COVID-19 changed much about 2020, including how we ate. Restaurants adjusted, giving us plenty of comfort food and even wine to-go. Here are the best and worst menu items of 2020, from spicy doughnuts to canned cocktails.
Best: Burger King Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper
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This year, Burger King tried out the Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper. By feeding the cows lemongrass, the company claims to have reduced methane emissions by 33%. Scientists say it was probably more like 3%, but it’s a start. Even if you decline Burger King’s invitation to “breathe the farts of change” (seriously), you can support a more environmentally friendly burger.
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Sure, vanilla soft-serve swirled with crumbled cookie chunks and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce sounds tasty enough, but there’s no beating the Oreo McFlurry — except when it comes to calories: This somewhat pandering treat packed 620.
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The Kale Crunch Salad, with 120 calories and no upcharge, is one of the best menu items of 2020. It’s fresh, flavorful, satisfying, and a great way to get some veggies in while indulging in fast food.
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Unfortunately, you can’t just call something “cold brew” and make it fancy. The Chick-fil-A Mocha Cream Cold Brew, as a Reddit user pointed out, is just iced coffee with chocolate syrup. No, thanks.
Dunkin Donuts & Coffee :)) by Rosa Hermosa ((CC BY-NC-ND))
The Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut was a limited-time menu item described by the press release as “a classic yeast donut ring, topped with a strawberry flavored icing that features a bold blend of cayenne and ghost pepper, and finished with red sanding sugar for a sizzling look.” Folks who love and seek out spicy food know that it’s almost an addiction.
John K./Yelp
This year saw the return of Shake Shack’s famous Hot Chick’n Sandwich, which the website describes as “a crispy, antibiotic-free chicken sandwich dusted with our own guajillo and cayenne pepper blend that took months to perfect.” This is a treat for spice lovers, who can order it extra-hot.
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What’s going on over at KFC? The potato wedges were great, even a highlight of the menu. Now, instead, there are fries seasoned to taste like chicken. This year was all about comfort food, yet KFC slashed an incredibly nostalgic item. Bring back the wedges!
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Best: Canned Cocktails
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The canned cocktail has been growing in popularity. This year more restaurants, from New York City to San Francisco, embraced the trend. Some, not content with serving the canned cocktails already on the market, even launched their own. Making good drinks more portable and accessible? Raise a can to that.
Worst: Papa John’s Grilled Buffalo Chicken Papadia
Kristy C./Yelp
There’s plenty to like about Papa John’s, starting with its garlic butter dipping sauce. But using the world “grilled” is not going to trick customers into thinking the food is healthy. At 920 calories and 2,860 milligrams of sodium, the Papa John’s Grilled Buffalo Chicken Papadia is no better than anything else on the menu.
Cindy Z./Yelp
Another spicy upgrade to 2020 was McDonald’s Spicy Chicken McNuggets, a limited-time menu item. Seasoned with cayenne and chili powder and fried in a tempura batter, these were so popular that they sold out before they were scheduled to be removed from the menu. That’s right, restaurants actually ran out.
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Does the Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger sound terrible? Well, no. It’s a pretzel bun, for goodness’ sake, topped with Muenster cheese, three strips of applewood smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, and warm beer cheese. But, at 840 calories and 52 grams of fat, maybe best to pass on this one.
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El Pollo Loco’s Chickenless Pollo marked the first time a chicken brand rolled out a plant-based chicken alternative throughout its entire business. While it’s not necessarily a healthier choice than actual meat, quick-service restaurants could use more vegetarian options.
Aileen C./Yelp
Many mourned the loss of Taco Bell potatoes this year, but the limited-time $5 Grande Nachos Box helped lessen the sting. It combines seasoned beef, refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole on tortilla chips. Plus, it comes with a drink.
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Okay, okay, so this was not the greatest offender on the list of 2020 missteps. But do you really want dessert from the Popeyes fryer? Maybe pass on the fried pie.
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One of the major restaurant trends this year: family-style meals. While that can be tricky for folks with special dietary needs, it makes prep easier on the restaurant end and works well for your average omnivorous family. This one’s a win.
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Hey, Domino’s! If you’re going to describe something as even taco-adjacent, that thing shouldn’t have American cheese on it.
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It’s been a rough year for most people. Comfort food was a hot item in 2020 and helped several restaurants survive dining restrictions. That puts this entire category of eats on the “best” list.
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Again, meat replacements are good. But if you’re going to go the more humane route, shouldn’t you at least ensure that the eggs are cage-free? Do better, Burger King.
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Another highlight of the year was to-go wine and cocktails, no longer a novelty only to be found on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. It appeals to customers and also has helped a lot of restaurants stay in business.
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The Travis Scott Meal, the first celebrity menu feature for McDonald’s since 1992, was so in-demand that it caused nationwide ingredient shortages and Scott reportedly made $20 million off the deal. The ethics of marketing a fast food meal based on a celebrity face, especially one whose rap lyrics aren’t exactly family-friendly, are murky at best.
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After years of not giving in to the oat milk fanatics, Starbucks has finally added oat milk to its menu. So, what makes it one of the year’s worst menu items? Anyone who’s not over oat milk by now is still peeved at how long this took.
This year, Chipotle launched a new Queso Blanco to replace its previous queso, which was never all that loved, and it quickly garnered rave reviews. The press release touts “13 real ingredients,” including cheese from family farmers in Wisconsin and serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers to add a kick.
