Over the years, Burger King has differentiated itself as the fast food chain which eschewed the move towards healthier, more ‘upscale’ fare. Where other chains were looking to appeal to potential customers who would not normally eat fast food, Burger King wanted to let you know that they would not count calories and hold back from introducing an over the top option which is not appealing to the general population, which brings us to the American Brewhouse King.

Burger King’s American Brewhouse King was a partnership with Budweiser, which produced “two savory flame-grilled beef patties totaling more than ¼ lb. of beef, topped with 3 half-strips of thick-cut smoked bacon, crispy onions, tavern sauce, American cheese and creamy mayonnaise all on our sesame seed bun.” I had wanted to order the burger as a single, but that was not an option. You must receive the massive burger. Unfortunately, I ordered this one to go, so the aroma of bacon taunted me while I was driving home. That also meant that the sandwich was not hot when I finally began to eat it about fifteen minutes after leaving the Burger King.

Upon unwrapping the burger, I saw that it was enormous. It easily could have been split by two people. I also saw that the crispy onions were no longer crispy, which was the second time in a month that had occurred. I know adding texture is a good thing, and most people love fried onions, but if they’re covered in soggy batter by the time you’re actually eating the sandwich, it may not be a positive trend for the fast food industry to continue.

When I actually started eating the American Brewhouse King, it was honestly great. The double burger patties made it nice and meaty and the bacon added a nice smoke. I got a cooling crunch from the lettuce and the cheese was perfectly melted. I didn’t have to compose my bites to taste everything; the burger was well constructed.

The onion strings alone were pretty plain. I didn’t detect much seasoning in the batter; the McDonald’s version was better. These had a faint onion flavor and devolved into a soggy mass on top of the burger.

So those first few bites were great… then I realized there was still a significant amount of burger to eat. The beefiness which was welcomed upon my first bites started to become overwhelming and soon it overcome all of the other toppings. A single burger patty option likely would have solved this issue. Instead, I found myself wondering why I would order this as opposed to a Bacon Whopper. I also ran into the issue that those well composed initial bites were luck of the draw. As I continued eating, the toppings became scarce and I was left with a mountain of beef.

The combination of the mayo and tavern sauce was tasty. I’d be lying if I said I could differentiate them while eating. However,, they were both rich, making it even fattier and contributing to an overall gross feeling as I continued eating.

Burger King does deserve a compliment for just using a regular bun. I don’t like artisan buns and don’t think they add much to the experience. There’s a reason why the sesame seed version is a classic. The burger also stood up to the heft of the sandwich. It did not fall apart or collapse.

By the end, the American Brewhouse King was just too much sandwich. I couldn’t finish it. The burger started off so promising but by the end I just felt full and like I needed to not eat meat for the next week. Overall, if they had offered a version with a single patty, that would have been better and I would have finished. However, I understand that when you’re introducing a limited time option, you want to make it something to remember. Because this was a sponsorship with Budweiser, I doubt we’ll see it again, but the general idea is a winner and a well-executed version could be a regular menu item.