Top Five New Fast Food Items I Tried in 2022

2022 was an interesting year. The country pretty much opened back up but supply chain issues and other factors lead to a notable sputtering of the typical flow of new fast food items. Still, here are the top five new fast food items I tried in 2022 (in alphabetical order):

- Popeyes Blackened Chicken Sandwich - I really like their Blackened Tenders so getting the same flavor in a thicker, juicy filet served on a bun might be even a little better.

- Popeyes Wildberry Beignets - I like beignets generally (because they're basically fresh-fried donuts) but they're not too convenient to get around here (Disneyland isn't all that close), so I'm pretty chuffed whenever Popeyes offers them (new variety or not).

- Taco Bell Loaded Truff Nacho Fries - I did not expect to like these as much as I did. The only new thing was the Truff sauce but it added a good deal of nuance and complexity to an otherwise very familiar set of ingredients.

- Wendy's French Toast Sticks - These hit my check boxes for French toast: Crisp on the outside and moist and custardy on the inside. It sounds simple but it's not all that easy to achieve.

- Wendy's Garlic Fries - While my particular batch was hit a bit too heavy with the salt gun, the garlic and herb sauce was tasty and the texture of the fries held up.

Photos by BrandEating.