Burger’s are baked right into Burger King’s name and they’ll forever be the main event.
The beef patty and bun combo has been a staple of the joint since its inception in 1954.
Countless versions of the sandwich have graced its menu board ever since.
Photos: Burger King. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Some fall into the Whopper family, boasting quarter-pound patties, while others are more basic or specialized.
Despite their differences, all have that glamorous right-off-the-grill charred look.
There are currently a whopping 13 burgers featured on its menu.
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That’s a lot of beef, but I wasn’t deterred.
To find out which BK burger is best, I picked up all 13 at my neighborhood restaurant.
The chain remains one of the more cost-friendly fast-food options, with burgers starting at $1.79.
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It’s made with ketchup, mustard, and pickles and sells for a meager $1.79.
The look:Sad and lonely.
With just three included toppings, you’d think the chain would make them count.
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Instead, they are scanty, confined to one small glob in the middle of the sandwich.
The taste:Dryin a way that’s not just boring but also unappetizing.
When I did reach that one gold mine bite, my taste buds perked up slightly.
Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
It was just the snappy pickles at workthe burger’s only redeeming quality.
Introduced in 1998, the offering rotates on and off the King’s menu.
I was able to wrangle one for $1.99.
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The look:Barren, similar to the hamburger.
The barbecue sauce is applied sparingly, and two small onion rings reside between the bun and the patty.
But, instead, I was left with faint notes of the condiment.
Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
I had to buck this burger to the bottom of my rankings.
This addition adds 40 calories and 20 cents to the total price, which is $1.99.
It’s still rather small, measuring slightly more than 3 inches across.
Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
The taste:Substantially more well-rounded than the classic hamburger.
Each bite of meat is accompanied by mild yet melty cheese, masking its dryness.
However, the burger cuts corners when it comes to garnishes.
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Plus, instead of a dynamic ketchup and mustard duo, this breed of sandwiches includes ketchup and mayonnaise.
Last but not least, juicy pickles are not to be forgotten.
The look:The colossal sandwich towers over all others, putting pip-squeak offerings like the hamburger to shame.
Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
First impressions warned me this would be greasy as the sandwich’s wrapping glistened from below.
The taste:To put it plainly, there is too much meat.
As feared, I could hardly fit my mouth around it.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
It moistened from the added oils and began to fall apart in my hands.
Whopper Jr.
Compared to the Triple, theWhopper Jr.is fun-sized.
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The look:Slightly more plump than the hamburger or cheeseburger, but not by much.
And most of its mass comes from the thick-cut onion sliceslarger than the burger itselfand the shreds of lettuce.
The taste:I’m unsure why this offering gets to boast the Whopper name.
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At its core, it’s just a lowly hamburger with a few additional toppings thrown into the mix.
It doesn’t include a larger, juicier patty like its Whopper brethren.
Overall, the proportions are off.
Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
I can’t look past the fact that it’s masquerading as something better and fancier than it is.
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Bacon Cheeseburger
Everything is better with bacon.
This is why Burger King offers several burger options loaded with slices of the pork specialty.
It costs $2.79.
The look:I expected to find maybe two itty-bitty pieces of bacon on my burger.
Imagine my excitement as I uncovered four half-strips decorating my sandwich.
Cheese is also flowing, and pickles and sauces accounted for.
The patty appears thin, though, especially adjacent to the pillowy bun.
The taste:Good flavors are brewing here, but the beef isn’t prominent enough.
Smokey saltiness leaks out from the bacon, permeating the entire burger.
The slices don’t add much texturesomewhere between crisp and limpbut their flavor makes up for it.
As always, the pickles are delightful, and everything is elevated thanks to the cheese.
The patty is hardly noticeable, buried under condiment dollops and other more overpowering tastes.
Because of this, I can only consider it a mid-tier burger at best.
The taste:I didn’t realize that double meat equaled double cheese.
Each patty receives its own individual slice.
Compared to all this, the patties didn’t have a chance to shine.
But, I will admit this is a very filling option for its price point.
Once you get a more bare-bones mouthful that isolates the Impossible meat, it’s not as appetizing.
It was originally sold for 37 cents, a steal compared to the $5.39 I paid.
The price is the only thing that has changed.
And that has been the recipe since the very beginning.
Right now, you’ll find the classic Double, Triple, and Whopper Jr. on the menu.
It doesn’t feel like the patty is being swallowed by the bun.
The vegetables, on the other hand, are not well-portioned.
As such, my first bite was potent to the max.
Once I peeled off a few rings and strings, it was more enjoyable.
The Whopper patties are a step above, especially compared to the basic hamburger.
Since they’re bigger, they retain more moisture; each bite is juicy and inviting.
There’s no denying the Whopper is quality at its core.
Burgers of lower status ended up turning my head away from the chain’s pride and joy.
Bacon King
Introducing his Majesty theBacon King.
Two slices of melted American cheese, ketchup, and mayonnaise add some zest and flavor.
There are no veggies to distract from the meatnot even pickles.
The King is priced at $7.59, between the Double and Triple Whopper.
The patties, on the other hand, are sizeable with clear-cut grill marks.
The ketchup and mustard are both applied sparingly, but there’s plenty of cheese to go around.
It sure works wonders on a cheesy fast-food burger, though.
Half seems more manageable.
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BBQ Bacon Whopper Jr.
This is the only burger carrying the Whopper name to deviate from the standard formula.
Sure, it still includes a beef patty and all the classic ingredients, with the exception of ketchup.
It tacks on crispy bacon and the chain’s smoky barbecue as saucy supplements.
The fully stacked Whopper Jr. comes at a price of $3.49.
The look:Not too shabby.
The spread is highly influential yet not overpowering.
Double Whopper
You know the drill by now.
The King’sDouble Whopperlands between the original and the triple, featuring two quarter-pound beef patties.
The look:Not nearly as fear-inducing as the triple, but still a hefty burger.
The taste:The Goldilocks of Whoppers.
Finally, this burger achieves the perfect ratio of bun to meat to toppings.
And each piece of the puzzle shines in its own right.
It could be any varietyI’m not picky.
TheBacon Double Cheeseburgerfuses the two for a cost of $3.89.
The taste:This burger does not demand attention, and its fame level pales compared to the Whopper.
Yet, it’s the best option on the menu.
A burger with bacon is a classic, time-honored combination, and the ingredient shines here.
All this, plus the under $4 price tag, makes the decision an easy one.
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