November 16, 2024

Review: Spicy Sauced & Loaded Potato Wedges from Jack in the Box

Bottom Line: Spicy Sauced & Loaded Potato Wedges from Jack in the Box are pretty messy, but they are also filling and deliver some heat.

Jack in the Box is at it again. Pouring a lot of ingredients atop a batch of fried spuds and spicing those up. But these are not just any potatoes, these are the fan-favorite wedges that have been on Jack’s menu from time to time and that were last seen back in 2021. Regular customers of that chain made it known they wanted the wedges to return and put up an online petition, and now they are on the menu again, though only for that dreaded limited time.

When we last saw the potato wedges, it was the bacon and cheddar version. This time around, they call them “sauced & loaded” and they have bacon and cheese and Good Good Sauce to deliver a wonderfully messy snack-meets-entre. They also have a spicy version which is what I got, and here is the full rundown of that.

Potato Wedges: A nice change of pace from regular or curly fries and they hold up well to the toppings.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce: Gooey goodness with some cheddar sharpness and a nice creaminess.

Shredded Cheddar Sauce: Who doesn’t like more cheese? Pile it on, please!

Bacon Crumbles: Smokey and salty with a bit of a crunch, these go perfectly with the wedges.

Spicy Good Good Sauce: This brings the meal close to sauce overload, but it has a nice tang and delivers a kick.

Pickled Jalapeno Slices: Unlike the jalapenos at some fast food joints, these actually deliver some heat along with a pleasant vinegar pop.

Overall, this is a messy batch of loaded potatoes with all the ingredients quickly mixing together, but it still works as a tasty and filling meal. The potato wedges I got were not very crispy, but all that cheese and sauce may have worn them down on the ride home. It did not detract from the experience because they were cooked well and still delivered good potato flavor. The batch also seemed somewhat light on the bacon crumbles, but I could still taste a few bits here and there.

Most importantly for those of us who love spicy things, this mess of wedges does deliver on the heat. The Spicy Good Good Sauce has a nice kick and also brings some good flavor with it. And as mentioned above, Jack usually gets jalapenos with a bite. I would put these at Medium heat on my scale which is good for the drive thru. If you ask for extra jalapenos and/or extra sauce (or throw on a few drops of a spicy hot sauce), you will be rounding the corner to the Hot level.

Calorie-wise, these are pretty hefty at 550 cals (since they are a limited-time-only item, there is not a full breakdown of the nutrition). And you know that you will be tempted to add on something to go with them. A side of fries with your potatoes seems like overkill, but the three-piece stuffed jalapenos won’t completely break the calorie bank at 220 cals extra. You could add one taco at 170 cals, but who just gets one taco? So expect to splurge a bit if you get these and something extra, and just plan on some extra time at the gym.

The Sauced & Loaded Potato Wedges (spicy and regular) sell for $3.50 which is a pretty good deal considering that fast food is no longer necessarily cheap food these days. Add on two tacos for a buck-ish (I think they are up to $1.19) in my area, and you have a heck of a filling meal (but see my comments on calories above). The potato wedges will be disappearing again in October (apparently Jack in the Box is hiring up marketing people from Taco Bell these days), so get them while you can. Or just wait a bit for Jack’s next combination of fried potatoes and toppings.

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