A reporter at the Arizona Daily Star decided to put our little Secret Menu Items post to the test by ordering the items at some of our nations finest fast food eating establishments.
What did he discover? Secret menu items are for real.
On the Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla: “It’s so good that I tell them they should have it on the menu, to which the kindly lady who prepared my food wistfully says, “Hopefully, it will be, someday.”
On the Subway Pizza Sub:
“There are like nine pepperoni slices on it, and maybe it’s just my imagination, but I could swear I felt my arteries hardening with every bite.”
On the Jamba Juice Pink Starburst Smoothie:
“It tastes — wait for it — like a pink Starburst candy, albeit in liquid form. And instead of being done with it after a few seconds, I have a giant cup of it.”
We sort of want to try that chicken quesadilla. He made it sound really good. —MEGHANN MARCO
Top secret [Arizona Daily Star]
(Photo: uberculture)
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The Pizza Sub is secret? I haven’t ordered that in a while, but I know it was on the menu at some point.
Seems like “secret” items just depend on the place. If a place has the ingredients, an employee is willing/allowed to make it, and someone can figure out how to ring it up, then the possibilities are endless.
I love Chipotle… I spend at least a few hundred dollars there a year.
The quesadilla is indeed muy bueno, however you can feel the fat from the cheese oozing down your throat. Still, good.
Another good “secret menu item” is that Panera will still make you a Tuscan Chicken even though they took it off their menu about a year and half ago. I love that sandwich its so damn good.
Jalapeno Tree makes an awesome Ranchero Steak plate. It is basically an entire fajita steak topped with hot salsa and mexican butter on the side. Not on the menu but they will make it for only $9.99.
Panera is really good about making things from scratch (unlike Atlanta Bread Co., who I swear nukes pre-made sandwiches and gloppy soups). They will accommodate just about any out of season sandwich/salad.
There used to be this great Black and Blue burger at Ruby Tuesday’s (perhaps a year ago), then they took it off the menu. You can still order it though. (Blackened burger with blue cheese crumbs).
I’m still very disappointed my local Jamba Juice wouldn’t make me a white gummy bear smoothie. The cashier said they had gotten word from corporate that they weren’t supposed to make things that weren’t on the menu anymore. Don’t know if it’s true, this story suggests otherwise.
Subtle nod to your old friends at the Star, Meghann? Hehe.
I tend to avoid that site nowadays, though — most of the commenters seem to be Minutemen ranting and raving about Mexicans even in unrelated threads.
I’ve ordered the white gummy bear smoothie numerous times at different Jamba Juice locations. The reaction has always been the same: the cashier looks at me slyly, “Who told you about our secret recipes?” and then they gladly make it for me.
4×4
spread only
fries well done
large chocolate shake
to go
thanks
I am going to try the quesdilla next time I got to chipolte for sure. I so far have gotten 2 jambas off the list, I have to do more, I always forget about them.
@thereviewer:
The quesdilla isn’t anything special. To be honest I’ve had better ones at Taco Bell. Chipotle doesn’t brown the quesdilla enough because their grills are only on a warm setting. It only has chicken and cheese. You could get a side of sour cream but it just doesn’t taste as good as a burrito.
@Melov: And this is why civilization is collapsing.
Another good Chipotle secret item is the double decker taco – soft taco tortilla with quacamole wrapped around a hard taco.
And the Pink Starburst is awesome.
5×5
animal style fries
Oh! Good to know about Panera – I miss the Tuscan sandwich.
Chipotle will put together any combination of anything you ask for. The quesadilla is definitely nowhere near as good as a burrito is – I’m seconding the “not brown and crispy enough” vote.
” I wonder aloud why it’s not on the menu anymore. ‘People only order it once in a blue moon,’ says the co-worker who knew about the sandwich. Well, I guess that’s why. “
Chicken, meet egg. Egg, chicken.
How many people do they expect to be ordering something that isn’t on the menu?
Restaurants are a ~service~ industry – if they have the ingredients (and the prep time won’t inordinately affect other customers) then they should be perfectly willingly to make anything the customer requests.
The Chipotle chicken quesadilla is amazing – anyone who tells you otherwise obviously hasn’t one made properly! (an unfortunate consequence of hidden menu items – some people make it better than others)
And the White Gummi Bear smoothie from Jamba Juice is like crack. Except it comes in three sizes.
@mikeyrock: Weird– it’s on all the menus at our local Paneras (California)… Also good– the rosemary focaccia used on the Tuscan chicken with the Sierra Turkey sandwich. The chipotle sauce blends well with the rosemary. Mmmmm!
Don’t mention Chipoltes! I, unfortunately, don’t have any near me and have had a massive craving for the last 2 months. One day, I’ll have the time to drive the 2 hours to the closest one.
The Pizza sub was on the Subway menu a long time ago.
I haven’t had it in quite some time though.
The wife’s vegetarian, so I got turned onto the In-N-Out “Grilled Cheese, Animal Style” years ago.
These are so good I don’t even get burgers (meat) there anymore because I don’t miss the taste of the beef and I certainly don’t need the extra calories.
(Still eat meat burgers everywhere else, since you need that flavor to compensate for substandard veggies everywhere else)
another great one with Subway is the chicken parmesan. It isnt on most menus nowadays and its amazing. ask for the crispy chicken.