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Burger King's Impossible Whopper

 I'll open by saying that if you're expecting a gourmet burger, you're probably not looking at Burger King.  There are 1,000 other places (precisely one thousand, I counted myself) to get a higher-quality burger.  But, when you require food that is fast, cheap, and easy (you are what you eat, am I right?!?!?!) there are a myriad of options for drive-through, franchised, processed, scientifically-engineered-to-taste-good food.  Miss me with your "fast food is trash" snobbery; this review isn't for you.  See the pizza and burger reviews for quality food.

There's something about the plant-based Impossible patty that enhances all the flavors around it - the smokey char of Burger King's "flame broiled" fame sticks around more than the normal beef Whopper.  The toppings don't blend with the patty flavor either, so you can distinctly pick up the flavors of the tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, and mayonnaise.  Only the bun seemed to fade into the background.  Because of this, there's a bit of olfactory overwhelm when you first open the wrapper.

The texture is a wee bit more crumbly than a comparable beef patty, but it simply felt like it was overcooked, moreso than anything else.  

A few hours later, I'm left feeling like I'd eaten a rice-heavy dish like a burrito or something...a little more than full, but not quite I've Eaten So Much That I Hate Myself Now status.  I've noticed a trend over the past 8-9 months, especially as I've been on the road for my big kid job, that eating the normal beef options at Burger King leave me feeling "icky."  A little bloated, a little greasy, a little clammy.  This is not the case with the Impossible Whopper, so that's quite refreshing.

Overall, I gotta say that the Impossible Whopper felt like I was eating the Whopper that I remember from the late 90's and early 2000's - before fast food in general emphasized health or quality; before Burger King leaned hard into the ridiculous and the "epic burgers" of it all.  If you handed me an Impossible Whopper and said that it was cooked on the lost art of Burger King circa Y2K, I'd believe you.

Would I order the Impossible Whopper again?

Let me counter that question with another question:  Is it worth the 80 cent upcharge over the normal Whopper?

I think 80 cents is a little steep.  The combo still comes in at the same price as a McDonald's Quarter Pounder With Cheese (meaning the normal Beef Whopper is actually cheaper than a QPC).

I would definitely order the Impossible Whopper again...that's a pretty hard yes.  But, the cost is what has me concerned.  Given the choice between paying 80 cents, or not paying 80 cents, the option is clear.  If it were the exact same cost as a Beef Whopper and the Impossible Patty were just another option in "Having It Your Way," I'd go Impossible every time.  It's just really, really hard to justify a 10% cost increase for a burger that's so damn similar to the original.

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