Pizza Hut BACON STUFFED CRUST PIZZA!

I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection lately. The deep thoughts were brought on by eating Pizza Hut’s Bacon Stuffed (stuft?)Crust Pizza. Swirling around my head have been thoughts on other bacon stuffed foods. I’ve indulged in bacon-laden cinnamon rolls, bacon-gorged cheeseburgers, and bacon-infused soda. Did the addition of greasy pork morsels improve these foods, I asked myself. I then realized that there were in fact stupid questions, despite what my teachers always told me.  Swine makes everything better and you should never question that.


Pizza Hut has been a love it or hate it chain for years, but I urge you to check them out if it’s been a while. They’re no longer the oily and indigestion-causing pizza chain. That honor now goes to Domino’s. How have they improved? They’ve added a plethora of ways to customize your pie-from garlic butter or pretzel crusts to white or buffalo sauces to a few new toppings. For me, it’s all about that balsamic drizzle at the end. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out Hut’s intuitive online pizza ordering system. The future is now!

Back on track. Thank you, Pizza Hut. After several depressing months of uninspired offerings from my favorite chains, the Hut goes ahead and appeals to my most depraved instincts by impregnating their new crust with cheese and bacon. They’ve done this before, but not with Applewood Smoked Bacon; they used regular Hardwood Smoked Bacon. We can all agree that there’s a major difference in the smoking process? Ok, I couldn’t tell the difference, it tasted like bacon and that’s all that matters.

If you’re one of those obnoxious people who doesn’t eat their crust, this ain’t the pizza for you. To make room for all the fatty goodness PH had to increase the crust size. Simple physics. The good news for those loathsome crust-chuckers is that the new crust resembles buttery Bosco sticks as opposed to dried out bread heels. And you can add RANCH flavor to them. RANCH.

That’s grilled chicken and cherry peppers on my creation. The chicken tastes like actual chicken, not that rubbery crap you find occasionally. The peppers surprised me with a blast of sweet heat and added another layer to the flavor profile. To the newbies, that’s the balsamic drizzle, which adds a tangy/sweet flavor. My only qualm about this pizza is that it drooped in the middle, so a fold was in order. Not sure if they didn’t cook quite long enough or the amount of toppings made it sloppy, but this was a messy pizza.

The crust was phenomenal. Like I said before, they were like cheesy, bacon-y, ranch flavored breadsticks-and they’re attached to a pizza! I was expecting the cheese to ooze and/or stretch , but just like the disappointing Quesarito-no stretchy cheese!-the cheese was just kind of there. But it was melted nicely and added even more satisfying texture and flavor to the pizza. The bacon was in bit form, perhaps a bit chunkier, but still had a strong bacon flavor.
I was already a fan of Pizza Hut and their endless customization and drizzle options. Their decadent new crust just gave me another reason to splurge.


Slight droop and messy pizza with tons of flavor and satisfying melted cheese and bacon equals: A-

Review by Mark!

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Lay’s Flavor Swap: Smoked Gouda and Chive vs. Korean BBQ Chips!

Thank you Lay’s. Thank you for the addictive Bacon Mac and Cheese and Truffle Fries flavors. The Biscuits and Gravy and Chicken and Waffles flavors roused taste buds I never knew I had. But for every triumph like Cheesy Garlic Bread-drool-there’s been a few misfires.

How Cheesy Garlic Bread Chips make me feel.

The Gyro chip tasted like regurgitated Arby’s sandwiches. Did you try the Crunch Sauerkraut, wait, nope, I meant the Reuben? Unappetizing.  And don’t get me started on the Kim and Kanye flavor. Repulsive.

Because of the ingenuity and forward thinking in the Lay’s development department, I’m always game to try their new flavors. We also need to give props to their marketing team for rolling out new flavors in a deathmatch competition that’s sure to end in a bloodbath. Instead of introducing four new flavors, Lay’s is making four old chips battle four new ones. To the winner goes an eternal position in the chip aisle. So, how do some of these fried potato slices taste?

Lay's Chips Deathmatch Roster!

First up were the Korean BBQ.

When I think Korean BBQ I think YES. NOW. It’s so savory and succulent and always provides a good reason to binge eat. I think of the combination of soy sauce, pepper, honey and onion. They made a chip that tasted like loaded potato skins so why not Korean BBQ? Unfortunately, this flavor fizzled. The smell was right-just like a pork spare rib-but this chip tasted like an ordinary BBQ chip. It was bland. Muted. A flop. Honey BBQ wins.

Full disclosure, I had some of my students help me with the taste testings...

Next up, the Smoked Gouda and Chive.

Rousey vs. Holm. Palpatine vs. Yoda. Smoked Gouda vs. Cheddar and Sour Cream?

Gouda is one of my top 7 favorite cheeses. It’s smoky and creamy and pairs well with my mouth. Lay’s nailed those exact attributes-they had a velvety and smoky taste with the added funk of some chives. They were satisfying. Better than the venerable Cheddar and Sour Cream though? That’s a tall order. I’d say simultaneous knockout. They’re both winners.

Final decision: While neither of these new flavors were as awe-inspiring as some of the previous offerings, the Smoked Gouda and Chives was a worthy opponent to its competitor. Skip the Korean BBQ and head to your nearest K-BBQ restaurant.

Smoked Gouda and Chives: B+
Korean BBQ: C-

Review by Mark!

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Wendys Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger & Bacon Fondue Fries!

Well, folks, 2015 has hit the bricks and 2016 has arrived! So we're kicking off the year in style with a review that has more bacon than your average review. That's right, we're tackling two bacon behemoths today from that little ol' burger joint we all know as Wendys. Up first? The Bacon Fondue Fries! 

Over the past couple years Wendys has been trying out this thing where they usually just take a bunch of stuff they already have laying around and slap them on fries. While that usually sounds good on paper, what we're left with most times is a plastic tray filled with soggy fries that are drowning in some weird cheese sauce. I was expecting much of the same from these. But before we get started, take a look at the picture above this text...now take a look at the picture below...

The top one is what my Bacon Fondue fries looked like. The bottom one is the picture off of their website. The Wendys closest to me might be the worst Wendys of all time. They are VERY lazy about everything they do. Crumbled bacon? AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THAT, JUST TOSS WHOLE SLABS ON THEM FRIES! I like huge pieces of bacon as much as the next guy, but come on! In this situation the bacon is supposed to be evenly distributed so you can have some in every bite. Terrible. Why not just put a whole tomato on my burger next time instead of a tomato slice? RIDICULOUS!

Anyway, the Bacon Fondue Fries are basically Wendys fries covered in a Swiss-Gruyere fondue cheese sauce and then "crumbled" Applewood smoked bacon.  The fries were a bit soggy as expected, but the fondue sauce was actually really tasty. Very creamy and interesting and it played well with the bacon too, once I took the slices off and cut them up myself. The cheese sauce alone was enough to make these destroy the Baconator Fries we reviewed recently. I have to say, I kind of hope that this loaded fries fad goes away soon, but in the mean time, if your Wendys actually breaks up the bacon, these are pretty tasty.

Next up is the Wendys Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger! They boast that it's aged Gouda, the same Swiss-Gruyere fondue sauce and applewood smoked bacon. But also to note, it's one patty (Of course you can add more if you'd like) and what seems like an entire bushel of greens. Needless to say, mine didn't look much like their promo picture...

See what I'm saying? That promo picture makes it look like the greatest burger of all time! But you can't fault them too much for this. Fast food is never going to look as pretty as it does in their commercials and promotional pictures. We know this, it's just fun to point out sometimes.

After I got done picking half a dozen massive leaf stems out of my burger, I finally dove in. For not being too impressed with how it looked, I have to say the burger itself is damn good! You already know my positive thoughts on that fondue sauce and mixing that with a slab of aged Gouda? Genius! I think my only problem was ordering it how it was and not adding a second patty. Seeing how huge it looked in the picture, I honestly figured it had two. I figured wrong. The only real things I would change here would be way less greens and another beef slab.

But other than those two things, this burger is  force to be reckoned with. Extremely cheesy and juicy. Lots of different flavors playing off of each other too. I would have to say it's my favorite Wendys Burger since they came out with those Hot & Juicy burgers back in 2011. But this makes those look like dollar menu junk! Get to Wendys before these are gone!

In the end I give the Bacon Fondue Fries and C+, soggy fries are never great, even if the sauce that's making them soggy is. Plus? Break up that bacon!

The Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger gets a B+. I would easily give it an A rating if there were less greens and a second beef patty. Still, this is an awesome burger. Get one today! For more info on both of these and many more of their items, check out Wendys.com!

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WENDY'S BACONATOR FRIES!

I remember the day I heard that the Baconator was a real thing. That Wendy's actually had the balls to name a burger after one of the greatest movies of all time. An R rated movie about a killer robot that time traveled.  It really drove home what they were trying to do. One of them killed without mercy. The other? Had so much bacon that some mortals were begging for mercy before they finished it. The other big point is that the Baconator was damn good and it's so good that it's become a standard part of the Wendy's menu. Since then we've gotten SON OF BACONATOR. But, come on. Who buys that thing? The name is funny, but if I'm cruising the streets in need of a bacon packed burger, I'm going big. Or going home. To grill my own. 

So when word came down the line that Wendy's was about to debut Baconator Fries, you can bet I went straight to my local Wendy's. Where they promptly told me they weren't doing them yet. But probably in a few days. So I said...

Two days later I returned and saw the sign in the window, so it was on. Let's get to it! The Fatguyfoodblog review of Wendy's new BACONATOR FRIES! 

First off I'm going to give you the run down of what Baconator fries are. First up, they pop about a medium order of fries in one of these little containers. Then they pour a blob of liquid cheese sauce on it, followed by a handful of shredded cheddar. Then? Real bacon pieces are sprinkled across the top. Pretty cut and dry. I was kind of hoping that they would be big enough to be a meal on their own, but when I saw the $1.99 price tag I figured I'd have to supplement the fries with another item or two if I was going to round out a proper lunch...

Yes. That is a Baconator with a side of Baconator Fries. Why? Because one of our readers dared me to.  So why the hell not? If I'm going to march into Wendy's and take on the Baconator Fries, I might as well make it a handicap match and take on both of them. Well...I also got a four piece spicy nugget. When the guy asked at the end of my order it was tough to say no.

So the question here, after all this...are the Baconator Fries worthy of their name?

Well...they aren't bad! Let's be honest, Wendy's has great fries. It's hard to deny. So when you think of this, bunch of cheese and real bacon on good french fries, how can you go wrong? The answer? Cheese sauce. It doesn't taste particularly bad, or anything like that. It's not the cheap nacho cheese that you get with the awful nachos when you go to the movies. But it's still liquid cheese being poured over fries. So unless you eat these within thirty seconds of the cheese sauce being drizzled over them, you're looking at about half of your fries being soggy.  Soggy fries are enough to bring a tear to my eye...

The Sog factor. It's a very real thing. One that everyone who has ever eaten cheese fries could tell you about. So it seems like ol' Dave Thomas would be rolling over in his grave if he knew his places were serving people soggy fries covered in cheese sauce. What would solve this? USE REAL CHEESE. Like the shredded cheddar you already have on them. But...you know, maybe actually melt it. When I got mine I was eating cold cheese chunks sitting in cheese sauce. Again...not exactly a bad flavor, but it could have been so much better if the shredded cheddar was melted too.

I'm going to give Wendy's Baconator Fries a C+. Perhaps if mine had included melted cheddar I might have bumped it up a grade.  The biggest issue is the cheese sauce making the fries soggy. We deal with it, but none of us actually like soggy fries, even when they are soggy with cheese. Maybe an answer could be bacon and shredded cheddar melted over them, with a cup of liquid cheese to dip in? But in the end, these are just Wendy's making something new out of whats just laying around in an everyday Wendy's. They aren't bad, especially for that low, low, $1.99 price tag, but don't expect to be blown away.  In the end, this is still a pile of fries covered in cheese and bacon for two bucks. Still a pretty solid deal.

One last thing to add? The Baconator I got to go along with this was fantastic. So fear not, Wendy's. While these fries weren't a home run, you don't have to worry, you still deliver when it counts. I'll be back.

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