LTOs at Cinnabon, &pizza and Ruby Slipper explode with flavor

New seasonal food and drink items rolled out on chain menus as soon as the calendar page flipped to May. Summery ingredients and flavors are making news, along with Mother’s Day specials and lots of sweet and savory treats.

Two limited-time pies made their debut at &pizza—the Elote Loco, a Mexican street corn pizza, and the Bubba Mambo, a pizza created in collaboration with Capital City Mambo sauce, a sweet-hot wing sauce made famous in Washington, D.C., the pizza concept’s headquarters. Elote Loco is topped with fire-roasted corn, grilled onions, cotija cheese and elote sauce, while Bubba Mambo layers creamy Parm-Romano sauce with shredded mozzarella, grilled onions, bell peppers, Old Bay seasoned shrimp, Italian sausage and drizzles of Capital City Mambo sauce. Also back on the menu is Moonstruck, a fan favorite made with truffle sauce, mozzarella and mushrooms.

The S’mores Cookie BonBite Sandwich launched at Cinnabon. The gooey treat features two mini cinnamon roll bites wrapped in a chocolate s’mores cookie made of marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker crunch, all held together by cream cheese frosting. Two cooling drinks join the seasonal lineup, too. The new sweet-tart Mango Refresher combines citrus and fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla, while the returning Strawberry Refresher shakes up fruit puree with hints of vanilla and citrus.

New Orleans-based Ruby Slipper gives guests a bold taste of the Big Easy with five LTOs running through July 9. There’s Bloody Mary Shrimp Ceviche cured in the chain’s Bloody Mary mix; the Costa Rican Breakfast with chorizo, slow-cooked black beans, eggs, warm tomato salsa, crispy plantains and avocado; Peaches & Cream Stuffed French Toast with whiskey cream sauce; Berry Chantilly Beignets with blueberry compote and macerated strawberries; and a Watermelon Margarita with Tajin rim.

Also pumping up the flavor is Church’s Texas Chicken, with the introduction of its new Signature Hot Sauce. The chicken chain is jumping on a "hot" trend, releasing a sauce that blends sweet and heat to complement its spicy bone-in chicken or tenders and jalapeño-dotted Cheddapeño biscuits. To celebrate the sauce, Church’s is offering special chicken and biscuit deals through the end of June. For those who crave sweet without the heat, a Strawberry & Cream Cheese Fried Pie is on offer for $1.99 along with a shot of wild strawberry flavor in the form of the Strawberry Blast to add to any drink.

Maggiano’s is kicking off May with specials to entice families on Mother’s Day. For starters, guests can choose from Clams Oreganata and Heirloom Tomato Burrata with arugula, balsamic pearls and toasted pistachios. Elegant entrees include Lobster Truffle Ravioli topped with lobster, sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus with a lobster cream sauce, and an 8-ounce Filet with Lobster Truffle Ravioli prepared the same way. For dessert there’s Double Chocolate Cherry Cake and to sip, a Pomegranate Martini.

Mother’s Day Feasts are available for pre-order at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill for those who prefer to celebrate at home. The Prime Rib Feast includes an herb-rubbed prime rib with au jus and horseradish sauce, Parmesan mashed potatoes, baked mac & cheese, asparagus with roasted garlic thyme butter, spiced pecan green beans, lemon cake with blueberries and bread with whipped butter. There’s also a Ham Feast with a brown sugar sliced ham and the same sides.

Mom can enjoy sweet and savory options at Polly’s Pies on Sunday. The lineup includes five new items, such as a Banana Nut Muffin, Rise and Shine Breakfast Sandwich, Spring Shrimp Salad, Mac Nut Stir Fried Cod and a Lemon Blondie. Bottomless mimosas are going for $13.99. And the limited-time Mother’s Day pie bites box features three mini pies to enjoy or share: Boysenberry, Strawberry pie with icing and sprinkles and Apple pie with cinnamon sugar.

Lemon and strawberries flavor the menu at Culver’s through Sept. 29. On offer are a Lemon Ice Cooler blended with lemon ice, real lemonade and a choice of strawberry, mango, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry or watermelon, joined by a Lemon Ice Smoothie made creamy with the addition of vanilla fresh frozen custard and topped with fruit. The Strawberry Fields Salad makes for a light entrée with its combo of lettuce, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, fresh strawberries, blue cheese crumbles and pecans.

The nostalgic creamsicle is the inspiration for any number of treats and drinks this season, and Sonic is joining in with an Orange Cloudsicle Slush Float. The beverage is loaded with orange vanilla flavor bubbles and topped with a creamy cloud of soft serve and more bubbles. On the burger front, customers can try the Cheesy Bacon Sonic Stack with a single or double grilled beef patty layered with crisp bacon, American cheese, pickles, ketchup and mayo on slices of Texas toast.  

Baskin-Robbins is tying into the movie “IF” on a new frozen treats menu. Blue’s Boardwalk Bash, for example, is inspired by the character “Blue” from the film and features blue-raspberry ice cream with Oreo cookie pieces and cotton candy swirls. Blossom’s Berry Twirl combines strawberry and sweet cream ice creams with rainbow sprinkles and pink sugar cookie dough flowers. The What IF? Sundae starts with confetti cake topped with two scoops of Blossom’s Berry Twirl, strawberry topping, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry.

May is National Hamburger Month and Wayback Burgers has a variety of made-to-order burgers geared to recognizing that fact for the next few weeks. But the chain is also promoting its spring menu, available through May 31. Guests can choose from Cheesy Bacon Cheese Curds topped with melted cheese sauce and sprinkled with apple cider-cured bacon bits, a Cheesy Bacon Ranch Cheesesteak and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Shake.

Two revamped sandwiches debuted at Togo’s. The #16 The Italian has been elevated with Genoa salami, cotto salami and a new mortadella, all of which are layered with capicola and provolone cheese, then drizzled with balsamic dressing. The #17 Hot & Spicy Italian heats things up with spicy capicola, Chicago-style giardiniera veggies, pepperjack cheese and chipotle mayo.

May’s Pancake of the Month at IHOP is White Chocolate Raspberry. It’s menued in a stack of buttermilk pancakes filled with white chocolate chips, crowned with raspberry topping, cream cheese icing and whipped topping. IHOP introduced its rotating Pancake of the Month in February and this is the fourth edition.

Strawberries are getting lots of attention at Perkins with the return of its annual Strawberry Fresh-tival and three new items. The headliner this year is the Fresh Strawberry Mega Pancake Platter featuring two oversized buttermilk pancakes with sugar cookie crumbles inside and topped with Bavarian cream, fresh glazed strawberries, additional cookie crumbles and whipped topping. Also new are the Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Pancake Flip Platterwith two slices of brioche French toast layered with cheesecake filling, and topped with glazed strawberries and whipped topping. For dessert, there’s Strawberry Shortcake.

The Oreo Brownie Pizza is the newest dessert LTO from Cicis Pizza. Oreo cookie crumbles and a warm brownie base flavor the pizza, which is drizzled with Cicis signature sweet icing to finish it off. It’s available through June 2 for $6.99.

Clean Eatz welcomes the return of Warren’s Turkey Burger Bowl for summer. The bun-less turkey burger is smothered with melted mozzarella and served on a bed of sweet potato fries and lettuce, along with grilled mushrooms and Clean Eatz Epic sauce. The bowl is named after one of the brand’s original customers, who preferred his burger bun-less.