One of my favorite things this time of year are year end lists. I love checking out (and arguing with) all the different Album of the Year lists and shouting about omissions in the comments. We’ve decided to make our first ever Food Item of the Year list to recap some of the best things we’ve reviewed.
Admittedly, this list will not be all encompassing of 2015 as we returned from our long break around August of this year. By the way, we’d like to thank all the readers that were with us in the past and have rejoined us on the revival tour. We’re very happy to welcome all of the new readers too! So here we go, an abbreviated top 5 of 2015:
5. Taco Bell Volcano Quesarito
Bringing back a fan favorite is a sure fire way to sell a few LTOs, but its not always good enough to make a tasty menu item. Taco Bell hit the sweet spot with the Volcano Quesarito by combining the favorite Lava Sauce with the outlandish gimmick form factor. We’re looking forward to more quesadillafication of more Taco Bell menu items.
4. Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich
While technically still a test market product, Wendy’s new and way improved Grilled Chicken Sandwich is destined to storm the nation. While that may be a huge overstatement, this overly generic named sandwich combines great tasting chicken, an artisan bun, and a very solid/somewhat unique herb sauce that is in the conversation with Chick Fil A for best fast food grilled chicken.
3. Wendy’s Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger
While some have panned this burger for being a swamp fest, we reviewed a slightly less aquatic edition. While there might have been one too many ingredients and maybe one too many sauces for Wendy’s employees to over apply, we loved the Gouda cheese and Fondue sauce, creating a quality, above grade experience.
2. Shake Shack ChickenShack
2015 is definitely the Year of the Chicken Sandwich. We saw refreshes across the board at all the quick service restaurants of their chicken. Everyone unveiled buttermilk something or other and artisans may or may not have been involved. The best of the bunch is unfortunately extremely limited. Shake Shack released a next level fried chicken sandwich thats a clear cut above the rest. Unfortunately for now, its only available at Shake Shack locations in Brooklyn, NY.
1. Arby’s Spicy Jalapeno Brisket Sandwich
Combining a ridiculous amount of spicy, diced jalapenos and the best fast food meat out there, the Jalapeno Brisket is our pick for best fast food in 2015. The ample amount of fried onion straws does a little work in extinguishing the flames provided by the peppers, but the brisket truly shines through as a world class taste sensation.
Let us know in the comments if we left out the fast food equivalent of a Kendrick Lamar or Tame Impala album. Or if you’ve had a completely different experience with our picks than we did.