Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Chips

It's been a sad 8 years or so since I last tasted the glory that was The Works. Ruffles created something special, and they were one of my favorite chips ever. Sure, loaded baked potato chip burps weren't making me too popular, but I downed them- bag after bag in glorious bliss, unaware that someday I wouldn't be able to buy them.

literally tearing up right now

Why Ruffles canceled these will forever allude me. Poor Sales? Losing money? PPPBBBTTTTT. I'm going to go with "you never gave them enough of a chance," "you didn't promote them enough," the more resigned "damn... people just don't have good taste when it comes to chips," or the most likely reason, Ruffles hates me and wants me to be unhappy.

Second to only Wild n' Mild Ranch Fritos (my favorite chip ever), I have missed these chips more than any human being should miss something many view as not really all that important. But they were some of my favorite chips ever, and I can't have them. There's nothing I can do about that (other than spam the hell out of Ruffles' facebook page saying BRING BACK THE WORKS. Oh yea, by the way, if you read this blog, you should probably go write that on their wall at least once a day)

Loaded baked potato chips... mmmm. Man I miss them.

So imagine my shock when, while on the phone with my Mother, she randomly said out of nowhere: "oh, I saw new Ruffles at Walmart yesterday... Loaded baked potato or something."

"Mom. Shut up. Right now. Think very carefully about what you saw. If you are right, this means something amazing has happened. If you are wrong, my love for you is in serious jeopardy."

"No, I'm pretty sure that's what it was. I'll look again the next time I go."

No need mom, I'm coming home. NOW.




She was close. They're Ruffles "Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins" chips. To me and my excitement-seizure-in-Walmart-brain though, they're close enough to the Works that they may just be their second coming.

trying to osmosis the chips into my brain

Sadly, they aren't. But they're still pretty damn good, and for now, I'm going to have to accept this flavor as being close enough to The Works to tide me over until my facebook annoyance finally makes them bring back the original flavor (positive energy can change the world if you believe strongly enough).

They're good- they definitely taste like loaded baked potato skins, but they taste a little too close to Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream to be that drastic of a unique flavor (I do realize that those are 2 of the main ingredients to a loaded baked potato). I taste a lot of chive flavor, and the chips seem thicker than normal, perhaps trying to really drive home the potato aspect. I also felt like they actually captured the skin part of the potato skins. Pretty impressive. Sadly, the only time I tasted bacon was in my burps afterwards, where I got the joy of the classic fake bacon burp flavor. Yuck. For a chip to call itself bacon and cheddar, it should have a much stronger bacon flavor rather than the chive or skin flavor.


And therein lies the main problem with these- they just don't have enough flavor. What made The Works so awesome was that they were bursting with flavor- so much that they ended up being almost spicy. So much that casual fans of that flavor had trouble eating a lot of them, saying "they're just too much." I love that in my chips, and these need that. These are a very good side to a meal or a "oh neat, loaded baked potato" snack. But they don't have the devour-an-entire-bag-and-buy-more intensity that I want (and that these have).

So, you came close Ruffles. These are good, and I'll buy more. But stop teasing me with a lesser version of the original, and just bring back THE GODDAMN WORKS already.

B-

Also, I have only seen these in 1 store, and for 1 day. I saw a ton of them together, marveled at the beauty of the display, bought them, and upon returning 2 days later, saw nothing. Not a single bag. The display had even changed. The way I see it, they were in 1 Walmart in Windham, Maine, for a few days. I almost feel like someone screwed up and put these out when they weren't supposed to be out, and I got a taste of something nobody else will ever see. I sure hope not. I realize that somehow, Maine has become a testing ground for chips, but I'd really like to get these in New Hampshire. Let us know if you find them anywhere.

-Mike

20 comments:

  1. Picked up some on the way to work this morning. About an hour outside Dallas. Still prefer the smokehouse style bbq tho.

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  2. oh yea, without a doubt. smokehouse is easily the best ruffles chip.

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  3. The works hasnt completely vanished I had some a couple year ago I almost past the hell out when I saw them... And yes they were the greatest ever....

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  4. Have you tried the Kettle Brand Loaded Baked Potato? They are amazing, in my opinion. http://www.kettlebrand.com/our_products/#/our_products/?pid=3

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  5. OXX, a couple of years ago is an eternity in the world of chips. BUt if you actually found them, I'm extremely jealous.

    Stefania- yes, I've had them. I thought they were solid, but there was some subtle flavor that was either overpowering or something that was missing (I forget which) which made me not entirely pumped about them. I get them from time to time. Thanks for the suggestion though!

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  6. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with such a strong love for The Works. I've missed them greatly and have often given my Frito Lay representative hell for not using his "clout" the get them back into production. I will dream along with you that they will one day return.

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  7. I wish there was some way we could start an army to march on frito lay until they give us the works and wild and mild ranch fritos back!

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  8. Its nice to know that theres somebody out there fighting to bring back the best chips ever-The Works. And our tastes must be very similar because ranch fritos were my favorite chips as a kid.

    I smoke too much pot. lol

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  9. There's nothing more I want in the world than those 2 flavors of chips back. Ranch Fritos were the greatest chips ever. I can still taste them in my mind, but I nearly tear up every time I think about them.

    And no, you're fine.

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  10. I thought I was the only one who missed the ranch fritos TERRIBLY. They were my favorite chips as well... Damn... My heart shattered again...

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    1. I go to bed crying every night from my loss of ranch fritos. best chips ever.

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  11. Its nice to see I'm not the only one to terribly miss the greatest chip ever made known to man!
    I actually found this blog due to me trying to see if by chance a miracle was made and being made again.
    Surge and The Works were so much part of my childhood!

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    1. ahahah I search for the same things every 6 months or so. Too bad Ruffles hates their customers.

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  12. Yes I would definitely agree that the ranch fritos were especially delicious to say the least. My friend recently surprised me with some ruffles all dressed and I kind of fell in love with them. They are super tasty. Has anyone else had them and feel the same way? Thanks for sharing this, my mouth is watering right now.

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    1. We've had them. Personally, I don't like them, but rich and josh do. I think they're weird- they're like ketchup and vinegar mixed together...

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  13. Did a search for The Works chips and found your blog page here. My favorite chips evaaaar. They didn't even give them a chance D; everyone I knew, who had ever had them, loved them!! Bring them back Ruffles!!!

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    1. I miss them so much. I search for them and wild n mild ranch fritos every few months hoping they'll be back, and it never happens. It deeply, deeply saddens me.

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  14. I have tried to find the loaded bacon chips in food for less in watts and they are not on the shelf please stock the shelves

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  15. I have tried to find the loaded bacon chips in food for less in watts and they are not on the shelf please stock the shelves

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  16. Ahhhh I need the works back in my life! Funny you mentioned Walmart in Windham Maine because that was where I used to get them as a kid....hope are dreams come true and they do a throwback chip and pick the works even if it's one last time, I want them!!

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