comfort-focused LTOs. These include Beef Stew, a hot roast beef and cheddar sandwich on a pretzel bun, Harvest Turkey Sandwich and Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake.
Hearty fall dishes are on hand at Santa Fe Cattle Co., too. The “Sizzlin’ Fall Flavors” menu features the Southwest Stack, a double burger layered with jack cheese, sauteed onions and Thousand Island dressing on Texas Toast; Spicy South Philly, a chicken “cheesesteak” on a po’ boy roll; the Cran-Apple Sour cocktail; and Caramel Apple Cheesecake for dessert.
Original Honey BBQ sauce hit menus at KFC Monday to flavor wings, chicken sandwiches and tenders. Originally introduced in the late ‘90s, the sauce returned after fans flooded social media with petitions and requests. For a limited time, the KFC Chicken Sandwich is selling for the throwback price of $3.99.
Original Honey BBQ sauce returns to KFC.
Bone-in wings have flown onto the menu at Church’s Texas Chicken. They’re available in four flavors—Original, Spicy, Buffalo and Hot Honey Lemon Pepper—starting at $5.99 for a six-piece order. The crispy wings are on the menu for a limited time.
The Del Dorado Chicken Menu debuted at Del Taco starring grilled, marinated chicken, new Salsa Roja and the return of spicy jack cheese. The menu is comprised of five items, including the Del Dorado Chicken Epic Burrito with chicken, Salsa Roja, slow-cooked beans, shredded spicy jack cheese, diced onions, shredded cabbage, diced tomato and sour cream wrapped in an oversize flour tortilla. Joining it under the Del Dorado label are a Chicken Grilled Burrito, Chicken Taco, Chicken Quesadilla and Chicken Crunchtada.
The Buffalo Wing Burrito makes a return visit to California Tortilla’s menu for a limited time. The flavor mashup fills a warm flour tortilla with Mexican rice, black beans, mesquite chicken, Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce, ranch, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo and shredded romaine lettuce.
A new salad, wrap and melt rolled out at Saladworks, all starting at $9.99. The Fuji Apple Crunch Salad has grilled chicken, quinoa, apple chips, goat cheese and Fuji apple cider vinaigrette, while the Turkey Cheddar & Bacon melt features roast turkey, cheddar, bacon and Thousand Island dressing. The last of the trio is a Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Buffalo chicken, spinach, tomatoes, blue cheese and ranch.
Cheddar and Southwestern flavors are showing up at several chains, with Lion’s Choice following that route as well. The Southwest Cheddar Melt made its debut, a sandwich with melted cheddar, crispy jalapeños and onions, and a choice of signature proteins, such as roast beef, turkey or ham on a buttered brioche bun. The sandwich made its debut in partnership with R&R Ranch Mini Horse Sanctuary at a Lion’s Choice location, where guests could meet and pet the miniature horses.
Sriracha Tahini Stir-Fry at Honeygrow.
Sweet heat is the featured flavor profile for Honeygrow’s Sriracha Tahini Stir-Fry, running through mid-December. It’s a combo of fresh egg white noodles, roast chicken, mushrooms, red onions, baby spinach, scallions and chili flakes, coated with creamy Sriracha tahini sauce and topped with sesame seeds. Plus the fast casual’s Chocolate Mousse honeybar returns, a build-your-own dessert of chocolate mousse with toppings of strawberries, blueberries, streusel crumble and whipped cream.
Biscuitville Fresh Southern gets into fall with two LTOs. The Cinnamon Streusel Vanilla Latte is topped with cold foam and cinnamon streusel bits and the Apple Cider Muffin is infused with apple cider and finished with a cinnamon-sugar crust.
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