When I first heard about Burger King’s new Philly Chicken Sandwich, I thought they were going to top one of their Original Chicken Sandwiches with thin slices of steak, chopped onions and peppers, and cheese, similar to what Carl’s Jr. did when they topped one of their burgers with innards of a Philly Cheesesteak.

But Burger King didn’t and I’m a bit sad about it.

According to the Burger King website, here’s what they did:

A lightly-breaded chicken fillet topped with traditional Philly-Style toppings – a colorful mix of bell peppers and seasoned grilled onions, served with American cheese and smothered with a creamy cheese sauce. All served hot on a toasted sesame bun.

Oppa Philly-style toppings?

If putting bell peppers, onions, and cheese on top of another food allows one to label it “Philly,” then I’d like to see supreme pizzas be called Philly pizzas and fajitas called Phillitas.

When I pulled back the top bun of the Philly Chicken Sandwich, the bright red and green bell peppers made it feel like it’s still the Christmas season. There was a good amount of peppers and onions on the sandwich, but there was even more cheese. The bell peppers and onions had a crunchiness to them and gave the sandwich a nice flavor.

The orange goo that prevented the veggies from falling out tasted like typical American cheese and actually provided some decent flavor, which is surprising for fast food cheese. But I guess it’s easy to taste the cheese where there aren’t any sauces or mayo to overpower it.

As for the chicken patty, it was dry, but I’m not surprised by that because I believe every Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich I’ve ever had has come with a dry patty. Before taking my first bite, I already knew that the chicken patty in my Philly Chicken Sandwich was going to be devoid of any juiciness because the breaded exterior was darker than the skin of a tanorexic.

The Burger King Philly Chicken Sandwich is a decent fast food menu item, albeit a salty one. The flavor of the toppings almost completely made up for the dry chicken patty. Although, I think it would’ve been better (and more deserving of the Philly name) if Burger King also topped it with thin steak slices.

(Nutrition Facts – 550 calories, 25 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 1870 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.)

Item: Burger King Philly Chicken Sandwich
Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Decent sandwich. Crunchy veggies. Cheese had flavor and kept veggies from falling out. Christmas-y innards. Awesome source of protein.
Cons: Bell peppers, onions, and cheese equals Philly? Awesome source of sodium. Not having thin steak slices. Tanorexia.

Aioli.

It looks like it could be the Hawaiian word for “maybe,” but ‘a’ole.

However, if you watch Food Network cooking shows or call yourself a “foodie” and have more pictures of food you’ve made/eaten than pictures of your children, you know what aioli is. If not, let me explain what aioli is…after I Google it because I have no idea what it is.

According to the first search result, aioli is a creamy French sauce made using lemon juice, eggs, garlic, and olive oil. Oooh, fancy! Aioli is also an ingredient found in Burger King’s new Avocado & Swiss Whopper. Oooh, fancy! Along with an avocado aioli, the limited time only Whopper features a beef patty, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and an avocado spread on a sesame seed bun.

Hey! Wait a minute!

That’s sound awfully similar to Burger King’s California Whopper, which also has a beef patty, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and an avocado spread (guacamole) on a sesame seed bun. However, while many of the ingredients are the same, the Avocado & Swiss Whopper is a much better tasting burger.

The thin beef patty, pale lettuce, tomatoes, and sesame seed bun that make up most of the sandwich didn’t provide any surprises since it’s the same stuff you’d find on a regular Whopper. Also, much like the guacamole in the California Whopper, the avocado spread in the Avocado & Swiss Whopper didn’t have much flavor and it seemed like it was there mostly as glue to keep the lettuce and bacon from falling out.

Speaking of the bacon, it was smoky, thick-ish, and somewhat crisp. It was pretty good fast food bacon, but the amount in the sandwich was less than a slice of bacon fried at home, which wasn’t enough to cover half the burger. As for the Swiss, it surprisingly added some cheesy flavor to the sandwich that doesn’t get lost under all the other ingredients.

But, again, what makes this burger special is the avocado aioli, which sounds like an ingredient you’d find on a sandwich from an upscale burger joint or on a Whopper from a European Burger King. The sauce was pleasantly zesty and its flavor reminded me of hot dog relish. It gives the Avocado & Swiss Whopper a unique flavor that makes the sandwich one of my favorite Whopper varieties of all time.

* ‘a’ole is the Hawaiian word for “no”

(Nutrition Facts – 730 calories, 350 calories from fat, 39 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 1510 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 38 grams of protein.)

Item: Burger King Avocado & Swiss Whopper
Purchased Price: $6.69 (sandwich only)
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Wonderful limited time only Whopper. Tasty avocado aioli. Unique flavor. Good bacon. Avocado keeps lettuce and bacon from falling out. Getting to use a Hawaiian word in a review, which I hope I spelled correctly. Google.
Cons: Avocado spread didn’t have much flavor. Pricey. Not enough bacon. Putting everything you eat on Instagram. Thin beef patty. Some folks won’t like the avocado aioli.