White Castle French Toast Sliders Review: The McGriddle Has Some Big Competition
Six years after releasing Belgian Waffle Sliders (which features waffles actually made in Belgium, we should add), it seems White Castle, like Oprah, has decided every first-meal-of-the-day favorite should be awarded the right to go through slide-ification. The chain's next lucky winner? French toast. The limited edition French Toast Slider, which comes in two different flavor variations, officially danced and cinnamon-sprinkled its way onto White Castle's menu on August 28.
Yes, according to White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson in a company press release, after taking particular care to create the perfect slider-sized french toast buns and putting this sweet breakfast sandwich through a lot of taste testing, the chefs behind White Castle have allegedly created "a Craveable Slider that people can't get anywhere else!" Well, Jamie, not that we're calling you a liar or anything, but no bold claim goes untested. And we've got our clipboard at the ready. We ventured into our local all-day breakfast house of White Castle Commons to see what on Earth is going on with French Toast Sliders. From price to taste, here's what you need to know.
The ingredients that make the French Toast Sliders
If you're hungry to try a French Toast Slider here's what flavors you'll be in for. The selling point of these breakfast sandwiches are their two tiny french toast slices which are boasted by White Castle to be beautifully cinnamon swirled. As for what's sandwiched in between the slices, customers will find the chain's new French Toast Sliders come with egg and cheese (the default is American but you can also opt for Jalapeno or cheddar, ya know if you like to go against the status quo) and is topped off with either bacon or sausage.
We are happy to report that all of the alleged ingredients in both French Toast sliders are present. First of all, the french toast is actually cinnamon swirled. In fact, there's so much cinnamon on the buns you can smell it. In both flavors, the egg, which is shaped in that uniquely square-round fast food way, is there, egging it up and the cheese, though minimal (we think that's for the better, you'll see why in our taste review), is present.
In the sausage version, the sausage is thick, and in the bacon-focused take on the slider, there are three decent-sized pieces of bacon. And while it's not technically required, you can also ask for maple syrup. Our White Castle gave us two mini-Ms. Buttersworth syrups that were more than enough to drench each slider in maple syrup goodness.
How much do these sliders cost?
Even though the chain's prices vary by region, White Castle's sliders are notoriously cheap. At our local store, the original slider will only put you back $1.55. Heck, even the Belgian Waffle Slider, with its imported ingredients, comes in at around $3.35. But what about our special addition friends, the French Toast Sliders?
In our neck of the woods, both French Toast Sliders are actually the same price as their big brother, the Belgian Waffle Slider. We got these cinnamon toast sandwiches for $3.35 each. However, if you want to add extra eats to your slider you'll also be adding on to its price. Extra bacon is .50 cents, extra sausage .60, and, in a move that reminds us we're living in an economy-going-down-hill-dystopia, extra eggs go for .69. However, if you feel like one French Toast Slider isn't going to cut it, you can also buy a French Toast slider meal, which includes a French Toast Slider, a small Hash Brown Nibblers, and a small coffee for $7.55.
Where and how long can you find these sliders?
Fear not, french toast fans. If you have a White Castle nearby, it's likely now selling the French Toast Sliders all day with the rest of its breakfast menu. The company has said that these cinnamon toast breakfast sandwiches are being sold across the nation at participating locations (which means almost all of them). However, then there's the whole limited-time thing, which is less straightforward. So how limited is limited time in White Castle years?
According to our research, while it doesn't necessarily outright state it, White Castle typically changes its menu up with the season. At the beginning of fall last year, the brand also released limited-time menu offerings such as the BBQ Bacon Slider. And while the chain didn't advertise the French Toast Sliders as a fall-time-exclusive treat, that's what we're guessing they are (Warm cinnamon-themed foods do kind of scream autumn-themed eat, don't you think?).
Based on that little tidbit, our educated guess is that these sliders will last until White Castle changes up its menu again (and likely brings back its Sloppy Joe Sliders) in the beginning of December. However, there is a chance these french toast breakfast sandwiches become so popular they migrate to the permanent menu. That's what happened with the chain's Belgian Waffle Sliders. But that, readers, is up to you.
What sets the French Toast Sliders apart from the rest of White Castle's breakfast menu
If you're a true White Castle fan, you may have already noticed that the contents of both French Toast Slider varieties are pretty much the same as the chain's original Breakfast Slider and the Belgian Waffle Slider. All three versions of these mini breakfast sandwiches come with your choice of cheese, an egg, or either sausage or bacon.
The varying factor is actually just what surrounds these core ingredients, whether that be a bun, a waffle, or French toast. A cop out on White Castle's part? Probably. However, we would argue that each slider's exterior ingredients do give them a distinctive taste. The original Breakfast Slider is more savory, almost like White Castle's version of McDonald's famed egg McMuffin. While the Belgian Waffle Sliders are on the sweeter side, the French Toast Sliders are the sweetest addition to the breakfast slider menu yet. Belgian waffles may have a tinge of sweetness to them, but the majority of their sugary taste comes from being doused in syrup. French toast, however, is inherently sweet thanks to the cinnamon baked into it. So the newest and limited edition to the breakfast menu is by far the most sweet tooth-pleasing of the bunch.
Getting to the (nutrition) facts
Usually when eating fast food products, especially the more sugary ones, the best thing to do is try not to avert your eyes from how many calories you're consuming. But White Castle's French Toast sliders' numbers aren't actually that bad. The sausage slider clocks in at 450 calories a pop and the bacon version will only put you back 360. Now, if you want to slather these sliders up with syrup, keep in mind that one packet of Mrs. Buttersworth's mini maple syrup is going to add 70 calories to the total. Still, not terrible. It's when you get to the slider combo that things get hairy, with one meal going for anywhere from 720 to 820 calories.
If you're wondering about the sugar content of these French Toast Sliders, at the moment, White Castle doesn't have that information available online. However, we do know that its Belgian Waffle Sliders have 14 grams of sugar. Keeping in mind that it's not as sweet as White Castle's French Toast Sliders, we're going to assume that the sugar in this limited-edition breakfast sweet isn't diabetic-friendly.
White Castle VP Jamie Richardson is a man of his word, this stuff is delicious
It's time for the main event ... the taste test. As we mentioned before, these sliders don't skimp out on their ingredients. When we first took a bite at the edge of the breakfast sandwich, we found ourselves in a world of savory cheese, sausage (we tried that flavor first), and egg goodness while the french toast faded into a sweet background. But as we ate deeper into the sandwich, the sweet bread became more prominent and the taste became otherworldly levels of good. Whether it's the sausage's spice or the bacon's savory crunch blending with the sweetness of the bread, all of the ingredients meld together in taste harmony.
This is partially because the mini french toast slices are so thick. However, the masterful portion of ingredients (the cheese is minimal, but too much of it would get in the way of the other ingredients) are also a big part of these treats' success. And that's before you even get to the syrup. In our opinion, the syrup really sets these sliders off. First of all, the bread absorbs the maple syrup without getting soggy. Secondly, the syrup completes the flavor rainbow with its earthy-sweet taste.
Bravo, Jamie. Bravo, White Castle. A good price and a great taste, we recommend foodies everywhere to give these French Toast Sliders a try.