The diner chain just launched a collab with the much-anticipated nostalgic superhero movie.
Not to date myself too much, but I grew up with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I remember watching the original cartoon show on TV and playing with all the franchise’s toys along with my older brother, who was even more of a fan than I was. We even had our own Castle Grayskull, which was Skeletor’s iconic lair.
So I was delighted to learn that there is a new Masters of the Universe movie dropping in June starring Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes of Red, White and Royal Blue and Riverdale fame respectively. To make matters even better, the beloved 24-hour diner chain Denny’s is launching a full menu of items inspired by the movie and the cartoon series that predated it. Of course, I had to try it for myself.
What’s on Denny’s He-Man menu?
The new Denny’s Masters of the Universe menu features four food items, plus one decadent milkshake. Here’s the full lineup:
- He-Man Battle Burger: An over-the-top burger featuring three proteins—a beef patty topped with pulled beef and bacon—plus barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onions and pickles, served with a side of wavy-cut fries
- Eternia’s Premium Breakfast Slam: The chain’s signature buttermilk pancakes topped with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a chocolate sauce drizzle, accompanied with eggs, hash browns and bacon or sausage
- Jr. Grayskull’s Epic Cracklecakes: An order of the chain’s silver-dollar pancakes topped with a vanilla cream sauce and multi-colored popping candy
- Skeletor’s Dark Shakeverse: A milkshake made using strawberry ice cream and blueberries, topped with whipped cream and green popping candy
I tried each of the items on the menu—though I skipped the fourth food item, Eternia’s Everyday Value Slam, because it really is just the company’s regular Slam by a different name. I ended up enjoying everything. All too often, a menu like this is a gimmick that doesn’t quite deliver on either flavor or spectacle, but that was not the case here.
I found the burger to be very juicy, hearty and appropriately epic, living up to its title. The three proteins complemented each other well and didn’t feel like they were fighting for attention. I also really enjoyed the “cracklecakes,” which made me feel like a kid again. I sincerely questioned why more food doesn’t incorporate popping candy!
The Skeletor shake washed everything down. It felt somewhat reminiscent of McDonald’s infamous Grimace shake in both flavor and appearance, but I really appreciated the addition of the fresh blueberries that gave it a more natural taste. I’d genuinely order all three of these items again, and not just because they brought me back to my childhood, but also because they were fun to eat.
My least favorite of all the items was Eternia’s Premium Breakfast Slam. While I enjoyed all the Slam’s traditional components—they’re what the chain is best known for, after all—I was less convinced that mint chocolate chip ice cream belongs on a stack of pancakes. That said, as the ice cream melted slightly over the course of the meal, I did enjoy the dish more. Maybe I’m just not an ice cream-for-breakfast kind of person.
How long will the Denny’s He-Man menu be available?
Denny’s is touting the new menu as a collection of “limited-time creations” so these dishes probably won’t be around for too long. I suspect that they are likely to remain available at least until the movie’s June 5 premiere date, if not for a few weeks afterward. If you don’t want to risk missing out on these items, however, you’d be wise to head to a Denny’s before too much longer.
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