New product Wednesday, at Dallas-area Jack in the Box outlets: Mini Churros

by Teresa Gubbins

Jack in the Box is fun to follow because of all the innovative and/or influential new products it introduces. The latest being Mini Churros, described by the press release as "crunchy, bite-sized pastries with a cinnamon sugar filling".

Is that really what churros are? I'm not a churros fan. Deep-fried frittery things seem like a waste of calories, and that includes most doughnuts, fried pies, and fried anything elses. The only churros I've had that I've liked were at Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana in Fort Worth. (Have not had the ones praised at Sangria.)

These were more "two-bite" than bite-sized, and they were all crunch and oil without much in the way of a soft doughy center. They were definitely fast food, with all the attendant weirdness that entails: An initial flash of revulsion, followed by an urge to continue consuming.

The first um "flavor note" was the stale oil taste/smell you get at a department store cafeteria, which generated an automatic impulse to spit it out ASAP. But then the "cinnamon-sugar filling" hooks you in and keeps you there, and by the time you're eating the second bite, you're thinking, Hmm, maybe these aren't as bad as they seemed. That's what fast food does: It makes you eat more fast food. Out of the bag of five (these come in two sizes: 5 for $1 or 10 for $1.89), I ate two, which is 1.5 more than I thought I would.

JITB cites two trends as justification for this new product: "Latin" and "bite-sized" treats.

Simultaneously announced was the fact that Jack in the Box is bringing back the Teriyaki Bowl -- steamed white rice, broccoli, carrots, choice of chicken or sirloin steak, topped with teriyaki sauce. The Teriyaki Bowl, a uniquely healthful choice at a fast-food chain, was first introduced in 1993, then dropped in 2003. Yay teriyaki bowl, we missed you.