The summer of value is in full swing, as chain restaurants continue to compete with meal deals and discounts to lure customers. From breakfast packages to bottomless appetizers, menus are bursting with money-savers. But there’s also a lot of other menu news, with summer flavors getting plenty of play and frosty treats and drinks ready to beat the heat.
Bottomless appetizers arrive at Buffalo Wild Wings. | Photo courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings.
Beginning Friday, Buffalo Wild Wings is offering Bottomless Apps, starting at $9.99, for a limited time. Choices include Fried Pickles, Mozzarella Sticks, Onion Rings, Chips & Salsa and Hatch Queso. BWW’s unlimited appetizer deal is available for dine-in only, all day, every day, for parties of four or less. Larger parties can also partake at additional charge.
Breakfast is a bargain at Denny’s these days, with four of the chain’s Slams selling for under $10, all served with two eggs and two strips of Applewood-smoked bacon or two pork sausage links. In the lineup are the Red, White and Berry Everyday Value Slam with buttermilk blueberry pancakes topped with fresh strawberries, cream cheese icing and a dollop of whipped cream; the Choconana Everyday Value Slam with chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh banana slices and more chocolate chips; the Super Slam with two buttermilk pancakes; and the Everyday Value Slam with two buttermilk pancakes, two slices of brioche French toast or a biscuit and gravy.
Denny's offers four value-priced Slams for breakfast. | Photo courtesy of Denny's.
Gotta Habit Value Meals are the latest deal from Habit Burger & Grill. Starting at $6, guests can choose from three grilled half-sandwiches such as BBQ Grilled Chicken, the Chicken Club and the Santa Barbara Char. These are rounded off with a choice of side (Tempura Green Beans, French Fries or Side Salad) and a drink. The $10 deal also includes a five-piece order of chicken bites.
Arby’s joins the move to add steak to the menu with the launch of Arby’s Cheesesteaks on Monday. Each limited-time sandwich is layered with four ounces of thinly shaved Angus steak, melted American cheese, a diced bell pepper-and-onion blend and a creamy garlic spread on a toasted bun.
In celebration of its 30th birthday on June 18, California Tortilla rolled back its prices to 1995 dollars. Guests could score a burrito or bowl for $5, with signatures like California Screamin’, Blackened Chicken Caesar, Crunchy BBQ Ranch, Carnitas Verde, Honey Lime, Sunset or Classic all available, as well as custom bowls. The regional fast casual is known for its Wall of Flame, which features 75 hot sauces ranging from mild to meltdown.
Sonic showcases pickles in a big way. | Photo courtesy of Sonic.
Pickles steal the spotlight at Sonic Drive-In, where the Sonic x Grillo’s Pickles Big Dill Meal launches June 30. The pickle-themed trio includes a Big Dill Double & Triple Sonic Smasher of seasoned Angus beef patties layered with two slices of American cheese, dill pickle-seasoned crispy cucumbers, dilly ranch, Grillo’s Pickle Chips and lettuce on a soft potato bun; a tart-sweet Picklerita Slush blended with pickle juice, lime and pickle juice-flavor bubbles, topped with a pickle chip; and Dill Pickle Seasoned Tots or Groovy Fries covered in Grillo’s Pickle seasoning. Guests who order the full meal receive a free pickle-scented car air freshener.
Crispy Chicken Tender Sliders are available for $2.99 each at Roy Rogers. They’re made with hand-breaded tenders and topped with one of three signature sauces: Gold Rush, Frank’s Red-Hot Buffalo or Roy’s Cowboy in flavor profiles ranging from mild and sweet to hot. Customers can pair the sliders with new beverages such as Roy’s Handcrafted Strawberry Lemonade or cold brew in rich vanilla and caramel flavors.
Lobster debuts in six seasonal LTOs at Margarita’s Mexican Restaurants. For starters, there are three appetizers: Lobster Queso topped with charred corn, jalapeños, scallions and sauteed lobster; a Lobster Quesadilla stuffed with lobster meat, Monterey Jack-cheddar blend, charred jalapeños and scallions, then finished with cilantro, tomatoes, avocado crema, sour cream and salsa macha; and Lobster Street Nachos with lobster, tomatoes, garlic, Monterey Jack-cheddar blend, charred jalapeños and scallions. Entrees include a Lobster Roll with Tajin fries and Tajin aioli dipping sauce, Lobster Tacos and a Mexican-accented Lobster Salad. Summer cocktails on offer are a Mangonada, Watermelon Ranch Water, Batanga made with Mexican Coke and tequila, and Crystal Pineapple shaken with coconut tequila, pineapple juice and hibiscus.
Lazy Dog Restaurants debuted a new catering program. | Photo courtesy of Lazy Dog.
A new catering program has arrived at Lazy DogRestaurants featuring packages for 10 diners starting at $14 per person. The Sandwich & Salad Bundle includes a variety of three handcrafted sandwiches—Roasted Chicken Club, Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich and Ham and Cheddar—along with a choice of one of three salads. These include a Tex-Mex Salad with chicken, black beans, jack and cheddar cheese, corn, avocado, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, tortilla strips and chipotle ranch; a Thai Chicken Salad with napa cabbage, mint, cilantro, carrots, red bell peppers, cucumbers and spicy peanut vinaigrette; and a Cobb Salad. There are also Build-Your-Own options of Mediterranean Chicken or Blackened Chicken, strawberry, huckleberry or pink lemonade by the gallon, and a la carte Brownie Bites and Butter Cake for dessert.
Tropical dragon fruit is highlighting the summer beverage lineup at Gong Cha from July 1-Aug. 31. There’s Dragon Fruit Oolong Lemonade Tea, a blend of oolong, dragon fruit and lime; Dragon Fruit Mango Milk Tea, a combo of creamy oolong milk tea with mango and dragon fruit; and a Dragon Fruit Mango Smoothie, a slushy mix of creamy mango and oolong tea blended with dragon fruit. All are topped with dragon fruit crisps.
Dragon fruit colors and flavors beverages at Gong Cha. | Photo courtesy of Gong Cha.
The Blue Razzler Refresher returns to HTeaO from July 1-4 in celebration of Independence Day. The icy, energizing drink is a fusion of Monin Glacier Clear, blue raspberry syrup and a splash of lemonade. At the start of the very limited-time offer, the first 25 customers at each location who purchase a Blue Razzler will receive a mini bag of cookies from Sweet Shop USA and an American flag with their order.
The Jonas Brothers have teamed up with Friendly’s on a limited-time 20th Anniversary Ice Cream. Three distinct flavors, each named for one of the brothers in the band, nestle side-by-side in the 48-ounce tub. There’s Kevin’s Coffee Cookie Crumble, Joe’s Chocolate Marshmallow Swirl and Nick’s Vanilla. The partnership reflects a long-standing relationship between the Jonas Brothers and Friendly’s, a brand rooted in the band's childhood memories.
Haagen-Dazs released its Summer Blueberry Collection at its scoop shops, which includes the chain’s first oat milk product. The limited-time selection, on offer through Aug. 31, features a Blueberry Milkshake, Blueberry Crumble Dazzler and Oat Milk-based Blueberry Lemon Freeze. The milkshake is a creamy blend of Summer Blueberry & Lemon Sorbet with vanilla ice cream and milk, topped with whipped cream, while the Dazzler sundae layers the same sorbet flavor with shortbread cookies and blueberry preserves, topped off with whipped cream, cookie crumbles and a cookie. The Blueberry Lemon Non-Dairy Freeze blends the sorbet with oat milk and swirls in blueberry preserves.
The Pepper Shrimp Patty kicks off summer at Golden Krust. | Photo courtesy of Golden Krust.
Jamaican fast casual Golden Krust is bringing back its fan-favorite Jamaican Pepper Shrimp Patty. The limited-time item is made with shelled, cooked shrimp tossed in a vibrant, tangy sauce infused with Scotch bonnet peppers, sweet peppers, garlic, onion, allspice and thyme. This is the only seafood-based patty on the menu, poised to kick off the season ahead of Golden Krust’s signature holiday, National Jamaican Patty Day, coming later this summer.
Sonny’s BBQ bring tastes of summer backyard barbecues to restaurant guests with seasonal menu introductions. On the appetizer side, there’s BBQ Street Corn Dip, Smoked Wings with two unique sauces and a Slider Trio of pulled pork, chopped brisket and pulled chicken. Entrees include a Tennessee Vinegar Pork Sandwich and Sonny’s Competition Ribs with signature Competition BBQ sauce. Sides like the BBQ Wedge salad and Brisket Mac & Cheese round out the savory items, with Strawberry Corncake for dessert—a stack of sweet, homemade cornbread cakes layered with strawberries and topped with whipped cream.
Two value meals from The Great Greek wrap up this week’s Taste Tracker. Two for You gives customers the chance to pair an appetizer—Avgolemono Soup, Dolmades or Tzatziki—with one of three entree choices: the Great Greek Gyro (with chicken or gyro meat), a Falafel Pita or the Great Greek Rice Bowl for $15 and up. For a larger group, there’s the Greek Feast for four to five eaters. It includes a choice of Chicken Souvlaki or Chicken or Lamb/Beef Gyro, Dolmades and Falafel over Rice Pilaf, plus two dips (hummus, tzatziki, melitzanosalata and tirokafteri) and pita bread. It starts at $49.95. The Greek Feast for 8-10 includes the same but with larger portions and all four dips for $99.95.
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