Archive
Aug 5, 2014

Review: Carl's Jr. - Texas BBQ Thickburger

Carl's Jr.'s Texas BBQ Thickburger features smoked beef brisket, a charbroiled beef patty, spicy mesquite BBQ sauce, crispy jalapeno and onion strips, and melted American cheese on a Fresh Baked Bun.

I got the 1/2 lb. version courtesy of Carl's Jr. It's normally $7.39 (A 1/3 lb. version was $6.29 and the regular single patty version goes for $4.79 at my local Carl's Jr.).

A half-pound burger was actually too much for me, but it fit the over-sized Fresh Baked Bun very well and sported an enjoyable seasoned flavor. The cheese was a nice, gooey creamy mess atop it.

There wasn't a whole lot of brisket to my burger; there was a little less than what would cover an even layer across the burger. It had a nice smoky flavor but didn't really come through against the seasoned patty, strips, and BBQ sauce. It's actually nicer to just pick off the small torn pieces of brisket and eat it.

The BBQ sauce wasn't nearly as tangy as their regular sauce. The menu board stated that the sauce is Cattlemen's brand. I liked it; it had a lightly sweet, smoky flavor. I didn't catch any hot or spicy notes though.

The crispy jalapeno and onion strips weren't so crispy and there wasn't that much to go around: there was only one lone jalapeno strip. Still, the batter had a very nice seasoned flavor and the jalapeno strip added a slight tangy heat to the burger when I encountered it.

The bun was just slightly greasy on this go round but was otherwise really nice with a cushy soft texture and slightly sweetened taste.

Overall, Carl's Jr.'s Texas BBQ Thickburger made for a really tasty barbecue cheeseburger but missed the mark with its key ingredients: the jalapeno and onion strips as well as the brisket. At $7.39, I don't see many people buying the 1/2 lb. version, but they do mail out coupons and they're running a "buy one, get one" online coupon deal good for Mondays this month.

Nutritional Info - Carl's Jr. 1/2 lb. Texas BBQ Thickburger (421g)
Calories - 1260 (from Fat - 710)
Fat - 79g (Saturated Fat - 30g)
Sodium - 2690mg
Carbs - 87g (Sugar - 36g)
Protein - 51g