Tag: Fast Food

NOTE: We also reviewed the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper and Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper

After taking my first bite of Burger King’s Mexican Street Corn Whopper, the only thing that circled my brain was that this Whopper’s taste reminded me of a Taco Bell Crunchy Taco Supreme. If the fast food chain that tells us to Live Más ever decided to make a burger, which I predict will happen within the next five years, I imagine it would taste like this.

When I thought about it more than one should when thinking about a fast food cheeseburger, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this Whopper tastes similar to a taco because there are several corresponding ingredients. Both have tomatoes, some kind of cheese, ground beef, and not-quite-completely-green but not-quite-completely-white lettuce. Both have a tanginess from sauces; sour cream with the taco and street corn spread with this burger. Finally, the tortilla strips are a stand-in for a taco shell’s flavor and have a pleasant crunch that would make any crunchy taco proud.

The Mexican Street Corn Whopper is supposed to have a spicy queso, but as I ate it, I didn’t notice anything that would be considered spicy anywhere on the Scoville scale. So I wondered whether it was included in my order, but I tasted a queso flavor while eating it, so that cheesiness makes me believe it was included.

Now, let’s talk about that creamy street corn spread. Thank goodness this didn’t have actual Mexican Street Corn lurking between the sesame seed bun. Because I can’t imagine a mere burger bun overcoming gravity’s attempt to pull down the loose corn kernels while it’s also trying to prevent the lettuce and tortilla strips from falling out. The street corn spread is not a gooey sauce like a queso. Instead, it’s slightly grainy. As for its flavor, it’s cheesy, somewhat peppery, and corny. I guess its spices help the flame-grilled beef patty taste like Taco Bell’s seasoned beef.

The Mexican Street Corn Whopper is tasty, and I enjoyed it slightly more than the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, but I feel its name is inaccurate because it tastes like a Taco Bell Taco Supreme to me.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 710 calories, 38 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 110 milligrams of cholesterol, 970 milligrams of sodium, 62 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 40 grams of protein.

NOTE: We also reviewed the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper and Mexican Street Corn Whopper

I might’ve been the only person in the world who REALLY enjoyed Burger King’s Candied Bacon Whopper, which came out earlier this year. It was the sweetest burger I’ve ever had, which is saying a lot because I’ve eaten a Carl’s Jr. burger with a pineapple on it. So it’s not surprising that I also REALLY enjoy the new and equally as sweet Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper that’s part of the fast food chain’s Million Dollar Whopper Contest.

The burger comes with a 1/4 lb flame-grilled beef patty, maple bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy onions, crispy jalapeños, smoky maple candied bacon, and American cheese on a sesame seed bun. If left out in the open with the top bun off, it would look appealing to birds looking for a turnkey nest because of the satisfying helping of crispy onion and jalapeño pieces, which also give the Whopper some crunch.

After taking a few bites of my burger, I thought it didn’t have the crispy jalapeños because I didn’t detect any heat. But after picking up a few of the fried strings that had fallen out of my Whopper and tasting them, I noticed some of them had a faint kick. However, even after eating several of them with every bite, I wouldn’t consider this anywhere near spicy. And that makes me sad because I really wanted to repeatedly use the word “swicy” in this review.

Instead, the best portmanteau I would like to use over and over again to describe this burger is “savoreet.” While the beef patty, crispy onions, crispy jalapeños, and cheese give this a noticeable savoriness, this Whopper leans more on the maple side, thanks to the abundant BBQ sauce and candied bacon. However, the crispy onions and jalapeños don’t have bold flavors like their fresh versions. Instead, they create an appreciated nondescript savoriness that helps cut through the sweetness. The bacon’s smokiness and saltiness are there but aren’t as noticeable as its maple flavor, which adds to the BBQ sauce’s sweetness. But all that sugary goodness creates a Whopper that I find tastier than the other two contest finalists. Also, that sweetness makes me wonder what this would taste like if the sesame seed bun was replaced with Liège-style waffles.

I imagine some might find the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper to be saccharine or don’t like the idea of a sweet Whopper at all, but I love its savoreetness, and it’s got my vote for the Million Dollar Whopper Contest. Even though I’d be surprised if it won.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 880 calories, 45 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, 1460 milligrams of sodium, 78 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 41 grams of protein.

NOTE: We also reviewed the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper and Mexican Street Corn Whopper

It’s been a while since Burger King had the courage to put fries into a burger, and over a decade later, the fast food chain has mustered enough resolve to once again use fries as a burger topping. Although this time, they are not French fries. Instead, it’s Pickle Fries in the new Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper that’s part of the Million Dollar Whopper Contest.

The offering features a 1/4 lb flame-grilled beef patty, lettuce, creamy pickle ranch, fried pickles, bacon, and Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. As you can see, this description I copied and pasted from the Burger King website calls them “fried pickles,” but they are definitely the same Pickle Fries the chain rolled out with these Million Dollar Whopper Contest finalists. And there was a good number of them in my order.

While I enjoyed Burger King’s Pickle Fries, in my review of them, I wrote I wish they had a more robust dill flavor or a pickle ranch sauce. Well, one of those solutions is offered with this burger. The pickle ranch sauce has a pleasant mild dill taste and a mild ranch flavor. It does enhance the fries instead of muting them, maybe because a lot of it was applied to my order. However, even with both ingredients, I wouldn’t say this Whopper has enough pickle flavor to make me dill-irious. Also, the combination of the wet ingredients—lettuce and pickle ranch—makes the usual crispy exterior of the fries into something slightly soggy. However, the snap of the pickles was still noticeable.

The Swiss cheese adds a salty creaminess, but I feel it’s there more to prevent the bacon from sliding out. Speaking of ingredients falling out, the Burger King lettuce is gonna Burger King lettuce and try to escape from your Whopper, but whatever amount sticks around, they do somewhat replace the crunch that is lost from the soggy pickle fries. The flame-grilled flavor from the beef patty and the saltiness and smokiness from the bacon also make themselves known with every bite.

However, while I enjoyed Burger King’s Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper, I wouldn’t give it my vote for the Million Dollar Whopper Contest. While it has a couple of unique ingredients, I wish the pickle flavor was stronger, and I think the other finalists are more dill-icious.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 870 calories, 50 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 2120 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 42 grams of protein.

Not satisfried with just turning potatoes and chicken into fries, Burger King has recently been on a crusade to turn whatever else it can into “fries,” like Mozzarella Fries, Churro Fries, and now the new Pickle Fries. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fast food chain someday changes its slogan from “Have it Your Way” to “Have it Your Way As Long As It’s Fry-Shaped.” And when that day comes, I imagine Whopper Fries will be an option.

Burger King’s newest side features thin dill pickle spears battered and breaded with a savory seasoned coating, then deep fried. It’s available in one size and comes with a container of Hidden Valley Ranch for dipping, which is just enough to double-dip the pickle fries you receive.

What caught my eye at first was the white specks that dotted the coating, which I thought could represent cucumber seeds, but later, I thought that would be too extra for Burger King to do. Even after nibbling on them, I couldn’t determine what they were, and I just chalked it up to be some kind of seasoning. But that nibbling helped me taste the coating, which had a nondescript savoriness. The golden brown exterior also had a satisfying crispy texture that helped hide how limp the pickles inside were.

Looking down the barrel of an individual fry, you’ll see that the pickle spear takes up most of the space, but there’s still some air between it and the breading. This gap makes them look slightly more substantial than they really are. This also causes something similar to what happens when you bite an onion ring and accidentally pull out the rest of the onion from the breading.

While the coating has nice crispiness, the pickles within also have a crunchiness, despite their limpness. If you’re expecting these to taste dill-heavy, get ready to be dill-sappointed. They have enough flavor that I could notice the tanginess through the breading, but it’s not overwhelming, and I wish it was slightly stronger. Because the pickle taste isn’t very bold, I prefer to eat these fries without the Hidden Valley Ranch. The sauce adds another level of tanginess, but the coating and pickles are tasty enough on their own, and the addition of the condiment hides the side’s flavor.

I enjoyed eating through a container of Burger King’s Pickle Fries, mostly sans sauce. It’s a tasty side, but I wish it had a more robust dill flavor or, if it ever returns, it comes with a dill ranch sauce, which would satisfy me.

Purchased Price: $5.49*
Size: One size
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories, 21 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 2280 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.