Lays new Chicken & Waffles, Sriracha, & Cheese Garlic Bread chips!

Usually around the beginning of summer the chip companies come out of hibernation and start bombarding us with new limited edition flavors in the thoughts that you'll bring them to your next barbecue or perhaps to the beach or even a sporting event. These are times when chips sell better than the rest of the year, so it makes sense. However, looks like Lays decided to get ahead of the game this year. They have launched a massive campaign for you to vote on the next flavor that will join their regular rotation. You have three very interesting flavors to choose from.  Try them all and then you cast your vote on their Facebook page! We tried them. Here's what we thought...

First off was CHEESY GARLIC BREAD...

Is there a soul on Earth who doesn't enjoy cheese garlic bread? If so, slap them. 

Not much of a scent when you crack open this bag but let me tell you something, the people at Lays are Flavor Wizards. These could have easily just been some generic cheese flavoring with some garlic powder but they are not at all. They somehow capture the flavor of cheese garlic bread PERFECTLY. Cheese, garlic, butter...it's uncanny. It helps that I literally had cheese garlic bread the night before trying these so it was fresh in my brain. 

I'd say of these three flavors these are the ones where you will be able to enjoy the most of them in one sitting. My taste buds never got sick of the flavor even for a moment. Each bite transported me to a memory of enjoying a huge chunk of cheese covered garlic bread with a pasta meal. Just fantastic.

Next up was the flavor I was the most worried about. Sriracha!

Not a fan of the picture on the bag. If these win, it needs an upgrade!

I know hot sauce type flavors are popular, but I've never really been a fan. I'd much rather have a great flavor than eat something that just makes my tongue burn. I'm a big fan of things that might be spicy that also have a great flavor to go along with the burn though, and that's exactly what these chips have.

Initially you get an almost sweet, garlic taste, which is quite delicious, followed by a medium spice that isn't too much, but it does hang around for a little bit. If you're a wimp when it comes to hot stuff, like myself, you might still enjoy these. The great flavor is definitely worth the slight sting that comes with eating a bunch of them. Fans of Sriracha will go crazy for these chips.

Which brings us to the flavor I was most interested in trying...

Chicken & Waffles!!!!

This isn't photoshopped, they are real,. 

Definitely the strangest and most ambitious flavor of the three, Chicken & Waffles mirrors a very popular dish in the south. Up here in New England it's not really a thing, but we hear hushed whispers of places where it's the norm. Lays decided to give their flavor wizards a real challenge. Could they possibly conjure up chips that taste like a combination of chicken and waffles? The answer is YES.

At first you are bombarded by maple syrup flavor, then after a couple of seconds a strange spice fills your mouth and you realize you are essentially tasting the crunchy batter from fried chicken. I feel like as you are eating these if you focus on the waffle part, you taste that more, then if you make your brain look for the chicken part, it zeroes in on it. They did one hell of a job with these chips. The flavor wizards can raise their wands to the heavens in celebration of a job well done. However, if they make these in big bags, I might stray away from them. As interesting & delicious as they are, I found that I could only handle so many before the taste weirded me out and I had to take a break. But every time you go back to them they are a revelation all over again.

In the end I would have to say that when I put in my vote for which flavor sticks around, it will be Cheesy Garlic Bread. Just because I feel like it's a solid flavor that chip fans could love for years to come. The gimmick of Chicken & Waffles almost beats it out though.

Cheesy Garlic Bread: B+
Sriracha: B
Chicken & Waffles: A at first, then probably a C after you eat a few.

Review by Rich