Iguana burritos? Pepperoni as an ice cream topping?
If these sound too preposterous to be true, consider the CurderBurger, introduced by Culver’s in 2021. It started as an April Fool’s joke posted on social media but turned into a huge marketing win for the chain. Culver’s culinary director took up the dare and developed a giant cheese curd burger as an LTO a few months later; it sold out at some locations in a couple of hours.
Tijuana Flats is hoping for the same attention with its Iguana Burrito. Starting Wednesday, the Tex-Mex fast casual is offering “the chicken of the trees” in a limited-time offer. The burrito features citrus-garlic marinated protein, slow-cooked and finished with a smoky chili glaze, wrapped with cilantro lime rice, charred peppers and onions, fresh pico and a drizzle of Jason’s Mom sauce—one of the hot sauces available in the restaurant.
The Iguana Burrito makes its debut April 1. | Photo courtesy of Tijuana Flats
With its headquarters in Florida, Tijuana Flats has easy access to iguanas, but the chain won’t confirm or deny if the “marinated protein” is actually part of the lizard family.
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, on the other hand, assures its customers that its Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizookie is no joke. The mashup of the casual-dining chain’s signature dessert is available for one day only on April 1. Inspired by BJ’s deep-dish pizza, the Pizookie—an oversized soft-baked cookie—is topped with vanilla ice cream and crispy cupped pepperoni plus a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.
BJ’s is no stranger to weird Pizookie iterations. In 2024 and 2025, they launched the pickle-topped Pizickle Pizookie and Fryckle Pizookie respectively.
“We've always believed that great ideas can come from unexpected places,” said Heidi Rogers, CMO at BJ's Restaurants, in a statement. “The Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizookie is our most fearless creation yet, bringing together the warm comfort of our world famous Pizookie with flavors inspired by our revamped pizza. It's creative, intentional, and fun—and April Fool's Day felt like the perfect moment to launch this.”
The price is real too; just $4.01.
Not to be left out of the April Fool’s activity, Firehouse Subs joined in by promoting a massive 640-ounce drink called “The Bucket” for $25. It turned out to be a pretend offer, but the prank led consumers to find a real way to make a difference.
The “drink” is actually one of the sandwich chain’s empty five-gallon recycled pickle buckets, and it’s available for a $4 donation at participating restaurants across North America. Proceeds from every bucket sold support the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which provides lifesaving equipment and resources to first responders. To date, the Foundation has granted more than $107 million in support across North America, according to the chain’s website.
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.