In A Pickle

Texas-based Smoothie King puckers up with new pickle smoothie

Pickle flavored smoothie from Smoothie King.

Photo courtesy of Smoothie King

The ever upwardly trending pickle flavor is surfacing in the unlikeliest of places: Smoothie King, the Dallas-based smoothie chain, is releasing a new limited-edition Pickle Smoothie — for those who love pickles so much they could drink them.

Smoothie King is partnering with Grillo's Pickles, a Boston-based pickle company, on a beverage that combines Grillo’s Pickles with bananas, kale, and coconut water for what they describe as a refreshingly tangy drink infused with electrolytes designed to support hydration.

The drink is $5.99 for a 20-ounce serving, and will be available through the summer. They'll be giving out free 4-ounce samples on May 16, while supplies last. A Today writer who ran out and tried it found that the banana and pickles both had an equally strong presence, and that it was "not bad." That's some reporting.

Grillo's Pickles was founded in 2008 by Travis Grillo, who launched the business as a small wooden pushcart in Boston Common, using his family's 100-year-old recipe. It has since grown into a nationwide brand, with their bottles topped with kelly-green lids sold in the refrigerator section of major grocery chains such as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Aldi.

Smoothie King is based in Dallas and is owned by Wan Kim, who opened the first Smoothie King franchise in Korea before eventually acquiring the national chain. He's also a major presence in Dallas' restaurant scene, opening the acclaimed Asian-themed Nuri Steakhouse in Uptown Dallas in 2024, and more recently debuting a chicken tenders concept on Dallas' Greenville Avenue called Flock & Fresh on May 2.

Pickles have emerged in recent years as one of the buzziest flavors, including Fort Worth's own craft beer brewer Martin House Brewing Co., a pickle pioneer that has released a number of pickle-flavored beers. H-E-B just joined the pickle party with a new Pickle Chamoy Sherbet, and national boutique grocery chain Trader Joe's is about to reprise its annual Pickle Season onslaught of pickle-flavored products such as Dill Pickle Mustard and Pickle-Flavored Potato Chips.

Beyond their flavor, pickles are a fermented item which can offer nutritional/probiotic benefits, although Smoothie King VP of R&D and Product Marketing Lori Primavera focuses primarily on the hydration aspect.

"At Smoothie King, every recipe starts with delicious nutrition in mind," Primavera says in a statement. "Pickles are not only delicious and having a cultural moment, they also offer real nutritional benefits, especially known for their enhanced hydration. That combination gave us an opportunity to explore them in a new format and push our innovation into new territory, reimagining how a beloved flavor can deliver both function and taste."

Grillo's Pickles Chief Commercial Officer Mark Luker calls them "functional benefits."

"We love to do unhinged collabs at Grillo's," Luker says. "With that, we don't always get to talk about the functional benefits of pickles. When we partnered with Smoothie King for a hydration smoothie, we knew this was a great opportunity to do both. Those who are willing to try will be pleasantly surprised (and hydrated)."

And if pickles are not your thing, Smoothie King is also simultaneously unveiling five watermelon smoothies including fan-favorite Watermelon Hydration, Watermelon X-Treme, Gut Health, The Activator Recovery Watermelon, and Power Meal Slim Watermelon.

trends openings smoothies pickles

ROTTED RANKINGS

Daily Meal dunks on Bill Miller in worst barbecue chain list

Bill Miller Bar-B-Que/Facebook

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q has a new look, but the menu is still the same.

The Daily Meal is coming for a San Antonio favorite. The Indiana-based content mill has boldly declared that Bill Miller Bar-B-Q is the worst barbecue chain in the U.S. Hold our sweet tea.

While noting that the Alamo City-based institution has its fans, writer Jay Wilson decried poor customer service, long waits, allegedly cold food, and incorrect orders. The barbecue, he said, is “nothing to write home about.”

“This once-venerable chain now feels like it's gone downhill, and its customers increasingly feel as though they're no longer getting their money's worth at its restaurants,” continued the reporter, who may or may not have generated a list of 13 random barbecue chains from AI.

The Daily Meal admits it is not making first-hand judgments. The list was culled from recent customer reviews, “wider industry responses,” and awards lists. Wilson hails from London, a city home to Texas Joe’s Slow Cooked Meats, a joint known for authentic Lone Star dishes like mutton shoulder and, uhm, smoked celeriac and pickled shimeji mushroom tacos.

While no San Antonian is mistaking Bill Miller for the craft barbecue spots like Reese Bros. Barbecue or 2M Smokehouse, perhaps The Daily Meal should hire someone who is familiar with the subject before it attempts a barbecue list. Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn may not be waxing poetic about Bill Miller, but it is a fiercely protected part of our city, and we’ll wear our chicken, pig, and chicken guayabera with pride.

The snarky website didn’t save its scorn for just one Texas restaurant. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was pooh-poohed as the fourth-worst barbecue chain. While the Dallas-based chain did score points for its “left-field sandwich options” (imagine: smoked meats on a hoagie roll!), Wilson bemoaned the fate of franchise owners who were unable to make the business work.

Still, the rankings weren't all about dogging Texas. San Antonio and Dallas caught a few strays, but like the rest of food media, The Daily Meal is more enamored with Austin. Rudy’s Country Store and Terry Black’s Barbecue were rated the No. 3 and No. 1 best barbecue chains, respectively.

bill miller chains barbecue lists rankings