Everyone wants their new LTOs and permanent menu items to succeed. From looking at recent menu additions, I could suggest one thing to add to the dish that would guarantee raves. Queso.
But what if it’s not a Mexican restaurant? Of course it makes sense that Chipotle finally got with it and added queso—as did Del Taco, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Qdoba. The zesty Mexican cheese sauce is a natural on their menus.
But if you added queso to some other cuisine type, wouldn’t it be like wearing a plaid shirt with a flowered tie? That thinking, my friends, is so…boomerish. There is no more queso conventional thinking. Folks are adding it to any menu of any restaurant segment for any meal. It’s a true plaid-and-flowered-like trend.
The most unconventional queso application I’ve seen recently is Austin, Texas-based Mama Fu’s Asian House with its Crab Rangoon Queso. It’s described as blue crab claw meat mixed into cream cheese queso with roasted garlic, chives and topped with Sriracha available with wonton chips or fresh vegetables for dipping.
My first hint that queso has become a “thing” was last October when Chili’s temporarily added Loaded White Queso to its menu. What? Things are getting loaded, for sure, but loaded queso? Wouldn’t you say “chips loaded with queso?” No, theirs was queso loaded with cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, beef, cilantro and crumbled queso fresco that happened to be served with tostada chips and salsa.
About this loading idea. I recently blogged about it. Queso is playing into that trend. Earlier this year, TGI Fridays added a Loaded Bacon Nachos appetizer that’s layered with white poblano queso, while Red Robin added BBQ Pork Loaded Chips as an appetizer. Queso is part of the load. Those are casual-dining observations. Among quick-serve restaurants, Wendy’s stands out not only for its Bacon Queso Fries LTO, but gets kudos for choosing that as a secondary use for its passing queso moment. Queso also served as a burger condiment on its Bacon Queso Burger LTO.
Wendy’s isn’t alone in turning queso into a condiment. Earlier this year, Schlotzsky’s Deli ran a Tex Mex Brisket LTO that featured brisket with queso fresco, Cheddar cheese, salsa verde, roasted red peppers, pickled jalapeños, lettuce and chipotle mayonnaise all served on a jalapeño cheese bun.
In its dip form, we usually think of queso in connection with tortillas. But Dairy Queen gets creative accolades for thinking of it as a soft pretzel dip. Earlier this year it ran an LTO of Soft Pretzel Sticks with Zesty Queso.
The family/midscale segment has even gotten in on the queso act with Denny’s reoccurring Crazy Spicy Skillet LTO that combines crumbled chorizo sausage, jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms and fire-roasted bell peppers and onions with seasoned red-skinned potatoes topped with grilled chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, a spicy five pepper sauce and Pepper Jack queso.
What’s next for queso? Could we see queso soup? mac ‘n queso? queso salad dressing? Anyone looking to develop a signature sushi roll could surely call on queso. The American love affair with cheese and spice isn’t going anywhere soon. That’s where I’d start if I wanted to develop a winning menu item.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
