Denny's Fried Cheese Melt: Another Shock-and-Awe Meal

Posted on Aug 24th 2010 1:00PM by Lisa Johnson

Denny's

Denny's has joined the bandwagon of chain restaurants offering over-the-top menu items. Similar to KFC's Double Down, the new Fried Cheese Melt contains mozzarella cheese sticks embedded in a grilled cheese sandwich served with fries and marinara sauce.

The meal is essentially layers of starches and fats. I'm guessing that there's quite a bit of butter in there and that the marinara sauce has a good dose of sugar. The dish tops out at 1,260 calories, although some websites question whether the calorie count may be even higher.

Here's the nutritional information from Denny's.

Fried Cheese Melt With Fries and Marinara

•Serving Size: 17 oz.
•Calories: 1,260
•Fat: 63 g
•Trans Fat: 1 g
•Sat Fat: 21 g
•Chol: 75 mg
•Sodium: 3,010 mg
•Carbs: 131 g
•Fiber: 8 g
•Protein: 40 g
•Sugar: 8 g

These kinds of meals are more than just high-calorie crowd-pleasers; they're a media ploy. When restaurants debut these menu items, they know there will be plenty of people shaking their heads in disbelief and shouting, "What has this country come to?"

The dishes also get the curious masses through the door. Denny's home page has a big ol' picture of the meal declaring, "You've heard the buzz. Now take a bite." Clearly they have been trying to garner press, and it's working.

What do you think of the food industry's trend of "shock-and-awe" dishes? What kind of message is this sending?

For another over-the-top menu item, check out KFC's Double Down.

23 Comment

Tags: dennys, dennys fried cheese melt, double down, fried cheese melt, worst fast food

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Barbara 8-24-2010 @ 8:24PM

Oh Pleeeeze --- Nobody is making people eat this junk food. If the restaurants put it out there, there will be 400 lb+ and future 400lb+ people who just "have to have it." Let it go. They are not long for this earth anyway.

Tony 8-24-2010 @ 8:45PM

The skinny will inherit the Earth =)
This is just DISGUSTING! YUCK!

Robert 8-24-2010 @ 8:54PM

Where id Dennys located? I would luv to try a few of those mouth watering delicasies. I don't see anything wrong with a little comfort food. I think we can ALL agree on that.

drew lampkin III 8-24-2010 @ 9:02PM

Wow. And some people wonder where the obesity epidemic comes from. This is voluntary suicide the slow way (check out the opening scene of "Dreamcatcher" (a Stephen King movie) with Henry & Barry. Death by carbs, cholesterol, & salt! We never had it so good.

Lindsay 8-24-2010 @ 9:04PM

I would try it but only once and I weigh 132. I guess that makes me 400+lbs huh Barbara!

Jeff 8-24-2010 @ 9:34PM

I'm really getting tired of the food police. If this article just stated the facts and moved on that would be okay. But no -- it has to be perjorative and basically tell me not to eat this. I'm really getting fed up with all the self-appointed foodies who think they know what is better for me than I do. Or for that matter who think they know better than you what is good for you. I already have a mother I don't need or want them to be another!

Bob 8-24-2010 @ 11:31PM

What's wrong with you people the fact that you would even consider eating one of these things explains why I see so many vw sized people waddling around although a little treat high in fact etc every once in a while but this thing has 2 entire days worth of salt that alone will raise your bp and stop your kidneys that's also why I won't eat at chilis or wends I can take the fat but the salt is a killer

Jeff 8-24-2010 @ 9:40PM

See -- the food police are everywhere...!!!

Dennis 8-24-2010 @ 9:49PM

Well,
It appears we sued the tobacco company because tobacco is bad for your health and causes a number of ailments. But, Denny's is betting that there is a enought people who don't give a dam, or knows no better, that they will come in and slowly over time, with this meal, create their own demise. Over 3000 ml of sodium, is enought to kill a cow. To keep society functioning, it bets on those who are uninformed, to keep all this stuft going.

Dennis

joe 8-24-2010 @ 11:06PM

3000 mg of sodium will not kill a cow. Not saying it's good for you, but it won't kill a cow...

avl 8-24-2010 @ 10:09PM

AND POT IS STILL ILLEGAL, WONDER WHAT WILL KILL YOU FIRST.

John B 8-24-2010 @ 10:11PM

MMMM, I love my Denny's, nothing finer.

basketpam 8-25-2010 @ 1:01AM

I used to date a man who had absolutely NO taste or class or brains when it came to choosing eating establishments. Me, when I go out to eat I like to dine, unlike him, who grew up with a mother who actually knew how to cook a total of five different things, thought a "good" place to eat was someplace you could get tons of food for a cheap cost. He always looked for where all the senior citizens ate. The first time we were taking a road trip and he kept telling me for 2 hours he knew a GREAT place to eat I was getting excited expecting this WONDERFUL place with INCREDIBLE food. I almost died when we walked in and no other person was under the age of 60 and what was great about it is you could get enough food to feed a horse for about two dollars. I should have dumped him then and there but I was a sucker for several more years. I tried to help educate him to have a palate, to know what real food actually tasted like, not everything that comes out of boxes, bottles, jars or can. But I never was able to do it. I now believe like many things, this is something that must start in the cradle. So his idea of great is not the criteria I use employ when I decide where I like to eat. This explains why he liked to eat at Denny's. The few times I actually ate at a Denny's with him, usually while traveling with no other choices, I think I can honestly say I have never sat in a sit-down eating place with more filthy people in my life. Now these weren't honest hard-working construction workers or other people who have jobs where they get pretty dirty during the day, those I can understand, these were families where the people were just unbathed, smelly and what is known around where I live as poor-white trailer trash. Now while it is NO sin in being poor, it is in being that dirty and smelly and being in public. If they have enough money to eat out for breakfast, they have enough money for a bar of soap. This didn't happen just once, it happened every time we ate at a Denny's. I finally reached my limit and said no more. I also learned that a place called English's was no better. One time on the way to the ocean my Little Sister (I was a Big Sister) and I stopped for breakfast at one. It was so horrible that half way through our meal we had to leave and go somewhere else to eat. The filth was horrible. And this was a teenager and they can eat almost anywhere. But the final straw was when we were sitting in our booth waiting for our breakfast and as I watched the waitress clearing the tables around us, she was eating food right off the plates of the diners who had just left. Who knows what else this waitress could be doing BEFORE she delivers meals to the diners. I've been a waitress before in my life, there is NO excuse for such behavior. There is NO excuse for such behavior. At Denny's even the tip she earned off of one table would probably had paid for a meal for her at the discounted cost they probably receive. And I believe most eating establishments end up giving free food to employees for different reasons. The restaurants were always dirty. Since we usually stopped while traveling we usually didn't go to the same ones and they were ALL dirty. All I know is that if there was a way a restaurant could be disgusting, these were. While my favorite is to sit down at a breakfast and have eggs benedict and a mimosa on china and linen, I can do just fine at a Bob Evans or other family places as long as they are clean and I don't have to hold my breath while I eat or wait for a table. Places like Bob Evans are just fine for going and grabbing a bite to eat but as far as I'm concerned, Denny's could just disappear and I think the world would be better off, fat or no fat.

Ken 8-25-2010 @ 2:52AM

Hmm, something's telling me there's more to this story than your ex's ignorance of fine dining.;)

Barbara Mayer 8-24-2010 @ 11:08PM

We have a Denny's Restaurant in our little town that we absolutely love. The food is nutritious and satisfying. We inherently know what is good for us and what we cannot eat (salt, sugar, grease). I feel that anyone who eats out has already decided what they do and do not want to eat even before they enter the restaurant. I have tried the sandwich mentioned (we are friends with the store manager and he tried them out on me). I personally was not thrilled with so much cheese in a single sandwich. I did not consider the calories, carbs, or anything else. I was just testing the item and approved hesitatingly. If you don't like Denny's, then simply don't eat there! They have plenty of salads from which we can and do choose. Hey, people, lighten up already!

letty 8-24-2010 @ 11:22PM

JUST LET PEOPLE EAT WHAT THEY WANT TO EAT! EATING TRANS FATS AND HIGH CALORIC FOODS IS NOT A CRIME, PEOPLE! GEEZ! LIVE AND LET LIVE! THOSE WHO EAT TOFU ARE GOING TO DIE AS ARE THOSE WHO EAT FATTY FOODS, AND NOT NECESSSARILY IN THAT ORDER!

ron mckinney 8-24-2010 @ 11:35PM

dang people just eat what you want to eat you cant get out of this world alive enjoy life to its fullist

Millie 8-25-2010 @ 12:13AM

I have an idea how about everyone keep their nasty comments and opinions to themselves.... AND those that want to eat "clean" do so in peace and those who don't enjoy. Live and let live or live and let die either way it's nobody's business. STFU already.

Dominic Carone 8-25-2010 @ 12:42AM

This is just unbelievable and it's why I began The Fast Food Wars at the MedFriendly.com blog to help people make better choices at such restaurants. Right now, the Great Pizza Battle is underway, where you can find a list of the healthiest and unhealthiest food items at the main pizza chains. Come check it out and follow us on Facebook for updates. Link is here:

blog.medfriendly.com

daniel 8-25-2010 @ 11:45PM

just dont eat it when people don't order that garbage it will be taken off the menu thats how it works for all those who enjoy eating fastfood they wont live long enough eating that crap to tell there grandkids i will stick to cherros for breakfast

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