Author: James

After trying its hand at seemingly every possible variation of the King burger imaginable, the suits at Burger King finally decided to get rid of the flame-broiled patty altogether and try something radically different with the fast food flagship.

Enter the Pulled Pork King, which as the name suggests, is a Sloppy Joe-like sandwich consisting of BBQ-sauce-slathered shredded pork, crispy onions, and a handful of pickles…all underneath a toasted sesame seed bun, as apparently required under a decree of the Burger King himself. (An aside, but does the titular Burger King even have a first or last name?)

I went into this with pretty low expectations, but I have to say I was very surprised by its overall quality. The shredded pork was flavorful and unexpectedly smoky, giving it an authentic taste and texture you wouldn’t expect to come out of a fast food kitchen.

Likewise, the BBQ sauce itself was very good, packing enough vinegary tart and sugary sweetness to placate seemingly all of your tastebud’s domains — although I’m disappointed to report that said sauce was nowhere near as “hot and spicy” as advertised. But the crispy onion and pickles certainly did their part, bringing enough mouthfeel and flavor diversity to the product without taking away from the marquee pork taste.

At $5.79, the Pulled Pork King is a hefty investment for a BK offering, so your mileage may vary on whether or not the L-T-O is worth that kind of moolah. That said, the sandwich itself is fairly large and filling, so if volume is a priority, you probably won’t be disappointed by this one unless you have the stomach of a competitive eater or something.

Of course, this being a King burger relative, the usual caveats about salt and squishiness do apply: with more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium, this thing will starch your throat fast, and heaven help you if you drop this thing on your lap — good luck EVER getting the BBQ sauce stains off your Dockers there, buddy.

Burger King’s Pulled Pork King checks off just about all the boxes you would want a summertime, L-T-O sandwich to check off. It’s unique and ephemeral, and smacks of instant nostalgia, but at the same time, it’s also a stunningly flavorful item that tastes way better than you’d expect it to be. Never in a million years would I have thought Burger King of all restaurants would’ve figured out the secret sauce to crafting a great, on-the-go pulled pork sandwich, but here we are.

Long story short, if you’re a fan of BBQ or plain adventurous when it comes to fast food, you would be wise to give the Pulled Pork King a try. Heck, it’s so good, it kinda’ makes me wonder how BK would fare at an L-T-O brisket-burger next.

Purchased Price: $5.79
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 690 calories, 25 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,190 milligrams of sodium, 82 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 34 grams of sugar, and 35 grams of protein.

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What is the Burger King Stacker King?

The newfangled Burger King Stacker King, as the name implies, is the beefed up (literally) spiritual successor to BK’s fan-favorite Stacker. Indeed, the Stacker King is more or less the same concept as the decade-old mega meat sensation. It’s a combination of flame grilled beef, a deluge of crispy bacon, a hearty helping of American cheese, and a delightful dollop of the proprietary Stacker Sauce. And, depending on your appetite/lack of concern for your wellbeing, it comes in single, double and triple patty-stacked permutations.

How is it?

You know exactly what you’re getting into with this one. The Stacker King (I went with the double-patty offering) is an ultra-satisfying, no frills, no-risks-taken burger that’s about one thing, and one thing only — volume.

You have to give Burger King some props on this one because they did not skimp out on the protein; in fact, my Stacker King came loaded with no less than EIGHT strips of bacon, which is enough to qualify as a breakfast buffet legally. And the Stacker Sauce — something of a lite chipotle mayo medley with a teensy taste of relish and celery — is a plain fantastic condiment, which I’d love to see released as a retail product.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Something like the Stacker King is almost a review-proof fast food item. Right off the bat, you know whether you’d love it or flee from it in terror, so if the photos get your stomach rumbling or churning, I can promise you the actual product would have the same effect on your tummy. Two words of warning before you place your order, though: running the gamut from $5.49 to just shy of $8 (in metro-Atlanta, anyway) these sandwiches aren’t the cheapest burgers on the market, and they have nearly a full day’s worth of sodium.

Conclusion:

It may not be a terribly creative item, but the Stacker King is unquestionably a scrumptious and extremely filling fast food L-T-O. Sure, we could complain about the product being a little bit too basic (this thing would’ve been considerably better with Swiss or Havarti), and the lack of virtually any veggies might put a few would-be diners off. But on the whole, this is a yummy, unsophisticated, XXXL burger that does everything it has to and absolutely nothing more; obviously, the more artisanal fast food fans need not apply here.

Purchased Price: $6.29
Size: Double
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Double) 1050 calories, 68 grams of fat, 28 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 grams of trans fat, 235 milligrams of cholesterol, 1879 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 61 grams of protein.

What are the Burger King Bacon Cheesy Tots?

With the Bacon Cheesy Tots, Burger King is putting a new spin on a tried and true comfort food favorite.

Sorta’.

These spherical, fried potato discs might look like your average tots, but inside you’ll find a molten core of creamy cheese and several hearty chunks of crispy bacon. Or, at least, that’s what the marketing materials claim.

How are they?

On the whole, the Bacon Cheesy Tots are tasty, but they ultimately feel like nothing more than a glorified breakfast menu side item. The exterior shells of the tots are nice and crispy (thank goodness, because there are few things in this world more lamentable than soggy tots), but the interior filling leaves a lot to be desired.

On the plus side, the tots do taste adequately cheesy — in case you were wondering, it appears to be cheddar-based — but the bacon ratio is sorely disappointing. In fact, on some tots you may only get a speck or a granule of bacon bits; and such inconsistency from tot to tot, I assure you, is truly maddening.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The general texture and mouthfeel of the products are quite satisfying, and the tots are certainly filling on an empty stomach. Alas, its taste isn’t all that distinct, and as the case with MANY Burger King items, the product is astoundingly salty. Just eight pieces will net you close to half a day’s worth of suggested sodium intake. Naturally, you’ll need a beverage nearby for this one — and your favorite in-house BK dipping sauce wouldn’t hurt, either.

Conclusion:

The lack of bacon is what really hurts this one. Granted, I wasn’t expecting the tots to be edible bacon pinatas or anything, but it certainly feels like modern science has progressed enough that far more chunks of pork can be engineered into the potato balls.

Furthermore, it would’ve been nice to see BK partner this one with some sort of sauce. A nice, mesquite BBQ blend, for example, would’ve given this product some added shelf-life. Still, considering the low price point and the high volume of product, there’s certainly an element of value to the tots; although unless you are REALLY strapped for cash, I wouldn’t exactly recommend going out of one’s way to experience this L-T-O snacker.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 8 tots
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories; 14 grams of fat, 0 grams of total fat, 15 milligrams
of cholesterol, 1,020 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 10 grams of protein

What is the Burger King Big King XL?

Well, as the name implies, the newfangled BIG King XL from Burger King is pretty much a jumbo-sized variation of its Big King burger — which, itself, is basically Burger King’s rebuttal to the Big Mac.

For the uninitiated, we’re talking more than 1/2 lb. of flame-grilled 100 percent beef, a double serving of gooey American cheese, a smattering of sliced onions, a crown of lettuce, a deluge of pickles, and a heaping helping of the proprietary Stacker sauce underneath the topmost sesame seed bun.

How is it?

In a word? Heavy. Literally, metaphorically, figuratively and phonetically. I’m not quite sure how much the sandwich weighs, but this thing has to be at least a solid pound with all the accoutrements included. Indeed, it’s so big that it might prove a challenge to eaters with smaller mouths, so keep that in mind before you shell out the moolah for this one.

As for the overall taste and texture, it’s pretty much exactly what’s advertised — a humongous, sumo-wrestler-sized version of the tried and true Big Mac imitator, which is definitely more than enough to fill up just about anybody who doesn’t have the metabolism of a hummingbird.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Big King XL, even though as a limited-time-only offering it’s rather staid. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed having some bacon in there, or it would’ve been cool to see the King give the plus-sized burger a more unique hook — perhaps one of the more esoteric toppings, like jalapeno rings or mushrooms, or even an all-new sauce. But as is it’s still a perfectly fine, flavorful and filling hamburger that ought to satiate anybody with a craving for high-calorie mega-fast-food.

Conclusion:

You know exactly what you’re getting into with the Big King XL, and that’s mostly a good thing. There’s no denying it’s a tasty burger, and if you’re on the prowl for a fast food offering that will stick to your ribs, look no further.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: XL… what else?
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 980 calories, 63 grams of fat, 27 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 gram of trans fat, 215 milligrams of cholesterol, 1660 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 56 grams of protein..

What is the Burger King Cheesy Bacon Crispy Chicken Sandwich?

The Cheesy Bacon Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a fairly straightforward offering from The King. You’ve got a big, crispy chicken filet (which, if you so request, comes with special spicy seasonings), a couple of strips of smoky bacon, a toasted potato bun, and two types of cheese-related dressings underneath. There’s a thick, creamy cheddar sauce and what appears to be at least two slices of melted (or at least slightly warmer than usual) American cheese.

How is it?

The chicken filet is actually a lot better than you may anticipate, and as always, Burger King’s bacon, in my opinion, remains one of the most underrated toppings in the world of fast food fix-ins.

The potato bun, unfortunately, doesn’t have much flavor to it, but where this thing really disappoints is in the cheese department. The proprietary cheddar sauce is shockingly tasteless, and whatever brand of American cheese BK is using these days has to be one of the more mundane variations on the market.

Is there anything else you need to know?

This is a perfectly fine fast food offering… and that’s the problem. There’s no denying the Cheesy Bacon Crispy Chicken Sandwich — which I’m just going to call the CBCCS from here on out — is a flavorful, hearty sandwich, which will certainly fulfill whatever poultry-burger cravings you may be having.

Alas, it doesn’t offer anything new, and the lack of any fresh produce to counterbalance the medley of meats makes this a recipe for cottonmouth city (not a surprise in the slightest, since this sammich packs nearly an entire day’s worth of recommended salt intake).

Conclusion:

The CBCCS plays it a little too safe, and the result is a tasty, but hardly remarkable, limited time only sandwich from the fast food juggernaut that seems like it’s pumping out a new LTO item every 10 to 12 days.

The sandwich definitely could have been improved with a different sauce (a savory boom-boom aioli, perhaps?) and with so much meat in the mix, some lettuce and tomato almost seem like a gustatory necessary.

It would have been nice to see BK get a little experimental with the toppings (some onion rings or fried mushrooms would’ve been great), but it seems like the choice of dairy is where the King went astray here. Swiss, mozzarella, gruyere … pretty much anything would’ve been a better fit than the Velveeta spread they ultimately opted for.

Still, it is good and extraordinarily filling; but for the rather steep price point, it seems like you should be getting something a little more distinct than the final product.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 650 calories, 32 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,980 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 31 grams of protein.

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