Some of your stomachs might be thinking, “Hey! Didn’t I recently digest a Burger King Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper?” Also, I imagine some of your intestines are wondering the same thing.
Well, digestive tracts, what you’re thinking of is not the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper. Instead, what you remember is last year’s Steakhouse Bacon Whopper, which had a flame-grilled beef patty topped with bacon, two tomato slices, lettuce, Swiss cheese, crispy onions, A.1. Sauce, and a creamy peppercorn aioli between a sesame seed bun.
This Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper does not feature all of the ingredients listed above, plus a few more to make it the “ultimate.” Instead, it swaps the vegetables with onion rings and sauteed mushrooms, and leaves the A.1. Sauce off. But the bacon, Swiss, and peppercorn aioli are still there. Maybe this should’ve been named Steakhouse Bacon Whopper 2?
In my review of the Steakhouse Bacon Whopper, I wondered whether the peppercorn aioli could carry the entire burger’s flavor, since the addition of A.1. Sauce made everything taste barbecue-y. Well, it turns out that while last year’s version had a “Western” barbecue flavor, the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper tastes like another burger variety — mushroom & Swiss.
Looking back at my previous reviews of Burger King menu items featuring mushrooms, their flavors ranged from too much to non-existent. With this Whopper, the ‘shrooms make themselves known just the right amount, with the peppercorn aioli enhancing the savoriness of the ‘shrooms and Swiss and adding a mild pepperiness. The sauce creates a noticeable difference from other mushroom & Swiss burgers. So I guess I finally got my answer about the peppercorn aioli. It can carry an entire burger.
What didn’t do any heavy lifting were the onion rings and bacon. While I was excited about the addition of onion rings, they didn’t bring much taste, despite having six and a half rings in my order. Instead, they provided a bit of crunch and texture to contrast with the mostly soft ingredients, especially the squishy mushrooms. I’m also surprised the bacon didn’t bring its usual salty, smoky, and porky attributes, despite a sheet of it in my burger.
The lack of flavor from the onion rings and bacon is a shame, because I think they would’ve helped distance this burger even further from a mostly mushroom-and-Swiss-tasting offering than the peppercorn aioli. While it isn’t ultimately unique, it’s still a tasty menu item. However, the $13.99 I paid, which is more than many of you will pay, makes my stomach ache.
Purchased Price: $13.99*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1020 calories, 60 grams of fat, 20 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 130 milligrams of cholesterol, 1950 milligrams of sodium, 77 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 44 grams of protein.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did. Because, damn, $13.99 is a lot to pay.
