It’s hard to believe Burger King has never done a Club Original Chicken Sandwich before, since it’s just an Original with tomatoes, bacon, and Swiss cheese — all ingredients that have been in BK kitchens. Also, could this have been called the BLT Original Chicken Sandwich? Not a BLT, you say? Can’t you just attach BLT to anything? Well, if Burger King did it earlier this year, why not keep it going?

Ugh. I just wasted more grey matter thinking about this than it took to cook up this sandwich.

So yeah, it’s basically an Original Chicken Sandwich (lettuce, mayo, NASCAR track-shaped chicken patty, and hoagie bun) with tomatoes, bacon, and Swiss cheese added. Not an exciting sandwich, but a tasty upgrade over the original.

The highlight, and the main reason this version is tastier, is the bacon. Its smokiness and saltiness come through loud and clear, which isn’t always the case with fast food sandwiches. It pairs nicely with the chicken patty. The Swiss cheese is also a better choice than the usual American slices. Its mild flavor lets the meats shine while still contributing something of its own.

As for the vegetables, the lettuce provides some crunch, and the tomato adds a little acidity. The mayo was applied lightly on my sandwich, which is strange because every regular Whopper I’ve ordered seems to have too much of it. However, I could still detect a faint tanginess from it.

Despite having most of the components of a club sandwich, it doesn’t really bring one to mind since there’s no turkey or ham. (Sidenote: a Yumbo Original Chicken Sandwich would be a great idea, Burger King!) Calling it the BLT Original Chicken Sandwich or the Deluxe Bacon Original Chicken Sandwich would’ve made more sense. Though if it came cut into triangles, had toothpicks poked through it, or featured a third bun, any of them might’ve helped sell the “club” idea a bit more.

While not the most exciting offering because it pretty much tastes like a regular Original Chicken Sandwich with bacon, I prefer it over the Loaded Jalapeño Original Chicken Sandwich, the other limited-time Original Chicken Sandwich on the menu right now. And if I ever get a hankering for it after the promotion ends, maybe I’ll customize a regular Original Chicken Sandwich to taste it again.

Purchased Price: $10.39*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 840 calories, 53 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 2020 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 35 grams of protein.

*Because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

While having crispy fried jalapeños, pickled jalapeños, and a creamy jalapeño sauce is a lotta jalapeños in Burger King’s new Loaded Jalapeño Original Chicken Sandwich, if the chain wanted to make a stronger case for it being “loaded,” it could’ve also added pepper jack cheese and had jalapeño bits baked into the bun. Then it would’ve been as loaded as this review is with the word jalapeño.

Along with all the peppery ingredients, the sandwich includes the usual Original Chicken Sandwich components and a few common Burger King accouterments — lettuce, tomato, American cheese, a long chicken patty, and an equally long sesame seed bun. The last two bring a bit of nostalgia to mind because the Original Chicken Sandwich was my favorite thing to eat at Burger King as a kid.

As you’d expect from a sandwich with jalapeños in three ways, the green pepper’s taste is potent. Leading the charge are the pickled pepper slices, which bring a briny, robust jalapeño flavor along with a vegetable crunch and heat. However, the sandwich tastes like they do all the heavy jalapeño lifting.

The crispy fried jalapeños add even more crunch, but contribute more of a fried taste. As for the sauce, it has some heat and a noticeable flavor on its own, but it doesn’t seem to enhance or distinguish itself from the pickled jalapeños. No tang. No twist. No (insert other T-word here). Basically, if I handed a stranger this sandwich without mentioning the creamy sauce, I’m pretty sure they’d say after I told them, “WHAAAAAA? Get out of here! This totally doesn’t taste like it has a creamy jalapeño sauce. Now get out of my house. I don’t know who you are.” That’s how much it blends in, and how much I can blend into a room without getting noticed.

Surprisingly, with all that jalapeño going on, the chicken patty isn’t overwhelmed. I can still taste it, along with a little of the tomato’s acidity. But I can’t say the same for the lettuce and American cheese. The leafy greens announced their presence only by falling out of my sandwich, and the American cheese was possibly added as flypaper to keep the ingredients in place… a job it failed at, judging by the crispy fried jalapeños and lettuce sitting on the wrapper I was eating off of.

Maybe it’s because the pickled jalapeños taste similar to what Taco Bell uses, but eating this sandwich brings the Tex-Mex chain to mind. If it ever makes a chicken sandwich, I imagine it would taste similar to this.

If you really like jalapeños, this sandwich will satisfy. If you’re a heat seeker looking for something to make you feel something, take your high-heat-tolerating taste buds elsewhere. For me, it’s an enjoyable sandwich, and I don’t mind that it’s not too spicy, but with the pickled jalapeños dominating, it tastes a bit one-note.

Purchased Price: $10.39*
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 740 calories, 41 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 2300 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 31 grams of protein.

*Because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

I was thinking a lot about the game show “Is It Cake?” when I ordered Burger King’s festive new limited edition Firecracker Cookie Pie; just like the confections featured on that show, this new dessert is unique and fun to look at, but I couldn’t immediately tell what the texture would be like on the inside.

Seasoned Burger King fans (is there a name for them? Burger Loyal Subjects?) may be familiar with the Hershey’s Sundae Pie, which is a variation on a similar theme. But since I’m allergic to chocolate, I didn’t have that frame of reference. Instead, I was drawn in by the promise of “velvety cream,” “crisp sugar cookie crust,” and colorful novelty sprinkles.

What I didn’t expect was for my pie to be practically all cream. No matter how “velvety,” I quickly started craving something more substantial. The promotional images show a clear delineation between the dollops of cream on top of the pie and the fluffy white layer beneath, but there wasn’t much of a distinction in my pie — everything that wasn’t the cookie layer had the same thin consistency. The cream wasn’t as dense as it looked, leading to the feeling that I was mostly just shoveling down mouthfuls of very sweet air.

Yes, there was a sugar cookie base with a nice butteriness that added some interest, but it was thinner than I would have liked and too crumbly to provide a uniform bite. I could barely dig my fork in without the cookie shattering to bits. (Maybe that was why the kind employee offered me a spoon instead? Apparently, I was a Burger Klown to turn that down.)

I also wasn’t expecting the cookie pie to taste so tangy, but lo and behold, when I flipped the (admittedly adorable) triangle-shaped box over to see the ingredients list, cream cheese was the fifth one listed. Apparently, this was even more like “Is It Cake?” than I expected, because actually, the pie did end up reminding me of cake—specifically, a cheesecake. I do wish the advertising mentioned that something with such a strong flavor would be such a core ingredient for those who aren’t into cream cheese.

The sprinkles did what they were supposed to do. They looked pretty and patriotic and added a tiny crunch. I really enjoyed how the pie was served chilled as well; that was a nice way to slightly temper the sweetness and provide more firmness to something that may have otherwise been too soft.

Pro tip: eat this as soon as you buy it, because I waited until I got home, and I think fresh from the fridge would have been even better.

While I have my critiques about this particular flavor, the cookie pie is a fun and flexible format that I’d like to see more of. This isn’t a bad way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary… if only the price could be $2.50 to match!

Purchased Price: $3.59
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.

Burger King has a whole menu dedicated to the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. Only in theaters…until it shows up on Disney+ in several months. There’s the BBQ Bounty Whopper, Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries, Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots, and Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shake.

If you’re interested in trying the Whopper and the Chicken Fries and want to save a few bucks, order the online exclusive Lone Bounty Meal, which features the special Whopper, four pieces of the new Chicken Fries, and a small drink. That’s what I ended up getting, though I’m heartbroken it wasn’t called the Mando Combo Meal or at least the Mando Meal. But I’ll survive.

The Whopper features a quarter-pound flame-grilled beef topped with melty Swiss cheese, crispy pickle chips, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy BBQ Bounty sauce on a sesame seed bun, and served in a carton shaped like the Mandalorian’s helmet. Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries are seasoned with Parmesan and garlic and served in a Grogu carton with a side of garlic sauce. Unfortunately, my four-piece order did not come with the adorable carton. I’m dismal about that, but I’ll survive.

With the BBQ Bounty Whopper, I was expecting something similar to the other Western burgers I’ve had, since the barbecue sauces used are usually predictable. But after a few bites, I realized that the BBQ Bounty sauce was different. It’s sweet and peppery with a Tex-Mex vibe, and I’m not sure I’d even call it a barbecue sauce. It’s okay tasting, but some eaters might find it a little weird.

The Whopper as a whole did not wow my taste buds. I liked the crispy pickle chips, which added a mild vinegary pickle flavor and an equally mild crunch. However, despite coming with bacon, I didn’t taste it. And the same can be said about the Swiss cheese. The lettuce, which surprisingly was actually green (maybe in honor of Grogu), added a bit of a crunch, while the tomatoes provided an acidic kick that cut through the saltiness. But the overall experience left me feeling slightly disappointed, like learning Grogu’s name and having to stop calling him Baby Yoda. But I’ll survive.

With the Chicken Fries, I didn’t taste a hint of Parmesan or garlic in the breading, which made me wonder if I received an order of regular Chicken Fries. However, even the images on the Burger King website didn’t show any seasoning, so my order could have been correct, and the seasoning flavor was nonexistent.

All the garlicky heavy lifting is done by the dipping sauce, which looks similar to what Papa Johns’ serves with its pizza. However, it’s less garlicky, salty, and rich. While it tastes decent, I wish this Burger King sauce had leaned harder into the garlic.

I also wish Burger King added some spinach or something to turn the sauce Grogu Green. Feel free to take that name, Sherwin-Williams. Peeling back the lid to find green sauce would’ve somewhat made up for the lack of flavor from the Chicken Fries breading. As for the chicken within the breading that lacks parmesan or garlic flavor, it was tender and a little juicy.

The BBQ Bounty Whopper and Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries are decent, but they’re not can’t-miss items. And if you do miss them, you’ll survive.

Purchased Price: $11.49 (meal)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Whopper), 5 out of 10 (Chicken Fries)
Nutrition Facts: BBQ Bounty Whopper – 920 calories, 55 grams of fat, 19 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 1680 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 44 grams of protein.

Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries – 250 calories, 13 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 690 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.