FastFoodSnob.com

Price: $0.99; paid - $0.00

Promotion: Subway Get Smart sweepstakes, instant-win game

Location: 6843 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60712 (map); phone: (847) 329-8134

Rating: 3 out of 5 - acceptable

I like entering online contests, but some sweepstakes are clearly more giving than others. I was lucky to win more bags of these Flat Earth Baked Veggie Crisps from Frito-Lay than I knew what to do with (thanks, CAG), and the winning e-mails just began to form daily in my inbox like the evening dew. It had been a while since I’d stepped foot in a local Subway sandwich shop, but I knew I was in for trouble when the person working there had never seen my winning redemption e-mail before. Fortunately, the deeper inspections, personal-information taking, and management consultations would come after this initial trip, freeing me to enjoy some free veggie crisps after a brief and relatively pleasant round of counter confusion.

(more…)

Price: $1.89; paid - $0.89

Promotion: coupon for a free Frutista with any purchase

Location: 3511 W. Devon Ave., Chicago, IL 60659 (map); phone: (773) 588-9712

Rating: 4 out of 5 - good

It can sometimes be hard to find a good (frozen, virgin) strawberry daiquiri at higher-end sit-down restaurants, and that certainly is the case at fast-food places, too. What I would settle for, however, is a reasonably priced fruity slush — which might be considered as less thick, but more easily drinkable than a smoothie. Taco Bell seems to have answered my prayers with the Frutista Freeze, a permanent addition to its lineup, now available in Strawberry and Mango Strawberry. Both versions are topped with real strawberries (which I suppose makes up for the fact that there’s “natural fruit flavors,” but no actual “fruit juice,” inside).

(more…)

Price: $2.89; paid - $1.39

Promotion: free chicken with drink-purchase deal

Location: 6900 N. Western, Chicago, IL 60645 (map); phone: (773) 274-6151

Rating: 2 out of 5 - forgettable

McDonald’s other all-white meat addition to its menu was supposed to be better than its crumbling biscuit counterpart (at least in my mind), but it managed to fall short while regularly listing for a dollar more than its breakfast-based brother. So how’d this somewhat larger sandwich manage that? Surprisingly, by not making itself more memorable with a crazy crumbly bun. The Southern Style Chicken Sandwich is simply bland and perfectly fits the description of forgettable.

(more…)

Price: $1.89; paid - $1.39

Promotion: free chicken with drink-purchase deal

Availability: breakfast hours

Location: 6900 N. Western, Chicago, IL 60645 (map); phone: (773) 274-6151

Rating: 3 out of 5 - acceptable

My nearly all-McDonald’s day started off with a late breakfast of fountain drinks and a new breakfast offering called the Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, whose main claim to fame is the inclusion of all-white meat in a biscuit bun. Didn’t really expect a lot going in to this combo promo, but the chicken wasn’t half bad. What annoyed me was how crumbly the biscuit halves holding the chicken were; the edges kept falling to pieces on me.

(more…)

Stop by any participating McDonald’s this Thursday from 7 to 7 for some “Southern Style” Chicken free when you buy a medium or large drink. No coupons — whoo!

The details: from 7 A.M. to 10:30 A.M., the breakfast choice is the Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, while from 10:30 A.M. to 7 P.M., the chicken of choice is a sandwich. All white meat all the way. I know what I’m eating on the 15th.

And the fine print: “Price and participation may vary, while supplies last. Limit one per customer/per drink order. Not valid with any other offer, discount, coupon or Extra Value Meal. Price of required purchase posted on menu board. Hours may vary by restaurant.” Promoting new products with price cuts always works in my book.