Is summer a season or a state of mind?
People ask each other, “How’s your summer?” — a question rarely asked about any other season — and summer has an unofficial start, Memorial Day, although the calendar will insist that we have to wait for almost another month for it actually to begin.
There is no unofficial start to winter.
So summer either is or is not about to begin, depending on how you measure such things. Either way, some restaurant chains are pulling out the stops.
There are whole new seasonal lineups from California Pizza Kitchen, Eureka!, and Mendocino Farms, additional watermelon items from NaanStop and Walk-On’s, and barbecue-themed items from Shake Shack and Velvet Taco.
Chick-fil-A is reprising its summertime peach shake for the 15th year.
But there are other things to celebrate, too. Ted’s Montana Grill is marking National Hamburger Day, McDonald’s is honoring grandmothers, and Carvel is celebrating its own birthday (it’s definitely old enough to be a grandmother itself).
Del Taco is reprising its award-winning birria menu, and there are new spicy items from Carl’s Jr. (but only in Los Angeles), Jimmy John’s, Condado Tacos, Hat Creek Burger Company, and Wings Etc. (but only in three Missouri towns).
BurgerFi has a chicken sandwich now, Hardee’s has blueberry biscuits, Holey Grail Donuts has doughnut holes, and Smoothie King has its first drinks over ice.
Scooter’s now offers extra-large drinks and Nekter Juice Bar has new pitaya options.
Jersey Mike’s has some new sauces, Original Rainbow Cone has new sliced ice cream combinations (that’s its thing), El Pollo Loco has some new quesadillas, and Taco Cabana has tortas.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]