Drive-Thru Gourmet
Applebee's won't ask for your ID if you order its new Whisky Bacon Burger
This week I reached for a woozy, boozy Whisky Bacon Burger at everybody's neighborhood grill + bar, Applebee's, with 2,030 restaurants 'cross country and 'round the world.
This is a busy burger, so hold onto your napkins (at least five) and let's get to eatin'.
Here's the Whisky Bacon Burger breakdown
An all-beef patty, caramelized onions, Applewood bacon, whisky-infused steak sauce, more bacon, crispy onions, and pepper jack cheese on a toasted brioche bun. Whew!
Total calories: 1,240 (told you, whew!) Fat grams: 80. Sodium: 1,990 mg. Carbs: 72 g. Dietary fiber: 4 g. Protein: 57 g. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $12 including one side. Your price may vary.
Size matters
We're talking a big'un burger here starting with a 7-ounce, never-frozen (thanks for the tip, Wendy's) beef patty. The burger is placed on top of bacon and caramelized onions, which sear into the patty on a hot flat top grill. Then we get down to business. More bacon, crunchy onions, pepper jack, and a potent potable whisky-infused steak sauce bring this bad boy home.
Applebee's is a family joint, but don't worry if the youngsters dig into a Whisky Bacon Burger. The alcohol is all gone by the time your friendly server lugs this weighty meat monster to your table. The only thing that gets smashed is the patty. Applebee's smushes the patty on the grill, so the edges get crispy and charred the old-fashioned way. The burger hangs out of the bun. It's too big for its brioches.
How do you want it
Applebee's doesn't ask, "rare, medium, or well done?" They offer "pink or no pink." Semantics. Anyway, the option puts Applebee's over the one-size-fits-all drive-throughs, where you're getting your burger well done ... and you'll like it. Or you can go to bed hungry, mister.
When Applebee's creates a huge-o burger like this, you're going to pay more than just the price on the menu. This is a diet buster every which way you look - calories, carbs, fat, and sodium. You know what that means, yeah, this is one delicious, over-the-top burger.
But wait, there's more
And we're not done. You get to choose from Applebee's "pick a side" board. I could have ordered steamed broccoli but, nah, I'm a traditionalist: French fries.
That'll be an extra 430 calories. What the heck, beach season is over.