denny's

Forget bacon flapjacks, bacon meat loaf, and maple bacon sundaes: Denny's has moved on to lighter pastures with Fit Fare, a new line of lower-calorie options. The items fall under four different classifications: "lean," with less than 15 grams of fat; "light," which comes in under 550 calories; "protein," for items with 20 grams of protein or more; and "fiber," with at least 8 grams of fiber.

The menu includes the Fit Slam, with scrambled egg whites, spinach, grape tomatoes, turkey bacon, fruit, and an english muffin; a chicken avocado sandwich and cranberry apple chicken salad for lunch; and tilapia ranchero for dinner. Some of these dishes — like the Fit Slam breakfast and the tilapia ranchero — actually sound healthy in a refreshing way. Could you see yourself heading to Denny's more, now that they've created a lighter menu?

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While at Fancy Foods, we caught up with J&D's Foods, the masterminds behind Baconnaise. Cofounder Justin Esch revealed what's next in the world of cured pork: soon, Hickory BaconSalt will grace the top of every table at Denny's Restaurants nationwide.

In addition to Hickory BaconSalt's presence at Denny's, we also learned that Baconnaise is coming to the shelves of Wal-Mart.

Hickory bacon sprinkles atop a Grand Slam, and bacon mayonnaise for the middle-American masses; it'd be hard to dream up a better fit, don't you think?

The Grand Slam giveaway is long over — but starting this Saturday, diners at Denny's can get their meals for next to nothing. For the first time time ever, the casual chain is offering a value menu, with items priced at $2, $4, $6, and $8.

The 16-item menu includes a biscuit and gravy with hash browns or an egg for $2, all-you-can-eat pancakes for $4, and a classic burger and fries for $6, and will be available all day at the chain's 1,500 restaurants. In another example of casual chains dropping price points, perhaps Denny's is trying to find its edge amidst the fast food breakfast wars.

Would you be more likely to go to Denny's based on these lower prices?

Source: Flickr User House of Sims

Now that Jamba Juice's $1 oatmeal deal has ended, hungry diners will need to look elsewhere for breakfast on a budget. Thankfully, Denny's has stepped in with a promotion that's too good to pass up. Tomorrow, the casual dining chain will offer its Original Grand Slam for free from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. News of the free breakfast combo (two eggs, two sausages, two bacon strips, and two pancakes) debuted during a Super Bowl spot yesterday. To see the humorous commercial and get more details, keep reading.

We all know that many fast food chain's menu items are high in the sodium department. Armed with this knowledge, we just avoid eating at these places. Although a New Jersey resident doesn't think it's right, and is taking action against one popular chain, Denny's. Together Nick DeBenedetto and the Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a lawsuit, claiming that many of this restaurant's meals "are dangerously high in sodium."

Just how high? To find out read more

2009 has been a rough year for casual dining, with many restaurant chains struggling to stay afloat. The solution proposed at Denny's? Become friends with the cool kids. Denny's, a 24-hour eating establishment with a reputation as a family road trip pit stop, is attempting to transform itself into an all-night hotspot for young adults.

With the onset of its Allnighter program last year, Denny's began its metamorphosis into a night-owl oasis, blasting rock and country from the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The company also started offering a Rockstar menu at night, hawking dishes like burritos designed by Good Charlotte and a country-fried steak combo created by Rascal Flatts.

The payoff has been meager with late night traffic increasing by only 5 percent. Still, the chain continues to promote its newly-minted image to college campuses, in hopes that schools will consider changing the names of existing locations to "Allnighter" and offer the restaurant's Rockstar menu. I haven't hit up a Denny's since my last road trip, but I'm curious to know if any of you have checked it out. Does the new late-night Denny's lounge seem to have an edge on the competition?

Photo by sun dazed