Now that it’s March, spring is just around the corner—and we at The Takeout know that spring is when the best new snacks, beverages, and fast food menus start rolling out all across the country.
If there’s one thing we can count on this month, it’s variety: From fruity drinks to saucy new menu offerings, the biggest brands are seemingly pulling out all the stops to entice our taste buds this season. Here are the 11 items we’re most excited to get our hands on in March 2023.
Bota Box, one of America’s leading boxed wine brands, is adding a Chardonnay to its “Breeze” lineup. These Breeze wines are promoted as light and fruit forward and the category already includes a Pinot Grigio, Dry Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and red blend. The new Chardonnay is described as having “aromatics of tropical fruit, green apple and honeysuckle with subtle hints of toast oak on the finish.”
The new Chardonnay is set to hit stores in late March and will be available nationwide at a few different retailers including Kroger and Fred Meyer, and through Instacart and Drizly. Don’t you just love a wine you can buy in 3-liter quantities?
As part of the Hostess brand’s aim to modernize its image and target younger consumers, it has released a new candy-bar-inspired cake snack cake, Kazbars. They contain layers of chocolate cake, creme, crunchy candies, and either caramel or chocolate fudge, all coated in an exterior layer of even more chocolate. These snacks will be available in convenience stores and grocery stores nationwide starting in mid-March. You can get them in either packs of eight “mini” bars at grocery stores or as individually wrapped full-size Kazbars at convenience stores.
For the non-dairy consumers out there who nevertheless love a good bagel and schmear, Oatly is introducing its first ever plant-based cream cheese. The brand really wants to drive home the fact that this cream cheese is made in Philadelphia (a city already famous for its cream cheese) and that the recipe was developed by Philadelphia-based food scientists, hence the faux Ben Franklin pictured above at the product’s launch event. For now, only customers in Philadelphia can get their hands on this product. The rest of us will have to wait until later this year—unless we can call on some of our Philly friends to send us a shipment.
Finally, the skies are getting even friendlier with some new snack options. United Airlines recently announced it will offer a new snack starting March 1, then debut two more new options starting in April. The March debut will be Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Chocolate Quinoa Crisps from Undercover Snacks. The gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher treat sounds like a nice mid-flight bite, and while it might be kicking some other snacks off the menu, we applaud United for mixing things up.
Once again the internet has bullied a brand into giving the people what they want. Starting March 2, Chipotle customers can get fajita veggies added to any quesadilla when they order via the brand’s app or website. This new menu option was added because of a viral TikTok hack that left employees scrambling; by formalizing it as part of the menu, Chipotle can make it easier to execute. As part of the “hack” customers are encouraged to try dipping the quesadilla into a mixture of sour cream and chipotle-honey vinaigrette. The new quesadilla is awesome, but we’d make one edit.
On the road, a hike, or just making a pit stop at a gas station, something about a little meat snack just calls to us. This is where Chomps comes in. Starting in March, the brand is introducing two new flavors, Habanero and Taco, both of which sound promising. If you can stand the heat, the Habanero flavor contains habanero peppers, red pepper, and coriander. For those just wanting a little extra flavor, the Taco beef stick has paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Each stick has 10 grams of protein and no sugar; Chomps products can be purchased online or at most major grocery stores.
Like our best green attire and our day-drinking game face, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake comes back around each year for a limited time. Along with the classic St. Patrick’s Day offering, the popular OREO Shamrock McFlurry will be making its return, too, for those who want to add chocolate bits to the mix. For the uninitiated, the Shamrock Shake is made of vanilla soft serve blended with McDonald’s signature mint flavor and whipped topping to finish. Both the shake and the McFlurry will be available at McDonald’s locations for a limited time.
What’s the best brunch item known to mankind? Chicken and waffles, and that is not up for debate. Casual retro burger joint Johnny Rockets has teamed up with Eggo to create this new brunchy sandwich, which consists of two Eggo Waffles as the buns, crispy chicken strips, bacon, and a drizzle of sweet syrup. The Eggo waffles are sure to infuse the whole thing with a sense of childhood nostalgia for anyone who grew up with the yellow box. This sandwich will be available until April 30 at Johnny Rockets locations.
Known for its heavy-metal promotions of a badass product that’s actually just plain canned water, Liquid Death is officially launching its first-ever non-water offering. Beginning March 1, Liquid Death will add iced tea drinks to the portfolio, a lineup that includes the flavors Grim Leafer, Armless Palmer, and Rest in Peach (quite obviously remaining on brand). Grim Leafer is an Earl Grey–style tea flavored with bergamot orange; Armless Palmer is a combination of black tea and lemonade; and Rest in Peach contains black tea flavored with peach, pear, and apricot. Each drink is only 30 calories and will be sold on Amazon starting at $16.99 for an 8-pack.
Buffalo Wild Wings will be offering two new sauces for a limited time beginning this month, and they can be enjoyed on more than just the wings. Both Buffalo Ranch and Honey Garlic sauces can be ordered on sandwiches and wraps in addition to the chain’s eponymous menu item. So even if your March Madness bracket gets blown up by an upset, at least you’ll have some exclusive saucy poultry to enjoy.
Baskin-Robbins, just like Johnny Rockets, understands that there’s no improving on the best brunch combination known to humanity. Starting March 1, Baskin Robbins will debut a new Chick’n & Waffles ice cream flavor that the press release describes as “buttermilk waffle flavored ice cream with plenty of crispy chick’n and waffle flavored bites drizzled in a decadent bourbon maple syrup flavored swirl.” If you’re wondering why “chick’n” is spelled that way, it’s because the ice cream contains no actual poultry, just the seasoning and overall vibe of fried chicken. Aren’t you curious to see whether Baskin-Robbins pulls this off?