Our sister site Kotaku says the campaign is based in Germany and meant to parody "Vice City" and Grand Theft Auto, and there's even a mini-sniper game on the campaign's website.

Anyway, is it weird that we feel really bad for the onion? He's being humiliated! What did he do to deserve this? Maybe it's his choice in reading material...

Here's a close up: Don't onions deserve privacy?

You can view the entire liner here. And view some reaction from the crowd at Metafilter, here.

What Is Burger King Thinking? [Idea Sandbox]

Mark McDonnell, the County Health Commissioner, was emailed the video and used it as evidence against Burger King.

"Any bacteria on his skin could have been deposited giving people food poisoning," McDonnell told WHIOTV. In the clip, the employee is seen bathing in the sink, using a bucket market "sanitizing solution" to dump soapy water on himself. At one point the employee who was filming the prank tells the manager that someone is bathing in the sink, and the manager simply shakes her head and continues counting money.

Burger King has issued this statement about the incident:

"We have sanitized the sink and have disposed of all other kitchen tools and utensils that were used during the incident. We have also taken appropriate corrective action on the employees that were involved in this video.

Additionally, the remaining staff at this restaurant is being retrained in health and sanitation procedures."

Employee Takes Bath At Xenia Burger King [WHIO](Thanks, Shoan!)

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

Here's what the CSPI has to say about those restaurants that do provide nutritional info:

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)

"Vandalism is costly," another sign on the restroom doors read. "To help with these costs and to continue providing restrooms, this security lock has been installed. Your cooperation is appreciated."

Pay toilets are illegal in Houston, hence the free tokens. Still, the reporter who wrote the story says he saw a customer use his own quarter to access the toilet.

Is this the future of fast food?

Need to answer nature's call? It'll cost you [Houston Chronicle](Thanks, Therese!)

A reader at "green gossip" website Ecorazzi reported that the local KFC says it fries its vegan patties in the same fryers and oil that it uses to cook its chicken. It's doubtful that they're the only location that does this, but even if they were, there are several other reasons why this sandwich isn't vegan, and might not even be vegetarian. The obvious one is the use of mayonnaise as a condiment, which contains egg products unsuitable for vegans. We couldn't find any nutritional information on this sandwich at KFC or KFC Canada's website, so we can't speculate on what secret animal products (like enzymes or "natural flavors") are in the bun. Having worked at a few fast food restaurants in high school, we know that gloves and utensils aren't changed between preparing meaty and vegetarian items, so you're probably getting some chicken fat in your KFC Vegetarian Sandwich one way or another.

It's nice that KFC made the attempt to offer a non-meat menu item, but vegans and vegetarians shouldn't be eating at fast food restaurants. Even the highly touted Burger King Morningstar Burger is imperfect: the patty itself contains milk and egg, the mayo contains eggs, and the cheese contains milk (and probably animal rennet). Burger King's nutrition info brochure contains the following disclaimer: "Burger King Corporation makes no claim that the BK VEGGIE® Burger or any other of its products meets the requirements of a vegan or vegetarian diet."

If you'd like to learn more about how cheese is made with veal stomach, sugar is bleached with animal bones, and other depressing reasons not to ever eat anything ever again, check out the Vegetarian Resource Group's Frequently Asked Questions About Food Ingredients

(Photo: Getty)

Observe this heavily medicated family enjoying their "healthy" food from Burger King. Hey pops, quit bogarting the mac n' cheese!

If this video is a little dry for you, try watching it while playing this music in background, trust us.

The article says,

The launch will be followed by an in-restaurant merchandising and television ad campaign, with the first commercial airing July 7. That spot will introduce "Little King" meant to be the masked king's young son.

The company will be offering free samples of its apple fries through July in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Houston. Burger King will also give away samples at Jonas Brothers concert tour sites. Burger King is an official sponsor of the group's "Burning Up Tour" and will be offering some free tickets to the concerts.

Burger King certainly isn't the first fast food restaurant to try to convince moms to listen to the pleas in the backseat for fast food. McDonald's launched a public relations campaign targeted to mothers last year in a bid to neutralize criticism that the company's food is a contributor to childhood obesity.

We suppose, if there is no other available source of food and you are trying to get your family to eat healthy, this seems like a viable option, but we certainly don't see anyone making a special trip because they are jonesing for apple fries. And if your kid has already been exposed to the artery-closing goodness of a Whopper with cheese and french-fries (or onion rings) and a Coke, there's little chance they are going to be pacified by a miniature cup of mac n' cheese and a bottle of milk.

Burger King looks to woo mom with new kids meal [AP]

CR says that an average cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine. While all decaf will have some caffeine, there are no laws that dictate how much caffeine is allowed in decaffeinated coffee.

Their results,

More than half of our decafs had less than 5 mg of caffeine, but some had quite a bit more. One of the six cups from Dunkin' Donuts had 32 mg; one from Seattle's Best had 29 mg; and one from Starbucks had 21 mg. Levels of caffeine in the decaffeinated coffees we tested varied within chains, but in our sample, McDonald's decaf consistently had less than 5 mg.

Our shoppers bought caffeinated coffee at the same chains, and we found a surprise there, too. Caffeine per cup ranged from 58 mg to 281 mg, providing less or more of a java jolt than you might expect.

We suppose it would be more correct to call the stuff "partially decaffeinated" coffee. If you are someone who is trying to avoid caffeine, you might want to limit yourself to one cup of decaf per day and not drink any before bed. Of course, most of our readers would probably prefer a caffeine IV if such a thing existed.

Is it really decaf? [Consumer Reports]

In case you were wondering why it costs $185, the burger is contains wagyu beef, white truffles, a saffron sprinkled bun and tempura onions prepared in Cristal champagne. Enjoy.

Burger King launches £95 'bling burger' [Telegraph]

"Further extending our late-night hours allows us to meet strong consumer demand and deliver on the ‘Have It Your Way' brand promise," said Russ Klein, president-global strategy, marketing and innovation at Burger King, Miami, in a statement.

To promote the new closing time, the fast-food chain will launch a TV spot, directed by Spike Lee. It will feature entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has been recruited as the brand's "Late Night Ambassador."

Combs seems to be taking his new "job" seriously:

"Everyone knows I own the night," said Combs, in a statement. "As 'Late Night Ambassador,' it's my goal to get everyone involved, whether they're leaving a club, concert or studio session. BK is the only place that does late-night right."

Does this mean BK is going to start serving raccoon dog meat now?

Burger King Now Open 'Til 2 A.M. [Burger King]
(Photo: Morton Fox )

The AP says:

An aide to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders who held a hearing on the case announced the deal Friday. The aide, Michael Briggs, said the two sides planned to announce the deal later today.

Briggs says the Miami-based fast-food chain will pay 1.5 cents more per pound of tomatoes it buys from Florida growers, with the money passed to the workers.

He says the farmworker's group known as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers says that would roughly double what workers earn while picking.

McDonald's and Yum! brands have similar deals in place.

Burger King, Fla. tomato workers in wage deal [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: MortonFox )

UK business site Brand Republic says:

The 6 Pack, which costs £4.49 on its own or £5.69 as part of a meal, comprises one big Aberdeen Angus patty inside six rolls, stuck together to allow consumers to tear off portions. In one pair of rolls the burger is topped with ketchup, the second has a cheese topping, and the third bacon and cheese.

Supposedly, this item is going to help BK compete with "pizza." Why not just offer 6 little burgers? Who wants to tear apart a giant patty? Can this be real? Our head hurts. Would you eat this?

Burger King launches a burger for six to share [Brand Republic]

A South Bend, Indiana family is a little ticked off after finding a cigarette lighter in their child's Burger King kid's meal, says WSJV.

The family checked the bag before giving it to their child and are thankful that they did. Now they'd just like to remind other parents to make sure your child's meal doesn't contain anything flammable before you toss it into the back seat...

Angela Vanderhuyden says, "I'm really disappointed. I want people to be a little more aware and a little more cautious. It's something that most parents just say, 'ya, know here guys', and hand the bag to the back seat because it's supposed to be just food, that's it you know. The food and the toy."

Good safety tip, Angela.

Lighter Found In Kid's Meal[WSJV]

The internal emails are particularly weird. Back in January, two messages were sent from a single Hotmail account through Burger King's servers, one to a journalist and one to a pro-farm workers group. The emails criticized Burger King and offered to provide assistance and information about the restaurant company's plans. Were the Hotmail messages legit? Is there a traitor within Burger King HQ? Or was somebody trying to set up the farm workers group for future accusations of dirty tricks?

As expected, BK gives the standard corporate spin about the investigation without actually saying anything of substance:

"Senior management of the company had no knowledge of Grover's postings. These comments were not sanctioned by the company and they do not reflect the opinion of the company," Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson said in a statement. "We are conducting an internal investigation, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."

We'd like to think that means Grover will have to wear the Duke costume at the next corporate retreat, but more likely it just means he'll get a few sympathetic back slaps by his C-level buddies. Oh well—we'll always know you're a jackass, Grover.
 
"Burger King investigates e-mails slamming farmworker group" [Florida Times-Union]
(Photo: malias)

Here's the quick back story: tomato pickers in the U.S. are paid ridiculously low wages and treated badly, and some people are talking to fast food companies about increasing their pay by a penny per pound in order to help solve the problem. There was an agreement on the penny pay increase—McDonald's and Taco Bell were okay with it—but that fell through after Burger King joined up with some Florida tomato growers to claim that the low-wage claims were false and the workers were treated just fine.

It's gotten so bad that earlier this month, farm workers and their advocates testified before the Senate that claims of $12.50/hour wages were false, and that the industry has a history of worker abuse:

"It may not sound like much, but for the tomato pickers, it means the difference between poverty and decent wages," Kennedy said. He invoked Edward R. Murrow's landmark 1960 documentary "Harvest of Shame," which detailed the grim plight of migrant workers in Immokalee and elsewhere.
 
"Too little has changed over the years," he said. The fact that there's a need for hearings today shows "how far we have to go to provide genuine fairness and justice for this vulnerable workforce," he said.
 
"Do the math with me," Durbin said in his opening statement. Workers would have to fill and empty a 32-pound bucket of tomatoes, each worth some 45 cents, about every two minutes all day long to earn the $12.50, he said.
 
"Is that possible?" he asked. "I don't think it is."
 
Sanders also decried conditions in Immokalee, pointing out that when he visited in January, a 17-count indictment was handed down for enslavement of tomato workers.
 
"In America, in the year 2008, it is not acceptable that workers producing the food we eat should live in these conditions," he said.
 
Workers face seven-day work weeks, physical and psychological abuse, and debt bondage to their employers, said Lucas Benitez, co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

At one point, Burger King Vice President Stephen Grover told reporters he was concerned the coalition was pocketing the extra money. After several independent groups that verified the agreements dismissed the allegations, Burger King officials stopped repeating them.
 
But the allegations were repeated on blog posts, according to a story published Monday in The News-Press in Fort Myers. The paper traced those posts to the online user name of Grover's daughter. The girl, who is in middle school, later confirmed to the paper her father had used her online screen name.
 
In a post still available Monday on YouTube, an individual with the girl's screen name wrote: "The CIW is an attack organization lining the leaders pockets by attacking restaurant companies. They make up issues and collect money from dupes that believe their story...."
 
Messages left for Grover at work and at home by The Associated Press on Monday were not immediately returned.

His wife, Susan Grover, confirmed the screen name was their daughter's but said she didn't know if her husband had used it. She accused the News-Press reporter of not identifying herself as a journalist to their daughter.
 
Reporter Amy Bennett Williams said she did identify herself and told the girl she was taking notes. She also said she left all of her contact information, which the girl's mother later used to call and complain.

They were dealt yet another blow when the Assistant Manager received a call from the Manager of Burger King, telling staff to close the restaurant due to the traffic slowed to virtually nothing. Street traffic had been blocked off for a 1-block radius. When the Assistant Manager informed the Manager that the Red Cross was processing the residents that had been evacuated, according to my source, the manager told her to ask everyone to leave and if they didn't comply, to call the police. The Red Cross worker ended up talking to the manager, and a rescue bus was called to the scene.

Fire, Ice And Tears [MPLS Mirror]
(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

From KTVB:

Bryan Sampson's wife picked up food for the family Saturday - totaling $22.43. But a whopper of a mistake left the couple's account overdrawn. A clerk at the Burger King charged them $2,243.00 - with the decimal point in the wrong spot!

Bryan said he didn't notice the charge until Sunday - but now the mistake is causing big trouble for the family's finances.

"My bank account now is overdrawn $473, so anything that might come through at midnight is gonna be charged a $35 fee," Sampson said. "I know there's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 charges they're gonna charge me for at $35 bucks a pop

Sampson said the assistant manager told him they had cancelled the transaction instead of crediting his account - and that the store manager would not be in until Tuesday - after the President's Day holiday to correct the mistake.

Here are our criteria:

• Had to be from a top nationwide burger chain.
• Had to be on the regular menu.
• Had to be a burger. No chicken.

Special Awards:

Most Ominous New Burger: McDonald's 1/3 Angus Deluxe with Bacon has 860 calories, but isn't available everywhere yet. When it's nationwide, it'll bump the Baconator™ off the top 5.

Some Burgers With Fewer Calories:

A WHOPPER JR.® has 370 calories. You could eat 3 full WHOPPER JR.® sandwiches (bun and toppings and mayo) and it would still be less calories than the TRIPLE WHOPPER® with cheese. A Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger has 310 calories. [ed. note—In the interest of fairness, a friend who recently ate one says that the Baconator™ is significantly more delicious than the 2.6 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers he could eat for the same calories.]

Best Name for A Butt-Blimping Burger:

Baconator™, duh.

Wendy's
McDonald's
BK

(Photo:MortonFox)

From Marketplace:

Just after Thanksgiving, the Florida tomato pickers held a large rally outside Burger King headquarters in Miami.

Now it's surfaced that three weeks later, BK sent a note to suppliers saying it may no longer buy tomatoes from southwestern Florida.

Spokesperson Keva Silversmith says the letter is just a normal part of the company's planning.

Keva Silversmith: Our contingency planning is based on a variety of issues, a freeze being one of them, hurricane issues, which are always an issue, as well as a possible labor conflict.

A cent too far for Burger King [Marketplace]
(Photo:Morton Fox)

Dear Consumerist,

So, for dinner tonight I decided to make the least healthiest choice and go to my local Burger King. There I placed an order for a Tender Crisp Chicken Sandwich Large Value Meal (and the barista only says Large or King, and not Medium, which is advertised, but thats something I'll touch on another time). Upon paying almost 7 dollars and then a few minutes later receiving my food, I politely asked the barista working the counter for some barbecue sauce. The barista then told me that it would cost me 11 cents to get a little brownish-red stuff in a plastic square.

I was baffled. I asked if the barista was serious and he was. Then I asked to speak with his manager. She said, that it would cost 11 cents for me to have barbecue sauce because I had not ordered Chicken Fries or Chicken Tenders. So, I told them that I would not pay 11 cents for the barbecue sauce (because I would honestly keep the 11 cents and put it toward a real bottle of barbecue sauce) and instead wanted 20 packets of ketchup which they handed over without thinking twice.

What has happened to the days where vendors gave you condiments free of charge? I know gas prices have gone up and the U.S. economy has gone to shit but it's a little ludicrous when Burger King stops handing out barbecue sauce for free.

Sincerely,

A College Kid Looking for Some BBQ Sauce

Burger King has to raise condiment prices due to risky bets placed on the sub-prime burger industry. Furthermore, BBQ sauce cubelets are a premium condiment compared to catsup. You would have to fill an entire standard-sized Burger King with catsup packets to equal one BBQ sauce cubelet. This is due to massive government subsidies for the tomato industry, grandfathered into the Food Bill, which are left over from the war of 1872 when America wanted to undermine Spanish influence in Mexico by shutting them out of the lucrative tomato market.

(Photo: Morton Fox)

Hartless said during an interview Thursday that the second and last time he visited the Burger King in Rutland was on June 18 when the lure of a home-style hamburger brought him to the restaurant.

"At that time they were promoting the Southwestern Whopper. Being from Texas I was excited. There's not a lot of spicy food here," he said.

Hartless, who moved to Fair Haven two years ago, said he didn't recognize anyone working at the restaurant and as far as he knows, no one in the restaurant knew him.

But while he was ordering his meal, he said the woman taking his order gave him a hard time about doing the order his way.

"I asked for a Whopper with jalapenos and hold the onions," he said. "The girl told me they didn't have jalapenos but the last time I was in there they gave me jalapenos. When I said that, she told me that they never carried jalapenos. I told her that was fine, but she pulled out a list and said, 'Like you see, we don't carry them.'

"When she read back my order a few minutes later it was wrong," he added.

Frustrated, Hartless said he sat in a booth to wait for his meal. From the angle of the booth, he said he couldn't see the kitchen or the person preparing his sandwich.

When his order was ready, he said he took it home with him to Fair Haven where he sat down to dinner with his spouse and stepdaughter. He said after making his gruesome discovery, the rest of the sandwiches were searched but no additional objects were found.

The urge to think "Attention Whore! Frivolous Lawsuit!" is mitigated because Hartless submitted to a polygraph test and seems genuinely troubled. The poor guy was plagued by nightmares, the kind you do not have unless you suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome:

"I know it sounds kind of funny now but I had dreams where I would be doing random things and whatever I was holding would turn into the hamburger or the condom."

Regular readers will be familiar with all the twists and turns in the report, but its worth watching if only to see Wendy's try to convince Lesley Stahl that putting calories on menu boards is impossible and that the chain isn't worried about sales dropping.

Also included in the report is an interview with Brian Wansink, a nutrition and marketing professor at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating. If you're at all interested in the ways that food marketing manipulates you, you should check out Brian's research at Cornell's food and brand lab. One of the best parts of the report is the look on one customer's face when Wansink tells him the Subway combo he thought had 300 calories really has 1300.

Wansink then asked another consumer who had chosen the same combo:

"Well, let's say for instance that we would have had the calories listed on the menu when you ordered something like that. Would that influence what you ordered?" Wansink asked a man.

"Absolutely. I don't think I would have gotten it. I mean, 1,350 calories for a Subway," the man replied.

Expert: Many Underestimate Calories [60 Minutes]

They're not what you think. "Apple Fries," a 35 calorie alternative to french fries, are raw apples cut to look like thick fries, then washed with lemon to keep them from turning brown.

They're part of BK's new healthier kids menu, according to Business Week:

Burger King Holdings Inc., the world's second largest hamburger chain, said it has set nutritional guidelines to follow when targeting children under 12 in advertising, including limiting ads to Kids Meals that contain no more than 560 calories, less than 30 percent of calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.

In that vein, Burger King is building a Kids Meal that will contain the flame-broiled Tenders, organic unsweetened applesauce and low-fat milk, for a total of 305 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. It will be available in restaurants sometime in 2008, the company said.

The fast-food chain is also developing what it calls BK Fresh Apple Fries. The red apples are cut to resemble french fries and are served in the same containers as fries, but they are not fried and are served skinless and cold.

"We not only want to better inform parents and kids about these new menu options but also to demonstrate through product innovation that better-for-you foods can be fun and taste good," said John Chidsey, Burger King's chief executive.

Burger King adding healthier menu items [BusinessWeek]
(Photo:Maulliegh)

Would you eat "Ketchup and Fries" flavored BK potato chips? The chips will be available in stores and at BK. From their press release:

Burger King Corp. will also test market a 100 calorie bag in BURGER KING restaurants. "The 100 calorie bag will serve as a HAVE IT YOUR WAY option that goes particularly well with existing menu offerings like the TENDERGRILL Chicken Sandwich," Klein explained, "as well as with products under development, like BK HOLD'EMS wraps."

Klein added: "The snacks are trans fat free, and the 100 calorie bag may provide our guests with portion control options as part of their overall eating strategies."

UPDATE: Apparently ketchup flavored chips are popular in Canada and are very good. Who knew? Not us.

Snack Like a King (Press Release) [Business Wire]

"We are delighted by the outstanding consumer response to our new oil," said Russ Klein, president of global marketing, strategy and innovation. "In tests on over a dozen core items, consumers determined that BURGER KING products cooked in trans fat free oil tasted the same or better than products cooked in the traditional oil. We are proud to offer a healthier oil with the same great taste."

Burger King Corp. Announces National Rollout of Trans Fat Free Oil (Press Release) [BK]
(Photo: Hakan Dahlstrom)

Burger King is now offering the Spam Platter—which is "two slices of Spam nestled between white rice and scrambled eggs." You can also get a Croissanwich or Biscuit Sandwich with Spam.

The Spam Platter costs $3.49 at BK. McDonald's Spam Platter (shown above) is almost identical, but is 10 cents cheaper.

Hawaiians consume 5 million pounds of Spam a year, about 6 cans per person. You can get lots of varieties of Spam in Hawaii, some of which we'd never even heard of.

"There's Spam Garlic, Spam Bacon, Spam with Cheese, Spam with Tabasco, Spam Turkey and Spam Lite, which featured less sodium and less fat." Who knew? Hawaiians, we assume. —MEGHANN MARCO

Burger King Ignites Spam War [NBC11]
(Photo: aprilandrandy)

Taco Bell and KFC have dropped trans fats, as has Wendy's. McDonald's has completed the transition process in 1,200 stores and will be trans-fat free by the end of 2008. So what's the big hold up, Burger King? It's not like there is no trans fat in your food. The CSPI says:

Numerous fried and non-fried foods at Burger King have alarming levels of trans fat, according to CSPI. A King-size Onion Rings has 6 grams of trans fat. A regular-size order of Chicken Tenders with a large order of French fries has 8 grams of trans. A Sausage Biscuit with a large order of Hash Browns has an astounding 18 grams of trans fat—more than someone should consume in 9 days.

Burger King Hit With Trans Fat Lawsuit (Press Release) [CSPI]
Lawsuit targets trans fat use at Burger King [Miami Herald]
(Photo: Morton Fox)

Starbucks and Cracker Barrel fared well, along with several upscale chains, including Bonefish Grill, Ruth's Chris, Legal Sea Foods, and Morton's. The survey attributes the faltering satisfaction levels to record expansion and a lack of innovation.

"They all drowned in the sea of sameness," he said, asserting that they had failed to innovate and largely had similar menus. "They overbuilt and underwhelmed."

Eateries found failing to deliver [Chicago Trib]
Restaurant-Beverage Demand Today 2007 [Kanbay Research Institute]

"It's caused her a lot of problems in paying her rent, paying her car payment, buying food," Pequino's friend, Richard White, told the local media. White spoke for Pequino, who does not speak English well. "It's caused a lot of problems. I don't know too many people that can have $8,648 withdrawn from their account and carry on normally."

With more and more people paying for small things with debit cards, it pays to be vigilant about these sorts of things. —MEGHANN MARCO

Woman Charged $8,000 For Burger King Meal [WDSU]
(Photo: WDSU)

Under the agreement, a third party will verify that farmworkers who pick McDonald's tomatoes will receive the increase. Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's will also require its suppliers to follow a workplace code of conduct that the workers would help create.

The deal involves payments for grape tomatoes that go on McDonald's salads. McDonald's USA spokesman William Whitman said the cost would not be passed on to consumers.

"To ask Burger King Corporation to pay a penny more a pound for tomatoes to increase workers' wages is similar to asking shoppers to voluntarily pay a penny more per pound at the grocery store for tomatoes to increase workers' wages. Both Burger King Corporation and grocery store shoppers have no business relationship with the workers and cannot get the extra penny to them."

McDonald's had previously shared Burger King's sentiments regarding the practicality of rewarding tomato farm workers, according to the AP:

McDonald's had previously refused the coalition's requests, maintaining it bought tomatoes through a third party and could not track where its produce came from. Instead, it sponsored a study — later discredited — that suggested farmworkers were paid more than twice the state's minimum wage.

McDonald's to pay more for tomatoes [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: Morton Fox)

PREVIOUSLY: Burger King Offers To Send Employment Recruiters To Tomato Farms

Burger King To Go Cage-Free?

Animal rights advocates praised Burger King for its new commitment to begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that do not keep their animals in cages or crates.

''We certainly hope that people will order the BK Veggie Burger when they go into Burger King,'' said Matt Prescott, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. ''But the fact that Burger King has made positive changes for some of the animals killed for its restaurants will send a ripple effect through the fast food industry and show other companies that animal welfare cannot be ignored.''

PETA has been critical of the fast food giant in the past

Burger King Pledges Cage - Free Food [NYT]
(Photot: MortonFox)

Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said John Fain walked into a Burger King in the 1300 block of Eastchase Parkway before 9 a.m. and took money from a register."

Police Release Dashcam Video Of FW Chase [NBC5i]

According to Klein "the movie could appear as early as the end of this year, with the film aimed at 'creating a back story for the king.'" The hell?

How very Mac and Me of them.

Anyway, we'll only see it if they get Sacha Baron Cohen involved. —MEGHANN MARCO

Are Geico Cavemen Ready For Primetime? [MSN]

Here it is, your guide to secret menu items. Sure, it's not the secret rib eye at Nobu, but it's something. Before reading this please note that this article has not been fact-checked. This report is based purely on reader suggestions. We are posting them entirely without confirmation and are not going to try to order any of this crap in order to confirm its existence. We would die of heart disease, be broke, and our ass would be the size of Texas. This is the internet, the internet is not fact-checked, and these are your secret menu items. Enjoy.

Taco Bell: Everything Taco Bell makes is comprised of a few basic ingredients, so they'll likely make anything they have the stuff for, which is probably pretty much anything they've ever served. Examples to attempt: Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, Encharito.

Wendy's: A tipster tells us, "order a "Grand Slam", It would otherwise be called a Classic Quadruple, were it on the menu." Reader bringafajita suggests trying to get a "Quarter Pound Double Stack with Cheese." FishingCrue tells us to try "Everything" (lettuce and tomato) on a Wendy's Double Stack, sometimes it's even free. If they look at you like you're crazy, tell them there's a button for it. A double stack with everything, add bacon is a decent sandwich for somewhere south of 2 bones."

Chipotle: Chipotle will, like Taco Bell, make anything they have the ingredients for. Unlike Taco Bell, this is an official policy. Some suggestions: Nachos, Quesadilla, Individual Tacos, Taco Salads, Tiny Bean Burritos Using Taco Shells, Fresh Cilantro on Your Tacos, whatever you can think of.

Subway: Subway will still make the "pizza sub," and many other former menu items. Also, they can't sell "broken cookies," so they may give you some for free.

Jamba Juice: Jamba has an entire secret menu of "unhealthy" smoothies named after things that would involve copyright violations were they to be included on the menu. The ones we know of:White Gummi Bear, Red Gummi Bear, Green Gummi Bear, Raspberry Dreamin', Pineapple Dreamin', Sourpatch Kid, Tropical Tango, Pacific Passion, Berry Depressing, Now and Later, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Apple Pie, Fruity Pebbles, Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry Shortcake, Push Pop, Skittles, Andres' Surprise, and Lemonade Lightnin'. (Thanks,ronaldscott!)

In-N-Out Burger: Has their "secret" menu posted on their website, but a tipster writes in: "Not only can you get an animal style burger but you can also get animal style fries which are amazing. It's fries piled with onions, cheese and sauce and they come with a fork." In addition, we hear several voices calling from the mist, whispering that the secret menu doesn't stop at 4 x 4., but may, in fact, go on to infinity. Or at least to 100 x 100...
(Thanks, xapplexjuicex!)

Starbucks: Starbucks will make you absolutely anything you want no matter how insane it is, according to our tipster.

"Baristas might try and tell their customers that no, we can't do that with the blenders. This is a lie. Starbucks corporate policy is that the customer is ALWAYS right (even when the request is stupid). If you really insist that you want your iced soy latte blended, the baristas HAVE to do it. If they continue to refuse, ask to speak to a manager and either they'll realize they're about to get in trouble and will fill your request, or the manager will come out and politely tell the barista to make the customer happy.

Absolutely any concoction that you can think of (involving any type of milk, syrup, coffee, etc.) will be made for you. The limits to Starbucks "secret menu" are merely the limits of your imagination. You can even bring supplements from home and ask the barista to please include that in your drink."

(Photo: cogdogblog)

The menu will feature 10 offerings with prices beginning at $1, including French toast sticks, a sausage biscuit, hash browns, cinnamon buns, coffee, milk, soda, orange juice and a new Hamlette sandwich, made with ham, cheese and egg.

Another new breakfast offering is Cheesy Tots, or cheese inside a potato crust.

(Photo: Morton Fox)

To ask Burger King Corporation to pay a penny more a pound for tomatoes to increase workers' wages is similar to asking shoppers to voluntarily pay a penny more per pound at the grocery store for tomatoes to increase workers' wages. Both Burger King Corporation and grocery store shoppers have no business relationship with the workers and cannot get the extra penny to them.

"We have spoken to CIW representatives about our interest in recruiting interested Immokalee workers into the BURGER KING system. We have offered to send Burger King Corporation recruiters to the area to speak with the CIW and with workers themselves about permanent, full-time employment at BURGER KING restaurants. Burger King Corporation offers ongoing professional training and advancement opportunities around the country for both entry-level and skilled employee jobs, and we are hopeful the CIW will accept our offer."

Statement from Burger King (Press Release) [NAMC Newswire] [Photo: carlosjwj]

"Burger King Holdings Inc., the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said Tuesday that quarterly earnings rose a better-than-expected 40 percent as an Xbox 360 video game promotion spurred sales in the U.S."

Burger King's results get lift from Xbox [Burger King] [Photo: MrSnap]

Fast-food chain Burger King Holdings Inc. on Wednesday said it started testing in its restaurants several trans-fat free cooking oils and plans to roll one out nationwide in late 2008.

Burger King said it has been working for two years to identify a trans-fat free oil, beginning with consumer testing and moving to in-restaurant testing.

Burger King added it will meet New York City trans-fat free requirements, which go into effect in July, before it rolls out the oil nationally.

Then, of course, the customers would drive around, where they'd pick up and pay for their drugs (and food.) Narcotics officers shut down the Burger King and caught Michelle with 5 grams of meth. She's being held for suspicion of possessing a controlled substance for sale, maintaining a place for drug sales, and committing a felony after being released by a court in connection with another crime.

Gives a whole new meaning to "Wake Up With the King" doesn't it? —MEGHANN MARCO

Police: Worker Sold Drugs At Marysville Drive-Through [KCRA]