Dunkin' Donuts Sausage Pancake Bites Sorta ... Bite

?Some might be drawn to them out of culinary curiosity, the way even the pickiest eaters tried KFC's Double Down. Others may just want to coat their GI tracts with a respectable layer of grease. But no matter: Dunkin' Donuts Sausage Pancake Bites, released at area DDs several days ago, are neither innovative enough nor outlandishly unhealthy enough to merit much fanfare.

Granted, seasonal fast-food shticks rarely appeal to persnickety palates, but the bites -- sold in packs of three or six -- have a confused flavor. They're sausage links dipped in pancake batter, and have the look, shape, and feel of a pigs-in-a-blanket/hush-puppy hybrid. In terms of taste, they're on par with cheap, frozen versions of these snack staples.

Though the combo of the simple components could have turned out well, neither the meat nor the dough are flavorful enough to make this dish -- starting at $1.73 with tax -- distinct. The pancake contains a hint of maple, but it's so slightly nuanced that the outer coating winds up tasting more like under-seasoned, over-sweetened corn meal. Also, somehow, the pancake texture is simultaneously dry and fat-soaked. Meanwhile, the sausage apparently makes up in salt what it lacks in seasoning. What could have been a fun, guilt-inducing lumberjack breakfast winds up tasting like breaded bouillon.

Yeah, the bites are pleasantly crisp and hot. They're fun to eat, in a sort of recreational pop-them-in-your-mouth way. But that's really it.

Overall, Dunkin' Donuts' gimmick leaves you with oily hands and the dissatisfaction of a cheap fill.

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