Nichola Beckford/Contributor

The great Chicken Sandwich Wars have finally ended, allowing fast food to return to normalcy.

For those not tuned in, 2019 witnessed a dispute between US fast food restaurant chains Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A that permeated social media.

The initial issue was about who added the item to their respective menu first. It then escalated to who had the best tasting chicken sandwich. Their battle became an all-out war as over 20 competing fast food chains joined in the fray, adding their own take on the chicken sandwich. Peace was finally brokered in 2021 by Popeyes, possibly due to the revelation from data intelligence service Placer.ai that put Chick-Fil-A on top in taste.

Upon the death of the popularity of the chicken sandwich, the lesser players have returned to offering a wider variety of limited time special meals, or have moved back into their area of expertise. Limited time food items have long been a practice in fast food circles as a way to experiment, without upsetting the faithful who enjoy the rather static menu. Some items, if popular, become regulars or are seasonal — I’m looking at you Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Burger King has somewhat quietly dropped, not literally, the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger. But is it A1? Let’s find out together.

What is it?

Potentially an attempt to spice up their cheeseburger sales, the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger, is a meatier take on the menu regulars Cheeseburger, and Double Bacon Cheeseburger. You are looking at two flame-grilled patties for a total of a ½ pound of beef. Between both patties is a slice of cheese and the whole thing is topped with bacon, onion rings — sautéed not fried, and given a nice slather A.1. steak sauce. A toasted sesame seed bun keeps it all together. For reference, the Double Bacon Cheeseburger, under the same toasted sesame seed bun is two flame-grilled patties for a total of a ¼ of beef, bacon, American cheese, pickles, mustard and ketchup. Remove a beef patty to get a regular Cheeseburger.

Does it live up to the pictures?

No, not even close. A quick search on YouTube will expose all the tricks marketing companies use for food commercials and product photography, plus foodies have to take into account the variance of the aptitude of the person putting together the burger. So there was no hope that this would look even as close to tantalizing as it is in the posters or pictures. All isn’t lost, because in the promotional material, somehow scale is lost, and the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger is actually bigger than the Double Bacon Cheeseburger it’s based on. Not surprising, given the increase in the size of the beef patties used. It’s not that the burger is so visually unpleasant to be unappetizing, but just don’t expect what’s on the instore poster to be in the bag.

How does it taste?

Straight to the point, good, and very good if you’re a meat lover. Despite being labelled as a Cheeseburger, it has precious little in common with the Double Bacon Cheeseburger. The reason, the ingredients. First, there is more meat, which is enhanced by the onions and the A.1. sauce. The bacon and the onions fill out the rest of the flavour profile. In contrast, all the meat in the Double Bacon Cheeseburger disappears under its thick-cut pickles. One could technically order it without the pickles, but the onions and the A.1. sauce still would give the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger the taste edge here. Thumbs up, especially for fans of the Steakhouse Burger.

Problems?

For a company that says you can have it your way, you can’t. The A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger is only available as a combo, with a small drink and fries. And while some people might see that as a value proposition, for the straight carnivores, potatoes and liquids are just unwanted extras. Maybe this will change if it becomes popular enough to join the standard menu.

Final verdict

As one would expect, Burger King — when they stick to burgers, can create some gems, and the A.1. Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger is one for hamburger lovers who emphasize the meat aspect of their burger, thus the significant lack traditional toppings, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, or even pickles.