Burger King’s newfound ambitiousness continues to surprise. The chain announced a new summer menu that includes not just the rollout of the Carolina BBQ Whopper as predicted here earlier this week, but a rolling series of limited-time items that includes all of the products it had tested earlier this year in Nashville, including the much ballyhooed Bacon Sundae and a pulled-pork sandwich.
After all of last year’s talk of sky-high beef prices, it’s interesting to note that the highest-priced items on Burger King’s menu are the two $4.79/€3.80 chicken sandwiches. Higher prices for corn/feed have helped push up poultry wholesale prices.
Advertising that supports the new menu uses the new tagline, “Taste is King,” as reported here Monday. Burger King has used that line in advertising outside the U.S. for several years (in Germany it’s the delightful “Geschmack ist King”).
All told, Burger King’s summer menu includes nine new items:
◙ Carolina BBQ Whopper ($3.99/€3.15): A quarter-pound (4-oz.) beef patty with pepper-Jack cheese, hardwood-smoked bacon, iceberg lettuce, red onion, tomato, “Sweet Southern” dressing and Bull’s-Eye Carolina Style BBQ Sauce on a sesame-seed bun.
◙ Carolina BBQ Chicken Sandwich ($4.79/€3.80): Grilled (Tendergrill) or fried (Tendercrisp) chicken breast patty, pepper-Jack cheese, hardwood-smoked bacon, iceberg lettuce, red onion, tomato, “Sweet Southern” dressing and Bull’s-Eye Carolina Style BBQ Sauce on a sesame-seed bun.
◙ Memphis Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich ($3.49/€2.75): Pulled pork with Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet ‘n Spicy BBQ sauce, sliced onion and “Sweet Southern” dressing on a toasted “artisan-style” bun.
◙ Texas BBQ Whopper Sandwich ($3.99/€3.15): A 4-oz. beef patty, American cheese, jalapeňo slices, red-onion rings, tomato, iceberg lettuce and Bull’s-Eye Texas Style BBQ Sauce on an “artisan-style” bun.
◙ Texas BBQ Chicken Sandwich ($4.79/€3.80): Grilled (Tendergrill) or fried (Tendercrisp) chicken breast patty, American cheese, jalapeňo slices, red-onion rings, tomato, iceberg lettuce and Bull’s-Eye Texas Style BBQ Sauce on that “artisan-style” bun.
◙ Frozen Lemonade, Frozen Strawberry Lemonade ($1.99/€1.60) for 12 oz.; and up): Yes, like McDonald’s. Hey, you go with what works. For those of us outside New York City, a 20-oz. serving will be available.
◙ Sweet Potato Fries ($1.89/€1.50): Yep, like the sweet-potato fries previously added by Culver’s, Wendy’s and Sonic (OK, theirs are sweet-potato tots). Bandwagons were made to hop aboard.
◙ Bacon Sundae ($2.49/€2.00): Soft-serve, chocolate fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a rasher of hardwood-smoked bacon as a garnish.
Burger King hasn’t said what comes off the menu to make room for this series of summer treats. Sources earlier had said the semi-new Chef’s Choice burger—augmented by Bacon Cheddar BBQ and Bacon & Bleu LTO versions in March–loses its menu slot.
These amazing offers are yet to hit Burger Kings in Ireland but let’s see if they become a hit in the US.