The bacon sundae is exactly what it sounds like it is: A bacon sundae.
The sundae is made up of bacon, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and caramel. Burger King is touting it as one of the items on this year's summer menu, as it tries to keep its brand relevant in preparation for going public.
It has 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar.
So, how is it?
When you take a bite of ice cream and bacon, it initially tastes like salty ice cream. That's a good mix, but the ice cream quickly melts in your mouth, leaving nothing but bacon.
And so, you now have a mouthful of bacon. Great, right? Except that the bacon's cold because it was smothered in ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream goes away and you're left with salty, squishy bacon with a strange aftertaste that seemingly lasts forever.
There's not enough bacon to last more than a few bites, so it soon turns into a regular ice cream sundae. It's fairly large, so you'll have a ton of that regular sundae to eat. I didn't make it very far past the bacon.
I imagine that there's some people out there that would like it — or, at the very least, try it once — but it just seems unnecessary.
For Burger King, it probably doesn't matter. Releasing a bacon sundae nationally got the Burger King brand a ton of exposure, and it's going to get some people into its stores. That's good enough.
There's not that many Burger King stores in Manhattan. We went to this one on 5th Ave. and 33rd St.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
There were a bunch of people waiting in line. Nobody else ordered the bacon sundae
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
It was right there, being touted on Burger King's digital menu boards
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
And it's advertised on the counter. Burger King really wants people to try it.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
It costs $2.99. My cashier — who was being trained — was so excited about the order he pleaded with his trainer to let him make the sundae.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
Behold. An ice cream sundae with bacon on it. It comes with a nifty plastic cap to improve portability.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
The bacon's almost all on top.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
I fixed it as well as I could to make it look like the ads.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
Alright, the terrifying moment of truth...
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
Salty and sweet is a natural combo, but with bacon and ice cream, things get kind of weird.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
The bacon itself isn't crispy, but it's not that soft either. It's firm and chewy.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
Over time, the sundae begins to deteriorate, and the bacon starts to run out. There's a ton of ice cream, though.
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
Once the bacon's gone, all that remains is the mix of vanilla ice cream, caramel, and chocolate syrup
Kim Bhasin, Business Insider
And by then, it melts into this concrete-like gloop. Would I have it again? Ugh, it's not for me.
Kim is the retail editor at Business Insider, covering big box, apparel, e-commerce and restaurants. Previously he worked for a financial and strategic management consulting firm.He is also currently a part-time graduate student in Business and Economic Reporting at New York University. Kim holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Pace University and a BSc in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University.
