Vegetarian fast food is at long last expanding past the fillet-o-fish and bean burgers. The latest launch to hit stores is Burger King’s Halloumi Burger.
Available as a single burger, or a double if you’re feeling extra peckish, it’s served in a brioche bun with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and mayo. Sounds promising, but how will it measure up compared to the other veggie options on the market?
The burger is £3.99 for a single slice of halloumi or £5.49 for a double, if you want a meal the price goes up to £5.99 and £7.49, respectively. When the double burgers arrived in the HuffPost office, it’s safe to say they didn’t last long before being wolfed down by the team. Here’s our verdict.
Nancy Groves, Life Editor
“Biting into the double patty makes me realise it’s not the meat that makes a burger, but that irresistible mouthful of carbs, mayo, lettuce and grease. All of which this burger delivers. It slightly overdelivers on the grease – it dripped on my desk and across my colleague’s chinos. Oops. The halloumi is salty and substantial and I’d actually consider Burger King in an emergency now, knowing I could bag one of these.”
Daniel Welsh, Entertainment Reporter
“It was a lot greasier than a traditional BK burger, but it was still satisfying in a cheap and cheerful kind of way. However, I think for not much more than £5.49, I could go somewhere like GBK or Five Guys and have much better quality.”
Chris York, Senior Editor
“That was nice but my only issue is with the dressing. I guess it makes sense to have it with lettuce, mayo and onion for vegetarians wanting something resembling a regular burger but I can’t help feeling they missed a trick with not going a bit more Mediterranean - Tzatziki instead of mayo would have been amazing. But all in all, pretty decent for £4.”
Jacqui Housden, News Editor
“Raging with hunger, I barely stopped to look at the burger before hurriedly unwrapping it and swiftly inhaling it. My review is a fleeting memory: a soft bun, well-cooked halloumi with a bit of squeak, but not too rubbery. Crunchy lettuce on the top. Satiated.”
Emma Youle, Special Correspondent
“I was impressed that it tastes like a classic ‘dirty burger’ you’d crave after a night out; greasy, heavy on mayo, devilishly bad for you. But I thought it was light on halloumi flavour and lacking a tang to balance all that salt and grease - such as a tomato relish or sweet chilli sauce. At £5.49 it’s expensive too. I probably wouldn’t order it again and would instead stick to BK’s trusted bean burger.”
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