Arby's New Fall Sandwich Will Make You Gobble And Wobble

We've reached that rare part of the calendar where Halloween is finally shown the door; for four weeks before the winter holidays rush in, Thanksgiving briefly takes center stage. It's time to focus our minds and stomachs on the mammoth eating tasks that lie ahead. While we try to figure out what unexpected side dishes may hit our tables, Arby's is serving up some turkey sandwiches that they hope customers will gobble up during November. The chain has been serving up deep-fried turkey sandwiches since 2017. This year, Arby's is introducing the Deep Fried Turkey Gobbler as an alternative to the returning Deep Fried Turkey Club. In a press release, Arby's chief marketing officer notes, "This year, we invite fans to celebrate the season safely, without compromising on quality, by leaving the frying to the meat experts and enjoying juicy, flavorful Deep Fried Turkey at Arby's instead!"

So, is the new Deep Fried Turkey Gobbler something we should be giving Arby's thanks for, or is more like a "deep" fake of a good sandwich. The Takeout headed to our nearest location to find out where the truth lies. This chew and review is based on taste, Thanksgiving-ness, and overall lovability.

The Deep Fried Turkey Gobbler is currently available at participating Arby's locations for a limited time, or as the chain notes, "Here for a good time — not a long time." The sandwich is available to order at United States locations only, while supplies last, through November. Be sure to check your local Arby's to confirm hours, participation, and availability.

Like the Deep Fried Turkey Club, the suggested retail price of the Gobbler is $6.49. At my Manhattan Arby's, the sandwich retailed for $6.99 and $11.59 for a meal, which includes a golden-fried side and a drink of one's choosing. You can place an order in-store, at the counter, or in the drive-thru (where available). Orders can also be placed in advance on the app or Arby's website for pick-up, dine-in, or delivery. The sandwich is customizable, meaning that you can remove any of the standard ingredients that come with it.

Arby's Fried Turkey Gobbler consists of deep-fried turkey breast, bacon, big eye Swiss cheese, crispy onions, tomato, leaf lettuce, an herb spread, and everything seasoning; it's all housed within two brioche buns. The turkey is seasoned with salt, brown sugar, and tapioca starch. The everything seasoning includes salt, dehydrated garlic, spices, dehydrated onion, sugar, green bell pepper powder, yeast extract, toasted sesame seeds, natural flavors, and natural caramelized onion flavor. The herb spread brings together the talents of distilled vinegar, egg yolk, salt, sugar, maltodextrin, chicken meat with natural juices, lemon juice concentrate, natural flavor, spice, mustard seed, organic cane sugar, chicken fat, celery seed, onion powder, and turmeric. The sandwich contains the allergens wheat, milk, egg, and sesame.

The single-serving Gobbler sandwich weighs in at 263 grams and nets 507 calories (188 of those from fat), 21 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 49 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar, 32 grams of protein, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, and 1,705 milligrams of sodium.

My eyes were initially drawn to the fluffiness of the brioche bun housing the Gobbler. Under the hood, the contents looked kind of minuscule — a pile of congealed pale Swiss cheese, encased slices of turkey, and a handful of crispy onion straws. Below this were mushy slices of tomatoes, sopping wet pieces of lettuce, and a smattering of white sauce tied to the bottom bun. The tomatoes screamed that they didn't belong there, and I tossed them aside before jumping in.

Unlike the other vegetables involved, the onion straws thankfully weren't mealy and maintained a nice, textured crunch. While the turkey is deep-fried, there was nothing fried about its appearance or taste. I was okay with that, as the meat was tender and succulent, and it passed itself off as being freshly sliced.

In a single bite, the different elements unite nicely for an all-around delicious sandwich. I'm not sure I detected any of the everything seasoning, but the herb spread more than enough provided this sandwich with a signature taste. I ordered a cup of the herb spread to test it on its own. It looked like a typical ranch dressing — a white creamy sauce speckled with dots of brown and black seasoning. It had a buttery smell and an eggy taste that instantly won over my tongue's approval. What once looked like a tiny sandwich proved to be rather mighty.

One might expect a sandwich with the word "Gobbler" in its moniker would be overloaded with toppings like cranberry and stuffing. However, Arby's Deep Fried Gobbler is less grand in its Thanksgiving ambitions and instead is simply high in taste and overall satisfaction. The juicy pieces of turkey are especially praiseworthy and make me question why the chain would only offer it for only such a short period each year.

I've never tried one of Arby's Deep Fried Turkey sandwiches before and was curious how the new one stacked up against the returning Club sandwich. That sandwich is more of a straightforward one highlighted by strips of bacon, cheddar cheese, and plain old mayonnaise. The bacon is certainly a draw for the tasty Club, and the mayo does its job to notch up the savoriness even more. The Gobbler stands out from the pack thanks to the great crunch and oily saltiness of the crispy onion strings and that truly winning herb spread. I wish there were more of both included. The good news is that you can now order the same herb spread on the Club, so whatever kind of deep-fried turkey sandwich suits your fancy, Arby's has got you covered this November. While it's basically a coin flip as to which sandwich you should order with herb spread lovingly squeezed on, the sauce's full flavor came alive best when I dipped my curly fries in it.