As far as packaging and initial impressions go, they are even.  Both are made quickly and both are packaged nicely with everything contained in the burger.  After the unwrapping, the Buck Double jumped out as a good looking burger.  The sesame seed bun and overall girth of the Buck Double made it look way better than the cheap looking McDouble.   But come on, for $1 it doesn’t have to look especially nice, it has to taste good.

Bite One:  Winner – McDouble
The first bite winner is McDonalds’ McDouble.  It’s a burger that blends together nicely and doesn’t require much work to chew and swallow, meaning it is a burger made to be devoured quickly.  The first bite of the Buck Double was bun and meat, a lot of meat and no toppings.  Sadly, it was too much meat for the first bite.

Bite Two: Winner – Buck Double
From the second bite to the finish the Buck Double took over from a taste perspective.  The meat was delicious with the mustard, pickles, ketchup all tasting like much higher quality ingredients than the McDouble.  The Buck Double also kept it’s heat longer so by the end it was still warm and the McDouble was cold (I even bought the Buck Double first).  The pickles were thicker and fresher, the mustard was delicious with the charbroiled burger patties and the sesame seed bun was enough to make me feel like I was eating a higher quality burger.

Overall Winner:  Buck Double
I’m a fan of McDonalds and will still buy my fair share of McDouble’s but the overall winner for the Buck Double vs. McDouble comparison has to be Burger King’s Buck Double.  It was meatier (like the commercials claim), it was tastier and it was just a better double burger for a buck.

Wendy’s Double with Everything & Cheese (of course)
700 Calories
40 g fat (17 g saturated, 2 g trans)
1,440 mg sodium

In-N-Out Burger Hamburger and Fries
790 Calories
37 g fat (10 g saturated)
895 mg sodium

Five Guys Cheeseburger (this is really sad)
840 calories
55 g fat (22.5 g saturated)
1,050 mg sodium

Carl’s Jr. Six Dollar Burger
890 Calories
54 g fat (20 g saturated, 2 g trans)
2,040 mg sodium

Hardee’s Original Thickburger
910 Calories
64 g fat (21 g saturated)
1,560 mg sodium

Burger King Triple Whopper Sandwich with Cheese and Mayo
1250 Calories
84 g fat (32 g saturated, 3.5 g trans)
1,600 mg sodium
Although this was sad to read I will give them credit for suggesting alternatives (only once considering chicken an alternative was a nice touch as well).  They recommended the Big Hamburger from Carl’s Jr instead of the Six Dollar Burger and ordering “Protein Style” at In-N-Out.  Interesting ideas……but I don’t know if it’s really worth it.  You only live once and you should enjoy each meal, right?

Apparently they are even being ordered.  The first 30 burgers at each store in Japan sell for $8.45 (777 yen) and then the price jumps to $15.75 (1,450 yen).  Think about that, a $15 burger isn’t that hard to find but a $15 burger with 7 patties, now that’s magic.  I wonder if you even taste the toppings?   If you are in Japan over the next few days, feel free to stop by a Burger King and enjoy enough calories for the entire day…you’ll probably want a Diet drink with it.

This Whopper Jr. was wrapped to perfection and I actually felt like I was unwrapping a gift.  Credit goes to the preparer!  The bun is a nice sesame seed bun and the beef patty is pretty close to exactly the same size as the bun.  The shredded lettuce was hanging out just a little but the tomato and sauce were perfectly aligned with the beef and buns.  Although the patty is small, the toppings (including the onion) were well matched and it maintained the same level of coordination as the original Whopper.

Overall it was a  good burger and although smaller than most other Value Menu burgers, it’s a good value at $1.  I just hope the Whopper goes on sale again soon, those were good time!

I hope they are as fun to watch as the Carl’s Jr Big Carl commercials.

This is part of an overall push by Burger King to keep the Whopper in the minds of we, the people.  Towards the end of October there will also be a new site called TruthAboutTony.com that will include sweepstakes, insights and hopefully some coupons.  I know if I was a Nascar fan I’d go buy a Whopper after each commercial, guaranteed!

Quote of Choice:

“It’s no secret that I love the Whopper sandwich,” Stewart said in a statement. “Participating in a live polygraph test just further demonstrates my enthusiasm and the lengths that I’ll go to, to prove my love for its flame-fresh taste.”

Burger King's Angry Whopper in Japan

I think I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so….or at least I’m thinking about it today.  Japan is the second largest economy in the world and even the burger gods know that.  Apparently Burger King is launching their newest burger there and went all out in Downtown Tokyo to promote this new Burger King “Angry Whopper“.  The idea: Scream away your frustrations for the chance to win a year’s supply of Whoppers. Can you imagine how much fun it would have been to be in downtown Tokyo, by a Burger King, and hearing people yelling things like, “I need a girlfriend” or “I need to pass my test”.

What is the Angry Whopper?  The Angry Whopper, introduced in December in the U.S., has jalapeno chili peppers and hot sauce, as well as a burger patty, onions, cheese, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce on a sesame seed bun.

Apparently the burger wars in Japan or intense with McDonalds leading the way and Burger King, having once left the country in 2001 only to return in 2007, still trying to figure out how to get the Japanese to pick Burger King.  Something tells me the Angry Whopper won’t quite do it but I still give them points for marketing style:)