I was at Big Lots one morning, around 11 p.m., when I was hit with a wave of sudden hunger.  Even though it’s probably not the healthiest aisle in the store, I went straight for the chips, to see if I could find something to munch on throughout the day.  Even though their inventory changes weekly, to the extent that their chip aisle looks totally different on a month-to-month basis, they always seem to have the basics:  Tortilla chips, plain chips, usually some kind of organic or bean-based chip…but none of those sounded good.  I did have a bag of off-brand barbecue corn chips in my hand, but decided against them because I didn’t want something so overtly salty.

Then my eyes stumbled on a little blue bag.  I was a little hesitant at first, because the bag was only 3 oz. (and retailed for $.75), but eventually it became apparent that the little rippled potato puffs were clearly the most appetizing option.  So I bought them, and eagerly tore into the bag right when I got home.

If you have ever had Munchos, then you will love these, because flavorwise, that’s exactly what these are.  Visually, these are smaller, almost rectangular in shape, and have deep ridges, but even once you bite into them, they have the same light, airy texture.  There is quite a bit of salt in them, typical of most potato chips, but there’s not a lot sprinkled on top, so you don’t taste a lot of sodium; not sure if that’s a good thing or not, since it’s still there regardless, but at least the salt flavor isn’t overwhelming.

Truth be told, these ended up hitting the spot, and I downed just about the entire bag by the end of the day.  There’s nothing at all spectacular about them, and even if these were a normal product Big Lots carried (as opposed to a closeout, which I’m sure these are), I would probably forget about them before my next trip there.  In other words, I would never seek them out, or get any kind of cravings for them, but for this moment in time, they were a good alternative to the typical potato chip.  Maybe if you’re ever in the same boat I was in, looking for something a little different from the norm, these may hit the spot for you, too.

Overall: 6/10.  These are basically Munchos chips, only in rectangular form, and with ripples.  The taste is very similar to that brand, as is the texture.  I’ll admit they satisfied a craving for something different that I had, and I downed the whole bag in a few hours, but it’s literally been years since I’ve had the name brand…and I could easily wait another few years before getting these again.  Nothing spectacular, but good for what they are.  And they are non-GMO certified, for those that follow the battle for food labeling closely.