Bottom Line: The Southwest Bacon Whopper from Burger King doesn’t bring much heat, but it is a nice twist on a BK classic and worth a trip to the drive thru.
The Burger Wars among the fast-food chains have been tough on Burger King with that company losing its Number 2 status to Wendy’s last year. So the King has been scrambling and trying to make up some slack, though he had a pretty big misfire with the Whopper Melts earlier this year (I rather liked the spicy version). So just lately, BK has come up with yet another twist on its most popular sandwich with a little bit of a spicy twist hoping to bolster business in the drive thru.
Here is what you get on the Southwest Bacon Whopper according to the King:
A quarter pound* of flame-grilled beef with avocado spread, crispy bacon, seasoned tortilla strips, American cheese, crisp lettuce, sliced white onions, juicy tomatoes, and creamy spicy sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun.
Not that they put that asterisk on the “quarter pound” of beef because that is the pre-cooked weight. So what you are getting on the bun is smaller, but it is still big enough to satisfy your craving for a flame-broiled burger.
So basically, this is a Whopper with extra stuff and the question is whether the extra stuff kicks it up to the next level and makes it worth buying. The bacon, cheese, and veggies are all standard accompaniments, so I will focus on the three add-ons that classify this as a “Southwest” Whopper.
Avocado Spread: This is basically just guacamole, though there is nobody behind the counter smashing avocados. This is the pre-made, vacuum-packed stuff like Wholly Guacamole which is actually pretty good because it is mostly avocado with a bit of seasoning and no fillers. My only complaint is that they put it on the top bun, not the bottom. It should be on the bottom so that this is one of the first tastes you get as you bite into the burger. But on the top, it tends to get lost in the mix. This is why they should hire me as a sandwich construction consultant and pay me the big bucks. Please mention that to them next time you are there.
Seasoned Tortilla Strips: When I pulled my Whopper out of the wrapper, I thought they forgot to add these as I could not see any just looking at the sandwich. The promo picture of the Whopper shows a hefty layer of tortillas, but that’s not what I got. And that’s a shame because the bites that I had were these were plentiful (all too few) were quite good and really kicked up the sandwich with that Southwest flavor. Next time I will likely ask for extra.
Creamy Spicy Sauce: This is basically a spicy mayonnaise with maybe a bit of Southwest seasoning. It adds enough extra flavor that it is not the same as just putting mayo on a burger (which should not be on a burger), but it tended to get lost in the mix. And I would be hesitant to ask for extra sauce because this is already a pretty messy burger.
So is the Southwest Bacon Whopper worth getting?
I rather enjoyed it for its twist on Burger King’s typically reliable Whopper. All of the ingredients worked well together (even if some faded to the background) and the sandwich was not a big, goopy mess (but it still required multiple napkins). For those looking for some heat, though, this will disappoint. The seasoned tortilla strips and spicy sauce give just a bit of a kick, but that is barely enough to get it to the Mild heat level. If I order this again, I would definitely add jalapenos and ask for extra tortilla strips and that might be the key to bringing it all together as a spicy option. Still, as is I rather enjoyed this burger.
Make a note that this is definitely not diet-friendly. At 867.9 calories (no seriously, they have the cals to that precision on the website) the sandwich alone is more than you need in a single sitting. Be sure you only get the small order of fries and an unsweet iced tea or just water, otherwise you may be shopping for the next size of pants.
And as expected, the Southwest Bacon Whopper will be heading back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville before too long. So make that trip to the BK drive thru sooner rather than later if you want one of these, and ask for jalapenos (for a slight additional fee) and extra tortilla strips (maybe no additional charge depending on the mood of the person taking the order) if you want to kick up the heat.
Tale of the Tape:
Calories: 867.9
Fat: 52.5g (17g Sat/0.7g Trans)
Protein: 43.8g
Carbs: 68.8g
Sodium: 1343.9mg
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