April 02, 2024
Franki Rudnesky/PhillyVoice
Herr's is once again selling its condiment-flavored chips, which are designed to be the perfect sandwich toppers. They come in four flavors: sweet onion, spicy pickle, ketchup and mustard.
Herr's has brought back its line of Sandwi-chips, the condiment-flavored potato chips designed to add some crunch to sandwiches.
The limited-edition snacks come in four flavors – ketchup, mustard, sweet onion and spicy pickle – and are available for the next 12 weeks. The spicy pickle flavor only is being sold at Wawa stores. The other three flavors can be purchased wherever Herr's products are sold.
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The Sandwi-chips were introduced last April and have returned due to popular demand.
"Our decision to bring back Sandwi-chips was driven by the incredible response from our customers," said Ed Herr, the Chester County-based company's chairman and CEO. "We've witnessed generations embracing the tradition of adding chips to sandwiches, especially during the warmer months. With Sandwi-chips, we're proud to offer a bold and crunchy chip that perfectly complements sandwiches."
I had the opportunity to sample all four of the Sandwi-chip flavors. After pondering each flavor's taste and how accurately it mimics the condiment it represents, I ranked them (with some insight from my fellow PhillyVoice writers, who also tasted the chips). Here's how they fared, from my least favorite to most favorite:
Sweet onion-flavored Herr's Sandwi-chips
It may be unfair, but in my eyes the sweet onion flavor was doomed from the start. This is because as far back as I can remember, I've had a general distaste for onions. But, I still gave the sweet onion Sandwi-chip a shot.
The sweet onion chips were covered in a whitish powder, and had an initial sweet and tangy taste. Then came a sourish, vinegary taste. (As you can see, I am well versed in the diction of culinary criticism, ha!). For me, I felt like I could just taste onion, which was unpleasant given my one-sided feud with the vegetable.
But, if you don't believe me, some of my colleagues who do enjoy onions also did not like the taste! One said, "Yeah, I'm good," after taking a bite.
Ketchup-flavored Herr's Sandwi-chips
In third place is the ketchup chip, which was a surprise to me! I love ketchup; it's my favorite condiment and I'm unashamed to admit that I even dip plain potato chips into ketchup.
The ketchup Sandwi-chips came on very strong, covered in thick red dust. I found the seasoning to be a little overpowering and more sweet than I was expecting. It didn't remind me of the more savory Heinz condiment that I'm used to, and my fellow writers and I actually thought it was more reminiscent of a barbecue sauce.
I really expected this flavor to be higher in my ranking, but this would still be a solid option for fans of BBQ chips.
Mustard-flavored Herr's Sandwi-chips
Mustard was an underdog in this race, because I wasn't expecting much from it, but look at it now! It is actually No. 1 in the ranking, if you don't count the Wawa-exclusive flavor.
The mustard chips are lightly covered in a yellow dust, and I don't really know how to describe them to you other than ... they taste exactly like yellow mustard. Everyone who tried them in the office also vouched for their similarity to real mustard. You could put these chips on a hot dog or turkey sandwich and wouldn't even have to reach for the bottle of French's.
So, they win hands-down for accuracy to the condiment, but I can see how they'd be toward the bottom of the ranking for someone who does not enjoy mustard.
Spicy pickle-flavored Herr's Sandwi-chips
Drumroll please ... The winner of my 2024 Herr's Sandwi-chips ranking is... SPICY PICKLE!
This came as absolutely no surprise to me because I enjoy all things dill pickle, and these chips delivered that perfectly with a little added spice. The chips are covered with little green flecks of seasoning, possibly dill. They're some of the best pickle-flavored potato chips I've tried in recent memory. Plus, the bags of pickle Sandwi-chips were the first to be emptied by my coworkers and me, if that's any indication.
Sadly, they're only available at Wawa, but that shouldn't be an issue for anyone in the Philadelphia region.
Overall, I enjoyed all of the chips, especially the fact that they can add a solid crunch to sandwiches, which get soggy all too easily. I also liked how they were full-sized potato chips, so I had the option to either eat them on their own or crush them down a little to add into my hoagie.
On spring and summer afternoons this year, you'll most likely find me stopping by my local Wawa to grab a coffee (hazelnut with Irish cream), a BLT (with pickles) and Herr's Sandwi-chips (in the mustard and spicy pickle flavors).
This little review was all in good fun, as I'm surely no expert — despite taking one "Food Writing" elective in college. I'm curious, though, to find out which Sandwi-chip flavor becomes most popular among customers this season!
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