Fall menu launches have been making news since the end of August, but the action picked up in mid-September with notable debuts from bigger chains. Panera, Red Lobster, Wendy’s, White Castle and Sweetgreen all recently added seasonal specials. And we wrote dedicated stories on the latest from Cava (Chicken Shawarma) and Popeyes (fiery sauces). Here’s a roundup of the latest food and drink introductions.
Endless shrimp proved to be a bust for Red Lobster, but the seafood chain playfully turned it into this fall’s value promotion: Ultimate SpendLESS Shrimp. Customers can order a trio of shrimp dishes including Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo and Popcorn Shrimp for $15.99. The shrimp are not endless, but Red Lobster is joining other casual-dining players in offering more value combos this fall. And the chain’s popular Seafood Boils are now on the permanent menu.
Red Lobster's SpendLESS Shrimp trio.
New ingredients such as roasted jammy tomatoes, candied pumpkin seeds and garlic breadcrumbs highlight fall items at Sweetgreen. The Autumn Caesar features those breadcrumbs, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds along with roast chicken, shredded kale, chopped romaine, roasted sweet potatoes, Parmesan and Caesar dressing, while the Autumn Harvest Bowl brings back maple-glazed brussels sprouts tossed with blackened chicken, wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, shredded kale, apples, almonds, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. Fans of the brussels sprouts can also order them as a side in combination with sweet potatoes, all flavored with a hot honey mustard drizzle.
Ciabatta Dippers return to Panera Bread. The duos of a sandwich paired with a smaller portion of soup for dipping are available in two versions. There’s a new Chicken Pesto Dipper, a sandwich filled with grilled chicken, provolone, Parmesan and basil pesto paired with Creamy Tomato Soup, and the returning French Dipper layered with marinated steak, provolone, asiago and garlic aioli on ciabatta, paired with Bistro French Onion Soup.
Panera's Ciabatta Dippers.
Wendy’s introduced a line of cold fall beverages—two coffees and an energy drink. The Cold Foam Cold Brew is flavored with either caramel or chocolate, then lined with brownie butter or caramel sauce and topped with cold foam. Customizable Cold Brew can be mixed with vanilla, caramel, chocolate or classic cane sugar syrups. For a non-coffee caffeinated boost, there’s Sparkling Energy available in Cherry Limeade or Pineapple Citrus flavors and packed with 80-120 mg of caffeine and B-12.
Three new LTOs spice up fall at White Castle. The BBQ Pulled Pork Slider is sandwiched with slow roasted hickory-smoked pork and can be ordered in a $4.99 combo meal with fries and a drink. Triple Cheese Tots are threaded with cheddar, colby jack and mozzarella cheeses for an indulgent side or snack. And for a sweet ending, there’s a Pumpkin Latte Cheesecake dessert-on-a-stick.
Chicken Finger Tacos are back at Zaxby’s in three varieties for a limited time, including a new addition: the Buffalo Blue Taco. It features a hand-breaded chicken finger, pico de gallo, blue cheese crumbles, shredded lettuce and drizzles of ranch and Buffalo Garlic Blaze sauce in a warm flour tortilla. Chipotle Ranch with Pico Tacos swap in cheddar jack cheese for blue and Chipotle Ranch sauce for Buffalo Garlic, while Avocado Ranch BLT Tacos combine the chicken finger with sliced Roma tomatoes, bacon, shredded lettuce and Zaxby’s Avocado Ranch.
The Tailgater is the Taco of the Month from Torchy’s Tacos. The oversize stacked taco features panko-battered chicken tossed in Diablo Sauce, smothered in green chile queso and topped with poblano ranch slaw, chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of honey, all wrapped in a fresh flour tortilla. The limited-time offer is going for $6.50.
Wings and Rings celebrates football season with a lineup of seasonal deals. Guests can Build Your Own Combo by choosing 5 or 10 wings + a Sidekick, an individual portion of starters like Fried Pickle Chips, Parmesan Garlic Aioli Fries, Pretzel Bites with Queso, Ranchero Tots and Buffalo Chicken Nachos. There’s also the new Roasted Serrano Chili Sauce to pair with any wing style, as well as a Hot Honey Margarita and Cinnamon Roll Pretzel Bites tossed in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with vanilla cream cheese icing.
Oregon Marionberry French Toast Sticks at Burgerville.
The Oktoberfest Cheeseburger and tempura-style Fried Green Beans highlight the fall menu at Burgerville. The cheeseburger is built on a pretzel bun with local natural beef, bratwurst seasoning, NW Gourmet garlic aioli, roasted cabbage with whole grain mustard and Tillamook Swiss cheese. For the meatless crowd, a Classic Veggie Burger made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes, beets, lentils and mushrooms is new on the menu. For those who still want a taste of summer for breakfast, Oregon Marionberry French Toast Sticks made with cinnamon-glazed whole grain bread are served with marionberries and whipped cream. There’s also an Oregon Marionberry Sundae and Lemonade, and Blackberry Jasmine Lemonade topped with cloud cream.
Cheesesteak shows up in two fall items at Little Caesars. Cheesesteak Crazy Puffs are filled with sliced steak, melted cheeses and onions, then topped with Parmesan. And the Ultimate Cheesesteak Pizza is topped with cheesy white sauce, mozzarella, steak, onions, green peppers and mushrooms.
A limited-time Southwest Harvest Salad and Apple Cider Lemonade duo kicks off fall at Salad and Go. The health-focused chain partnered with Chef Daniel Patino to create a nutritious option with an affordable $9 price tag. The duo is available through Oct. 15.
The Southwest Harvest Salad at Salad and Go.
Bojangles brings back its Pork Chop Griller, a marinated and seared boneless pork chop sandwiched in a made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuit. The LTO is geared to tailgating, for breakfast or games later in the day.
Pumpkin Spice has arrived at Nothing Bundt Cakes. The flavor is available in all Bundt cake sizes through Dec. 7. But two cake flavors are here for a shorter run. The new Biscoff Cookie Butter Cake is a spice cake topped with cookie butter and finished with Biscoff cookies on top and bottom; it’s available in the Bundtlet size through Oct. 12. And the Caramel Apple Cider Bundtlets are baked with cinnamon-spice batter accented with apple cider, coated in apple spice cinnamon sugar and topped with caramel sauce; on the menu until Sept. 21.
Snooze A.M. Cafe is joining the pumpkin parade, too. Pumpkin Pie Pancakes with vanilla cream cheese filling topped with caramel sauce, a drizzle of sweet cream and candied pecans made their debut, along with Pumpkin Latte. The latter is blended with two shots of espresso, milk and house-made pumpkin syrup.
Vegans can get their pumpkin fix at Cinnaholic, where a Pumpkin Spice Roll and Pumpkin Bread have rolled out on the menu. The first has a base of the brand’s Old Skool roll topped with pumpkin spice frosting, pumpkin bread bites, a cinnadoodle cookie bite and pumpkin spice drizzle, while the bread is a one-pound loaf infused with brown sugar and cinnamon. The items are free of dairy, lactose, eggs and any animal products.
The Stuffed Shells Menu returns to Fazoli’s through Feb. 2, with three dishes starting at $5.99. Included are Four Cheese Stuffed Shells filled with a blend of Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella and Romano; Garlic Shrimp Stuffed Shells simmered in a roasted garlic marinara sauce; and a Baked Fettucine & Stuffed Shell Duo, a pairing of a half-portion of Baked Fettucine paired with a jumbo pasta shell stuffed with cheese.
In celebration of its 90th birthday, Friendly’s is offering 90-cent Coca Cola Fantastic Mini Floats through Sept. 30. The floats combine Coke and ice cream and come in a limited-edition collector’s cup.
At Playa Bowls, peanut butter and jelly are the flavor options for fall. The high-protein PB&Jammin’ Acai Bowl is topped with blueberry flax granola, strawberries, banana, peanut butter protein crumble, peanut butter and strawberry puree drizzle, while the PB&J Smoothie blends strawberry, banana, peanut butter protein crumble, peanut butter and coconut milk with a strawberry puree drizzle for a grab-and-go snack. Peanut Butter Protein Crumble is made from organic pea protein, peanut butter, coconut nectar, coconut oil, dark chocolate, ground flaxseed, molasses and pink sea salt.
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