Top 10 Most Outrageous Fast Food Burgers
#10: Black Ninja Burger
Burger King
Burger King has tried some weird things over the years—especially in Japan. Back in October of 2013, they introduced the Black Ninja Burger, which was a dark sandwich with a...tongue? The burger contained the usual trappings, including lettuce, mayo, and beef. However, it also came equipped with buns turned black after being infused with bamboo charcoal, a hash brown patty, and a thick slab of bacon made to look like a protruding tongue. The whole tongue thing is certainly a little strange, and the black buns are...different, to say the least. Are ninjas known for sticking out their tongues or something?
#9: Cheetos Chicken Sandwich
KFC
Cheetos are good. KFC is good. But is combining them a good idea? KFC clearly thought so, and in July of 2019, they introduced the Cheetos chicken sandwich. The sandwich was only available for a limited time and included fried chicken, “Cheetos sauce” (whatever the heck that is), and a layer of actual Cheetos. It both sounds and looks bizarre, with the bright orange glare possibly being off-putting to some. KFC is the king of stunt foods, with their Double Down taking the Western world by storm in 2010. But this just might be pushing the limits of good taste—both figuratively and literally. If nothing else, the franchise certainly knows how to generate curiosity.
#8: Foie Gras Rossini Burger
Wendy’s
It’s not just Burger King that experiments in Japan. Wendy’s has also gotten in on the action. In 2012, they launched a premium caviar and lobster sandwich for the equivalent of $16. One year earlier, to celebrate the restaurant’s re-launch in Japan, they thought, “You know what would be good? Making tournedos rossini into a sandwich.” Don’t know what tournedos rossini is? Exactly. The burger consists of a filet mignon patty, foie gras (AKA duck or goose liver), and truffles. Like the caviar and lobster sandwich, this one also sold for the equivalent of $16. You wouldn't think that Wendy’s and fine dining ingredients would mix, but here you have it.
#7: Big IHOP Pancake Sandwich
IHOP
Back in 2018, IHOP performed a genius marketing stunt by pretending to change its name to IHOB - the International House of Burgers. To honor the stunt, IHOP actually launched a burger called the Big IHOP Pancake the next year. The burger came equipped with two beef patties, American cheese, bacon, IHOP sauce, and a signature IHOP cheddar cheese pancake slapped in the middle. It sort of looks like the Wendy’s Baconator, only with a pancake serving as a third bun. It’s also like something an inebriated person would make at 2:00am in the morning. And it’s probably glorious.
#6: Pumpkin Burger
Burger King
We return to Burger King Japan for the pumpkin burger, which is exactly what it sounds like. Burger King jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon in October 2012, putting the fad into hamburger form. Costing about $4, the pumpkin burger consisted of a beef patty, lettuce, bacon, a unique nut sauce that includes peanuts, almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts, plus two slices of fried kabocha—also known as Japanese pumpkin. Okay, so kombucha is actually winter squash, but the name still stands. The burger was also available in a “pumpkin bomb” version, which consisted of ten slices of pumpkin, just for those who can’t get enough. Move aside, pumpkin spice latte!
v#5: El Diablo Thickburger
Carl’s Jr. & Hardee’s
People love their spicy food. Realizing this, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s teamed up and created the so-called “World’s Hottest Burger” - their words, true distinction unknown. Named the Thickburger El Diablo, this one came equipped with a beef patty, pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapeños, jalapeño poppers, and a special habanero sauce. It sounds like a whole lot of uncomfortable spice, but then again, that’s exactly the point. We can only assume customers ordered it with a carton of milk! The Thickburger was originally unveiled in 2015 before returning to Carl’s Jr. in 2018. It obviously proved popular enough to warrant a comeback!
#4: Spam & Oreo Burger
McDonald’s
Japanese fast food has some competition. McDonald’s has introduced some outrageous items in China, including a hamburger topped with mashed potatoes. The mashed potato burger was part of their “Manly Man” campaign that was geared towards “young urban meat lovers”. (xref) In December of 2020, McDonald’s China began offering the Spam and Oreo burger, which consists of two slices of Spam and crumbled Oreo cookies. This burger was, quite unsurprisingly, aimed at the younger generation. The communications manager of McDonald’s China told CNN Travel, “Luncheon meat is a trending food among youngsters nowadays” and “the flavourful and crispy Oreo… is a snack youngsters are familiar with.” Yes, but does it taste good? Probably.
#3: Gold Leaf Burger
Hard Rock Cafe
What’s the point of putting gold on food? Is it merely for the sake of marketing and fancy Instagram pictures? Back in June of 2019, Hard Rock Cafe launched a new and improved menu that included a 24-Karat gold leaf burger. The restaurant describes it as a “burger with bling”, and it consists of a half-pound patty and a 24-karat edible gold leaf. It sets patrons back $25. It’s a premium price for something that isn’t even reportedly worth the extra money, as the gold is obscured once the burger is actually topped with the bun and is completely flavorless. At least $1 of every sale goes to charity, so that’s something.
#2: Fried Chicken & Donuts Sandwich
KFC
KFC never stops with the novelties. At this point, their concoctions might be more famous than the chicken! Apparently aiming to outdo their iconic Double Down and Cheetos sandwiches, the franchise introduced a donut sandwich in September of 2019. It consisted of a piece of fried chicken sandwiched between two glazed donuts. The sandwich was originally available in just three cities—Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Norfolk—but demand and interest proved so high that the franchise launched the donut sandwich nationwide in February 2020. This has to be a social experiment at a certain point. What won’t people eat?
#1: T-Rex Burger
Wendy’s (...Sort Of)
It seems like some people don’t know how to take a joke. Sports Illustrated once ran a parody ad depicting a nine-patty Wendy’s hamburger. However, some people didn’t understand that it was for laughs and legitimately asked Wendy’s about the burger’s existence. Bowing to demand, a rogue restaurant in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada actually began selling the item for $22. It was packed with 3,000 calories, 6,000 grams of sodium, and 200 grams of fat. Surprisingly, the restaurant reportedly sold up to three T-Rex burgers every day. Unfortunately for them, the burger was removed from their offerings after someone posted it to the r/WTF sub on Reddit. The post drew the attention of Wendy’s head office, who ordered that the unauthorized item be removed from the menu.
