Wednesday, February 1, 2012

From the Snack Aisle: O'Boises Potato Chip

O'Boises Potato Chips
Company: Keebler
Years: Mid-Late 80's
        
Elves.

They had a good thing going and they let it slip through their fingers. Probably because they have little fingers. It's hard to hold onto a bag of delicious chips (I know... they aren't chips) with such small fingers.


 O'Boises were one of those snacks that you wanted to call "A chip", though they swore up and down that they aren't a chip. (those elves swear a lot too, guys......usually complaining about the tiny fingers...). They were a baked chip like shape that had small air pockets all over, giving them a very distinct crunch. Very salty....very delicious.



I keep wanting to compare them to Tato Skins, but I don't think that would be fair. But I'm not sure what else to compare them to, so I will. Are you picturing Tato Skins? Good. They look kinda like that. But not really.
They came in 3 flavors: Regular, Sour Cream and Onion, and BBQ. And each one was delicious. I was always a fan of the Sour Cream and Onion.
And then one day - *poof* - they're gone.

Nobody really knows where O'Boises disappeared to, but my running theory is that one of the elves fell into the machine that peeled the potatoes for O'Boises Chips (I know they're not chips) and as part of the lawsuit settlement the machine had to be removed from the factory/tree and as a result it just took too long to peel all the potatoes by hand, and they decided to shelf the product and focus on other areas (namely cookies).

Or maybe they were discontinued because of poor sales. That might be why, too. I'll check with the elves.

46 comments:

  1. Man, I loved O'Boises. They were O'Boisterous! The air pockets created these little creases where the flavoring would collect. They were crunchy but also crispy. I remember taking a road trip with my family through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the unopened bags of O'Boises in the car puffed up because of the change in altitude. The bags themselves were like the air pockets of the chips. Amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They were freakin awesome! Why do they have to discontinue the stuff people really like? They did the same crap with Magic Middles. Another great and wonderful product vanished.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree! And they do the same with makeup etc.

      Delete
    2. Yes, they do! My theory for make up is they figure you'll buy 20 different kinds trying to find one you like as well!
      I LOVED O'Boises! I used to mix up tuna fish, then put it on plain chip, it was great! (Weird I know!) No other can replace it.

      Delete
  3. Oh yeah! Magic Middles. I'd forgotten those amongst all the other foods I loved from the 70's and 80's. O'Boisies were delicious as was another Keebler product: Krunch Twists (later called Cheeblers) that also died an untimely death :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah! I remember Cheeblers! I'll have to add that to the store one of these times. Thanks!

      Delete
  4. I jsut read that O'Boisies are back! Not made by Keebler, but the recipe had been sold and traded hands a few times, but they are either back already or are hitting shelves soon!

    ReplyDelete
  5. My husband and I were just trying to remember the name of Jesse other day . I would love to know if they're really coming back !

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just Google it. I don't think any chip touches them wish I had the money to buy the recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just Google it. I don't think any chip touches them wish I had the money to buy the recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love LOVE love those chips often have a taste for them I really hope they come back#

    ReplyDelete
  9. These were awesome. As were Krunch Twists, Magic Middles, and Pizzarias. These companies are losing out on nostalgia money they could be making off of us by re introducing these products. Even for 6 months, they would still make money.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite "chip" as a kid. I used to open the bag, take one out, lick it, put it back in the bag and then shake the bag so no one else would eat any! Bring them back!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Classic move, I used to do this and write a note on the bag saying "I already licked it"

      Delete
  11. When I was a kid I remember getting these all the time when we lived in Indiana but then I never saw them when we moved to NC so I have been thinking all these years it was something only sold in or near Indiana and that I had moved away from them... finding out they were discontinued sucks...

    ReplyDelete
  12. One of my favorites, and I also loved the Sour Cream & Onion.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been trying to remember the name of these!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Best chip (non-chip) ever. Cookouts have never been the same. Eveno my burgers look overy at plain oldefinition chips now and give them the finger.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, The chip is my Favorite Chip. Sweet Potato Chips. Thanks to the admin post my favorite potato chip. I got 50 pack free. If you want free 50 pack Your Favorite Chip! https://goo.gl/Pmb2r4

    ReplyDelete
  16. I loved those chips...they were so great.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I was in the Army when those came out. My roommate was from Boise, so he naturally had to go out and buy a bag.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ok. I don’t want anyone to freak out, but I found something that is comparable. Not quite as light,but pretty damn close. They have the same bubbles and the same, very distinct pile of crumbs. Super good.
    There are some Nabisco-Ritz—Crisp and Thins. You’re all welcome. Just kidding. Well, unless you find them and like them. Then, your welcome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just had these tonight and thought the exact same thing. Quite close to the texture and pretty tasty too

      Delete
  19. They were my favorite. The only thing that I have tried that tastes a little close are veggie sticks or veggie chips. You get the crunch and the saltiness.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would give anything to have a bag of those chips they are the best ever

    ReplyDelete
  21. God! I wish they would bring these back they are Soo...damn good

    ReplyDelete
  22. If the keebler company has any brain they would bring these back there's a enough comment the say they love these chip so hint hint

    ReplyDelete
  23. They were my al time fav.. I miss em. Nothing compares to it.. Nothing... Wish They would bring em back.i would kill for a bag

    ReplyDelete
  24. Does anyone know why they quit making them???? I remember buying the last bag at the store I stopped at every morning and next morning I ask the owner when she was getting them in again and she said , Never they stopped making them. I wanted to cry!!! Lol

    ReplyDelete
  25. These were my favorite chips growing up!! Was just telling my co-worker about them so I had to see if maybe they were just selling them elsewhere in the country, like they do other products. Such a shame they stopped making them. Keebler, or whoever, should bring them back!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I loved these chips growing up. They need to bring them back please

    ReplyDelete
  27. Definitely best chip ever. I loved the sour cream and onion too.

    ReplyDelete
  28. They were being made by the company UTZ for a few years in 2014 - 2017 or somewhere in there. They would sell small bags at dollar stores, then poof. Gone again. I tried to track some down but they are no more, again! Ugh. One of my favorite chips of all time.

    ReplyDelete
  29. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CHIP LIKE THIS ONE YET ITS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY... BRING THEM BACK PLEASE LITTLE KEEBLER 'S 😭😭🥴🥴🥴🥴👍😘💞💞💞🤗🤗😋😋😚😚😚😚😚😋😋😋😋💯💯✅✅✅

    ReplyDelete
  30. I used to cry when I couldn't get a bag of O'Boisies or Pizzeria chips. Please bring them both back

    ReplyDelete
  31. After searching the internet years ago, I read somewhere that Nabisco sold their recipe to TGI Fridays. You can find their version of O'Boisies at the Dollar Tree. The texture and crunch are identical. The flavors I've seen are: Cheddar & Bacon, Jalapeño Cheddar and Sour Cream & Onion. Hope this helps! Happy snacking!!🙂

    ReplyDelete
  32. Why would you try to develop any new products when you already have a winning product with a following? I bet snack companies don't get these kinds of reactions in focus groups when testing new snack products.

    "O'Boisies are my favorite chip of all time"

    "Best chip ever that's all."

    "...they stopped making them. I wanted to cry!!!"

    "Definitely best chip ever. I loved the sour cream and onion too."

    "I used to cry when I couldn't get a bag of O'Boisies or Pizzeria chips. Please bring them both back."

    "They were my al time fav, I miss em. Nothing compares to it, Nothing... Wish they would bring em back."

    "I loved these chips growing up. They need to bring them back please."

    "I would give anything to have a bag of those chips they are the best ever."

    Keebler (or whoever it is now UTZ maybe?), listen to your customers and BRING THEM BACK! I guarantee if you did a national re-launch using the same packaging and re-ran the old commercials from the late 80's (for nostalgia purposes) you would not be able to keep these chips on the shelves. The nostalgia would kickstart sales then the taste and texture of the product itself would create a permanent place on the shelves, you can't convince me that it wouldn't work. Let's do this!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I still occasionally get that jingle in my head from time to time though I don't think I ever had them very often. If I did it was at a friend's house, they weren't something my parents ever got or got for us. We ate a lot of Doo Dads Snack Mix back then though, I miss that stuff.

    ReplyDelete