Denny's Mac ‘N Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt Reviewed

Denny's has definitely made a name for itself when it comes to novelty food offerings intended to clog our arteries. The chain brought us the Fried Cheese Melt (a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with marinara and mozzarella sticks) and the Maple Bacon Sundae (an ice cream treat topped with maple syrup and bacon). Its latest special menu after the Tour of America is the "Let's Get Cheesy!" menu, with limited time offerings like the Strawberry Pancake Puppies with Cream Cheese Icing, and the "Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner," a platter of chicken fried steaks smothered in Pepper Jack cheese sauce and served with a side of macaroni and cheese. But the item getting all the buzz on the internet is the Mac 'N Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt, where burger patty melts meet macaroni and cheese in between two pieces of buttery bread.

Here's how it rates:

The Claims: The Mac 'n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt is a hand-pressed beef patty topped with macaroni and cheese, melted cheddar cheese and Frisco sauce on grilled potato bread. It packs a big daddy punch of 1690 calories -- the highest calorie count of anything on the cheese-themed menu -- and all for just $7.99. It comes with a side of fries that you can add extra cup of cheese with for 69 cents. (Prices may vary.)

The Verdict: D+. Like Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae, this is one offering that fails to live up to its internet hype. Again it was something I was looking forward to trying. Sure the idea is awesome for the novelty of shoving as much cheesy calories as you can in a burger sandwich, but the taste is just bland. You would think that with all that cheese, it would be super salty, but that's an expected taste that's missing, even with the added cheddar and tangy Frisco sauce. The nutrition chart reveals that while this ultimate patty melt is the item with the most calories, it's the second to last in terms of sodium content -- 2010mg, compared to 1950mg in the Cheese Breakfast Sampler. (Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner "wins" at 3330mg of sodium, if you can call that winning.) I even got the extra cup of cheese sauce -- apparently it's the same sauce used in the macaroni and cheese -- but that didn't add anything to the taste, just more calories.

The texture of the sandwich is the only thing really going for this sandwich, and it's decent. The grilled bread with butter has a nice crunch as it should. The burger feels like a flat burger, which is fine, and the only way to describe the sensation of big pieces of elbow macaroni in your mouth is that it feels like elbow macaroni in your mouth -- just mixed in with everything else. All the cheese and sauces keep the sandwich moist, so if anything, at least this sandwich isn't dry.

Suggestion to Denny's: maybe add bacon to this one next time; you'll not only get the saltiness that this sandwich is lacking, but you'll outdo yourself with a 2000+ calorie sandwich that is definitely buzzworthy -- just maybe add a coronary disease disclaimer at the bottom of the menu.

Comments

[BurritoT]

09:58 AM on 09/09/2011

Moons over Mihami

[PrincessPotato]

02:03 AM on 09/09/2011

Oh throw in the towel already!!!! It was amusing at first, but now it's just beyond repulsive.

[sacmom3]

06:09 PM on 09/08/2011

I'm waiting for somebody to come up with deep fried s&%t on a stick. I'm sure it will be a big seller.

[PrincessPotato]

02:02 AM on 09/09/2011

At this rate, you won't have to wait long.

[Styxtap]

05:07 PM on 09/08/2011

Its not about calories... a 1690 calorie meal... salad with healthy meat (maybe grass-fed beef) healthy oils (olive oil) and cheeses and maybe glass of red wine... would not have nearly the same effect. Still shouldn't eat that much in one sitting, though.

[SinisterDan]

11:12 AM on 09/08/2011

No human should eat that thing..wow... That's beyond awful.

[Koeiseun]

10:49 PM on 09/07/2011

1690 calories......oink!

[loletaguy]

06:15 PM on 09/07/2011

That sounds gross. Now a good sandwich is...peanut butter with mustard and a slice of American cheese, yum yum

[Al Schrader]

05:39 PM on 09/07/2011

Sandwich I invented is better. Take a slice of large French bread and arrange Beef raviolis and tomato sauce on the bread. Top it with slices of mozzarella cheese. Place it under the grill for 3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Top with another slice of French bread and serve....Alfie-

[Lauren Kottwitz]

05:08 PM on 09/07/2011

Jesus!

Now look... I'm a fat kid and I love me some gross food, but that just sounds like it's toooooooooo much.

[Laura Walton]

05:03 PM on 09/07/2011

That sounds hideous!

[Animal53]

04:40 PM on 09/07/2011

I tried that potatoe steak and cheese sandwich. The manager and I both agreed it might be much better without the steak fries in it. As it is if I order one again, it will be without them and then we will see how it is. I am glad I didnt try the one they just wrote about, it didnt look good to me at all. There may be folks that really like those kind of things, but its definately not for all.

[Statusnaturae]

03:55 PM on 09/07/2011

I wanted to vomit just reading the review.

[dcnashinsc]

04:53 PM on 09/07/2011

I was feeling the same way when I saw the picture.

[CapsFan1988]

03:39 PM on 09/07/2011

I ate this about a week ago when I stopped by Denny's after a night at the bars. I thought it was really good. Then again, I was not sober.

[riverlee34]

05:28 PM on 09/07/2011

I think people who are messed up from a night of partying, who go there at 3 am because it's the only place open, are one of the main reasons Dennys is still around. It's fine when you're drunk but I've eaten it sober a very select # of times and without the alcohol to numb your taste buds it's pretty bad.

[Stephanie RosnerBaskin]

03:07 PM on 09/07/2011

This is absolutely disgusting.These people are contributing to the obesity and sicknesses in America. Shame on them! We are going in reverse in this society with food gluttony. No wonder the rest of the world calls us, "ugly Americans."

[Seiena Cyrus]

02:41 PM on 09/07/2011

I would rather eat this and die happy, because it's all about your personal taste and to me the saltier something is, the worse it is. Then to pick and chose my food to be 'healthy' and exercise even if I don't feel like it and die the most miserable person on the planet. Life is too short to let -OTHER- people talk for me, and decide for me.