Burger Shots

BURGER KING
11,550 locations worldwide!

**Interesting fact I came across while looking up location information for Burger King:
"Burger King has a longstanding presence at U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force installations worldwide, dating back to the 1980s under a contract with Army and Air Force Exchange Service. Today, while other chains such as Taco Bell, Popeye's and Subway have a presence on military bases, virtually every major Army and Air Force installation hosts a BK restaurant.




I'll cut right to the chase. BK Burger Shots are possibly the greatest fast-food incarnation since the Mc Rib. Whoever thought of this little gem at BK is probably basking in corporate glory; freshly promoted to VP of Marketing Genius, traipsing the world in a shiny new G5 and hitting the links while us schmucks sit in a cubicle.

And the reason we’re sitting in cubicles, pondering our existence and fully realizing how shitty our jobs are, is because schmucks like us never came up with the idea of selling sliders en masse.

Sure, sliders aren’t new (ask anyone in Chicago). But that’s not the point. The point is that someone was smart enough to re-package these wee-little lads and call it sliced bread.

Thing is, everyone expects a slider from a cutesy-downtown-boutique-burger shop with yuppies and hipsters in tow. No one expects it from a fast-food multinational that churns out a burger in less than a minute. So when you roll up to a Burger King at Jane and Lawrence and ask for BK Shot and get two sliders, your mind explodes, paradigms shift and the Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

Even the packaging on these guys rule! All with their sardonic illustration on how to un-wrap, bisect and consume said sliders. Oh how I love thee.

I’m sorry, but BK Shots are killing it right now. To me, they are to the burger world what Wu Tang was to hip hop.

- Chenyip

PS: My total amount of BK Burger Shots is currently sitting at 14. I’ll accept any challenge to top that.

McGangBang!

Every once in a great while, a food product is created or invented that brings people together in their collective curiosity. Crystal Pepsi, the McRib, the Double Decker Taco, those Oreos that turned milk blue for some reason...

I can now say that food product du jour is, without question the "McGangBang". "What the devil is a McGangBang?" you ask?

Urban Dictionary describes it as:

"A double Cheeseburger and McChicken. Simply split the double cheeseburger between the two meat patties and place the McChicken in between the two meat patties and enjoy. Both dollar menu items."

Or, more simply:


As with any phenomenon born on the Internet, the history of the McGangBang is fuzzy at best, but most more prevalent theory seems to have it originated in Daytona Beach, Florida (which, if you're keeping score, means Florida birthed Limp Bizkit, the 2000 election, and now this...). It's popularity has grown leaps and bounds in past months, appearing on thisiswhyyourefat.com, Message boards and Twitter posts. Several YouTube videos have also popped up, all trying to be the first in their area to order one "by name" at a McDonalds restaurant or drive-thru, and have their order processed properly, much to the chagrin of many McEmployees. Perhaps the ultimate goal, is to have it become something all McDonalds employees know how to make, much like In-N-Out's famous "secret menu" items. The McGangBang: Ask for it by name.

After much reading up on the subject, my interest was piqued and I could wait no further. Today was the day. I was going to walk to my local McDonalds and try a McGangBang for myself.

I walked into the McDonalds, not drinking anything on the way over for fear of compromising my palette, and ruining this new taste sensation. Never has a trip to the golden arches felt so scientific. I ordered "A Double Cheese Burger and a Junior Chicken, please", and in my daydream the employees would excitedly ask "Are you making a McGangBang!?!". In reality though, the lady behind the counter held up 8 fingers and asked if I wanted 8 Double Cheeseburgers. "Ahh, No thanks, just one."

It was a fairly busy McDonalds location this afternoon, I believe they were conducting interviews at the time, so I immediately got self conscious about not only constructing such a gluttonous sandwich, but then exacerbating the situation by taking photographs. I took the most remote seat I could find. I then sat down, carefully constructed the sandwich (the melty cheese is the biggest obstacle) and quietly snapped a few pictures. I then took a deep breath, and then took the plunge.

The first bite is confusing. Jarring, almost. You have to open you're mouth really wide. One would expect you'd be tasting mostly bun, but the flavors shine through quite well. It's alot to take in at first, but you do taste both the burger patties and the chicken, although the chicken is more subtle. You also taste ketchup and mayo and pickles. It's surprisingly tasty. The often used "It's a party in your mouth, and everyones invited!" description held true.

As I continued, I decided that unlike most of the much hyped fast food freakshow items, this actually wasn't so bad. I may live to experience one or several more McGangBangs. The look of it half eaten isn't a pretty one, but one can't argue taste. Another odd effect was how filling it was. For me, trips to McDonalds usually involve more food items than just 2 value menu burgers, but I was massively full after just one McGB (priced at a meager $2.78).

So there it is. I left the McDonalds victorious. I had heroically conquered the beast. I felt like Superman, if he had swallowed a 5-pin bowling ball.


Viva La McGangBang!

-Matt

FYI

angela - the double decker hamburger is becoming all the rage over
here in new york - full page spread in new york magazine

your new york hamburger correspondent,
natalie

**I further investigated this, and here is the article:


MAKE IT A DOUBLE:
Why burger eaters all over town are discovering that two patties are better than one.
These are indeed burger boom times, with a twist: Not since the advent of Bob’s Big Boy in 1937 (and its copycat Big Mac in 1968) has the double burger been so popular. Despite its seeming heft, the double-decker construction is actually a boon for aficionados of thinner, crisper patties. The beauty of the double, some say, is that the top patty effectively bastes the bottom one with its juicy drippings. And with half the bread, doubles are typically less filling (and less conspicuously gluttonous— well, maybe) than two singles. At some local spots, the double burger is the default. Where to find the best.
By Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite

Porter Burger

The PORTER BEER BAR
1156 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0393


This weekend I finally got to try a new(ish) gastropub in town. I had heard a lot of good things about it, but just never quite made it down. So in between the an in-store performance at local record store and another show later on, the roommates and I decided to grab a bite to eat there. As you walk in there's an extremely narrow bar area which opens up in the back to a dining area. The Porter’s food menu consist of only 7 entrées, plus some appetizer and brunch options, as well as daily specials (all which give you a beer suggestion to pair with that particular dish). The beer menu on the other hand has over 200 varieties from microbrews to high-gravity Belgian ales to rare specialty beers (some with a price tag of $98 for 1.5L!).

I opted for The Porter’s Half Pound Cheeseburger, which has fresh Angus Beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and had it cooked medium. When the food arrived, I was drooling over how appetizing it looked. I bit in, and noticed it was cooked more medium-rare, possibly even rare. I didn’t let it bother me and kept on chomping down and enjoyed every bite. I feel like The Porter could be giving other local restaurants a run for their money in “Top Burger in Atlanta” competitions.

Overall, the burger is great, they give you more than enough fries (let a friend get a salad and split your sides up), the service is...decent, but it is in Little 5 Points, so maybe that’s why, or maybe it’s due to the fact they are a new place and the beer selection is AMAZING. I definitely recommend checking it out whenever you might be in the area.

- Bobby!


EDITOR'S NOTE:
WHY IS IT THAT ALL THE BURGERS THAT BOBBY POSTS HAVE INSANE AMOUNT OF ONIONS ON IT? IS THIS AN ATLANTA THING?! WEIRD...

THE FOGGY DEW
803 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 703-4042


Janine, Colin and I decided to go to the Foggy Dew at King & Niagara for dinner and drinks on Friday night. The place was packed, and really warm - they also sat us right next to the fireplace, which didn't help. My sister and I both ordered the Belfast Burger; An 8oz hand made Certified Angus Beef burger topped with crisp lettuce, fresh tomato and a Strub's pickle. She got cheddar cheese and I got swiss.

This was a wonderfully juicy, and really yummy burger! I didn't think I could finish it, 'cause of it's size...actually, I don't think I did! I was completely satisfied! The only thing that was a bummer, was that the coleslaw was seeping onto one side of my hamburger, which was kinda gross. Separate that shit from all the other food! Geeezeeeeeeeee...

Overall, it's a good. cozy little Irish pub to hangout at, with alright priced food ($10.99 for that meal), and pitchers of Mill Street Organic! Although, I highly recommend NOT going there next Tuesday during St. Patrick's Day...unless you're into that kind of thing? I don't care. Do whatever you want...

HOPE AND ANCHOR
347 Van Brunt St
Brooklyn NY 11231
(718) 237-0276


This past week I took a trip up to New York to visit some friends and see some of my old favorite places that I haven’t been to in over a year. Hope and Anchor is one of these places, and it happens to be underneath the apartment I was staying at in Red Hook. It’s a nice little diner/bar with a lot of nautical decorations and themes, including the bathroom covered in Sailor Jerry tattoo flash.

On their menu, they have over ten different types of burgers to choose from, some which are alternates to beef if you’d like that instead. I chose “The Red Hook” which is 1/2 lb. beef, bacon, cheddar cheese and onions and had it cooked medium. It was...well...delicious! It had a nice charred exterior so you get a little crispiness to it but still had the juicy medium interior. They did, however, overload it with the onions. Some people might like that, but not me.

So, if you’re ever in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, definitely check this place out. Everything else I’ve tried there is pretty tasty too (especially, the Mac & Cheese Fritters). Also, if you’re there on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, feel free to join in on (or be warned about) the karaoke!

- Bobby!