ON THE DASHBOARD>.

Byline: Martin Gonzalez

Whenever Martin Gonzalez sees a fast-food outlet, he can't help driving through to check out the newest item on the menu. Here's his latest find:

ON THE DASHBOARD: Jack in the Box Sirloin Steak and Egg Burrito With Hash Brown Sticks

THE SPECS: A 10-inch flour tortilla filled with sirloin steak strips, scrambled eggs, hash brown sticks, a blend of cheddar and jack cheeses and chipotle sauce; salsa comes on the side. A combo is also available with an order of Hash Brown Sticks and coffee or orange juice.

WHAT'S THE CONCEPT? Jack in the Box has long been pitching its 100 percent sirloin beef products, and having a breakfast burrito is a natural extension of the brand. There doesn't seem to be too much gimmickry behind the burrito. Well, there's the chipotle sauce in it, but come on -- chipotle? That's so last year.

The hash brown sticks look more like oversize french fries and replace the previous patty-shaped hash browns Jack in the Box offered.

DOES IT DELIVER? What you've got here is a pretty straightforward steak and egg breakfast burrito, just as the name suggests, and a pretty tasty one at that, with the flavor of the sirloin steak dominating. The chipotle sauce, thankfully, does not kill the flavor of the sirloin. They must braise the sirloin meat back at headquarters and then simply reheat it at each store because I have found the sirloin at Jack in the Box to be consistently tender and flavorful -- not something I'm used to at a fast-food chain.

The burrito is deceivingly small, too. It's a compact package, but it has some heft. What makes this burrito work is that it is beautifully balanced in taste and textures. The soft flour tortilla is just the right size for all of the fillings and it has a satisfying amount of sirloin steak, which is complemented perfectly by the surprisingly fluffy scrambled eggs. Although I'm sure most would complain that there was not enough cheese in this burrito, I thought it was the perfect amount.

The final element that makes this burrito click is the crispiness brought to the table by the addition of a couple of Jack in the Box's new Hash Brown Sticks. Frankly, I can't remember whether the previous hash browns Jack in the Box served were good or not, but these new sticks are a very nice blend of crispy with just a bit of tender inside. Hash brown patties sometimes can be pretty soggy if undercooked, but since these sticks have more surface area to fry up, there was not a soggy stick in sight.

IS IT WORTH THE MONEY AND CALORIES? At three bucks, you're looking at a complete meal with this burrito, and an excellent value.

And I wasn't kidding about the heft. This burrito packs 790 calories into its compact frame. This is really a meal for two for three bucks, which makes it an even better value. Splurge with an extra dollar and you can have a couple more of those tasty Hash Brown Sticks and wash it down with some orange juice.

My final Dashboard Dining rating: 3 1/2 BITES.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

no caption (Jack in the Box Sirloin Steak and Egg Burrito With Hash Brown Sticks)