Bachelor on the Cheap

This is no ordinary burger patty

By Mike Thayer

It's not just fast food trash talk anymore, the Arby's tagline, "We have the meats,"® now includes Wagyu.

The fast food chain has never had a burger on its menu before and they went big with it, introducing a Wagyu Steakburger on May 23.  And of course, in the name of "Food Science" (cough), I HAD to try it on the day it was unveiled nationwide.

A blend of 52% American Wagyu (That means it has more marbling, a.k.a., flavor and is more tender than regular ground beef for those of you who live in Haysville) and 48% ground beef, the patty weighs in at 6.4 ounces (pre-cooked) which is 50% larger than McDonald's Quarter Pounder.  Cooked sous-vide style, a technique usually associated with fine dining, the cooking method results in a juicier burger with a crispy outer edge and a slightly pink center.  The burger is topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion and a special burger sauce on a toasted buttery brioche bun.

Not your typical fast food burger, you get all the flavors, every ingredient, in every bite

This is a big burger and it's loaded with the condiments.  It's juicy, sauce dripping down the side of your hand tasty.  The burger to bun ratio is perfect.  The wagyu blended burger was seasoned well with a nice thin line of pink running through the middle - something you want in a premium burger.  The outer edge was a bit overdone however with a bit of a chew, I'll chalk that up to a lack of experience with the new item and new cooking method.  Visually, the "special burger sauce" has you thinking it's a copycat of McDonald's Big Mac sauce, but it is indeed different and in a good way, with notes of Sriracha, smoked paprika and mustard. The cheese was melted nicely, the shredded lettuce and tomato provided a nice fresh element, I got the tart from the garlic/dill pickles, the sweet from the red onion and bringing it all together was that toasted buttery goodness of the brioche bun.  

What you want in a premium burger, a thin line of pink

Arby's hasn't just entered the fast food burger arena, they've made an entrance!  Featuring American Wagyu beef, this burger is a cut above the competition utilizing a stepped up cooking method that delivers a juicy, premium, steakhouse style burger.  Costing me $6.87 after tax, I'm giving the Arby's Deluxe Wagyu Steakburger 4 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars with the only knock being the slightly overdone outside edge of the burger patty which I chalk up to inexperience.  Very reasonably priced for a premium burger it's most definitely a repeat buy.  Customers can also have the option of ordering the Wagyu Steakburger with bacon and a peppercorn ranch sauce, which I'll be doing next time.  This burger is available for a limited time, through July 31.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

Related: Arby's adds a Wagyu Steakhouse Burger to their menu

Help support the continued content for Shopping & Service reviews, Tips, Hacks and other great information by buying me a coffee. Your support to keep Bachelor on the Cheap a free resource is much appreciated! ~ Mike

follow me on twitter @Bacheloronthe1