Qdoba, Golden Chick and Buffalo's Cafe turn up the heat as temperatures rise

It’s official—the summer solstice clocked in on June 20 and menus are at the ready with food and drink specials. Spicy and sweet flavors are showing up in all categories, along with cool, fruity refreshers to beat the heat. Here’s what’s trending on menus right now.

Habanero Lime Steak is the latest limited-time addition to Qdoba’s menu. The new protein option is composed of tender steak tossed in a fiery habanero sauce, lime juice and fresh cilantro, all seared over an open flame. Heat seekers can order the steak with any burrito or bowl.

Golden Chick is also raising the temperature with its newest sauce: Hot Honey Sriracha. The sauce, which taps into the popular swicy trend, is the first menu item to have been selected by Golden Chick customers via a social media poll. Through Sept. 1, it can be ordered in Sauced & Tossed tenders, wings or in a new combo meal called “Swe-Heat” that allows guests to combine Sauced & Tossed tenders and wings.

A fiery wing sauce debuted at Buffalo’s Cafe as well. Sweet Red Chili Wings are Buffalo-style chicken wings smothered in a sauce that blends chili peppers, aged cayenne peppers and garlic for a sweet and spicy punch. For guests who need to tame the fire, seven summer drinks are on offer. The lineup includes three cocktails: Tito’s Blackberry Lemonade; the Canyonrita, a mix of tequila, triple sec, lime juice; and Spiked Peach Tea made with bourbon. There are also four alcohol-free refreshers, including a Blackberry Tea Mocktail, Peach Tea Mocktail, Blackberry Lemonade Mocktail and Peach Lemonade Mocktail.

The Buffalo Collection launched at Lee’s Famous Chicken, heating up the menu with a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Buffalo Mac and Cheese Bowl and Buffalo Strips. While the chicken chain has long offered buffalo sauce, this eliminates the step of having guests add the sauce themselves, according to Lee’s.

Beverage concepts are busy concocting new drinks to quench summer thirsts. Gong Cha’s new limited-time Double Peach series features two seasonal refreshers. Double Peach Milk Tea is layered with white peach jelly and a sweet peach drizzle, topped with a creamy green milk tea blend served over ice. The Double Peach Smoothie combines creamy peach and green tea slush, mixed with pieces of soft white peach jelly. 

Through Sept. 9, Jamba is inviting customers to cool off with an expanded line of watermelon beverages. The Watermelon Lemonade Smoothie and Watermelon Tajin Smoothie join the returning Watermelon Breeze Smoothie. And on Friday, the chain is offering a small 16-ounce Mango-a-Go-Go or Strawberry Whirl Smoothie for $1 in celebration of National Smoothie Day.

The Human Bean’s Summer Drink Fest is in full gear, kicking off with three frosty smoothies. Berrypalooza brings on fruity flavor with pineapple and coconut swirled with strawberry, while the Twist blends a lemonade smoothie with strawberry and passion fruit. Rounding out the trio is Island Remix, a creamy combo of mango and pineapple.

Doughnut Dots have arrived on the permanent menu at participating locations of Krispy Kreme. The downsized treats are available in four varieties, all based an Original Glazed doughnut hole. The Powdered version is tossed in sweet powdered topping, Sprinkled is coated with rainbow nonpareils, Cinnamon is rolled in cinnamon topping and Cookie Crumb is tossed in a cookie crumb topping and sprinkled powdered topping. All are available in a 10-count cup or 24-count box.

Wild-caught Gulf shrimp are a new protein option at Just Salad this summer. The shrimp, prepared blackened-style, star in the fast casual’s new Caribbean Shrimp Bowl, where their flavor compliments the bowl’s pickled red cabbage and house-made Spicy Pineapple Vinaigrette. Also new is the Parm Crunch salad, a mix of Parmesan crisps, arugula, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and regenerative organic quinoa, dressed with a house-made Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.

Two seasonal specials join the menu at Jinya Ramen Bar through Aug. 30. The Ebi-Katsu Bun is a steamed bun filled with a shrimp cutlet, cucumber, iceberg lettuce and pickled cabbage, enhanced with the restaurant’s signature sauce. Spicy Maze-Men features thick noodles tossed in bonito sauce and egg yolk, topped with pork chashu, kimchi, seasoned egg and onions, then garnished with bonito flakes and nori for a umami boost.

Loaded Fries with Chicken Bacon Ranch is one of the summer LTOs at Slim Chickens. It features seasoned fries, hand-breaded tenders, crispy bacon, house-made ranch sauce, shredded cheese and sliced jalapenos. Launching along with this savory item are three sweets: the Strawberry Jar Dessert, Raspberry Lemonade and a Strawberry Mini Chocolate Chip Shake.

Headlining the summer menu at Rita’s Italian Ice is Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Italian Ice with the taste of tropical fruits. The hot-weather flavor is featured in 5-Layer Gelati, which combines the tropical punch ice with layers of vanilla custard and a topping of rainbow sprinkles. For customers who prefer a sippable version, there’s the Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Ice Blender drink.

Frozen Lemonades are on offer from Haagen-Dazs Shops to beat the heat. They come in three fruity flavors: Strawberry Frozen Lemonade, Raspberry Frozen Lemonade and the all-new Strawberry Mango Frozen Lemonade. The refreshing beverages, which start with tangy real-fruit sorbets, run through Aug. 31.

Through a partnership with the Pac-Man brand, Yogurtland is menuing two new flavors for summer. Cherry Chomp Sorbet is a citrus-cherry blend and Pineapple Power-Up Sorbet is a mix of mango and pineapple. Guests can top the icy treats with game-inspired gummies, including a yellow gummy Pac-Man and gummy cherries, and order them served in a Waka Waka cup with mango popping boba.