6 Best Fast Food Items I’ve Tasted So Far This Year

If you’re a longtime Sporked reader then you may have noticed something a little different about us in 2026: We write about fast food now! You can even watch us taste test fast food on our YouTube channel, including fast food chicken sandwiches and all the McDonald’s burgers. Some of the menu items we’ve tasted have been…rough, to say the least. But others have really stood out. Here are the six best fast food items we’ve tried so far this year:

Videos by Sporked

Burger King Cinnamon Apple Pie

Any expectations we had for this fried hand pie were blown out of the water. It’s so good. The outside is crispy and bubbly and oily in the best way, and the apple inside is sweet and goopy like really good canned apple pie filling. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart likened it to a deep-fried apple empanada.

Read the full review of Burger King’s Cinnamon Apple Pie

Dave’s Hot Chicken Hot Mozz

The spicy mozzarella planks at Dave’s Hot Chicken were so popular when they first launched that they sold out. But we managed to score a taste before they disappeared (they’ve since returned). The cheese pull is exquisite. The breading is well-seasoned and spicy. And you can get it in a range of spice levels.

Read the full review of Dave’s Hot Chicken Hot Mozz

Burger King Peppercorn BLT Whopper

I tried a Whopper for the first time ever this year—it happened to be the “new” Whopper and I loved it. I think it’s exquisite. It’s perfect as is, so adding stuff is risky (as we found out when we tried the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper). But this new Peppercorn BLT Whopper does the original Whopper proud. The sauce may not taste like peppercorns, but it’s damn good with a sort of wasabi-esque flavor. And the bacon adds just enough texture and flavor. It’s worth seeking out this new Whopper before it goes away.

Read the full review of the Peppercorn BLT Whopper

Wendy’s Girl Scout Thin Mints Chocolate Frosty Fusion

Sporked writer Griffin Parker was impressed by Wendy’s returning Thin Mints Chocolate Frosty, but the Thin Mints Frosty Fusion truly wowed him. There’s so much cookie in there—Griffin guessed it was 10% cookie. It really celebrates Thin Mints in a special, Frosty kind of way.

Read the full review of Wendy’s Thin Mints Frostys

McDonald’s Derpy McFlurry

We tried the KPOP Demon Hunters meals at McDonald’s, but the Derpy McFlurry was the real standout. It’s a mix of vanilla soft-serve, wild berry sauce, and blackberry boba. And it’s an absolute delight. “Both the popping boba and the wild berry sauce make this a fantastic fruity McFlurry,” Griffin wrote. Why aren’t there more fruity McFlurries?

Read the full review of McDonald’s Derpy McFlurry

Taco Bell Chips and Nacho Supreme Dip

When we tried (almost) all of the items on Taco Bell’s new Luxe Value Menu, we were pretty happy with everything (aside from the dessert empanadas). But this new snack of tortilla chips and Nacho Supreme dip became an instant new favorite. You get a little bag of crispy chips and a container of beans, beef, nacho cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese. It’s deconstructed nachos and it’s on my mind most of the time these days.

Read the full ranking of Taco Bell’s Luxe Value Menu

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.