I love everything about fall. From the cold weather, the pretty leaves (that Florida doesn’t even get), all the sweet and savory fall-themed candles, but my favorite part of it all is the seasonal menus from different restaurants. I like to try new things, so when I saw that PDQ had a new fall menu, I was stoked. The menu consisted of three items, a Butterball turkey burger, sweet potato fries with marshmallow spiced sauce on the side and a pumpkin spice shake all for $9.99. I decided to go taste test the new menu with a friend and, unfortunately, the trip as just a waste of gas.

We ordered, sat down, and waited about 10 minutes. The food arrived but the shake wasn’t ready for another five minutes. We started with the sweet potato fries, which were were cold. The actual marshmallow sauce was really sweet, as expected, but it didn’t pair well at all with the sweet potato fries. It was a let down, but I still had a little hope because it was only the first item.

We tried the pumpkin spice shake next knowing if we didn’t drink it in time, it would melt. I love pumpkin spice, so rightfully I was super excited. It was good… but if I were PDQ’s marketing director, I would have labeled it as an Eggnog Milkshake. It tasted nothing like pumpkin despite the sprinkle of cinnamon they put on top. I was thinking that the shake would be the best because, well, it’s a milkshake. It was a disappointment coming from a PDQ lover and a pumpkin spice enthusiast.

The last item is the Butterball turkey burger. This item made me both excited and nervous because I’m not a fan of turkey, but the flavors looked interesting. It was crispy turkey with fresh lettuce and cranberry sauce laid in between a buttered bun. I had high expectations for this item due to the popularity of Butterball, it’s always the first turkey to fly off the shelves when Thanksgiving rolls around. The burger itself was delicious. The cranberry sauce and the lettuce masked the taste of the turkey which really gave the burger a unique taste.

All in all, the experience was disappointing. Though the menu items may have been been good separate, I think PDQ’s downfall was combining all three into one meal. With all the spices and sweetness, it gave me a stomach ache which could very well happen to others. I was not expecting this from such a high-up fast food restaurant like PDQ. Are these people really dedicated to quality? Based on my experience, I wouldn’t say so.