Quick Review: Jack in the Box Sweet Reaper Mozzarella Sticks

Bottom Line: The Sweet Reaper Mozzarella Sticks from Jack in the Box deliver some sneaky heat, and they are rather tasty.

These days, the restaurant industry (including fast food) seems to think that the only thing that can be spiced up is chicken, so that covers about ninety percent of their menu offerings that bring some heat. So whenever I see them release a non-poultry product with some burn, I make an attempt to check it out. Jack in the Box previously offered spicy mozzarella sticks with its Nashville Hot version (you can read my review of those here), and now they have come up with a Sweet Reaper option. Here is the description from the website:

Jack’s famous mozzarella sticks, now with a Carolina Reaper kick balanced with brown sugar and honey, plus a Buttermilk Ranch dip cup. This is sweet heat done right.

These have an immediate sweetness to them followed by a peppery kick. The craggly, breadcrumb-style crust has a good crunch, and it holds the seasoning well. The cheese offers some good chew, and it is not too stringy. It has a nice mild taste to it without much sharpness, pretty much what you expect from mozzarella. The cheese sticks go well with the tangy ranch dip, though I meant to sub in the Spicy Good Good sauce. The sweetness from that one might have been too much, though, so Ranch is probably the better option, even though I am not a big fan of that condiment.

The heat does not seem too high at first, but it builds up slowly. By the time I finished the four-piece order, I had some tingling in my mouth and on my lips, along with some lingering heat. I would put these right around Medium on my scale, though it is a sneaky spice.

A four-piece order of these comes up to 440 calories (they don’t give the full breakout for that, though), and the Ranch adds another 110 cals. That’s pretty hefty for a side item, and you will need to choose your entrée wisely lest you be shopping for the next size up in belts! I would suggest the two tacos, which only add another 340 cals, though that total is still on the high side for a single meal.

These are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville, though Jack usually keeps items like this around for a few months. You can get a four-piece order for $3.50 in my area, or a ten-piece for $4.50. I rather enjoyed them, and I will probably be back a time or two to get some more before they disappear from the menu.