Burger King Mushroom Swiss and Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper

Review of Burger King Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse, Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper and Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp

Website: http://burgerking.co.uk/

What they say:

To be confirmed…

Price: Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse: from £4.49 and £5.99 as part of a meal.

Pulled Pork: from £4.29 and £5.79 as part of a meal.

Chicken TenderCrisp: from £4.49 and £5.99 as part of a meal.

Calories: Mushroom Swiss 787 kcal, Pulled Pork Whopper 802 kcal, Chicken TenderCrisp 579 kcal.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE TO BURGER LAD®

Hopefully by now you are starting to realise that we are the industry recognised number one UK burger review website.

Well, on Wednesday 11th March, we were invited to London by Burger King to sample the new ‘Party in the Park’ promotional burgers at their flagship Leicester Square restaurant.

Having broken the news of the release of these new limited time offers (you can read the original story below) we would be eating them a whopping 28 days before their public release!!

Burger King Party in the Park
BK Party in the Park…

As you can imagine, we were very excited to get the invitation and we cannot thank enough, all the people at BK that made this possible.

We weren’t specifically told we were going to get to try these three new burgers but we did have a sneaky suspicion.

So we arrived in London around noon on this amazing day to find a table had been “reserved” for us as we were getting the VIP treatment.

Now although it doesn’t take centre stage in the promotional picture above, the big news is that the Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse is back in the UK after a 15(?) year absence.

It’s one of the most requested burgers to be brought back by the King and Co. so we’ll be reviewing that one first…

It was also the very first time I got my hands on a Coke Freestyle machine (you can read about Miss Milkshake’s fun and games with it here) so I kicked off today’s proceedings with one of my all-time favourites…

Coke Zero with Lemon (Diet Coke with Lemon used to be a staple of mine back when it was available at retail). I’m not going to talk too much about the merits of a Coke Freestyle machine, but considering you have 102 flavours in total plus free refills this is a bit of a coup for BK in my opinion.

So… the Mushroom Swiss returns to Burger King in the UK and we were some of the first in the country to try it.

I’m glad to see mushrooms make an appearance on a High Street burger, so as you can imagine I was salivating at the opportunity to sample it.

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
Mushroom Swiss returns to BK…!

As you can see from the pictures the Mushroom Swiss looks good. Very good in fact, and I was glad to see that the crispy onions are included on this burger.

The 2015 version comes with a Whopper patty, grilled portabella mushrooms, crispy onions, lettuce and a mushroom sauce.

Anyone concerned that the mushrooms are small, slimy morsels then fear not as these are big, thick slices of mushroom and there are a more than a generous amount on-board.

In terms of taste it is a classic.

You get that trademark, flame-grilled smokiness which is offset by a rich mushroom flavour. Anyone not a fan of mushrooms might as well just miss this one out completely but if you do like them then you are in for a treat!

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
Another Burger Lad EXCLUSIVE…

The classic beef and mushroom combination is complimented by a velvety mushroom sauce which provides further depth to the burger.

Any fears or anxiety of sloppiness from the mushrooms are kicked into touch by the fresh crunchy lettuce and my favourite burger topping – crispy onions.

In fact, the Mushroom Swiss needs the lettuce and it is very much a welcome addition as without it the burger would be very rich indeed. Too rich maybe… but the greenery is refreshing and acts like a cleanser almost, enabling you to return for bite after bite after bite.

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
Lifting the lid…

I loved the sauce they use too. Very good and gives the Mushroom Swiss an indulgent flavour.

The pale cheese binds everything together nicely and is mild and slightly sweet. Not a massive impact player in terms of flavour but subtle and a contributor to the richness of the sauce and mushrooms.

The onions are fantastic on this burger and I am over the moon they are on it.

They don’t go missing in action either and give you that distinct flavour you don’t get from fresh onion. Cutting through the creamy, richness of the mushrooms and Swiss with their crispy fried crunch they act as the perfect counter, adding further dimension to the taste and texture.

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
Great sized mushrooms…

If you were to ask me which burger I would like to see make a return to Burger King then hands down I would have always said the Mushroom Swiss.

Through social media, customer demand and BK listening enables us all to revel in this delight of a burger.

The combination of the beef, mushrooms and sauce is bordering on decadent in terms of taste but then you get a fresh feeling and crunch from the lettuce which then makes way for the crispy onion tone.

All in all a very good burger and an excellent build from Burger King.

If you’ve been waiting for years for this return I suggest you get there on day one to pick up this limited time offer. And like I said earlier, those mushrooms really are substantial instead of substandard!

BK Mushroom Swiss – a massive hit and not one to miss!

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
Burger King Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse…

OK… alongside this in the ‘Party in the Park’ promotion in 2015 is the Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper.

I wasn’t aware of the calories at the time and I guessed it to be around 900 kcal when I was handed this burger as it was H-E-A-V-Y…

On this build you have got everything!

Whopper patty, Pulled Pork, American cheese, fresh tomato, fresh onion rings, lettuce, pickles and BBQ sauce with just a slather of mayo on the crown.

Again, all wrapped up in one of those burger wrappers BK increasingly use showing you just a glimpse of what is to come.

Burger King Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper
FIRST LOOK at the Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper…

As you can see from the pictures, this was tidily presented with the cheese residing in-between the two proteins – the Whopper and the Pulled Pork (the heat from both just starting to melt the slice of yellow cheese).

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the quality of the pork and was informed it arrives at the restaurant ready prepared.

The texture and taste is fairly respectable for a High Street offering. People dining at higher priced BBQ restaurants would possibly be disappointed but for a fast food chain it’s pretty good and works well on the Whopper.

Burger King Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper
Party in the Park with Pulled Pork…

In terms of taste, the first thing you get is a subtle, sweet flavour of BBQ from the pork. It’s certainly not an overbearing experience on your palate and is followed by hints of the Whopper coming through.

What I really enjoyed about the Pulled Pork BBQ Whooper is the multitude of ingredients on the burger which surprisingly don’t make it too “busy” – you really get a different sensation in every bite.

Sometimes the sweetness of the BBQ pulled pork shines through. Then in the next bite you’ve got the sharpness from the fresh onion and in another the pickles… all on the platform of that signature flame-grilled flavour.

Hey I even ate the whole thing with the fresh tomato on it so credit where it’s due…

Burger King Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper
Stage 2 of our exclusive review…

At 802 kcal this is the biggest burger in terms of calories and for that reason alone I would probably pass on having another when it is available in restaurants.

But don’t get me wrong this was an enjoyable experience offering something of everything. I can see that this will possibly be more popular than the Mushroom Swiss due to the love/hate relationship people have with mushrooms.

Burger King Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper
Burger King Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper…

Now many people faced with reviewing THREE burgers in one sitting would probably do the sensible thing and eat maybe half of each… not Burger Lad®.

Having polished off an entire Mushroom Swiss AND Pulled Pork Whopper (MyFitnessPal wept) I was presented with the final burger in the ‘Party in the Park’ promotion – the Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp.

Oh I’ll just add that when we did this review the promotional packaging was not available but since our trip to London we’ve seen pictures of the cartons.

These are stylised like a picnic basket and will be used for all three of the burgers. Anyway… a chicken burger in a Ciabatta roll… sounds posh!

Burger King Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp
Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp…

Another set of tasty builds were presented in front of me and they looked good.

In fact, I have a confession to make… this was my first ever TenderCrisp from BK and in their flagship store too (at this point I’d also since put away a Sprite Zero Grape, Coke Zero Orange and a Coke Zero Cherry Vanilla would follow… God I love that Freestyle machine).

This new chicken promotional item is served on a very soft roll which had a superb crisp, floury crust. A very good choice of bun for the TenderCrisp and really impressive.

Burger King Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp
Exclusive first look at the latest promotional items at BK…

The TenderCrisp itself is a good quality, chicken patty which has firm, fresh white breast meat and a tasty crispy coating.

By this time I was starting to struggle and to be honest I didn’t finish this but I can 100% say without a doubt after having this I would have it again.

I would never walk into a BK and order chicken but this version is so good I would definitely get amongst this one in April – a really bloody good menu addition by the King and Co.

This sauce is lush… sweet, tangy and fruity and somewhat special. It’s described as “Roasted Tomato Sauce” and from memory I thought we were told it was sundried tomato.

Either way this is a great sauce which works fantastically with chicken. It really felt like an upmarket condiment and was the defining flavour of this new TenderCrisp giving you a taste of spring/summer.

Burger King Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp
Tomato lovers rejoice…

The fresh tomato was a bit too much for me on this build so I took it off but did have a bite with it on to begin with.

Lovers of tomato will be all over this as you get a luxurious rich tomato sauce and then the slightly bitter tang of the tomato slices.

There’s a decent amount of lettuce on here which provides a nice, crisp element to the burger but it is that Ciabatta bun that makes you feel like you’re eating an artisan sandwich. Impressive!

The Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp has the same Swiss cheese that is used on the Mushroom Swiss and works well with the roasted tomato sauce and chicken.

At 579 kcal this is a very respectable burger if you are looking for a lower calorie lunch from BK and to anyone that scoffs at the thought of ordering chicken at Burger King (me included) I implore you to try one of them, it’s a real eye opener and I dare say was Miss Milkshake’s favourite of the three.

Burger King Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp
Burger King Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp…

As you can probably tell from my writing I was lagging at this point (a bit like this review) but personally I couldn’t fault the Ciabatta Chicken – in fact I can’t really find fault with any of the three new promotional ‘Party in the Park’ burgers.

We are really excited to see the return of the Mushroom Swiss and it once again proves that if enough people ask for a burger to return the big boys listen and will bring it back… even if this is more of a 2015 upgrade.

We’d like to thank everyone we met on the day for making us feel so welcome and for inviting us down.

2015 is shaping up to be a good year for customers in Burger King and we are already excited about the next promotion… keep up the good work!

My only regret from the day is that we didn’t film an episode of Burger Lad® TV.

But considering we were in a full restaurant eating burgers not on sale for another month we had to remain fairly inconspicuous.

After all, we didn’t want a riot breaking out with frenzied customers foaming at the mouth saying “WE WANT A MUSHROOM SWISS!!””

Burger King ‘Party in the Park’ Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse, Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper and Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp will be on-sale in the UK from Wednesday 8th April 2015.

Burger King Party in the Park
BK Party in the Park coming soon…

Burger Lad®

* BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL BREAKING NEWS FROM 7th MARCH 2015 *

Burger King Party in the Park Promotion 2015 includes the return of the Mushroom Swiss

BREAKING: Burger Lad® presents another WORLD EXCLUSIVE as we reveal the next promotional items coming to Burger King in 2015.

We’ve done it before and we’ve done it again with yet another world exclusive!! Here we tell you, the burger public the next promotion coming to Burger King and it’s called Party in the Park. Looking at this exciting line-up there will be a party in my mouth!!

It’s not centre stage in the promotional image I’m looking at now (sorry I promised not to publish it) but the big news is the return of the Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse.

Yes you read that correct… the Mushroom Swiss is returning to Burger King in the UK!!!

It’s one of the most requested burgers to return to the BK menu so it looks like consumer demand wins again with the King and Co. bringing this one back!

Burger King Mushroom Swiss
The UK version will drop the crispy onions for lettuce…

Up next is the centre piece and another cracking sounding sandwich – the Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper.

With my local Burger King closing recently I may have to come out of BK exile for both of these.

The Memphis BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich has previously been available in the USA so we’ll show you a picture of that to get you in the mood…

Burger King Memphis BBQ Pulled Pork
Think this plus Whopper…

No BK promotion is complete without the chicken element and the Party in the Park includes a Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp.

The other major news is that for the first time ever in the UK we’ll get our hands on the insanely popular Chicken Fries (pictured below).

Fans have gone crazy for these overseas so it will be interesting to see the reaction over here.

Burger King Chicken Fries
Chicken Fries to debut in the UK…

Another popular overseas item getting imported next is the Frozen Lemonade. Beverages such as these are regularly seen in the US, Australia/New Zealand and the Middle East so we’re really getting spoiled for the Party in the Park promotion.

Burger King Frozen Lemonade
Party in the Park…

With the BK Delivery Trial (we broke that news before all the tabloids jumped on the story!) and this new promotion coming to the UK from Wednesday 8th April, Burger King are really upping the ante this year and all the team at BLHQ applaud you.

Great promotion and we cannot wait for this one!

Here is the Party in the Park promotion in full (prices subject to variation):

Sandwiches:

Pulled Pork BBQ Whopper – £4.79 or £6.49 for the meal.

Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse – £4.99 or £6.69 for the meal.

Ciabatta Chicken TenderCrisp – £4.99 or £6.69 for the meal.

Sides:

Mozzarella Sticks – £1.59 (4pc) or £2.39 (6pc)

Chicken Fries – £2.29 (6pc) or £2.99 (9pc)

Desserts:

Bounty Fusion – £1.39

Beverages:

Frozen Lemonade

Lemon Limeade

Cherry Berry Lemonade

Pina Colada Smoothie – all of these £1.59 (regular) or £1.99 (large)

Remember where you heard this here first and a MASSIVE THANK YOU to our “secret sauce” – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Read and share this while you can…!!

How long before the usual suspects have this news as their “exclusive”…!?

You’ve read the rest… we’re the best!

Burger Lad®

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