Sometimes Foodie: Lay's Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity Potato Chips

I've been struggling to focus on anything outside of my 9-5 job for a while now, and I hate it. Outside of recaring for the insane amount of animals in my house right now (11!), I do the bare minimum for myself and then rot while I'm doom-scrolling or watching various media (FYI Arcane Season 2 dropped!) But tomorrow is trash night, so I am using that as motivation to photograph or write up things that have been backlogged.

Starting with these IHOP themed chips.

It's been a while, I actually got these back when I had my big snack-filled sleepover with my little cousins, but I believe these were Walmart exclusive?

Sweet and savory is one of my favorite combinations, and I'm no stranger to odd flavored chips, but I was skeptical about this combination in particular. We have a potato based chip, with maple, strawberry, AND bacon flavoring. I don't know about you guys, but that combination doesn't sound appealing.

If this were only available in large bags, I never would have given it a chance, but these smaller 2.5 portion bags are just the right level of commitment for me.

Opened, the aroma is definitely breakfast-adjacent, and kind of familiar. I can't quite place the exact thing that these remind me of, but I want to say it's like that instant oatmeal from the 90's with the squeeze packet of fruity topping. Sweet, slightly tangy, and definitely artificial.

The chips inside are a vaguely pink color and the seasoning is inconsistent. If I want to be mean, (and over dramatic), the coloring and splotchy pink coloring reminds me of that pink mold that grows in humid bathrooms.

Taking a bite, they're not -as- bad as I thought, but they're definitely not good. Initially you get a sweet slightly fruity taste, similar to a fruit flavored breakfast cereal, but then things take a turn for the salty, and there's a smoky, meaty, finish. The savory flavoring is meant to be bacon, but I don't think it tastes accurate at all.

After a few chips, the saltiness really builds up as well as that meaty flavoring and I tap out. This definitely is not a flavor for me, or the girls. It ranked very low in our snacking scorebook, BUT 2/3 of my dogs really like these, so there's that.

I haven't been keeping up with my fellow foodies, so I assumed this had to be a universal flop, but Lay's rereleased this flavor in September?! Did enough people actually enjoy this flavor to warrant that? Or was there just leftover product that Lay's wanted to unload before the new year?

Personally, I think these are not worth the buy, even for the novelty of trying them once. Into the trash the go!