Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels - Product Review

My husband picked up a bag of Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels, specifically for the purpose of getting me something new and different to review. He also knows that I like salty snacks and snacks that are a bit off-beat. Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels seemed to fill the bill on all counts.

Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels come in a white and green seven-ounce bag. The green portion has the appearance of having been spray painted or airbrushed on. Central to the bag is a silver and red oval with the red Combos logo inside. Intersecting this is an orange triangle (representing a cheese wedge?) with orange lettering that informs us that Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels are made with real cheese. In the lower left hand corner is a slice of cheese pizza garnished with something green that I assume is either green onions or peppers. Scattered about the bag are pictures of the filled pretzels inside. The bag also informs us the Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels are "crunchy oven baked pretzels with a spicy Cheese Pizza Flavored filling".

If you have never had a Combos pretzel snack, all the different types consist of short crunchy pretzel tubes filled with various flavored fillings. Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels are very different, but pretty good. And while no snack like this can truly taste like a hot, melty pizza slice, there is something decidedly pizza-like about the flavor, especially the aftertaste. (It reminds me a bit of the flavor of those Chef Boyardee boxed pizza kits we used to make at slumber parties or just for fun. I wonder if they still make those.) I think the predominant flavors are tomato and cheese, in that order.

My daughter really liked the pretzel portion of the snack and thought the filling was ok, but not the best. And by itself the filling would not be very good. If you've ever had those packaged cracker "sandwiches" with cheese, the filling here is a similar consistency, sort of dry and gritty, but flavorful. When combined with the pretzel "crust" though, these snacks really come together.

The worst news about Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels comes in the calorie and fat departments. Although 130 calories and 13 percent of your daily recommended allowance of saturated fat per serving isn't bad, there are seven servings in a bag not much bigger than a single serving bag of potato chips. So if you keep on munching you're going to get about half a day's worth of calories! You do get a little calcium (4 percent of your daily-recommended intake) and a gram of dietary fiber, but nothing to brag about.

So, in the end, these are a really good tasting snack that I won't eat very often, as they aren't good for me. But if you are looking for something different, you might want to try Combos Snacks Pizzeria Pretzels.

Enjoy!