Latest news with #CarolinaBBQ
Buzz Feed
30-07-2025
- Business
- Buzz Feed
Trader Joe's New Deli Sandwich Chips Are A Must-Try
Unfortunately for my bank account, the Snack Masters™ at Trader Joe's have done it again, and this time, they're tackling the chip aisle. In case you're not the kind of person who religiously follows every Trader Joe's account in existence (it's me; I'm that kind of person), then you might not know that TJ's has released some fan favorite chips over the past couple of years. There are the Carolina Gold Style BBQ Chips that have now gained a cult following. One redditor on the r/TraderJoes subreddit even deemed them "the greatest achievement of human culture in the 21st century." Another redditor described the flavor of these as "honey mustard with a kick." If you've never had Carolina BBQ, it's more focused on vinegar and mustard-y flavors than other styles of BBQ. Then we have the seasonal Patio Potato Chips that made a grand return after a small hiatus. According to the TJ's website, these are a combo of "Sea Salt & Vinegar, Delicious Dill, Homestyle Ketchup, and Smokin' Sweet BBQ" flavored chips. All of these chips walked so that the brand new Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips ($2.99) could run. While the side of the bag gives a vague flavor description of "kettle cooked potato chips seasoned with flavors of the deli" (amazing, thanks!), the TJ's website explains that they have "a suite of seasonings that evoke notes of smoky ham, dilly pickle, sharp cheese, and zesty mustard." A heads up: These do contain dairy for all my vegan and/or dairy-intolerant friends out there. With that flavor combo, it's unsurprising that folks mention that they kind of taste like a Cubano (a pressed sandwich packed with sliced ham, roasted pork, melted Swiss, dill pickles, and mustard). A review by Sporked gave them an 8.5/10 and described the main flavor as "mustard seed and pickle brine." Something tells me if you're into the vinegar-y taste of the Carolina BBQ chips, you'll probably dig these. Natasha Fischer of @traderjoeslist said the flavor is similar to when you get "the works" on an Italian sub. To me, "the works" includes a heavy douse of red wine vinegar, so this checks out. If that wasn't enough to help you piece together the flavor of these, as one redditor put it, "To me, they tasted exactly like when you're served a plate with a pastrami sandwich and a big ol' pickle spear, both of which have leaked into the potato chips. Except, not soggy. Pretty good!" TL;DR: Trader Joe's knocked it out of the park again with an ~adventurous~ chip flavor, and I can't wait to see what those little snack rascals come up with next. (While we're on the subject of delis, may I suggest a bacon, egg, and cheese chip?) Have you tried the Deli Sandwich Potato Chips? Let us know what you think! For sandwiches that pair perfectly with a crunchy chip, download the free Tasty app where you can browse and save thousands of recipes — no subscription required.
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- General
- Business Insider
I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger. The best one tasted restaurant-quality.
For many people, barbecue sauce is a summer staple. The flavor profile is everywhere, from cookouts to the drive-thru line. But when it comes to which fast-food chain delivers the best bang for your buck with its barbecue burger, that's a little more up in the air. I tried barbecue burgers from Burger King, Shake Shack, and Smashburger to determine which chain offered the best taste and value. Here's how three fast-food barbecue burgers ranked, from worst to best. The burger came topped with pieces of crispy onions. The burger came topped with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onions, and barbecue a pile of crispy onion bits, I could clearly see the barbecue sauce, although overall, the burger looked and felt a little dry when I picked it up. The burger patty was also dry and well-done. I'm not a fan of any burger cooked past medium, so this well-done patty simply wasn't doing it for me, but how a burger is cooked is a matter of personal cheese on the burger I tried also wasn't melted enough to provide enough moisture to counteract the dryness of the the bacon on this burger blew me away. It was smoky and perfectly cooked. The barbecue burger from Burger King landed squarely in the middle of my ranking. I ordered the BBQ bacon Whopper Jr. and added cheese. It cost $11.09, excluding tax and fees, which I thought was a little pricey for a junior-sized burger. I would order this burger again, but it didn't blow me away. The bacon was crispy, though not as flavorful as the bacon from the other two burgers I tried. However, I thought this was a great classic cheeseburger. The onions, lettuce, and tomato were fresh, and the beef was juicy while still retaining a smoky, chargrilled it tasted similarly to a classic Whopper, and I didn't get a strong barbecue flavor from it. It was a classic cheeseburger, but I was looking for more barbecue flavor. My favorite burger came from Shake Shack. Shake Shack, which has US locations in 30 states and Washington, DC, offers two different kinds of barbecue burgers: the Smoky Classic BBQ burger and the Carolina BBQ burger with fried pickles.I ordered the classic version, which is topped with fried onions and bacon. It cost $13.29, excluding tax and fees, making it the most expensive burger of the bunch. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the onions were crispy and mouthwatering. The cheese was evenly coated on every inch of the thin, crispy patty, and the bun held everything together while still retaining its softness. This Shake Shack burger blew me away. It tasted restaurant-quality. Though thin and crispy, the burger was still perfectly cooked at a medium temperature, and the onions, though crispy, weren't hard, crunchy, and dry like the onions on the Smashburger cheeseburger I than bits of cut-up onions that didn't have much flavor, these onions were more similar to onion rings, and instantly transported me back to summer carnivals and roadside pickles added a tart, crunchy flavor, and this was the only burger where I really tasted the barbecue sauce. It was smoky yet light and had a slight vinegar taste that balanced out the richer flavors of the cheese, beef, and it was the most expensive burger, I thought it was well worth the slightly higher price.
