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On the Menu: Something's fishy at Meatheads

Something's fishy on Meatheads' menu.

February 19, 2015

Roughly one in five Americans identify as Roman Catholic. That means Lent – a season where the faithful often abstain from meat on Fridays in favor of fish – presents a big opportunity for restaurants to push their fish offerings to the fore, especially when you add in adherents of other Christian denominations who also observe Lent.

A number of QSRs have rolled out fish offerings, McAlister's brought back its Cajun shrimp last week, and fast casual concept Meatheads is joining them this week. Meatheads is adding fish to its menus every Friday through April 3. Offerings include:

• Fish Sandwich: Served with lettuce, tomato, cucumber wasabi sauce and cheese ($5.25)
• Fish + Chips: Served with tartar or cucumber wasabi sauce ($7.25)

Countering the deep freeze

With much of the nation plunged into a deep freeze, Fuzzy's Tacos plans to bring the heat with its Firecracker Fajitas limited time offer. The fajitas, priced at $8.99, feature sriracha-infused chicken or beef fajita meat with house-battered fried onion strings, topped with a sriracha-lime drizzle. The fajitas are served with grilled bell peppers, warm flour tortillas, grilled lime wedge, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and choice of two sides. It's available until March 15 at all 78 Fuzzy's Taco Shops in nine states.

New lunch menu

Bruegger's Bagels announced it will roll out its new lunch menu to all company-owned locations by March.

The menu was tested successfully last year in Cleveland and Burlington, Vermont. "Our new lunch menu perfectly aligns us with our place as the purveyor of the authentic New York bagel tradition," said Bruegger's Bagels Vice President of Marketing Judy Kadylak in a company press release. "It incorporates the best aspects of a New York-style deli, with classic lunch items like pastrami, egg salad, burgers, hot sandwiches and melts, along with fan favorites that they've loved for years."

New items on Bruegger's Bagels' lunch menu include:

• Turkey Chipotle Club: Turkey, peppered bacon, chipotle mayo, arugula and tomatoes on an Everything bagel
• Classic Smoked Salmon with Egg Salad: Smoked salmon, house-made egg salad, cucumber and arugula on a Pumpernickel bagel
• Pastrami & Swiss Melt: Pastrami, Swiss cheese, spicy mustard and apple cider coleslaw grilled on rye bread 
• Cheese & Tomato Melt: Muenster cheese, cheddar cheese and tomato grilled on rye bread
• Turkey in the Slaw: Turkey, Muenster cheese, honey mustard and apple cider coleslaw grilled on wheat bread
• Turkastrami on Rye: Turkey, pastrami, cheddar cheese, honey mustard, arugula and tomato on grilled rye bread
• B.E.L.T.: Bacon, house-made egg salad, arugula and tomato on ciabatta
• Bacon & Blue Burger Melt: 100 percent beef patty topped with bacon, Swiss cheese, blue cheese and apple cider slaw grilled on rye bread
• Build Your Own Deli Sandwiches: featuring Pastrami, house-made egg salad and salads
• Pastrami Cobb: Romaine and arugula, pastrami, Muenster cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped egg and croutons, served with honey mustard dressing

The menu will roll out in phases beginning in February to key markets including Minneapolis; Pittsburgh; Boston; Columbus, Ohio; and Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina. The rollout to company-owned locations will be complete when bakeries in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati begin offering the menu in March.