What is Dublin Dr. Pepper?

Here in Texas it isn't a mystery to anyone, we see "Dublin Dr. Pepper" all the time and it is starting to show up at more and more fast food restaurants. But I'm betting that some of you out there haven't heard of it, so here's a little background:

Dublin Dr. Pepper is only different from the regular Dr. Pepper soft drink in one important way... Pure Cane Sugar is as a sweetener instead of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).

With all the hub-bub about HFCS these days (justified or not), a lot of people seek out products without it and for Dr. Pepper fans who want to eliminate HFCS, this is their only option.

But what about taste? Just about everyone you ask, including myself, will tell you they can definitely tell the difference between Dublin DP and regular DP. With Dublin DP the sweetness is more 'natural' and many claim there isn't an HFCS aftertaste that is noticeable with beverages sweetened with HFCS.

But why Dublin? Well, Dublin Dr. Pepper is only produced in one place: Dublin, Texas. (By the way, we also have towns in Texas named London, Athens, Paris, and 'Cut and Shoot'!)

In the late '70s when most soft drink makers were switching from cane sugar to HFCS, the owner of the Dublin Dr. Pepper Bottling Company decided not to make the switch. To this day, they only use cane sugar, year 'round, to make their Dr. Pepper.

Technically, Dr. Pepper from the Dublin plant can only be sold in a 44-mile radius of Dublin, Texas, but 'bootlegged' bottles of Dublin Dr. Pepper can be found throughout Texas and even in other states. These bottles are purchased in the Dublin area and the shipped and re-sold elsewhere. It can also be purchased online.

By the way, the Dublin bottling plant is the oldest Dr. Pepper bottler. It has been in continuous use since 1891, just 6 years after DP debuted in Waco, Texas.

"Dublin" might even become an adjective to describe beverages (or other products) made without HFCS and with cane sugar. I drove by a Chicken Express restaurant recently and their sign out front advertised "Dublin Lemonade." I drove-through and ordered one and asked the girl why it was called Dublin Lemonade. I knew the answer before I asked, but she confirmed it, "It's made with real sugar, not that corn stuff."

Around here (Dallas/Fort Worth) you can go in just about any grocery store and pick up a six pack of 8oz. bottles of Dublin DP.

You never know where Dublin Dr. Pepper might pop up. Evidently it is available 'on-tap' at a Jason's Deli in Denver, CO.

The photo above shows the Dublin Dr. Pepper 8 oz. bottles. Note the "Imperial Sugar" logo on the bottle and 6-pack box. This is found only on Dublin Dr. Pepper as it is the only Dr. Pepper to use real pure cane sugar.

There are some other smaller bottlers that use pure cane sugar.

Mexico is another popular source of soft drinks made with real sugar (as opposed to corn syrup). Coca-Cola made in Mexico is not made with HFCS and is also available in many grocery stores in Texas and California. Another Mexican option free of HFCS is Jarritos sodas. Jarritos started in Mexico in 1950, is the first national soft drink brand in Mexico and the leading brand in the mexican soft drink category in the U.S. Jarritos is available in nine delicious fruit flavors: Tamarind, Mandarin, Fruit Punch, Jamaica, Lime, Grapefruit, Guava, Pineapple and Strawberry.

Another great Cane Sugar carbonated beverage is Boylan's. They have a ton of flavors and also don't use HFCS.

So, next time you're in Texas, give Dublin Dr. Pepper a try and see if you can tell the difference between using pure cane sugar and HFCS as a sweetener.

If you do, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Also let us know where you've found Dublin Dr. Pepper outside of Texas and any other Dublin DP stories.

McDonald's Japan: The Mega-Egg

Check out this McDonald's sandwich, available for a limited time in Japan:

It's called the "Mega Tamago" and has (as you can see) 3 beef patties, 2 strips of bacon, an egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, a 'special' sauce and 3 buns.  It is described on McD's Japan website as:  "The Mega-Egg.  Quivering with mega deliciousness."

Esquire: Famous Chefs Fast Food Favs

Esquire Magazine has asked some well-known chefs about their favorite fast food indulgences.

In-N-Out Burger was the overall favorite among the chefs asked:  "The hamburger is definitive, greasy but oddly clean-tasting at the same time and the sauce actually is 'special.' And the shake tastes the way shakes tasted back when I was a kid. It makes me tear up just thinkin' about it." — Alton Brown, host of Iron Chef America.

Chipotle, Dairy Queen and Burger King got honorable mentions.  As did Whataburger:  "It's like a fresh, clean Texas version of McDonald's" according to a chef from my city, Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro.

The chefs also spoke out about the worst fast food.  Taco Bell topped that list:  "It's just scary," Brian Bistrong, of Braeburn, NYC;  "Utter bastardization of one of the finest cuisines in the world.  What the f*&% is a chalupa?" Joey Campanaro of The Little Owl, NYC; "They use a meat hose for their meat.  That's just plain gross," Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, TX.

White Castle was also panned by Craig Hopson of Le Cirque in NYC: "I like White Castle, but White Castle does not like me." So true!!

The also asked the chefs about their thoughts on fast food in general.  I'll include this one from Jimmy Bradley of The Harrison and The Red Cat in NYC:  "They all represent the same thing to me. Do the differences between Chairman Mao and Stalin really matter? Fast food is a symbol of the decline of civilization. It solidifies the journey we have made to separate ourselves from a connection to food and family, history and culture. It symbolizes all that is bad with the way food is viewed, what keeps us alive and provides our bodies with fuel we should not take so flip. Convenience is not always the best way. Just as Wal-Mart and Home Depot have proved to be the death of family businesses in small neighborhoods and communities, fast food has done the same. I mean, if you want real convenience, what's next, Soylent Green? As for the low-cost argument, they do not sell anything cheaper than you could make at home that would be better for you — and don't forget the travel expense. These stores can provide jobs to a community, pay taxes, and train the next generation, but so can any non-chain operation." Wow!

The Onion: Taco Bell Goes Green [Video]

If you haven't seen it, satirical comedy site "The Onion" has a fake TV news piece about Taco Bell going 'green'... meaning that "from now own, none of Taco Bell's food will come from nature."

The fake Taco Bell spokesperson admits that the meat in Taco Bell's food used to contain 4% real meat, but they have now been able to eliminate even that 4% making it completely unnatural!

Funny stuff!

If you never seen The Onion before, be sure to check it out for more funny, satirical videos and articles.

Here's the Onion's Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature:

KFC Mystery Meat Photos

An interesting photo has been added to our (Fast Food News') Flickr group, Frightening Fast Food.

According to Flickr member, jtolber, it is a photo of 'something' in a thigh piece he purchased at a KFC in Marshfield, Missouri...



jtolber writes:

"The store manager tried to tell me that it was nothing and was quick to grab it from my hands and throw it away. Offered me a free piece to replace it ... yeah, right ... last time I'll ever step foot in KFC ever again. Even tried to contact their corporate office to file a complaint and never get a response."

Frankly, I can look at it any longer to try and figure out what it might be because I'm starting to feel sick, but you go ahead and try. He has many more photos of whatever it is in his photo set on Flickr.

Any ideas?

Jack's Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito

Jack in the Box has introduced a new breakfast menu item: the Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito.

It is scrambled eggs, crumbled Chorizo sausage, hash brown sticks and Cheddar cheese sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with a side of salsa.

“Chorizo has been a popular breakfast choice for years, but it’s hard to find on the menus of our major competitors,” said Teka O’Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. “With Latin flavors gaining in popularity and breakfast such an important daypart for our business, we thought this was the perfect time to add more south-of-the-border flavor to our menu. As with our full menu, our new Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Burrito is available all day, every day.”

The Chorizo Sausage Burrito is priced at $2.99.

And it would be hard to imagine a healthier way to start your day! This baby weighs in with almost 700 calories, 35 grams of fat and 138% of your recommended daily value of Cholesterol! Not to mention 3 healthy grams of Trans Fat! </end sarcasm> Here's the complete nutritional info:

Domino's Chocolate Lava Cake, free offer

Domino's has introduced a new dessert item: Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake.

It is oven-baked chocolate cake, crunch on the outside, with warm chocolate fudge on the inside.

An order of 2 Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes is priced at $3.99.

But right now you can get a free Cake when you purchase an order of Domino's BreadBowl Pasta at regular price through September 13.

Also, if you birthday happens to be in August, you can get a free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake. Just stop by a Domino's location with proof of your birthday.

Here's Domino's BreadBowl Pasta alongside the new dessert:

The Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake has 357 calories and 17 grams of fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

Free Taco Tuesday (8/4) @ Jack in the Box

UPDATE: Jack in the Box is doing this again on Tuesday, August 11.

Jack in the Box has posted a coupon good for 2 free Taco's tomorrow.

You must print the coupon and it is only good on Tuesday, August 4, 2009; one coupon per guest, per visit.  One offer per coupon.

Don't miss out on your 2 free tacos!

Whitle Castle's New Value Meals

White Castle has 3 new limited-time value meals priced at $2.99.

The new "Craver Savers" include a saver size fry and a saver size drink.  Sandwich choices for the meals are 3 Original Sliders, 2 Chicken Ring Sliders with cheese, or 2 BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders.

To sweeten the deal, White Castle has a coupon for a free upgrade (to regular fry and small drink).

Fast & Fancy Custom Cokes

Coca-Cola has developed a new 'soda fountain' called the "Freestyle Beverage Dispenser."

It can serve over 100 different beverages... sodas, teas, flavored waters, etc.

Plus, it doesn't take a huge backroom to store all the syrups needed to make this different drinks. Coke uses 'micro doses' of flavorings so that all that is needed in bulk is carbonated water and sweetner.

Some flavors have never been available before in the US and include Raspberry Coke, Fanta Peach, and Grape Volt.

Will we start seeing this in fast food restaurants soon? Only time will tell, but I'm betting yes!

Here's a video demonstration of this machine:

KFC's 11 Herbs and Spices Revealed?

Ron Douglas has been hunting down and duplicating restaurant recipes since 2003, but the latest achievement he claims is noteworthy... Colonel Sander's 11 herbs and spices for KFC's original recipe fried chicken.

He reveals KFC's secret along with many others in his new book (out this week) "America's Most Wanted Recipes: Delicious Recipes from Your Family's Favorite Restaurants."

In case you were wondering, according to Ron, you can duplicate the fast food giant's Original Recipe chicken with this mixture of 11 herbs and spices:

• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Accent (an MSG-based seasoning)

Fast Food Art: 'Fast Food Mafia'

Andrew Shirey (aka SilentSketcher) has done a sketch and full-color piece called "Fast Food Mafia."

It is a great interpretation of some of the iconic fast food mascots as underworld crime figures.

Here's his "Ron 'the Don' McDonald (with hitman, Grimace)"

and "Wendy Gwendolen"

Be sure and check out the complete Fast Food Mafia, which includes "The Colonel Sanders," "'Little' Caesar," and "B.K. 'The King'."

Sonic Chillers & Bundt Cake Sundae

Sonic has 2 new limited time menu items this month.

The first is the Sonic Chiller. They taken their famous (and beloved by me) Cherry Limeade and blended it with vanilla soft serve. It is topped with whipped topping, a fresh lime wedge and a cherry.

But you don't have to limit yourself to my favorite... all the limeade flavors can be made as a Sonic Chiller, like Strawberry Limeade or Classic Limeade.

Speaking of Cherry Limeade, when you order a Sonic combo meal you get a free Route 44 drink upgrade (also limited time only).

The second new menu item are Sonic's n Bundt Cake Sundaes.

Sonic's mini-sized chocolate Bundt cakes are filled with warm hot fudge and covered with vanilla soft serve, whipped topping and a cherry.

The Bundt Cake Sundaes come in 3 varieties:  the Molten Chocolate, The Strawberry with hot fudge or the Turtle with caramel and lightly salted pecans.

Chipotle to Promote Film "Food, Inc."!

"Food, Inc." is one film that I certainly would never, ever have believed would be promoted in and by a fast food restaurant chain.

But I guess Chipotle isn't your typical fast food chain.  And I'm impressed.

Chipotle has entered into a partnership with the folks behind "Food, Inc." to promote it by sponsoring free screenings and putting promotional materials in all their restaurants. There are also plans for Chipotle to produced their own feature about their commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture, that will be put on the DVD when it is released later this year.

"Food, Inc." is now in theaters and you can watch the trailer below.

The film exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on the environment, the economy and our overall health, and encourages Americans to become more conscious consumers. It is directed by Robert Kenner and features authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food).

“I hope that all our customers see this film,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “The more they know about where their food comes from, the more they will appreciate what we do.”

Chipotle has reason to be proud and less reason to be afraid of "Food, Inc." than any other food chain because Chipotle serves more naturally raised meat (from animals that are raised in a humane way, never given antibiotics or added hormones, and fed a pure vegetarian diet) than any restaurant in the world. In addition, an increasing percentage (currently 35 percent) of Chipotle’s beans are organically grown, it is purchasing locally grown produce when seasonally available, and all of the dairy the chain uses is made with milk from cows that are never given the synthetic hormone rBGH.

"Food, Inc." trailer:

Hardee's French Dip and French Maids Tour

Hardee's is promoting their French Dip Thickburger with a national tour of French Maids that will cruise around local events on Segways. If you show up and have your photo taken with the hot, busty French Maids you can pull up the photo on their French Me website to show it to your wife and/or GF.

The French Dip Thinkburger (introduced today at participating Hardee's) features thinly sliced roast beef and melted Swiss cheese and is served with a cup 'au jus' for dipping.

"What do maids, toast, kisses and burgers all have in common? They're all better when they're French," said Brad Haley, Hardee's Executive Vice President of Marketing. "Our loyal fans not only love Hardee's food, they enjoy the beautiful women who have starred in our commercials over the years. So, we decided to take it one step farther and send some French Maids across the country to help celebrate summer and the delicious French Dip Thickburger."

Here's the city schedule for the French Maids, you can follow (stalk) them more closely on twitter:

• July 13-14 - St Louis, Mo.
• July 17-19 - Greenville, S.C.
• July 21-22 - Knoxville, Tenn.
• July 24-26 - Indianapolis, Ind.
• July 30 - August 1 - Charlotte, N.C.
• August 3-6 - Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• August 7-10 - Jacksonville, Fla.
• August 13-16 - Nashville, Tenn.
• August 18-19 - Columbus, Ga.
• August 21-24 - Atlanta, Ga.
• August 26-27 - Birmingham, Ala.
• August 29 - St Louis, Mo.

And here's a little video peek at the French Dip Maids:

The French Dip Thickburger is $3.99 by itself or $5.99 in a small combo, but here's a coupon for $1 off the French Dip Thickburger combo.

Feeling a little short on salt today, the French Dip Thickburger is the sandwich for you, with 2280 mg of sodium, it has 95% of your daily suggested intake of sodium. And 650 calories, 300 of which are from fat. Here's the complete nutritional info:

BK Scooter Drive-Thru! [Pics]

I saw these photos of a woman going through a Buger King drive-thru on her scooter posted on NeoGraf, a video game discussion board, and just had to share them here.

When I saw them I immediatly thought of the movie, Wall-e... all those 'weight-challenged' folks on the space ship getting around on their hover scooters. (If you haven't seen Wall-e, I've included a clip down below, past the photos.)

Yes, she is flipping off the photographer in that last photo (or giving him the fist, which might even be funnier!).

I imagine we'll be seeing more and more of people on their scooters going through the drive-through as we get fatter and lazier.

I suppose fast food outlets will have to start developing their policy for scooter drive-ups. As you may know, most fast food restaurants do not allow walk-ups to their drive thru windows for safety reasons (even if the drive-thru is open and the restaurant seating area is closed). And many don't allow bicycle traffic either. If you know of a 'scooter policy' at your local fast food restaurant, let us know!

Here's the clip from Wall-e with the chubby space ship folks falling off their hover scooters when the spaceship tilts:

Panda Express Wok Smart & Nutritional Info

Panda Express has introduced their "Wok Smart" concept which identifies their lower calorie menu options. Additionally, they are now publishing their complete nutritional information in brochures available in all their restaurants in accordance with California law and other regional requirements.

Panda Express' Wok Smart symbol (at right) centers around the Chinese character for 'smart,' and identifies menu items that are part of the Wok Smart concept.

The "Wok Smart" menu items include 18 sides, entrees and appetizers that have 250 calories, or less, per serving. Some Wok Smart menu items are Black Pepper Chicken, String Bean Chicken Breast, 2 Veggie Spring Rolls and Broccoli Beef.

"Wok Smart items have always been a part of the Panda Express menu choices," says Glenn Lunde, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Panda Express. "Our entrees feature nutritious and vitamin-packed vegetables such as broccoli, string beans, and button mushrooms. We want to help our calorie-conscious guests take the guess-work out of planning their meals at Panda Express."

It is also worth noting that all Panda Express entrees and sides contain zero grams Trans Fat per serving, they do no use MSG, and do use 100% pure soybean oil.

Free Mocha Mondays at McDonald's McCafe

As McDonald's continues to try and take away customers from Starbucks with their McCafe concept, they've now introduced Free Mocha Mondays.

On Mondays from July 13 through August 3, 2009 (that's 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, and 8/3) between 7am and 7pm you can get a free sample (7 oz. cold or 8 oz hot) Mocha.

The McCafe Mocha is "the sweetheart of the coffe drinks:  freshly ground espresso beans coupled with steamed milk (whole or nonfat), indulgent chocolate syrup, and capped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle."

Since we're on the topic and haven't done so yet, here's a look at the complete nutritional data for a few McCafe drinks:

As you can see the Medium Caramel Latte packs 280 calories and 8 grams of fat:

The Medium Iced Mocha has 310 calories and 13 grams of fat:

And the McCafe calorie champ (and granted, it is a large) is the large Mocha, coming in at 400 calories, 14 grams of fat (and even a half gram of Trans Fat) and 49 grams of sugar:

By way of comparison, here are some of Starbuck's highest calorie drinks.

Free Fish Taco at Long John Silver's 7/14

On Tuesday, July 14, every Long John Silver’s location will be promoting their new Baja Fish Tacos by giving away free Baja Fish Tacos from restaurant open until 2:30 PM. Limit one per customer; available to dine-in, carry out and drive-thru customers.

Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Taco is LJS's core batter-dipped Alaskan Whitefish with crumblies, lettuce and Baja sauce. (Love the crumblies! Excellent idea to include those!)

I love the tag line their using on the Long John Silver's web site for their new fish taco: "Sounds weird, tastes delicious!"

If you can't wait to try the fish taco for free on July 14, Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Tacos are available now for 99¢.

The Baja Fish Taco has 350 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 5 grams saturated fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

"Fish tacos, a long-time favorite recipe in coastal areas, are rapidly becoming a passion for the rest of the country," said Ben Butler, president of Long John Silver's. "We're proud to be the first quick service restaurant to spread this latest food craze across the nation and meet the needs of contemporary taste buds. We've seen some of the most skeptical customers turn into fanatics after taking just one bite of our Baja Fish Tacos."

Ideas for Hot Dog Month and the 4th

July is National Hot Dog Month and the 4th of July is traditionally a big day for hot dog consumption.

Here's a few fast food ideas for your holiday hot dog cravings...

Krystal's has the Chili Cheese Pup and the Corn Pup:

Carl's Jr. has a Jumbo Chili Dog:

Sonic, of course, has their famous Extra-Long Chili Cheese Coney and their Corn Dog:

And if you happen to have a Wienerschnitzel nearby you have a whole variety of hot dogs to choose from including the Pastrami Dog (far right in this photo):

Wienerschnitzel's newest dog is the "Angus Chipotle Chili Dog"!!  Sure to give McDonald's Angus Third Pounder a run for its money!

btw, National Hot Dog Day is a little later in the month, July 18th.