Review: Chick-Fil-A's New Fall Banana Beverages And Spicy Honey Pimento Chicken Sandwich Hit The Sweet Spot

It's only been a year since Chick-fil-A introduced one of its best menu items in a generation — the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken – but thankfully it's already returning to stores. Taking a page from its own customers who last year swapped out the regular filet for a spicy one, Chick-fil-A is now offering up a Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich as well. If this sandwich wasn't enough to celebrate, the long dormant cool Banana Pudding Milkshake, born in 2010 and last seen in 2012, is joining Chick-fil-A's fall menu, along with another newbie — the Banana Frosted Coffee.

This limited time only convergence of pimento cheese, drizzled honey, and banana pudding at Chick-fil-A sounds like an amazing cornucopia of delicious flavors. Yet, it's possible that the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich was fine as-is and didn't need any additional spicing up. And if the Banana Pudding Milkshake was such a winner, then why did Chick-fil-A keep it from customers for over decade?

I headed to my local Chick-fil-A to try these new items and find out if they're all they're hyped up to be. This following chew and review is based on taste, uniqueness, and overall lovability.

The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, Banana Pudding Milkshake, Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, and Banana Frosted Coffee are available at participating locations for a limited time and while supplies last. The official last call date for the Milkshake and Coffee is November 16. For those lucky enough to live near the The Dwarf House restaurant, select Truett's Grill restaurants, or Truett's Chick-fil-A restaurants and other Dwarf House locations in Georgia, a banana pudding dessert is available for sale.

The shake and coffee can be ordered anytime Chick-fil-A is open. The sandwiches are only available to order when lunch time begins at Chick-fil-A. Orders can be placed in-store at the register, or at the drive-thru where available. Advanced orders can be placed for dining in, pick-up, or delivery through the app or website. All items only come in one size. The sandwiches can be customized to add or remove ingredients, including swapping the white bun for a gluten-free bun. If the milkshake is ordered for delivery, it will not include whipped cream or a cherry. Prices vary by location, but at a Manhattan location of Chick-fil-A, my Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich cost $9.39, Banana Pudding Milkshake $6.19, and Banana Frosted Coffee $6.09.

On the surface, the Spicy version of Chick-fil-A's Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich didn't appear to be all that different from the original version. It was the same bun with a breaded chicken filet topped with pimento cheese, pickled jalapeños, and a drizzle of honey.

However, upon taking a bite there was a noticeable break from the normal Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich. There is no doubt that the spicy chicken filet Chick-fil-A offers is a winner. However, in this sandwich, the neat heat it brings both added and detracted from the other components that make it unique. The sweetness of the honey was nullified by the heat, and the flavor of the pimento cheese, which should be the star of the show, sadly didn't shine through here. However, the pickled jalapeño became even more prevalent in this sandwich, as the chicken's spice acted as an inflamer of the slices. Regardless of the minuses, this is still a plus positive sandwich.

The sandwich nets 620 calories, 31 grams of fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, an eye-popping 1,950 milligrams of sodium, 56 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 33 grams of protein.

At first glance, the Banana Pudding Milkshake looked like a warm white milkshake speckled with little brown dots. As I moved in for a whiff, all I could sense was the artifice of the maraschino cherry that caps the whipped cream.

Upon first sip, what was immediately notable was not the flavor of the shake, but rather the texture of the vanilla wafer cookie crumbles. They are small enough not to clog up the straw's passageway, but also clustered enough to make themselves stand out. The banana milkshake tasted like the genuine article, instead of some synthetic banana flavoring you typically find in candy. Together, the cookie bits and the smooth banana milkshake combine to make an unbeatable treat.

A single serving contains 720 calories, 23 grams of fat, 85 million of cholesterol, 390 milligrams of sodium, an astounding 120 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 101 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein. 

Chick-fil-A's Banana Frosted Coffee is physically the yin to its Banana Pudding Milkshake's yang. Moving in for the smell taste, the aroma it emitted resembled some sort of chocolatey, banana liqueur. It was not what I had anticipated at all, but it raised my expectations of the drink before a single sip. Taking a look from the top, the Banana Frosted Coffee was quickly starting to lose its "frosted" state, and I knew the race was on to gulp it down.

I wasn't aware that this drink also included crumbles of vanilla wafer cookies, but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture. Once that surprise had surpassed, I was able to enjoy the actual drink, where Chick-fil-A's cold-brewed coffee and Icedream dessert played nice, mellowing each other out. While this drink also features a banana base, its flavoring was a bit more subdued than its sister milkshake treat. In a way, that makes it more sippable, which is key, as this one melts way too quickly.

A single serving contains 480 calories, 9 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, a whopping 95 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 74 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein. It contains the common allergens milk, soy, and wheat.

I never had the pleasure of having Chick-fil-A's Banana Pudding Milkshake before, and had to live vicariously through the food memories of others who have. Now that it's here, and I know that it is truly a neat treat, I surely hope it won't disappear for another dozen years. Sure, it may be a bit much for one person to tackle solo, but it certainly makes for a refreshing partner to wash down the new "Spicy" take on the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich. Speaking of that new fangled sandwich, it's not exactly an improvement on the original, but it's nice to have that option available, especially for those who want to kick things up a notch. Perhaps the next time I order the Spicy version, I'll ask for a double helping of both the honey and the pimento cheese.

The Banana Frosted Coffee drink is a nice, caffeinated alternative to the Banana Pudding Milkshake. It too would make for a solid compliment to the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, or perhaps a way to sneak in a bit of dessert during breakfast hours.

So now that the dust has been brushed off the Banana Pudding Milkshake, what's the next Chick-fil-A discontinued item ready for a grand re-entrance? I vote for the Chicken Salad Sandwich, with a Cinnamon Cluster on the side.