Here's the Beef

Previously:

DQ Chickin & Dumplings  - -  DQ Market Research

Nolan Ryan Comic Book

Hope you're hungry because it's time to take another trip to Dairy Queen.  The Minnesota based chain frequently makes an effort to play up its Texas ties and loves to hype up its Lone Star street cred.  They're latest effort involves including a sports icon.

Yep, the Ryan Express is headed straight to DQ Country.  As many know, after breaking records in the MLB, Ryan doubled down on his Texas roots and returned his focus to ranch life.  Over the years his cattle raising hobby turned into a second career.

Nolan Ryan Beef has been available in restaurants, ballparks and grocery stores across the state and beyond but now you can get an NRB burger at your local Dairy Queen.  (Why not Whataburger?  We may never be privy to how the Food Gods, or the Marketing Gods, debate those kind of things).

Any time I post pictures of food on the blog I usually feel the need to apologize.  Food just genuinely needs an entire photography setup with lights and whatnot to really look good.  That's hard to do when you're just trying to discreetly use your phone while trying to not look like one of "those guys" that takes pictures of their food in restaurants.

But, good news!  The 1/3 Pound "Hall of Famer" tastes great!  Or at least it tastes as good as a regular Hunger Buster...which is usually pretty tasty.  I just don't think I have a refined enough palette to tell the difference.  But I do like the idea of eating beef raised by a legendary Texan so I was perfectly satisfied.

Now all I need is a little Mean Jo Green Salsa Verde and we'll really have something...

Queen For a Day

Previously: DQ Chicken & Dumplings

Most businesses spend a fair amount of time and money on market research.  Before you roll out a new product you're going to want to make it as good as possible and to do that you need to test it out.  And that's what brought me to an East Texas Dairy Queen today.

So what exactly was on the tasting menu?  It turns out they have an interest in serving up a Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich.  And it's pretty much what it sounds like: your standard chicken sandwich (fried or grilled) with Buffalo Sauce and Ranch Dressing.  While they headed to the kitchen to whip one up, they handed out the questionnaire:

There were only a handful of questions and they were all pretty much straightforward: How did you like it?  Would you recommend it?  Etc. That's all you have to do to sing for your supper.  So here's what all the fuss is about:

I got the "grilled" version.  You can definitely taste the buffalo sauce...I'll say that for it.  So I ate my sandwich, filled out the form and went on my way.  Will we end up seeing the Chicken Buffalo Ranch Sandwich at Dairy Queens across Texas?  Only time will tell..