You are currently viewing RaceTrac Creamy Habanero Ranch Crinkle Cut Potato Chips
An admirable attempt at something new.

RaceTrac Creamy Habanero Ranch Crinkle Cut Potato Chips

One thing that’s really disappointed me about moving to Tennessee: The lack of frozen beverages at nearby gas stations. It’s insane. In Ohio, there were at least 10 places within a half-mile radius that had some variation of Icees or Slurpees. They even added a Sheetz store less than five minutes from our house, which was a lifelong dream of mine. (Okay, maybe that’s a hefty exaggeration. But I did hear about the popular chain about a decade prior and had always wanted to visit one.)

Tennessee is surprisingly lacking in that regard. At least, in our neck of the woods. You would think given the intense humidity – especially in summer – that they would have frozen drinks in every single convenience store. Yet visits to the gas stations closest to us yielded no results. There are Speedways (home of Slurpees now that 7-11 bought them out), but the closest one is 20 minutes away. It works in a pinch, but takes the “convenience” out of the equation.

Then we discovered RaceTrac. My only previous experience with the chain was several years ago, when I discovered someone had stolen my credit card info and used it to purchase $99 worth of stuff at a RaceTrac in Florida. (I’m really hoping most of that was gas.) I was desperate for a frozen drink and figured we had nothing to lose by going in. I’m sure my eyes (sadly) lit up when I did. This is the closest thing to a convenience store “mecca” we have, complete with fresh-made pizzas, ice cream machines with a topping bar. Most importantly, they have Icees. Eight flavors of them, no less! It was exactly what I was looking for. 

Well I guess that long build-up was largely pointless, because this review has nothing to do with frozen beverages. But it does explain the reason we visited one in nearly 100-degree weather. While we were there, an endcap caught my eye. An endcap of assorted potato chips, from RaceTrac’s own private label brand. Who even knew that existed? I was intrigued…

Most of their selections are fairly basic – cheddar and sour cream, barbecue, etc. But hidden among the traditional choices were a couple things I just had to try. And chief among them was a bag of Creamy Habanero Ranch chips. What? I’m not a huge fan of habanero, but I am a pretty big fan of ranch. In my head, the ranch would work as a “cooling” flavor to offset the spicy pepper. This was an interplay I just had to experience for myself.

I opened the bag to take a sniff and…whoa nelly! These smell incredibly strong. It’s not something I was expecting in the least. The blast of pepper hit my nostrils with such force that it made me cough. I’m not even exaggerating. It’s overwhelming. I wasn’t sure if it was for better or for worse, but it was enough to clearly state its intentions right away. 

As for the flavor…they definitely live up to the scent. They are strong. As I stated before, I’m not a big fan of habanero, and was hoping the ranch would play a more prominent role. It’s noticeable, but is mostly confined to the background. I’d say the taste is similar to horseradish, which is already a divisive profile to begin with.

Surprisingly, the do live up to the “creamy” descriptor, at least as much as a powdered chip can. There is a certain texture to it that is missing from many other brands. I don’t think my first choice would be to call it “creamy”, but it is pretty smooth. The taste blends together, rather than coming off as a harsh, salty powder, something I’ve experienced many times before with other brands.

Another surprise is the heat: It’s not as bad as I was expecting. They’re spicy, don’t get me wrong, but they’re rarely overwhelming. Occasionally, I got strong, peppery bites that would go down awkward, and get stuck in my throat. These bites were pretty hot, and had me reaching for a cold liquid. But a majority of them are just…level. The first chip gave me a tingly feeling on the tongue, but even after downing a couple of handfuls, it didn’t get any worse. I don’t understand how that’s even possible. It flies in the face of science, which states the more of something spicy you have, it should get even spicier. One bite of these lets you know pretty much exactly what to expect from the rest of the bag.

One odd complaint I have: There’s too much seasoning. I love getting generously-coated chips, because…well, I shouldn’t have to explain it. I want the flavor that I paid for. There’s nothing worse than a “lightly seasoned” snack. But these go in the opposite direction, by being covered with so much that you can basically feel the salt enter directly into your bloodstream. It’s unnecessary. Habanero is a strong enough flavor on its own that a little bit goes a long way. And if most of the seasoning is ranch, well…it’s still not enough. 

The value is sorely lacking (2.375 oz. bags are 2/$4, if I remember correctly), but that’ s just a ramification of entering a convenience store. And yet, they’re different. I haven’t seen anything like them before. They’re not just a basic chip meant to blend in with similar choices. They stand out, and at least attempt to offer something new. It didn’t work for me, but I have to applaud the effort. It’s not every day I’m caught off guard by the ambitions of a private label product.

Overall: 5.5/10. Let’s get something out of the way first: These aren’t that great. The habanero overwhelms the ranch to the point that these might as well have been “habanero chips”. That would have helped, because then I wouldn’t have bought them. But you know what? I have to admit that I respect them. They’re unique. They aren’t just “timid” chips with “habanero” thrown in the title to appeal to the masses. Just the scent alone is enough to bowl over the average person. While I thought the heat was a little lighter than I was expecting, they’re still spicy enough to tingle the tongue. I most likely won’t ever get them again, but I also won’t forget about them anytime soon, either.

Leave a Reply