Consumerist
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badvertising
Hardee's New Ad: Our Food Tastes Better Than Someone's Anus!
Not to be outdone by Burger King's "fellate our new burger" ad, Hardee's restaurant has launched a similarly juvenile campaign with its new "biscuit holes." You can probably guess where this is going. More » -
sordid advertising
BJ-Minded BK Ad Lets You Have Creepiness Your Way
Clifton forwarded us this shot of a new Burger King ad. We don't even want to know what's in the special sauce of the Super Seven Incher. More » -
The really awesomely titled Pork Magazine says that Burger King will begin offering pork ribs at 300 locations in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Greensboro, N.C., and Orlando, Fla. The ribs will be available in three, six or eight-piece servings. A dipping sauce will be included. Will you eat this? [Pork]
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bribery
This Burger King Must Look Awesome To The Corporate Office
If we worked in fast food, we'd want to work at this Burger King, because you don't have to provide good service to score a perfect survey. You just have to give away food! Now take your free Whopper and get the hell out of here! More »
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global flamebroiling
Memphis Burger Kings: Global Warming Is Baloney
At least three Burger Kings in Memphis have recently displayed "GLOBAL WARMING IS BALONEY" on their letter boards, according to the Memphis Flyer and a reader. More » -
lawsuits
Guy Sues BK For $100,000 For Not Holding The Pickles, Onions & Tomatoes
A little over two years ago, a Virginia man ordered a a drink and two sandwiches from Burger King. He then proceeded to take a bite and swallow— before he realized that his "specific request for the omission of onions, pickles and tomatoes had not been complied with." The result? A lawsuit for $100,000 filed in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. More » -
clown violence
Fine Art Friday: Burger King Gives Ronald McDonald A Beatdown
Either this Burger King in Miami takes the competition really, really seriously, or the owner is into some pretty freaky s#@t. The store gets bonus absurdity points for framing it so handsomely.
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fast food
McDonald's Remains America's Favorite Fast Food Restaurant
Consumer research company Experian Simmons (yes, owned by Experian), has released a new study of fast food industry covering the past 5 years, and it looks like we still love going to McDonald's more than any other fast food restaurant. More » -
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fast food
Burger King Calling Products Small, Medium, & Large Is Somehow Controversial
Burger King has changed the names, but not the actual sizes or prices, of their various products. Instead of having a "king" size, the largest size is now called "large." The names are now "value", "small", "medium" and "large." This is seen as misleading, because customers not used to the change are accidentally ordering the wrong size. More » -
burger king
This Burger King Sign Is Both Disappointing And Anti-Social
[January 13, 2008. Philadelphia, Pa. Image via Time Doctor]
This Burger King sign is right. Nobody ever orders the salad or chicken.
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Expiration Daze
Burger King Expiration Stickers Can't Cover Up Shame
Burger King has some 'splainin to do. When Reader Evan ordered a pie, he presumed that the stated expiration date was truthful... until he peeled back the layers of deception. Full story inside. -
burger king
Burger King Tray Liners In Germany Feature Cartoon Veggies With Boobs
Maybe Burger King in Germany isn't the same sort of "kid centric" destination that it is over here? Idea Sandbox has made some um, interesting observations about their "Veg City" tray liners. This one is employs the "airport screening" metaphor to suggest that BK doesn't let any shady veggies into their food. More » -
burger king bath
Burger King Employee Takes Bath In Sink, Feels Wrath Of Health Department
A Burger King employee who took a bath in the burger chain's sink is probably regretting that someone filmed it and posted the video to MySpace, because the local Health Department was among those viewers who were not amused. More » -
fast food
Which Restaurants Are Making Your Kids Fat?
Unless your kid is named Hansel, he probably doesn't need to be fattened up like a juicy Christmas goose every time you go out to eat. That's not what some of the biggest restaurants think, though: Chili's has a kids' meal that comes in at 1,020 calories, while Burger King and KFC both offer meals that are over 900 calories. Your healthiest option, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is Subway. Here are what some other restaurants are offering, as well as tips on how to make the best of a bad meal when your kid is eating out. For children between 4 and 8 years of age, the recommended amount of calories per meal, assuming three meals a day, is 430. If the child is active, the amount goes up to 565. Using these numbers as a guide, the CSPI looked at the biggest restaurant chains in the country, then whittled their list down to the ones that offer dedicated kids' menus and provide nutritional info. This meant the following were left out of the study because they won't provide nutritional info:- We don't need no stinkin' nutrition
- Applebee's
- T.G.I. Friday's
- Outback Steakhouse
- Olive Garden
- Red Lobster
- IHOP
Chili's has 700 possible kids' meal combinations, but 658, or 94 percent, of those are too high in calories, including one comprised of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples, and chocolate milk (1,020 calories) and another comprised of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade (1,000 calories). Burger King has a "Big Kids" meal with a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk (910 calories) Sonic has a "Wacky Pack" with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie. KFC has a wide variety of side items, but there are few meal combinations that keep a reasonable ceiling on calories, according to the study. One example of a high-cal combo KFC kid's meal (the chain calls them "Laptop Meals") has popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams, and fruit punch, which has 940 calories. (KFC has since dropped Baked Cheetos from its kids' meals, and some outlets vary the number of chicken strips or sides.) Most of the kids'meals (93 percent) at McDonald's and Wendy's are too high in calories, as are the possibilities at Burger King (92 percent), Dairy Queen (89 percent), Arby's (69 percent), and Denny's (60 percent-though its kids' meals don't include drinks). (Since CSPI's study was completed, Burger King has introduced one new children's meal with macaroni and cheese, apple "fries," and 1 percent milk, which has a reasonable 420 calories.) Subway's kids' meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn't offer soft drinks with kids' meals.
So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid's meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:"Don't be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. "With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in. "Many of these restaurants have the nutrition information online that you can print out and go over with your kids even before you go, so that everybody is on the same page before they pull up to the drive-through or [head] to the counter," Blatner said. She also suggested that "instead of getting the fries, go with the apple slices. Many [restaurants] offer carrot sticks or apple slices or no-sugar-added applesauce or oranges, which make a big difference over deep-fried fries." And pay attention to how food is cooked. "Instead of the deep-fried nuggets, go for something like the grilled chicken, and you will save fat grams and calories," Blatner said. You'll also save calories by switching the soda, she added: "You can't go wrong with unsweetened iced tea, water or a skim milk."
As for the restaurants that refuse to provide nutritional info, maybe you should just eat elsewhere. Click here for some specific replacement suggestions from the Chicago Tribune. You can download a copy of the full CSPI report here. (Photo: Getty) -
burger king
Burger King Launches The "Token-Powered Pay Toilet"
A Burger King in Houston, TX has had it with bathroom vandalism, so they've installed a pay toilet. You can operate it with your own quarters, or you can request a token— but either way you have to feed the machine in order to... you know... says the Houston Chronicle. More » -
kfc
KFC's "Vegetarian Sandwich" Isn't, Stop Kidding Yourself That Fast Food Restaurants Have Vegetarian Options
In an effort to appease PETA and other angry vegetarians, KFC recently began selling a vegan, "Unchicken" sandwich in its Canadian locations. Guess what? It's not vegetarian. More »
