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The Blazin' Texan All-in burger at Applebee's
(Leigh Beisch | Applebee's photo)
Faced with ever-growing competition and increasingly more sophisticated consumer tastes, major restaurant chains continue to ramp up their product development efforts, turning out ever more inventive menu items designed to temp their current customers and hopefully attract new ones.
Sandwiches and burgers have been a particularly fertile area for this sort of creativity, as evidenced by some of the new handhelds appearing this month on chain restaurant menus.
Casual dining chain Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar has, for instance, plugged into the daylong breakfast trend by introducing the All-day Brunch Burger, a beef patty with seared-in bacon and onion that's topped with a fried egg, hash browns, and American cheese.
The chain is also promoting a Blazin' Texan All-in burger that's topped with shredded beef brisket and barbecue sauce.
Over-the-top burger creations continue to churn out of the test kitchens at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. The UberBurger, Red Robin's latest burger extravaganza, featured grilled bratwurst, candied bacon, and beer cheese among its toppings. The UberBurger, which will be available until Nov. 1, comes on a toasted pretzel bun.
Dunkin' Brands has debuted the Tailgater Breakfast Sandwich, a hearty handful that includes egg, cheese, smoked sausage, and chipotle sauce on a roll.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College's hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 40 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01101; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com