Burger King Rebel Whopper Review
Rebel Whopper:
What they say:
The indulgent Rebel Whopper® consists of a juicy flame-grilled, 100% plant-based, sustainably sources soy patty topped with freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh lettuce, creamy mayonnaise, ketchup, crunchy pickles, and sliced white onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.
Price: £4.99/£6.99.
Calories: 596 kcal.
Burger King have launched the plant-based Rebel Whopper in the U.K.
BK fans were able to order this exclusively via the app on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th January – with the general public getting a full release on Wednesday 8th January.
Similar to the U.S. Impossible Whopper (this uses an Impossible Foods patty), this burger has been developed in conjunction with meat-free food company the Vegetarian Butcher.
The Rebel Whopper is not without controversies however.
With it being made from soy (a common meat substitute), the patty is still cooked on the same equipment as other BK beef products rendering it non vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Burger King even have this disclaimer on their website and in restaurants:
The Rebel Whopper® is plant-based; however, it is cooked on the same broiler as our original WHOPPER® to deliver the same unique flame-grilled taste. Due to shared cooking equipment it may not be suitable for vegetarians.
So what is the point then?
I rushed into Burger King early in the morning and had two thoughts/concerns as I approached their restaurant; would they be open (I had checked opening times prior to leaving BLHQ) and would they be serving burgers at this “breakfast time?”
I’m pleased to report back that despite this early hour, I was able to order the Rebel Whopper and got chatting to the friendly and helpful Manager while I was waiting.
Now, this is not official or a promise, but there could be a possibility that BK will look to incorporate a separate grill solely for the Rebel Whopper to be cooked on.
If that happens, then after the taste test today, I believe Burger King will have the best fast food veggie/vegan option ahead of the KFC Vegan Burger and McDonald’s Veggie Dippers.
They would have to develop a vegan mayo though, as the one currently used is the same mayonnaise as on all of their sandwiches/burgers.
As you can see from the pictures, the Rebel Whopper really looks like a regular Whopper.
It’s a big burger and the presentation of this today was as close to a promotional image you will get in my opinion.
My Rebel Whopper was also bursting with ingredients – loads of sauces and salad and I must commend whoever made this one in the kitchen. Visually, it was an excellent build!
Opening the branded wrapper, you know are in Burger King with that signature, flame-grilled aroma. I’m starting to think that I’ll be seeing The King more often in 2020 as I seem to have developed “the taste” for BK at the moment.
The Vegetarian Butcher patty itself looks near identical to its beef cousin used on the standard Whopper.
When you bite into the overall sandwich/burger you are hard pressed to tell the difference between the two.
I broke a bit of the patty off to try it on its own and you can feel the texture is marginally different. I think if you did a blind taste test you would be pushed, but should be able to tell each one apart on every occasion.
For a plant-based burger, this is exceptional, and in my time reviewing burgers I have encountered worse quality/texture beef patties. So what does that tell you?
There is no denying that what you are eating is a Whopper – it just happens to be meat free.
In fact, the major difference with this compared to when I had the Whopper recently was the way in which it was dressed.
And that is always going to be an issue wherever you eat.
Today, my Rebel Whopper didn’t have the same zing from the fresh onion like I got on my previous visit.
One minor negative was that the crown bun did suffer from some excess mayo which caused it to split slightly when I was eating it – this has been a common criticism from some of our readers.
The mayo did seem to take centre stage and thus turned everything into a more creamy experience – I did get a tang now and then from the onion but only towards the end and the tomatoes and pickles were again difficult to pick up on my palate.
To say I enjoyed the Rebel Whopper would be a massive understatement. For me, I certainly prefer this to the Vegan Burger and Veggie Dippers at their fast food competitors.
If Burger King can solve the cooking issues and offer a vegan mayo, then they could be onto a real winner.
I just wonder if they didn’t invest in separate cooking grills to see how popular a seller this burger/sandwich is, and if it is a revenue generator, they will look to make this vegan and vegetarian friendly. I don’t know…
It is priced marginally higher than that of a regular Whopper (£4.99 for the burger only and £6.99 for a meal – a 50p increase).
If you are tempted to try this, I encourage you to do so even if you are just curious to see how a meat-free version compares to the real deal.
Yes, it does have severe limitations if you are veggie or vegan but the signs point to this possibly changing in the future. Hopefully!
The Rebel Whopper gives BK fans the opportunity to reduce their meat consumption and potentially improve their health, which can only be a good thing for us and the planet.
If you are looking for a meat-free version of one of your favourites from Burger King then this is highly recommended!
Burger Lad®
Website: https://www.burgerking.co.uk/menu-item/rebel-whopper
