Anatomy of McDonald's Mac Snack Wrap

Why didn't I think of that?!?! Take a Big Mac, lose the bun and wrap it all up in a tortilla. Of course... makes perfect sense!

Honestly, if someone had suggested that 10 years ago, they'd have been laughed out of the room. But that was before the wrap craze. The question now is: With the Mac Snack Wrap, has the 'wrap craze' officially jumped the shark?

Well, I had to taste this for myself... And it is exactly what you'd expect a Big Mac components wrapped up in a tortilla would taste like! If you're a Big Mac fan, but you've always dreamed of losing all those buns, you're dream has come true. If you didn't love the Big Mac, you probably won't like the Mac Snack Wrap. Actually, the one I got had way too much 'Big Mac Sauce' for my taste, but otherwise, no complaints.

The Mac Snack Wrap is 1/2 of a 1/4 pound beef patty, American cheese, lettuce, pickle, onion and Big Mac sauce (aka 1,000 Island Dressing, aka mayonnaise & ketchup) all wrapped up in a tortilla.

See, I took a picture, The Anatomy of a Mac Snack Wrap:

Another important distinction that McDonald's is attempting to make between the Big Mac and the Mac Snack Wrap (besides the bun vs. tortilla) is that the latter is a "snack," and the Big Mac is a meal. And clearly the wrap has less meat, specifically half a Quarter Pounder patty. It should be noted, though, that a full Quarter Pounder patty is bigger than a Big Mac beef patty, 220 calories vs. 180 calories.

Here's the nutritional data for the Mac Snack Wrap:

And here's the nutritional data for the Big Mac:

As you can see the Mac Snack Wrap has 330 calories to the Big Mac's 540. That's 60% of the Big Mac's calories. 70 calories are lost by replacing the buns with a tortilla (140 vs. 210) and another 70 calories are lost by using less meat (110 vs. 180). But the Mac Snack Wrap has more calories than a McDonald's Cheeseburger (300 calories), so is it really just a snack.

Find out for yourself!!! The first 10 people to e-mail me at tips@foodfacts.info with their snail mail address will receive a certificate for a free Mac Snack Wrap!!

You're address will be used strictly for this promotion, not shared with anyone and deleted after your certificate is mailed. It will be noted here when all 10 certificates have been given away.

Congratulations to Doug, Jessica, Briana, Ted, Robert, Sarah, Michael, Heather, Montgomery, and Jorge... they'll all be getting a certificate for a free Mac Snack Wrap from McDonalds!

[Disclosure: 10 certificates for a free Mac Snack Wrap were supplied to me and Fast Food News by McDonald's for use in this promotion. I paid for the Mac Snack Wrap that I ate. :)]

Fast Food Halloween Treats

Taco Bell and Chipotle both have special offers for Halloween this year.

Taco Bell will be giving away their new Black Jack Tacos.

One free Black Jack Taco for every/anyone from 6 pm to Midnight on Halloween night. (Limit one per customer, while supplies last, etc, etc).

Chipotle is giving away a free burrito, tacos, bowl or salad to anyone who comes into a Chipotle dressed as a Chipotle burrito.

This promotion may not be at all locations, so call your local Chipotle for details, but the restaurants we've checked will be handing out Boo-ritos to the appropriately attired from 6 pm to close on Halloween night.

Free Chick-fil-a for Fans on Labor Day

In celebration of the second-annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will offer a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich to any customer wearing any sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game will be Saturday, September 5 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, pitting the University of Alabama against Virginia Tech. It will be televised nationally on ABC.

On the Monday after the game (Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7) from 10:30 AM to 8 PM, customers wearing any sports-related apparel to a Chick-fil-a restaurant will receive a free Chick-fil-a sandwich.

Appropriate attire includes any article of clothing with a sports team logo – from a little league uniform to a favorite professional or collegiate jersey, hat, t-shirt, socks or other accessory.

“Last year’s inaugural Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game was a huge success, and we are thrilled to see the excitement building for this year’s event,” said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A’s senior vice president of marketing. “This promotion has proved to be a great way to celebrate the beginning of college football season, and what better way to celebrate than giving away the Original Chick-fil-A Sandwich?”

But that's not the only way to get a free Chick-fil-a sandwich. You can also go to www.ChickenWave.com and sign up to receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-a Sandwich. The first 250,000 people to sign up get the free sandwich, the next 750,000 will get a coupon for a free Coke Zero. Plus there will be a daily drawing (8/24 to 10/31/09) for a $50 Chick-fil-a gift card.

Domino's Chocolate Lava Cake, free offer

Domino's has introduced a new dessert item: Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake.

It is oven-baked chocolate cake, crunch on the outside, with warm chocolate fudge on the inside.

An order of 2 Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes is priced at $3.99.

But right now you can get a free Cake when you purchase an order of Domino's BreadBowl Pasta at regular price through September 13.

Also, if you birthday happens to be in August, you can get a free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake. Just stop by a Domino's location with proof of your birthday.

Here's Domino's BreadBowl Pasta alongside the new dessert:

The Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake has 357 calories and 17 grams of fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

Free Taco Tuesday (8/4) @ Jack in the Box

UPDATE: Jack in the Box is doing this again on Tuesday, August 11.

Jack in the Box has posted a coupon good for 2 free Taco's tomorrow.

You must print the coupon and it is only good on Tuesday, August 4, 2009; one coupon per guest, per visit.  One offer per coupon.

Don't miss out on your 2 free tacos!

Free Fish Taco at Long John Silver's 7/14

On Tuesday, July 14, every Long John Silver’s location will be promoting their new Baja Fish Tacos by giving away free Baja Fish Tacos from restaurant open until 2:30 PM. Limit one per customer; available to dine-in, carry out and drive-thru customers.

Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Taco is LJS's core batter-dipped Alaskan Whitefish with crumblies, lettuce and Baja sauce. (Love the crumblies! Excellent idea to include those!)

I love the tag line their using on the Long John Silver's web site for their new fish taco: "Sounds weird, tastes delicious!"

If you can't wait to try the fish taco for free on July 14, Long John Silver's new Baja Fish Tacos are available now for 99¢.

The Baja Fish Taco has 350 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 5 grams saturated fat. Here's the complete nutritional information:

"Fish tacos, a long-time favorite recipe in coastal areas, are rapidly becoming a passion for the rest of the country," said Ben Butler, president of Long John Silver's. "We're proud to be the first quick service restaurant to spread this latest food craze across the nation and meet the needs of contemporary taste buds. We've seen some of the most skeptical customers turn into fanatics after taking just one bite of our Baja Fish Tacos."

Dennys Superbowl Ad: Free Breakfast

Denny's bought their first Superbowl ad during Superbowl 43 (sorry, XLIII) yesterday.

And they didn't advertise fast food... they advertised Free Food!

That's right!

A Free Grand Slam breakfast for all tomorrow (Tuesday 2/3/09) from 6am to 2pm!

Fine print: "Dine-in only. Offer limited to Tuesday, 2/3/09, 6am to 2pm in all Denny's restaurants in the United States, Canada and Puerto while supplies last. With exception of 350 Baker Blvd., Baker, CA.

Here's the TV ad, below that is a shot of their website after the ad ran.

Panera to Celebrate Breakfast (Free Samples!)

On Wednesday, January 28, Panera Bread locations will be presenting their new "breakfast experience" to customers with free cups of their new Light and Dark Roast coffees and free samples of their grilled breakfast sandwiches and new Strawbery Granola Parfait.

Panera will also be inviting customers to donate a dollar on Wednesday to help support their Operation Dough-Nation Community Breadbox program.  In 2007 Panera donated a retail value of over $40 million worth of bread and baked goods to charitable organizations through this program.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved at breakfast at Panera,” said Ronald Shaich, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Panera Bread. “We’re looking forward to celebrating breakfast with our customers and joining them in supporting our local communities.”

Panera Bread has been working for more than two years to perfect its two unique new coffee blends — a Light Roast and a Dark Roast. The Light Roast Coffee is a new blend of some of the finest South and Central American beans, roasted lighter for a smooth, classic taste. The Dark Roast Coffee is a new blend of top Costa Rican beans, created for customers who prefer a robust, balanced, full-bodied coffee. All Panera Bread bakery-cafes will continue to carry its current Hazelnut and Decaffeinated coffee blends, as well as a selection of specialty Espresso and Espresso-based drinks expertly prepared by trained baristas.

By the way, Panera's Strawberry Granola Parfait (that they'll be giving free samples of on Wednesday) has 310 calories, 110 calories from fat, and 12 grams of fat.  The full nutritional information is below.  They use Stonyfield Farm organic low-fat vanilla yogurt.

Consumerist: No Free Refills at NJ Subway

A sign of the times? Just as we're trying to save money in these trying economic times, the fast food giants are trying to make enough money to cover their expenses.

But still... "No Free Refills" is a hard change to swallow.

This photo is from a Subway in New Jersey according to our pals at The Consumerist.

Free Coffee Smoothies at Smoothie King

Smoothie King is promoting their 6 new coffee-based smoothies by giving away a FREE 20oz. Coffee or Mo'cuccino smoothie anytime before 10:30 AM on Thursday, September 18. Mark your calendars!

The coffee smoothies include Gladiator protein to for an energy boost, while the Mo'cuccino mixes java with ice cream and protein.

"Because the coffee in Smoothie King's new line of smoothies is cold-brewed processed, more than 70 percent of the bitter acids and oils are removed, providing a smoother flavor and resting easier on the stomach."

The Coffee Smoothies and Mo'cuccinos come in 3 varieties: Caramel, Mocha and Vanilla.

Chick-fil-a's New Chick-n-Strips Giveaway

Chick-fil-a is promoting their Chick-n-Strips by giving them away free on Labor Day, September 1, 2008, to anyone wearing a football team logo.

Visit any participating Chick-fil-A restaurant wearing your favorite football team’s attire or logo on Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. until close and get one free order of our new Chick-n-Strips (3-count). Limit one order per person while supplies last. [complete giveaway rules]

The 3-count Chick-n-Strips have 350 calories, 150 calories from fat, 17 grams total fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat, no trans fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 1040 mg sodium, 17 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugars, 33 grams protein.

Fast Food Snatch prank video

A new phenomenon? Probably not, but I saw my first video of a Fast Food Snatch just today.

The concept: Hide near a fast food drive-thru and be ready to sprint when the hand starts passing the fast food out the window to the waiting driver/customer... and grab that bag of food and keep running.

The video I just saw is below, but there are more on Google Video.

Reminder: This is a crime! Don't do it!

Free Slurpee at 7-11 on 7-11

7-Eleven stores are again offering free Slurpees tomorrow (Friday, July 11).

This is the 7th year that 7-Eleven has run this promotion.

The first Slurpee was first served 41 years ago in 1967. It wasn't until two years later that 7-Eleven named it a Slurpee.

Free 7.11 oz Slurpees will be available until the Slurpee birthday cups run out at participating 7-Eleven stores tomorrow (7/11/08).

more at Slurpee.com

Dress like a cow for free food at Chick-fil-a

For Chick-fil-a's "Cow Appreciation Day," on Friday, July 11, Chick-fil-a will be giving a free combo meal to anyone who comes in dressed as a cow "from head to hoof."

Visit Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciate Day site (www.cowappreciationday.com) for more info.

Free Southern Style Chicken at McDonald's

This Thursday, May 15, McDonald's is offering a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich to everyone who purchases a medium or large drink.

You can get a free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit at breakfast (7am - 10:30am) and then you can come back and get a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich for lunch or dinner from 10:30am to 7pm.