Jack-in-the-Box is one of the second-tier fast food chains out there that does not have locations from coast to coast. But if you have one near you, they have some pretty tasty menu items and some that deliver a decent kick. And like Taco Bell, they are constantly reshuffling some of the same ingredients they have in the kitchen in an effort to convince you that they have come up with something new. And that is pretty much the best way to describe the “new” Jack’s Spicy Roost Fries.
This newfangled side-meets-entree consists of the following: Jack’s regular fries, crispy-fried white meat chicken pieces, Cheddar cheese sauce, shredded Cheddar cheese, sliced jalapenos, and a drizzle of Spicy Mystery Sauce. They have a “classic” version (if its new, how can it be classic?) that comes without the jalapenos and with regular Mystery Sauce. And they are called “Roost” fries because . . . . . . . . . I haven’t got a clue. Did some searching around to see how Roost connects to what goes in the box and I came up with pretty much nothing. So feel free to fill in the blank on what that means. (And what’s with the creepy x’s in the Os of Roost on the ad?)
Basically, what you have here is fries with a lot of stuff. Nothing particularly new, as Jack has done loaded fries before. He just hit the spin cycle one more time to come up with a “new” set of add ins. But hey, Jack’s regular fries? Good. Fried chicken tenders? Good. Cheddar cheese sauce PLUS shredded Cheddar? Good. Sliced jalapenos? Good. Spicy Mystery Sauce? No idea what it is and there wasn’t enough of it, but it was still pretty good. It all comes together in a gloppy mess that is pure junk food heaven (or Hell if you are a dietician). But these fries are pretty darn good. Especially if you are looking for late-night munchies to pair with a brew or some other form of intoxicating substance.
And these spicy Roost fries deliver a bit of a kick as well. I’m guessing that mostly comes from the jalapenos and maybe some from the spicy sauce, but they definitely have some heat. Well beyond mild and approaching medium which is good for the drive thru. If they were to throw in Jack’s Spicy Popcorn Chicken (which has a nice kick itself) instead of the chopped-up chicken tender, that might take these to the next level. Next time I may ask if they will sub those for me.
As for that Mystery Sauce, its, well, a mystery. They put the same sauce on their new Cluck Chicken Sandwich (which I have not gotten around to tyring yet) and now they are adding it to the Roost fries. (Wait, am I seeing a connection here? Cluck? Roost? Rooster? Hmm . . . ) Sadly, they did not add a lot (they do claim it is a drizzle), so it was hard to determine how much it added. I managed to scrape up a few drops and taste it by itself, and it had a sweetness and tang with some heat as well. Because it is sweet, too much might be a bad thing. But I still would have liked a bit more than what they provided as it mostly got lost in the mix.
But these fries are still quite tasty and worth trying. (And be sure to add on two tacos to take yourself to the next level of fast food overload). Calorie-wise they are pretty hefty, though. They come in at over 700 calories, so if you get those tacos (172 calories each) or God-forbid a Sourdough Jack (660 calories), you better plan on salads for the rest of the week! And if you are watching your sodium, look elsewhere (1820mg).
As I commented in a previous Jack-in-the-Box review, the one big drawback of this chain is their lack of consistency across restaurants. If you find a good location, then you should be okay and they have quite a lot to choose from on the menu. But if you stumble across a bad location, run. Just run. These Roost fries are definitely worth a try, so check the Google or Yelp reviews for the location near you, and if they are favorable swing through the drive thru and grab some with a couple of tacos or some jalapeno poppers. These will likely head off to limited-time-only-ville before too long, so get them while you still can.
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: 1 Order
Calories: 710
Fat: 41 (7g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 18g
Carbs: 67g
Sodium: 1820mg