No one likes to juxtapose warm nostalgia with harsh realities. On the afternoon of December 23rd 2023, I was in the position to do just that. Growing up there were few hometown childhood staples that compared to the likes of Arby's. I held and still hold deep familial ties to the establishment. Though with my newfound Yelp career I knew what I had to do. I ventured out to Arby's with a couple friends and saw for myself how well it truly held up to my past memories.
My first step in the building was met with a glowing Arby's sign. Simple, but lively in an otherwise average looking fast food restaurant interior. As I gazed at the menu, I realized the new age of Arby's was upon us. What once fixated on classic roast beef sandwiches, has seemingly transitioned to a bold new interest in burgers. I even noticed new items such as a strawberry milkshake and fried mac and cheese bites. Feeling like a bit of a fish out of water with the newly put together menu, I still couldn't help but admire Arby's adventurous new innovations. I settled on a limited time combo meal known as the "Good Burger 2 Meal." It came with a deluxe wagyu steakhouse burger, crinkle cut friends (a stark departure form the classic curly), and a strawberry shake. All in all it was around $13 which is expensive but not outrageous considering I was also getting milkshake within the meal. My friend even offered to share some mac and cheese bites with me so I could gain an even more expansive taste of new Arby's. Now all there was to do was wait for my food. I could feel the excitement shiver up my body at the mere thought of my teeth sinking into the wagyu beef.
Once the food was in front of me, I found the presentation to be satisfactory and looked close enough to how advertised. I immediately tried two mac and cheese bites. While the cheese oozed out of the crispy outer shell, my mind was blown. Expecting a glorified cheese curd, I was shockingly met with high quality mac and cheese complemented by modest breading that thankfully didn't become the dominating flavor. Unfortunately the mac and cheese bites were around $4 for 4, essentially meaning every bite costed me $1, which means I will never be purchasing them ever again. The crinkle cut fries were a fun little departure from curly, but failed to live up to Arby's most prized side. It also seems to be a common theme to not be adding salt to fries anymore and Arby's is no exception. Two positives of the strawberry shake included the low density making it possible for me to drink immediately upon possession and the base flavor was excellent as well. Unfortunately the true test of a milkshake is the texture. Arby's shakes seem to have a subtle icy texture that almost give it a crunchy feeling. Not horrible honestly, but not ideal in my opinion. Finally, came the burger. Once I picked it up, I instantly sensed its fatal flaw. Whatever sauce they utilized on this burger was applied in godforsaken amounts. The quality of each ingredient held its own and tasted great, but when I'm borderline drinking my burger and the pieces are slipping and sliding through my fingers, I can't help but let it negatively impact my review.
As I contemplated on this meal a little longer, I noticed the positives were mostly what remained with me. Mac and cheese bites were excellent, the quality of the burger was admittedly quite high, the fries were decent, and the shake was all in all pretty delicious. With each item not without its own dark side, I still enjoyed the meal overall. Did it live up to my past expectations of Arby's? That depends on your perspective. It's like comparing curly to crinkle fries. Arby's may not be the same as I remember. It may never be again. But that doesn't mean I don't admire and respect what it's become. And Arby's of old will still remain in my heart forever. read more
