[UPDATE] Burger King’s Chef’s Choice Burger [Review]

AndrewNovember 2, 2011

For years, fast food giants have propped up their depressing, dirty, downright disastrous menus with new release items that are usually too good to be true. Besides the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, I don’t think a new fast food item has ever lived up to its campaign ads. So when I saw the Burger King: Chef’s Choice commercial touting its “Artisan Bun” and hand crafted “USDA Chuck Patty, seasoned with salt and pepper”, I felt obligated to put on my eating pants and get to the bottom of these bold claims.

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I opted for the drive thru route this time, quite possibly because I don’t want anyone to see me in my eating pants, but more likely because the Southside BK is not a place you want to get caught flat footed around lunch time. After waiting in line behind Carl, the local scrap metal collector in his 1993 rusted out Chevy Silverado, I pulled to the speaker and ordered me a “Small Chef’s Choice Meal w a coke and a couple sides of zesty sauce”

5 minutes later I was on my way back to my safe house to devour what those BK Chef’s had chosen for me. Admittedly, I had to snack on a few fries for the ride home… It’s a well known fact that road fries, are acceptable when transporting fast food home. You have to atleast have a few fresh fries before they turn radioactive.

Slamming my car door shut, gathering my goodies, and gallivanting into the house, I was ready to find out if the $7.99+ for the small meal was really worth it.

Right off the bat, you can notice the new burger box. They opted for burger structure preserving cardboard box instead of the usual tissue paper and a sticker. This must be a serious burger if were adding extra steps for the chefs to take before sending it out the door.

Right away I can tell that this is most definitely an “Artisan Bun”. A welcome change, as we all know how insultingly sloppy those BK buns get half way thru a whopper eating extravaganza.

And here we are again, a common theme in my dining experiences. The lack of essential toppings. Is it to hard to ask for the required amounts of toppings? Is there anything more insulting than ordering a meal and not getting what they promised you? 1 onion sliver, one demoralized piece of lettuce, and 2 pieces bacon from 1973 are not exactly what I would choose if I were a BK Chef.

Soggy sandwich in hand, I dug in for disappointment. The “USDA Chuck Patty” was crispier than my hair before the 8th grade dance, and colder than the stare my mother gives me in the morning after I stroll in from a long night of alcohol abuse. Truly, the only thing saving me from hurling this high priced meat mashup half way to Harrisburg was its new “Artisan Bun”, a side of zesty sauce, and the 8 dollars I forked over.

Over cooked, and Over Priced.

{EDIT} Thanks to a little influence from a reader/ comment below, I decided to give the Chef’s Choice another go. So I stopped by the Dry Cleaner for my eating pants and meandered on over to a different BK location for a second try.

VICTORY! This time the BK Chef’s Choice was loaded w Bacon, flavor, and juiciness. My burger was done just right, and the bun took this to a whole new level. At $8.66 for the medium combo it is a bit pricey, but it is a quality burger. Still, I believe the whopper wins in a bang for your buck situation.