GrubGrade

“Value Menu” and “variety” don’t often go along so well in the same sentence. Sure, you’ve got Taco Bell’s “Why Pay More” options offering something a bit more “ethnic” (hat tip to my man Jaz) and you can always customize value menu options at an additional charge, but more often than not fast food value menus revolve around the staples. You know what I’m talking about; a small burger, a chicken sandwich, fries and a small drink. There just aren’t a ton of variety or choices outside of the usual offerings. That is, unless your talking about Arby’s.

Arby’s $1 Menu isn’t extensive, but it does offer something a little different than the proverbial small burger and fries. True, traditional value menu items like a Jr. Chicken Sandwich are spotlighted on the menu, but you can also get a small Jamocha  shake, curly fries, and of course a Jr. Roast Beef Sandwich. But of all the options on the Arby’s Value Menu, the most interesting might be the Jr. Ham and Cheddar Sandwich.

Oven roasted ham piled on a toasted sesame seed bun and topped with creamy cheddar cheese sauce.

I’m kind of amazed more fast food places don’t take advantage of ham. It’s lean, flavorful, and usually works well with cheese, and given that it can be propped up with a crapload of solution, it’s not all that expensive to serve either. While I wasn’t expecting my order to look exactly like the website picture, even I was a bit disparaged at how small the wrapper containing it was. My fears only grew when I opened the paper to find a rather squished looking bun spilling over with a liquidy yellow substance.

There was too much cheddar sauce to be sure, so much so that I ended up scraping some of it off. The sauce itself is more liquid goo than “cream,” and seemed to have texture reminiscent of cheese whiz. It was salty and a little oily, and the flavor came off as highly artificial. Still, it had a curiously addictive taste of fake cheddar, and was nice and warm on the ham. As for the ham, it didn’t seem nearly as enhanced as I thought it would be. The four slices were cut thin and didn’t reveal any large strains of fat, while they also displayed the subtle taste of a smoke flavor. They were somewhat crispy and looked like they had been through the microwave, which actually played well considering how gooey the cheese was. Again, the flavor came off as artificial , but not necessarily bad. (more…)

The Arby’s Value Menu has launched nationwide.  Up until now, this menu was available only in select markets and now will be featured in an advertising campaign.

The new Value Menu, which starts at $1, features Arby’s® signature items, including an oven-roasted, freshly sliced Roast Beef sandwich, Curly Fries and Jamocha Shake. The menu will be refreshed periodically to showcase seasonal favorites and other signature offerings.

When you think Arby’s, chances are you’re thinking roast beef. Likewise, if you’re thinking fast food ‘popcorn chicken,’ I’m guessing you’re either imagining KFC or Popeyes. But did you know Arby’s does fried Popcorn Chicken too?

I didn’t, at least not until I received an ad in a recent paper that came chock full of Arby’s coupons – including one for a free regular size order of Popcorn Chicken with the purchase of a fountain drink. Arby’s has been pushing a number of new menu items and concepts as of late (including a $1 Value Menu) but up until now I’ve never really given the chain much thought outside of their ubiquitous (but tasty) Roast Beef sandwiches. Nevertheless, having been on a chicken finger kick for weeks (and it being a ‘Fried Food Thursday’) I decided to scope out my local Arby’s. Let’s check out the ‘official’ designation’:

What’s better than something bite-sized, cripsy and tasty beyond belief? Popcorn chicken dipped in your choice of tangy BBQ Sauce or Sweet Honey Mustard. They’re ready to be eaten by the handful, so try some today!

I was sure glad I brought my coupon after scanning the menu board, because at $3.49 for a regular order these seemed to be a bit on the pricey side. To be fair, you’re getting significantly more chicken pieces than you would get in an order of Burger King’s Crown Shaped Tenders or McDonald’s McNuggets, and the meat definitely seemed to be of a higher quality than the stuff your getting at McDonald’s (interestingly enough, Arby’s doesn’t tout this product as all ‘white meat’). The ‘popcorn’ pieces themselves contain what I would describe as a home-style breading, which is of moderate thickness and brimming with specks of black pepper. (more…)

If you are a follower of GrubGrade, you will notice that we have done reviews on Arby’s line of Roastburgers and also their line of Market Fresh Sandwiches.   We all know that Arby’s is much more than Roast Beef, and this is proven even further by their line of  4 Toasted Subs:  the Philly Beef, French Dip and Swiss, the Classic Italian and the Turkey Bacon Club.  Months ago, Arby’s was offering these subs at 2/$4.00 (with the purchase of a small drink), it was a deal that was hard to pass up.  Too bad the regular price is $4.09 for the sandwich alone.  So anyways, the first sub on our plate is the Classic Italian Toasted Sub.

Arby’s describes this sub as:  

Prepared fresh when you order, this Italian classic starts with thinly sliced ham, salami, pepperoni, and melted cheese on a perfectly toasted ciabatta roll.  Then we pile on banana peppers,  mayo, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion.  Lastly, a drizzle of red wine vinaigerette will leave you wanting more.

The ciabatta roll is really what makes these toasted subs avoid getting a failing grade.   A lot of times, when places claim their rolls are toasted, it’s hard to tell that they are.  On this sub, as you can see from the picture, the roll is definitely toasted. There is a crisp crunch and the toast marks aren’t just for looks.  Italian sandwiches are packed full of flavor because of the various salty meats involved and generous use of dressing.  If you truly want to enjoy this sub though, you need to like Italian dressing.   My sub was overflowing with the red wine vinaigerette.   There is a good combination of meats, ham, salami and pepperoni, in just the right amounts.  The other ingredients, banana peppers, lettuce, tomato and red onion, add a little more punch to the flavor.  Arby’s does a decent job with the freshness of their veggies but I had a problem with the lettuce.  Not that it wasn’t fresh, it’s just that the shredded lettuce used is a bit of a failure adding nothing more than the sensation of eating the grass found in Easter baskets.   Is there any sandwich out there that benefits from tasteless, shredded iceburg lettuce?  Something else that I feel isn’t quite right or just flat out unnecessary is that the sandwich includes mayo.  I don’t think it is needed with everything else going on and just adds unneeded fat/calories to the sub.  (Although I’m not sure this sandwich is great choice overall, if you are watching your fat/cal intake).  You can be the judge of it, but the mayo doesn’t add anything extra but the bad stuff.

I have had all four of the toasted subs, and this one isn’t my favorite and is a tough purchase at $4.09 in my opinion.  The Market Fresh line of sandwiches are a better buy.  If you’re interested in this particular toasted sub, look out for it if you have a coupon or if it’s priced lower in a promotion.

• Pros:  Great, toasted ciabatta roll.  Decent amount/combination of meats.
• Cons:  Not for grubbing on the go.  Mess of shredded lettuce doesn’t add much to the experience.  Mayo.  Pricey.

Taste:  7.00/10

Value:  3.75/10

Grubbing on the Go:  5.25/10

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GrubGrade:  5.50/10  (Mediocre)

(Overall GrubGrade is not an average)

Price: $4.09

Arbys.com

Nutrition Information – Classic Italian Toasted Sub

Calories -  590

Fat – 30g

Saturated Fat – 8g

Cholesterol – 55mg

Sodium – 1870 mg

Carbs – 57g

Sugars – 5g

Dietary Fiber – 3g

Protein – 24g

New at Arby’s…$5.01 Combos.  5 grub combination choices for $5.01 each.  2 of the 5 choices have been around for years but there are 3 newcomers.  All 5 combos include curly fries and a small drink.

French Dip & Swiss Toasted Sub: What’s the extra penny for?  One bite and you’ll know.  We start with a toasted ciabatta roll then pile on oven-roasted, freshly sliced beef and melted Swiss cheese.  Dip it in our generous portion of hot, savory au jus and you’re digging into one delicious deal.

Regular Roast Beef: What’s the extra penny for?  The unbeatable taste of an Arby’s original.  We start with a toasted sesame seed bun, then pile on our world famous, oven-roasted beef.  Complete the total Arby’s experience with our signature Arby’s Sauce or Horsey Sauce.

New! Roast Beef Patty Melt: What’s the extra penny for?  A new twist on an old standard.  Our patty melt is made with oven-roasted, freshly sliced beef, piled high on toasted sourdough bread.  Melted Swiss cheese and creamy Thousand Island dressing add a tantalizing finish to a great sandwich.

New! Roast Beef Gyro: What’s the extra penny for?  Better ingredients.  Our gyro features Arby’s beef – roasted to perfection and freshly sliced on a warm, soft flatbread, topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, red onions, and traditional gyro sauce.

New! Roast Chicken Ranch: What’s the extra penny for?  Flavor you just won’t get anywhere else.  This sandwich starts with 0ven-roasted, freshly sliced chicken, piled on toasted sourdough bread.  Then we top it with creamy Peppercorn Ranch sauce and fresh lettuce, tomato, and red onions.

August is coming to an end and so is Arby’s Wednesday FREEbies.  This is your last chance to receive your free grub.   Visit your local Arby’s today, August 26, and get a Free Regular Beef’n Cheddar with any drink purchase.

Arby's Beef'n Cheddar

Need a side to go with your meal?  Check out one of our Arby’s Sidekickers Reviews:

• Arby’s Loaded Potato Bites
• Arby’s Jalapeno Bites
• Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce

Nutrition Information – Regular Beef’n Cheddar

Calories – 440

Fat – 20 grams

Saturated Fat – 6 grams

Cholesterol – 50 milligrams

Sodium – 1270 milligrams

Carbs –43 grams

Dietary Fiber – 2 grams

Sugars – 8 grams

Protein – 22 grams

Thanks Scott for the inside scoop on what’s on the horizon at Arby’s.  A few new sandwiches are coming and that probably means GrubGrade will have to set aside some quality time with them.  We’ll keep you posted.

I work at an Arby’s and guess what, we have THREE brand new Market Fresh Sandwiches coming out chain wide within the next three weeks.

They are going to be additions to the Market Fresh line but on different bread. We will have a Patty Melt consisting of sliced roast beef, thousand island dressing, grilled garlic onions, swiss cheese and special seasoning (the same that is on the RoastBurgers) all on a toasted Sour Dough bread. A Roast Chicken Ranch sandwich consisting of our new sliced roasted chicken along with parmesean peppercorn ranch dressing, lettuce, tomato and swiss cheese on the toasted sour dough bread. Finally a Gyro sandwich. It will have our sliced roast beef along with a “gyro sauce” on warm flatbread along with lettuce, tomato and onion.

I know in our area they will be adding on these new sandwiches along with the introduction of our new “$5.01 Combos”. All Arby’s will now be selling 5 combo meals for the $5.01 price. All three sandwiches will be part of that special along with the Regular Roast Beef and the French Dip & Swiss toasted sub now being available in a combo for the $5.01 price too.

ALSO, in a lot of markets right now we have a limited time shake available. Ours is currently the Orange Creme Swirl. You should stop by and give it a review. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but it’s actually not bad.

If you have been following GrubGrade for the past 6 months, then you have probably seen the video where Ryan is hunting for the Pecan Chicken Salad Market Fresh Sandwich from Arby’s. I have also been on the hunt for it, and have recently discovered that it’s no longer on their website menu either.  I feel this is one of the best Market Fresh Sandwiches that Arby’s makes and deserves a review along with the others.  We have the pictures, so here’s the elusive Arby’s Pecan Chicken Salad Market Fresh Sandwich.

Described by Arby’s as:

Freshly prepared chicken salad, made with grilled chicken, apples, grapes, celery, toasted pecans and mayo, with green leaf lettuce on thick sliced honey wheat bread. Just like from your favorite deli.

Obviously the Chicken Salad is my favorite in the Market Fresh Sandwich line, and I have the experience, as I’ve tried 4 of the 5 still listed on the menu. (more…)

Cool off on Wednesday, August 19th with one of Arby’s free Iced FruiTeas with any sandwich purchase. Choose from Passion Fruit, Mandarin Peach, Diet Peach or Diet Blackberry.  Summer is coming to an end and so are Arby’s Wednesday FREEbies, so get yours while they are still available.

Check out our reviews for a sandwich recommendation:

Arby’s Roastburgers

Arby’s Fish Sandwich

Arby’s Roast Chicken Club

Nutrition Information:

Mandarin Peach FruiTea

Calories  – 90

Diet Blackberry FruiTea

Calories – 0

Diet Peach FruiTea

Calories – 0

Passion Fruit FruiTea

Calories – 100

If you’ve been following along at home, by now you know that we’ve covered a couple of Arby’s “Sidekickers” recently.  First we reviewed the Jalapeno Bites and then we took on the Loaded Potato Bites.  Both were mediocre at best and I came away pretty unimpressed.  I didn’t really have high expectations going into them and as I expected, they are items I wouldn’t be eager to have again.  A “Sidekicker” that’s been around for a while has been the Mozzarella Sticks.  Although they aren’t amazing by any stretch, I am guilty of ordering them more than once before in my grubbing adventures.  It’s about time they get a review.

Arby’s describes their Mozzarella Sticks like this:

Mozzarella cheese battered and fried to a melted cheesy perfection.  Served with a hot marinara sauce for dipping.

In my vast travels searching the globe (sarcasm), I haven’t encountered a mozzarella stick that was much different from every other mozza stick I’ve had before. (more…)