Review: Denny's Grand Slam Burrito Is Worthy Of Its Home Run Title

I've always had a soft spot for Denny's. The chain was one I frequented as a kid with my dad, who is as big a fan as I am of breakfast for dinner, especially late at night. The convenience of all-day access coupled with what used to be great pricing on breakfasts like the Lumberjack, and the Grand Slam, won me over. I've remained loyal to the chain into adulthood. 

In recent years, though, the rapid escalation of the downfall of Denny's has steadily worn away at my loyalties, and those of many other faithful customers. I've traveled quite a bit throughout the U.S., and the roadtrip pit-stop that was once my favorite has declined in quality, and risen in price, from state to state. Denny's 24-hour service, which was once reliable, has been cut back, and I'm certainly not the only one to notice the drop-off. The fact that it has closed over a hundred locations around the country, and reduced hours at many more, is only one of the signs that Denny's might not be around much longer.

Perhaps in response to the cries of disappointed customers, the higher-ups at the iconic chain recently announced a new value menu. The lineup features some new items, as well as some reintroduced with impressive price cuts, like Denny's Grand Slam Burrito. We've taken to our local Denny's to try it for ourselves, and see whether the deal is good enough to give the nostalgic chain a fighting chance at survival.

The whole point of the Grand Slam meals at Denny's is to be able to enjoy a feast of popular breakfast plates in small portions, and it's got great appeal. After all, you might want a savory breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, but are also craving something sweet on the side as well, like a pancake.

The Grand Slam Burrito follows the same logic, offering a little bit of everything. It rolls scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, and crispy hash browns into one tasty-sounding burrito. A burrito like this is one of the best types of food to meal prep for breakfast, as it makes the perfect to-go option when you need something you can eat with one hand.

Of course, when you add this many ingredients to a burrito, it doesn't exactly make for a low-calorie meal. The Grand Slam Burrito is listed at 1,080 calories on the menu — a shockingly high number for a burrito that isn't really that big. But given the calorie counts on the rest of the menu, this one may actually be reasonable in comparison.

Denny's chose to introduce its new value menu, which includes the newly marked-down Grand Slam Burrito, just in time for Quitter's Day, or that time of year when people generally start to tap out of their ambitious New Year's resolutions. The chain's representatives haven't said how long they'll be running this new value menu, but given that the options were presented at my local Denny's on a laminated menu, I suspect they will be available for a good amount of time.

The price for the Grand Slam Burrito is quite reasonable at $8 (note that pricing may vary by location), especially when you consider that a previous iteration of Denny's Grand Slam Burrito could cost diners a whopping $17.99. Given that figure, it's no surprise that customers called Denny's one of the most overpriced breakfast chains out there. However, with the much more reasonable prices on Denny's new value menu, that perspective could potentially change.

My feelings of nostalgia for Denny's runs deep, and I'll always have a soft spot for those brown tables, and basic decor. But in recent years, I've been scorned by so many overpriced, cold, miserable meals at the chain that I've practically given up on it. That being said, this Grand Slam Burrito was the best meal I've had at a Denny's in a long time. 

Denny's Grand Slam Burrito was hot, and fresh, and the hash browns inside the burrito were actually crispy as advertised. The eggs were plentiful, and the tortilla was warm. While Denny's might not be the most beloved breakfast chain right now, this burrito made for a great breakfast, complete with a nice layer of melted cheese around the edges that blended into each bite. While some restaurants might go heavy on the potatoes to cut costs, the Grand Slam I ate was actually pretty heavy on the egg; everything else appropriately played supporting roles. I'm also a huge fan of the crumbled sausage and chopped bacon combo, which packed enough flavor into the burrito that it tasted comforting, and hearty. I also had the option to add avocado, queso, or sour cream to cut through the richness, but I found that the salsa it came with added the perfect touch of acidity, and mild spice.

The meals that turned me away from my once-beloved all-day breakfast diner were cold, soulless, and — shockingly, irritatingly — overpriced. But now Denny's is privately owned, rather than a publicly traded company, and perhaps that change has brought some common sense back to the menu. At the very least, I see this new value menu as an upgrade.

The quality of your meal may change quite a bit depending on your location, and the mood of the performing cook on any given day, but the Grand Slam Burrito I had was perfectly prepared, and super flavorful. Plus, the price did not make me want to complain to anyone who would listen about the decline of the chain. Instead, I found it to be actually quite reasonable. I'd say that if you, like me, have been disappointed so many times by Denny's that you're about ready to give up on the chain entirely, it might be worth giving it another shot, and trying the Grand Slam Burrito on Denny's new value menu. You may just be surprised by how good it is.