Taco Bell's fries
In late January, the fast-food chain added $1 nacho fries to the menu for a limited time. Instead of taking the classic fast-food route, Taco Bell tops its fries with a spicy seasoning and serves them with a side of nacho cheese.
The fries were one of Taco Bell's most successful launches of all time, and for good reason. By ditching fast-food traditions in favor of a spicier fry, paired with nacho cheese, Taco Bell crafted one of the best new menu items of the year by a long shot.
Read more: Taco Bell's limited-time fries paid off big for the chain, and now they're coming back
IHOP-slash-IHOb's burgers
IHOP's short-lived name change to IHOb — International House of Burgers — set the internet aflame in June. Many people were unconvinced that IHOP's burgers could ever compare to its pancakes.
However, we found the burgers, which had been recently relaunched by IHOP, shockingly good. The Cowboy BBQ Burger and the Big Brunch Burger were both well-seasoned and imaginative takes on hamburgers in an industry stuffed with imitators.
Read more: IHOP changed its name to IHOb to promote its new lineup of burgers. They're shockingly good.
Torchy's queso
The best new-to-us menu item we tried this year was Torchy's queso. Torchy's entire menu was pretty fantastic, from the masterfully balanced street corn to its massive, unorthodox tacos.
But, the thing we couldn't stop eating long after we were stuffed was the queso. Sure, Torchy's is more fast-casual than fast food, but to ignore a cheesy dish we're still thinking about months later would be a far greater sin.
Sonic's onion ring
Picking a favorite from Sonic's menu proved to be a struggle, as we visited the chain for the first time in our lives. Should we highlight a limited-time offering, like the Pickle Juice Slush, that proved to be much tastier than expected? Or, did we need to highlight a classic, like the Ocean Water slush?
Ultimately, we settled on the less flashy but pleasantly confusing onion rings as a dish that epitomizes the chain's charm.
The onion rings have a distinct sweetness that was originally derived from mixing the batter in the same tubs as the chain's ice cream. Later on, this sweetness was kept to ensure fans wouldn't miss the distinct taste of these delicious rings.
Whataburger's patty melt
Whataburger, Sonic, and Torchy's were three of the highlights on a road trip we took through the southern US over the summer. As with Sonic, we wanted to highlight Whataburger's menu, but struggled to decide which items stood out above the rest.
The Patty Melt made the list, as it brought an old-school flair you won't find at many burger chains. However, if we were being completely honest, Whataburger left us wanting more — so keep an eye out to see if a yet-untasted menu item from the chain makes the 2019 list of the best items we tried.
Buc-ee's breakfast tacos
Buc-ee's may not be a restaurant chain per se, but the gas-station chain had some of the best food we ate all year. The brisket, the pastrami Reuben, the chips — it was all delicious.
The standouts were the breakfast tacos, perfectly packaged amalgamations of cheese, potato, eggs, bacon, and beans. The foil wrapping sealed in the heat, creating a well-melded breakfast begging to be devoured.
- Read more in our Retailer of the Year series:
- Abercrombie removed its shirtless models and turned up the lights in stores, leading to the biggest retail comeback of the year
- We visited dozens of stores this year, and these were the messiest by far
- We visited a lot of department stores in 2018. Here's which one was the best to shop at.
- We compared the grocery-shopping experience at 6 major chains in 2018, and this one impressed us the most
