Starbucks' Oatmeal Is the New McMuffin

Get ready for sausage wraps, breakfast burritos

(NEWSER) - Can't wait until lunch for that burrito? Taco Bell's got your back: The fast-food chain is joining competitors in offering breakfast. The launch began today in 800 of its 5,600 restaurants, largely in the western US; if it's a success, the company hopes to take the morning menu nationwide by 2014. Among the options, priced from 99 cents to $2.79: breakfast burritos with eggs and meat, sausage and egg wraps, coffee, and orange juice. More»

Because really 'having it your way' might mean a beer or two

(NEWSER) - Sometimes the soft drink that comes with your burger just doesn’t cut it, or at least that’s what chains such as Sonic and Burger King are hoping. Two Sonic stores in Florida will soon be selling beer and wine, part of what could be the start of a new trend in the fast-food industry, reports USA Today . Three Burger King "Whopper bars" in the US already sell alcohol , as do a handful of Starbucks locations. More»

Fast-food places have plenty of little-known options

(NEWSER) - In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu” (veggie burgers, etc.) has gotten way too famous to really be considered a secret anymore—but Coupon Sherpa rounds up little-known items at other fast-food joints:

• Chili’s: Though it’s not on the menu anymore, you can in fact still order the restaurant’s namesake dish.
• Long John Silvers: Ask for a side of crumbs and you’ll get—for free—a box of fried batter parts that fell off the fish or chicken.

But experts are skeptical about 'Christine' and 'Drive-Thru Diet'

(NEWSER) - Want to lose weight? Then run for the border, hit Taco Bell’s Drive-Thru Diet menu, and knock off 54 lbs in two years. Or at least that’s what happened to Christine, a Jared Fogle knockoff featured in new Taco Bell ads as a devotee of the chain's Fresco items. Though the spots feature all the disclaimers—her weight loss is “exceptional,” the taco treats were part of a larger effort, don’t call the Drive-Thru Diet a diet—diet experts are largely unhappy, ABC News reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Silicon Valley’s tastemakers are trading coffee for the soothing sensation of fine tea, reports Wired. The same tech giants who helped fuel the Starbucks craze are flocking to expensive teas, and tea lounges are popping up in the Bay Area to meet the demand. “It’s the new social lubricant,” said one tearoom owner. “You’re never hung over and you can never drink too much.” More»