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Review: Jollibee - Final Fantasy XIV Box Meal

2026-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jollibee's Final Fantasy XIV Box Meal is a limited-edition combo meal featuring a Final Fantasy XIV (an MMORPG [Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game])-themed box, a themed drink, collectible stickers, and a code to redeem an in-game emote.

The combo meal also includes a Chicken Sandwich (Original or Spicy), one piece of Chickenjoy fried chicken (Original or Spicy), regular fries, a small gravy, and a Peach Mango Pie (which I swapped for an Ube Pie).

The whole package costs a rather pricey $21.

The limited-time themed drink is the Blue Raspberry Aether with Crystal Boba. It's basically a blue raspberry-flavored drink that reminds me of Blue Raspberry Powerade (which is to say mild raspberry-flavored juice). The Crystal Boba appeared to be little balls of unflavored agar jelly, which is like gelatin in feel but much firmer.

The box had nice graphics, but the grease from the fried chicken made it not-so-collectible.

The stickers were also nice to look at:

If you're wondering about the emote, it looks like this:

Photo via Jollibee.

Besides the drink, the rest of the meal consists of regular menu items (except for the Ube Pie, which is a seasonal item). If you've never been to Jollibee, it's a Filipino take on American fast food that I would say caters to a Filipino palate.

I got the Original Chicken Sandwich and a Spicy Chickenjoy thigh (you can get a leg or thigh).

The Original Chicken Sandwich was pretty good and similar to offerings from KFC and Popeyes. The crust was light and crispy with a mild seasoning.

The chicken filet was thick and meaty, but only somewhat moist; it seemed like it had been sitting in the warmer for a bit. The sandwich was dressed simply with mayo on a toasted brioche bun.

The bun was soft but not particularly fresh and had an overly thick crust. Still, it's comparable to what's offered with other similar fast-food crispy chicken sandwiches I've tried.

The Spicy Chickenjoy came with a tiny flag planted on it to denote that it was spicy. They are not kidding about the spicy. The chicken was very flavorful and juicy, but also quite spicy--more so than other competing fast-food fried chicken. The flavor and heat go right to the bone.

The fries were not good. They were like a battered version of McDonald's fries (which sounds like it might be good), but were soft and kinda soggy (defeating the whole point of battering the fries in the first place). Their only saving grace was that I could dip them in the gravy. You can substitute mashed potatoes for them, though. The chain's mashed potatoes seem like the reconstituted potato flake variety, but also include little soft chunks of potato for texture.

The gravy was great. There was a nice savory depth to it and a smooth consistency. It went well with the chicken and fries.

The Ube Pie is a fried turnover-style pie. It had a crispy, bubbly crust and a fairly thin filling that you wouldn't want to eat in your car. Ube is a type of purple yam, and the filling here had a sweetened mix of coconut and sweet potato flavors. I like it. While I wish the filling were a bit thicker, the flavor and textures are good.

If you find yourself at a Jollibee, I would definitely recommend ordering the fried chicken, gravy, and the Ube Pie. I would skip the fries.

Crumbl Revamps its Chocolate Chip Cookie and Menu

2026-05-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Crumbl revamps its chocolate chip cookie with the arrival of the "new and improved" Chocolate Chip Cookie this week. The chain also makes several changes to its menu this week.

Starting May 25, 2026, the menu will switch from six permanent classics and four weekly rotating desserts to four seasonally updated classics, six weekly rotating flavors, and a weekly rotating set of Thins.

The four seasonal updated classics for the summer include:

- New Chocolate Chip Cookie - A warm brown sugar cookie loaded with milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

- S'mores Cookie - A warm, graham cracker cookie packed with milk chocolate chips, topped with a melted marshmallow, a chocolate drizzle, and buttery graham cracker crumbs.

- Pink Sugar Cookie - A chilled almond sugar cookie topped with pink almond frosting.

- Brownie Batter Cookie - A warm chocolate cookie packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips, topped with brownie batter.

For this week, from May 25, 2026, through May 30, 2026, the rotating menu includes:

- New Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cookie featuring Reese's - A warm brownie cookie filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, topped and baked with brownie batter, then finished with more Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a peanut butter drizzle.

- Cookies & Cream Krispy Bar - A crisp rice cereal and marshmallow bar with the addition of cookies & cream pieces and melty white drops.

- Oatmeal Raisin Cookie - A warm, cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookie packed with raisins.

- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie - A warm, zesty lemon cookie with poppy seeds and lemon filling, topped with lemon almond glaze.

- Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie - A chilled graham cookie topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting, house-made strawberry jam, and graham cracker crumbs.

- Biscoff Cheesecake - A cheesecake made with warm spices and Biscoff cookie pieces on a buttery Biscoff cookie crust, topped with a layer of melted Biscoff cookie butter, a sprinkle of crushed Biscoff cookies, and a rosette of whipped cream.

- S'mores Cookie Thins - Warm, thin graham cracker cookies baked with a marshmallow and topped with a milk chocolate drizzle. Cookie Thins were previously only available on Thursdays.

Photo via Crumbl.

Chipotle Testing an Afternoon $2.50 Taco Deal

2026-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Chipotle is testing a $2.50 taco afternoon happy hour deal for a limited time in Kansas City, MO; Orlando, FL; and Tampa, FL metro areas from 2 to 5PM, Monday through Friday.

The concept for the deal is to offer "a snack after school, before practice, between classes, or as a midday meet-up with friends." It covers soft or crispy tacos with any protein.

The Power Up with Chipotle deal is only available in-restaurant at participating locations. You can't order through the Chipotle app, website, or from third-party platforms. The test runs through June 2, 2026.

At one location in Kansas City, one taco normally ranges from $3.50 to $4.05.

Photo via Chipotle.

Starbucks 2026 Summer Menu Arrives

2026-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Starbucks welcomes the summer with its seasonal 2026 summer menu, a mix of new and returning items, including:

- New Tropical Butterfly Refresher - A mix of color, flavor, and texture that features layers of guava and passionfruit flavors shaken with lemonade, ice, and mango-pineapple flavored pearls, then topped with a splash of butterfly pea flower infusion. It can be customized with no caffeine, light caffeine, or extra caffeine (from green coffee extract).

- New Butterfly Drink - Another visual drink that features pineapple and passionfruit flavors shaken with coconut milk, ice, and mango-pineapple flavored pearls and a splash of butterfly pea flower infusion. It can be customized with no caffeine, light caffeine, or extra caffeine (from green coffee extract).

- Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso - Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast mixed with horchata syrup (cinnamon, vanilla, and rice flavors) shaken with ice and topped with oat milk.

- New Horchata Frappuccino - Horchata syrup blended with coffee, milk, and ice, then topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

- Unicorn Cake Pop - A ball of creamy vanilla-confetti cake dipped in white-chocolatey icing and decorated with a unicorn face.

- Khloud Protein Popcorn - Popcorn made with olive oil and sprinkled with milk protein isolate, cheese powder, and granulated cheese to deliver seven grams of protein per serving.

You'll also find a selection of summer merch, the new Road Trip Collection, at Starbucks cafes. The line is inspired by "open roads, spontaneous detours, and fan-favorite Starbucks beverages."

Photo via Starbucks.

New at KFC: $5 Chicken Variety Box

2026-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

KFC introduces its new $5 Chicken Variety Box as a limited-time deal available only to KFC Rewards members.

For $5, the combo meal includes two pieces of fried chicken (leg and thigh), five nuggets, a dipping sauce, and a medium fountain drink.

The $5 Chicken Variety Box (also listed as the "$5 Chicken & Nuggets Box") offer can be redeemed when signed into your KFC Rewards account on the KFC website or mobile app. You can purchase up to four of the discounted meals using the offer.

Photo via KFC.

New Grillo's Pickles Pickle Smoothie at Smoothie King

2026-05-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Smoothie King has partnered with Grillo's Pickles to introduce the new, limited-time Pickle Smoothie Made with Grillo's Pickles.

According to Smoothie King, the Pickle Smoothie is "designed for those who love pickles so much they could drink them." It's a tangy and hydrating smoothie featuring a blend of Grillo's Pickles, bananas, apple juice blend, kiwi apple blend, electrolyte blend, coconut water, and kale. Prices range from $5.99 for a 20-oz smoothie to $10.99 for a 44-oz smoothie.

Smoothie King has also brought back watermelon smoothies heading into summer. They include:

- Hydration Watermelon - A blend of strawberries, coconut water, Electrolyte Blend, watermelon juice blend, and stevia.

- X-Treme Watermelon - A blend of strawberries, coconut water, watermelon juice blend, and Protein Blend.

- The Activator Recovery Watermelon - A blend of strawberries, coconut water, watermelon juice blend, Protein Blend, and Gladiator Protein Vanilla.

- Power Meal Slim Watermelon - A blend of strawberries, watermelon juice blend, coconut water, and Power Slim Protein.

- High Protein Gut Health Greek Yogurt Watermelon - A blend of strawberries, Greek nonfat yogurt, apple juice blend, watermelon juice blend, Protein Blend, and Gut Health Enhancer.

Photo via Smoothie King.

Subway Adds New $3.99 Deli Faves

2026-05-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Subway expands its value options with the launch of new Deli Faves, a selection of four classic six-inch sandwiches for a suggested price of $3.99.

Subway's Deli Faves include:

- New Spicy Pepperoni - Aged pepperoni, pepper jack, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, and creamy Sriracha on your choice of bread.

- New Ham & Salami - Black Forest ham, Genoa salami, Italian-style Provolone, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and honey mustard on your choice of bread.

- B.L.T. - Bacon, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and mayo on your choice of bread.

- Cold Cut Combo - Black Forest ham, Genoa salami, Bologna, Italian-style Provolone, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, and mayo on your choice of bread.

Subway has grouped the new Deli Faves with its $3.99 Protein Pockets and $4.99 Sub of the Day into its value menu. According to the fine print, the value menu is specifically pricier in four states: California, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Subway is also offering a Father's Day deal where you can get a free 6-inch sub with every purchase of $25 in gift cards through June 30, 2026, at participating locations and from the Subway website.

Photo via Subway.