Summertime menu action peaks at Sonic, &pizza and Newk's

The lazy days of summer are anything but when it comes to restaurant menu activity. Despite the holiday weekend, launches of new food and drink items are not slowing down. Menu innovation is especially lively in the sandwich, pizza, shake and beverage categories.

&pizza chose July 4th to release its two patriotic-themed pies under the tagline “Hot Grill Summer.” The Glizzy McGuire and Sun’s Out Buns Out are inspired by all-American ingredients, with a topping of hot dogs, jalapeños, chili, diced onions, cheddar and a mustard drizzle in the case of the former. The Sun’s Out Buns Out pizza is a take on the cheeseburger; it’s topped with chunks of hamburger, grilled onions, grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce and dill pickles, then finished with sesame seeds and secret sauce. Both limited-time pies are built off a creamy Parm romano-mozzarella base and are available through Sept. 9.

Value is the name of the game in the quick-service sector this summer, and Sonic has joined in with a selection of items priced at $1.99. Options include the new Queso Wraps in Bacon Ranch and Southwest Crunch variations. Also on offer for $1.99 each are a Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger, Chili Cheese Coney, Small Tots and a 16-ounce shake, available in any of the chain’s 12 flavors.

Two summer salads and a sandwich freshen up the menu at Newk’s Eatery. New this season is the Summer Berry Salad topped with chicken, feta, blueberries, strawberries and a sprinkle of pecans. There’s also a Salmon Caesar Salad with romaine, Parmesan and croutons tossed with Caesar dressing. On the sandwich side is a Turkey Avocado Sandwich layered with turkey, Swiss, avocado, arugula, tomatoes and mayo.

A new Top-Loaded Shake option debuted at Dave’s Hot Chicken. Cinnamon Toast Crunch joins M&Ms and Oreo Cookie Pieces as a topping for a Dave’s vanilla, chocolate or strawberry thick shake. Fans pay an extra $2 to get the nostalgic cereal topping.

Shakes are also refreshing the menu at Burgerville. The Pacific Northwest chain prides itself on local sourcing, and its newest shake, sundae and lemonade feature Oregon raspberries. The berries come from Liepold Family Farms and join ice cream from a local dairy or plant-based producer in an Oregon Raspberry Shake and Sundae. The Oregon Raspberry lemonade blends the raspberries with Burgerville’s signature house lemonade. On the savory front, there’s a Walla Walla BBQ Cheeseburger and Walla Walla Onion Rings, all on the menu through August or while supplies last.

Sandwiches steal the spotlight at Denny’s with the launch of the limited-time Summer Sandwich Trio. The three LTOs include the Spicy Brisket Melt, Sweet & Smoky BLT&E (thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato and egg) and the Bacon Obsession Burger. The hearty sandwiches, available through Aug. 20, are served with hash browns or wavy-cut fries and start at $15.

A different kind of breakfast sandwich made its debut at Shipley Do-Nuts: Egg & Cheese Kolaches.  A kolache is a Czech pastry originally brought to Texas during the 1800s and makes a handy carrier for either sweet or savory fillings. Three varieties are on offer through Sept. 30: Egg & Cheese, Egg, Cheese & Sausage, and Egg, Cheese, Sausage & Jalapeño.

While not strictly a sandwich, the new Calzato from Donatos checks the handheld box. The portable Calzato is made with the chain’s thin dough, which is folded over a filling of up to three pizza toppings and baked, then sprinkled with Romano and asiago cheeses and drizzled with olive oil. It’s on the menu through July 28 at the promotional price of $7.99, after which it will join Donatos' permanent menu where it will be priced by location.

Noodles & Company is bringing back Macapalooza for the month of July, featuring four Mac & Cheese Mashups at $9 each. The lineup includes 4-Cheese Alfredo Mac, Cheesy Broccoli Mac, Crispy Jalapeño Mac and Korean Meatball Mac & Cheese. In honor of National Mac & Cheese Day on July 14, each version will sell for $5.

The Juicery by Snooze, a new program from Snooze A.M. Eatery, launches with three fresh, functional beverages juiced daily from fruits and vegetables. In the juice lineup are Super Greens, a mix of kale, cucumber, celery, ginger, apple, agave and lemon; Rejuvenate with pear, lemon, ginseng, agave, prickly pear coconut water and pink salt; and Butterfly Lemonade made with honey lavender lemonade, pear and butterfly pea flower.

The limited-edition collection from Juice It Up includes a new Passion Fruit-Orange-Guava Smoothie, along with the return of Strawberry Lemonade Twist and the watermelon-based Sandia Loca Smoothie. To snack on while you sip, the beverage chain introduced Pretzel Bites in two varieties: Butter and salt, and cinnamon sugar.

For snackers and breakfasters on the go, Cinnabon Variety Packs are now available in two versions. The Flavor Variety Pack is filled with a selection of Topped Bon flavors, including Oreo, Turtle and Caramel Lover, while the Quick Bites Pack includes five CinnaSweeties, four BonBites, three Cookie BonBites, two Churros and a side of frosting.

Beach Day ice cream returns to Baskin-Robbins for July. The popular summer flavor is a blend of salted vanilla ice cream dotted with milk chocolate caramel sea turtles, frosting flecks and swirls of graham cracker “sand.” It’s available in a Beach Day Shake and Beach Day Sundae, both drizzled with caramel praline topping and the graham cracker sand. Coordinating merch includes hats, coolers, sweatshirts and tote bags.

Seasonal produce stars in Tender Greens’ latest menu items. The California Bowl is a combo of roasted corn salsa, cilantro lime brown rice, cabbage slaw, queso fresco, pepitas and lime crema with a choice of salmon or chipotle chicken, while the Summer Harvest Salad features stone fruit, blackberries, pistachios, goat cheese, caramelized onions, baby lettuces and golden balsamic vinaigrette. A Seasonal Vegetable medley with French green beans, sweet peppers, summer squash and zucchini and a Watermelon Agua Fresca round out the menu.

Sandwich chain Togo’s is sticking to what it does best and introducing a new #40 BBQ Beef Sandwich. The sandwich is served hot and features a quarter pound of house-sliced roast beef marinated in Memphis-style barbecue sauce and topped with dill pickles and red onions. To create the item, Togo’s enhanced its classic BBQ Beef Sandwich with a new sauce.

Wraps make their entrance at Church’s Texas Chicken in three iterations. The Original Wrap is made with a breaded chicken tender enclosed in a warm flour tortilla with mayo and cole slaw, while the Spicy Wrap swaps in a spicy breaded chicken tender. Also on offer is a Jalapeño Cheese Bombers Wrap with a chicken tender and two crispy jalapeño cheese bombers wrapped in a flour tortilla with mayo.

Three new entrees and three new appetizers have arrived on Ruby Tuesday’s menu. For starters, there’s a Crab Dip Appetizer, Stuffed Mushrooms Appetizer and Burnt Ends Appetizer served with pickles and red onion. The entrée lineup includes Old Bay Shrimp Boil, Fried Catfish and Country Style Ribs.

The French Onion Char returns to Habit Burger Grill. The char-grilled beef patty is cooked over an open flame, then topped with caramelized onions, crispy onion rings and melted cheese. It packs the richness of French onion soup into a juicy burger.

Beverage concept Sip Fresh is cooling off guests with Fruit Tea Lemonade, a blend of iced tea and lemonade infused with such fruits as mango, pineapple, passion fruit and peach. Patrons can customize the drink with either black or green iced tea and add the fruit of their choice.