Fall is just around the corner, and everyone is getting ready and excited for all the good things
about fall: leaves changing color, cooler temperatures and shorter days. But there’s also something else that comes with the seasonal changes: fall-themed drinks and food. Many places across the country and the world pull out the stops and create unique and delicious snacks and drinks that are only around for a limited time, but always hit home with people and starts the fall season off on a good note. Here are just a few of the many tasty treats we can look forward to as fall gets underway.
We all know that endless breadsticks may get the glory year-round at Olive Garden, but true fans of the Italian chain know its pumpkin cheesecake is not to be missed. The graham cracker crumble-topped dessert is available now.
If you’re not into pumpkin donuts, you can play it safe –but still seasonal –with a Caramel Apple
Croissant Donut. It’s a lot like the infamous Cronut, only stuffed with an apple filling and drizzled with caramel. Also making a comeback this year are the well-known Reese’s Peanut Butter Square, which isn’t so much a fall flavor as it is Halloween-candy-in-pastry-form, but we’ll give it a pass.
This is a weird one, given most people don’t necessarily think of a sandwich chain when it comes to fall food. While a pumpkin spice sub has a certain “so-bad-it-should-be-a-meme” appeal to it, Subway has gone the safe route, offering two autumnal twists on its cookies: apple pie and pumpkin spice. They’ll be available in stores nationwide starting October 7th.
Steak n’ Shake debuted its very own Pumpkin Spice Milkshake, which is good news for those who think flavoring a milkshake with pumpkin spice is a good idea. However, for those of you who don’t live for autumnal spices, the burger chain also brought back two fall favorites: S’mores and Caramel Apple.
Put on your elastic waistband pants and fire up the treadmill, because The Cheesecake Factory has
brought back two seasonal treats: Pumpkin Cheesecake, and for those who want to cram every morsel of autumn into each bite, Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake. As if that weren’t enough incentive to get to your nearest Cheesecake, the restaurant will also donate 25 cents from the sale of each slice of pie to Feeding America, so enjoy some cheesecake and help others while you do.
Everybody is fussing over pumpkin spice, but it’s also swordfish season, and Bonefish Grill is now selling a few dishes oriented around the fall season, such as a combination of grilled swordfish and pumpkin ravioli, the latter topped with feta. If that’s not really your thing, the chain has also added a Jim Beam bourbon-glazed salmon and pumpkin crème Brule to the menu.
Red Robin won’t be bringing back last year’s Pumpkin Pie Milkshake, unfortunately, but the burger
chain is offering up a new dessert item this year: Loaded fries…seriously. These sweet potato fries get
the s’mores treatment, with a liberal drizzle of hot fudge and a layer of toasted marshmallows on top.
They’re also adding “The Bee’s Knees Finest Chicken” to the menu, an Angry Orchard honey-glazed
chicken breast that’s topped with spicy jalapeño relish and sandwiched between two Belgian waffles. Because fall is the time to be working on your hibernation layer, not your beach bod.
A latte in donut form?! You better believe it. Krispy Kreme’s merging its two specialties into one glazed treat: the salted caramel latte donut. It’s filled with espresso crème, topped with salted caramel frosting, a salted sugar blend and an espresso icing drizzle. It may not provide your caffeine fix, but you will get a sugar high—and that’s kind of the same thing. They’re also selling pumpkin spice cake donuts and the classic pumpkin spice latte.
If you love rock and roll and fall, you’ll love what Hard Rock has in store for you. The rock-and-roll-
themed restaurant chain is celebrating Oktoberfest in a big way this year, with a limited-edition Samuel Adams’; Octoberfest Schnitzel Burger. Breaded pork schnitzel is topped with smoked bacon, sauerkraut, mustard, arugula and beer-infused cheese sauce, which is all served on a pretzel bun.
Guess who’s back? Back again? The pumpkin spice latte’s back, so tell a friend. Or don’t, if you’re not
feeling like sharing with anyone, and have one all to yourself. The Starbucks has brought back its most popular seasonal beverage of all time, along with the Salted Caramel Mocha, and is also introducing a new drink: the Chile Mocha.
October may be pumpkin season, but Baskin-Robbins could not resist jumping on the all-pumpkin-everything trend early, naming Pumpkin Cheesecake its September Flavor of the Month. It blends pumpkin and cheesecake ice cream with gingersnap cookie bits and a cream cheese swirl—and this year, can sandwich it between two donut halves, for a dessert that will have everyone begging for another scoop.
Saxbys—not to be confused with the Southern fried chicken chain, Zaxbys—is out to prove iced coffee
knows no season with its latest drink: Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew. Grab one now while supplies, and time, last.
We’ve waited, and waited, and now it’s finally back! The Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to the Golden
Arches for the first time in three years. Ask them to top yours off with a little soft serve and enjoy it
affogato-style, you deserve it. No one will judge.
Dairy Queen’s Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is kind of a big deal. So much so that it holds the title of Blizzard of the Month for two consecutive months (September and October)—and you can even enjoy the treat as a Blizzard Cake. Either way, it’s a reason to swing by DQ and enjoy some fall-themed fan food.
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