Whopper Jr. from Burger King
I’m going to preface this by saying that Burger King is my favorite fast food burger joint. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. and the others can’t really hold a candle to Burger King in my eyes. My fascination with the King started at a young age, with the golden crowns you could wear on your head, the Burger King Kid’s Club gang, and the toys that were way better than “Mickey Dees”. Those days are gone now, but Burger King still remains the go-to spot when it’s time to tickle my burger itch.
The Whopper Jr. (like most value menu burgers) is often overlooked by the majority of fast-food eaters. However, I’ve found them to be an awesome deal, especially when combined with a value menu fry and drink. The portions are smaller, making it a somewhat healthier option than the full-size burgers, and I find the bun to meat ratio as well as the toppings are both more consistent and more pleasant to eat on the smaller burgers. It seems these days everyone is going for the 1/4 pound or even larger monster burgers and these little gems are being forgotten.
The base of the Whopper Jr. is the 2.2 oz hamburger patty, about half the size and calories of the standard Whopper, which sits on top of a wonderful toasted sesame seed bun. The standard toppings are ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles and sliced onions. I always add cheese, a .20 cent option. As with all Burger King Burgers, they are made to order and you can “have it your way”. According to BK, there are 221,184 possible different ways for a customer to order a Whopper”.
I’ll just stick to this way.
What makes the Whopper Jr. sandwich such a classic in my eyes is the balance of the ingredients. The bun, patty, and toppings combine into a perfect size and form. You don’t feel like there is too much meat and not enough toppings or vice versa, it’s also not too big to hold nicely in both of your hands. Additionally, since the Jr. has been a menu standard for so many years, it’s incredibly consistent throughout the chain’s locations. I’ve rarely (if ever) seen Whopper Jr. orders get screwed up.
Finally you have the flame broiled patty, which made Burger King what it is today, and in my mind delivers the knockout blow when comparing this burger to the other value menu sandwiches. It creates a flavor that just isn’t found elsewhere at this price point. The Whopper Jr. is available nationwide starting at only $1. This burger gets an ‘A’ from me, for being an exceptional burger, for an exceptional bargain price.
Price: $1.20 with cheese / Website: BurgerKing.com
Fast Food Critic Score: A
Click here for rating system details.
Nutrition Facts - Whopper Jr. Sandwich with Cheese.
Calories - 420
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 25 grams
Carbs - 32 grams
Saturated Fat - 8 grams
Trans Fat - 1 grams
Cholesterol - 50 milligrams
Sodium - 780 milligrams
Protein - 18 grams
Welcome Philip
I’ve always thought BK burgers had more taste than their competitors. Showing my age, I also often wish for smaller sized ‘Senior’ menu items.
That bun looks like a really delicious handle for the burger!
They have a Burger King at my local airport (Tampa) and it really disappoints me that they don’t offer the Whopper Jr.
Their prices are okay, especially for airport food, but a full Whopper is more than I am looking for before getting on a plane … the Jr. would be perfect. I just need something to tide me over until I get to where I’m going.
I like their fish sandwich too but they don’t offer that either.
The Whopper Jr. does not photograph well.
I agree Philip, it’s all about the flame broiling. That really does give BK hamburgers a unique taste. I also agree the Junior is a great $1 value.
TL, maybe he needs better lighting?
Thanks for the feedback guys. Will keep it in mind for the future. : )
Good work Philip!
I love how you’re able to inspire me to visit the value menus, and those overlooked items. There’s a lot of Bang For The Buck, which is an important issue for a large part of the fast food eating crowd. Geez… there’s a whole lot of college students that survive on the $1 menus for a couple years.
I think you guys should review the new Cheesy Bacon Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich. It looks like a really good large burger.
In case you didn’t know, that burger is made by Burger King. I hope to a see a review on it. I’m very excited about trying it..
Also.. you guys should review the new Burger King items like the apple fries and Kraft Mac-n-cheese.
The Burger King whopper family, from the Junior, to the triple, I feel are so superior to most if not every fast food burger. For me its the mayo/ketchup/onion combo, brought together it………..just………..sorry started drooling. . Tim, I did live off the dollar menus around town for quite sometime, and from my extensive poverty based research, this dominates the McD’s Double cheese dollar for dollar.
Great review. One of my very first jobs was at Burger King, so I have a special love (and yes, I still eat there after working there!) for them. Since the WhopJr is relatively infrequently ordered, you’re always guaranteed a fresh prep, which is key. Actually, any Whopper sandwich should be ordered ’special’ to guarantee best quality. Even if you like everything, go ahead and order no ketchup and just add it after you sit down.
Ahh Raph, Five Guys puts BK to shame as far as fast food burgers go.
I am happy to finally see the Whopper Jr. get its due!!! It is by far an excellent buy for the price.
Unless they use old brown lettuce.
That just kills the whole thing for me.
For my (weekday) diet, there is no other Whopper but the Whopper Jr. I appreciate you focusing in on the Jr. versus the other incarnations.
I do like the flame-broiled patties but it’s worth noting that, like McDonald’s, after the patty is cooked, it is put in a warmer and then microwaved before serving. BK started doing this before McD.
Regardless of who started it, it’s a sad state of affairs and definitely affects the quality. The McDonald’s in Europe don’t microwave and it shows. The Quarter Pounders there are exactly how I remember them growing up before the “Q-Ovens” were introduced: Much better.
I wish more people in the US (excuse me, North America!) would demand freshly cooked beef patties. You really do notice the difference.
It’s pretty much a tie for me when it comes to McD vs. BK burgers. But I do visit McDonald’s much more often for one reason: Wi-Fi.
I love the Whopper! Even though it’s put in a microwave , the ingredients and char-broil is tasty and timeless…. Love it
I just tried the Whopper Jr. and it’s sorta disgusting.
It’s a bit like the Jumbo Jack, but not as good. It has the same ingredients basically.
Another BK product i hope you will review is the BK Oreo shake. I’m not a fan of shakes, but the picture at the store was absolutely beautiful. I’m tempted to try it, even though it’s likely i will regret buying it.
I’m totally with you on this one. This is my absolute favorite fast food burger.
Welcome Philip! I am also a bit biased towards the mighty BK.
The dollar menu/value menus really are where it’s at I think… and i’ll be hitting up the whopper jr next!
Another BK anf Whopper JR fan here. I agree that BK makes some of the best tasting burgers, the Jr. being their best one. As evidenced today, as I was purchasing one in the drive-thru, and a man walked in front of my car with one in his hands. He didn’t even wait to get back to his car, never mind back to work. He started munching as soon as he walked out of the place, biggest smile on his face.
BK rocks on ice!
I’m glad you gave this an A!! It is the ONLY fast food hamburger I will eat. It tastes real, and it’s not so big that I feel like I’ve wasted my money because I can’t finish it like most burgers do. The few times we eat out and I’m in the mood for burgers we go to burger king for whopper Jrs, onion rings and a small shake! a great meal for under $4!!