REVIEW: Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper

Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper

I know what everyone is going talk about regarding Burger King’s A.1. Halloween Whopper. They’re going to discuss how one particular ingredient perfectly fits the Halloween theme of the burger. Some people will think it looks disgusting. Others will be fine with it.

Yes, as you have probably guessed, I’m talking about Burger King’s iceberg lettuce. That ghostly white lettuce with a green tint is disgusting, scary, and reminds me of the skin color of many Scooby Doo villains. But those make it an appropriate addition to this Halloween-themed Whopper.

Besides that spooky lettuce, this limited time only item has a 1/4 lb flame-grilled beef patty, a slice of American cheese, tomato, mayonnaise, pickles, onions, and A.1. Thick and Hearty Sauce on a black sesame seed bun.

The bun is not only black, it also has A.1. Sauce flavor baked into it. But it doesn’t get its color completely from the sauce. So what gives it its color? It’s not squid ink, Sharpie pens, charcoal, mold, or Hot Topic. Looking through the bun’s ingredient list and pulling out possibilities, it could be a combination of FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, raisin juice concentrate, Worcerstershire sauce, caramel color, and FD&C Yellow #6. Mmmm…FD&C Yellow #6.

Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper Top

At times the bun does have a slightly sweet and smokey flavor to it, but it’s faint and it disappears quickly. Maybe my tongue is imagining things or maybe the flavor is a ghost. But while eating the burger, the question I asked myself was, “Why include A.1. Sauce in the bun, if there’s A.1. Sauce in the burger?” Because the bun doesn’t make the burger taste A.1.-ier.

If you’re reading this in the middle of December and want to know what this Whopper tastes like, get into your car, tune your car’s FM radio dial to 101.5 to designate October 2015, and then drive 88 miles per hour…to the nearest Burger King location (or one that’s farther away because you’ll get there quickly if you’re going 88 miles per hour). When you get there, order a Whopper your way with American cheese and A.1. Thick and Hearty Sauce because that’s what this burger tastes like.

Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper Wrapper

The A.1. Thick and Hearty Sauce wasn’t very thick. If it was, much of it wouldn’t have ended up on my hands and the Whopper’s festive mummy wrapper. It tastes exactly like regular thin and light A.1. Steak Sauce, which I’ve enjoyed on overcooked steaks from chain restaurants. Unfortunately, because it kept plopping out of the burger, I didn’t taste the sauce in every bite. Also, I think the mayonnaise diluted its flavor.

Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper Half

The beef patty has that unique Burger King flavor that’s the chain’s fingerprint. It’s a flavor I enjoy. But the tomato, onions, pickles, and white lettuce did a wonderful job of bringing down the overall temperature of the burger, making it slightly unpleasant to eat. As for the cheese, let’s face it, it really doesn’t do anything flavor-wise on a regular Whopper. But it does something color-wise with this burger by matching nicely with the black bun.

Overall, I enjoyed the look of the A.1. Halloween Whopper more than its flavor. The burger is full of Halloween colors, and I have to admit the black bun was cool to experience with my own eyes. But the burger’s flavor wasn’t anything special since it can easily be recreated after the promotion is over. And, of course, that ghost lettuce freaks me out.

Update: There’s one bit of information I need to add. The dyes in the bun might turn your poop green. I’ve experienced this. Others in my household have experienced this. Commenters have experienced it. I apologize for the grossness of this, but I needed to mention it in case someone out there is on a toilet and freaking out because their poop is green. But you have to admit, green poop does fit with the Halloween theme.

(Nutrition Facts – 710 calories, 390 calories from fat, 43 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 105 milligrams of cholesterol, 1530 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 31 grams of protein.)

Item: Burger King A.1. Halloween Whopper
Purchased Price: $6.39*
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Burger King
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like a Whopper with A.1. Sauce. Black bun is something cool you should see with your own eyes. Very festive; lots of Halloween colors. Mummy wrapper is neat.
Cons: Tastes like a Whopper with A.1. Sauce. Ghost lettuce freaks me out. Black bun baked with A.1. flavor doesn’t have a lot of flavor. A.1. Sauce everywhere. Produce does a great job of bringing down the temperature of the burger. Bun may make your poop turn green.

*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.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 9/29/2015

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Thomas' Limited Edition Banana Mini Bagels

Thomas’ Limited Edition Banana Mini Bagels

Hmm…They’re not banana bread-flavored. That’s different. (Spotted by Rene at Walmart.)

Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter Baking 1-2 Cups

Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter Baking 1/2 Cups

Just give me this and a bag of banana flavored mini bagels and I’m good to go. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

Delimex Chicken Chipotle, Beef Barbacoa, and Vegetable Enchilada Burrito Bowls

Delimex Chicken Chipotle, Beef Barbacoa, and Vegetable Enchilada Burrito Bowls

I wish the contents of these bowls came in tortillas. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

Chefusion Italian Style Meatball and Chicken Marinara Italian Style Wraps

Chefusion Italian Style Meatball and Chicken Marinara Italian Style Wraps

I wish the contents of these tortilla came in bowls. (Spotted by Amanda at Walmart.)

Cafe Ole Cafe Lattes and Cafe Coolers

Cafe Ole Cafe Lattes and Cafe Coolers

**cough**Starbucks VIA**cough** (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

Also, if you’re wondering if we’ve already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the Google Search box on the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) to find out.

QUICK YOGURT REVIEW: Chobani Limited Batch Cinnamon Pear Greek Yogurt

Chobani Limited Batch Cinnamon Pear Greek Yogurt

Chobani’s Limited Batch Cinnamon Pear Greek Yogurt has 140 calories. So this review will be exactly 140 words.

Cinnamon pear is the new pumpkin spice! Okay, that’s not true. But I’d be happy if it was because my experience with this yogurt makes me hope there are more cinnamon pear products in the future.

I did enjoy the yogurt despite the fact that there weren’t many pear chunks in it. My tongue counted three. That’s too bad because I love the texture of pears. But there’s a noticeable natural pear-ness in the yogurt. There’s also a good amount of cinnamon which gives the yogurt a flavor that helps me forget there aren’t many pear pieces. Pears plus cinnamon plus Greek yogurt is a winning combo. I have to say I enjoyed this yogurt more than Chobani’s pumpkin spice Greek yogurt.

Chobani Limited Batch Cinnamon Pear Greek Yogurt 2

Purchased Price: $1.49
Size: 5.3 oz.
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 140 calories, 25 calories from fat, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of potassium, 65 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein, and 15% calcium.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Silk Pumpkin Spice Almond Nog

Silk Pumpkin Spice Almond Nog

2017: Silk Pumpkin Spice Coconut Nog? 2019: Silk Pumpkin Spice Cashew Nog? (Spotted by Brent at Ingles.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

Also, if you’re wondering if we’ve already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the Google Search box on the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) to find out.

FAST FOOD NEWS: Burger King Pumpkin Spice Oreo Shake

Burger King Pumpkin Spice Shake

Burger King has replaced their Red Velvet Oreo Shake! Thank goodness. Because that means no more comments in our news post and review about the dessert. And that means no more comments from people describing what happened in the bathroom after consuming the Red Velvet Oreo Shake.

Burger King’s Pumpkin Spice Oreo Shake is a pumpkin spice-flavored shake with Oreo cookie crumbs blended in that’s topped with whipped cream and more Oreo crumbs.

A 12-ounce serving has 500 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 360 milligrams of sodium, 83 grams of carbohydrates, 66 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

(Image via Burger King’s website)