Reviews: Arriba Mexican Barbecue Sauces and Lily’s Toaster Grills

Nosh Staff Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:08 AM

Arriba Fire-Roasted Mexican Barbecue Sauces

Arriba Foods’ latest product innovation is a line of fire-roasted Mexican barbecue sauces packaged in 14 oz. squeeze bottles. Like their other products, they are positioned as “craft Mexican, made in Texas.” We sampled the Original and Hot Honey Street Corn varieties (with additional flavors in the lineup), both of which feature a tomato-based formula and a viscosity that sits between barbecue sauce and hot sauce. Original is the more versatile offering, while Hot Honey Street Corn leans into a more distinctive, niche flavor profile.

Things that stand out:

A compelling concept that gives the brand clear differentiation within a relatively underdeveloped “Mexican barbecue” segment.
Original delivers mild heat with a balanced mix of tangy, sweet, and savory notes, making it highly versatile across use cases.
Hot Honey Street Corn stands out for its uniqueness, with a pronounced roasted corn flavor that convincingly evokes elotes.
The texture strikes a nice balance, offering enough body for barbecue applications while remaining lighter and more dynamic.
Packaging is clean and easy to navigate, with clear flavor naming and visible heat level indicators.

Things to consider:

Branding is effective but somewhat basic; there’s room to build more visual personality and shelf impact.
Hot Honey Street Corn may have narrower appeal due to its more specific flavor profile.
The hybrid positioning between hot sauce and barbecue sauce may require some consumer education.
Front-of-pack could do more to quickly communicate what sets this apart from traditional options.

Rating:

Lily’s Toaster Grills

Lily’s Toaster Grills is a new frozen sandwich line that aims to deliver a hot, crispy grilled cheese experience straight from the toaster. Launching with two SKUs, American Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Grilled Cheese Burger Sandwich varieties, the brand combines easy prep with nostalgic comfort food appeal, resulting in a fun, approachable product that feels well executed despite a fairly standard processed ingredient deck.

Things that stand out:

The product delivers strongly on its core promise. After a quick microwave and toaster finish, both sandwiches came out golden brown, hot, and notably crisp, with a texture that feels closer to a freshly made grilled cheese than a typical frozen offering.
The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a simple concept, but it is done very well. It tastes familiar and comforting, with the kind of straightforward cheese-and-bread profile that should have broad appeal.
The Grilled Cheese Burger Sandwich is the more differentiated of the two varieties. It has a satisfying patty melt-style feel, and the burger component adds enough savory character to make it more than a novelty extension.
The packaging has strong shelf presence. The bright orange boxes are highly visible, the sandwich photography is appetizing, and the toaster callout helps quickly communicate the intended preparation method.

Things to consider:

Differentiation between the two SKUs could be stronger. The overall packaging system is cohesive, but the boxes look quite similar at a glance, which could make quick shopping trips a bit less intuitive.
The ingredient list is on the longer side, although that is not unexpected for a frozen convenience product. Shoppers looking for a cleaner label may see this as a tradeoff for the product’s ease and performance.
Prep is easy, but it is still a two-step process. While the microwave-then-toaster method is not difficult, it does require a bit more involvement than the most convenient frozen handheld formats.
Nutritionally, these are positioned as indulgent comfort foods rather than better-for-you options. At 370 calories for the American Grilled Cheese and 360 for the Grilled Cheese Burger, the products sit firmly in the hearty snack or light meal territory.

Rating: