I tried Arby's new burger and found it surprisingly delicious. But it probably shouldn't exist.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
- Arby's new burger is the chain's first, and it's larger than a Big Mac.
- It tasted great, but the texture was off and I don't want a pink fast food burger.
Arby's just introduced its first ever burger, the Wagyu Steakhouse Burger available in three versions.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Of course I had to give it a try. Arby's is known for its roast beef sandwiches, so a burger is new ground even as its the most well covered territory in fast food.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The chain has been promoting the burger heavily, hyping it up to customers who only have until the end of July to try it.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The hype worked too well. My first attempt to buy it failed when the location was out of burgers for the day at 6 p.m.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
I came back earlier the next day and ordered ahead on Arby's app to avoid the disappointment of the previous day.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The signs at this Arby's promoted the burger just as heavily.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The instructions in the app didn't match up with the layout in the restaurant, but I got my food within a few minutes anyway.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
I ordered the Deluxe and Bacon Ranch variations, which both came wrapped in foil.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The burgers are made of a blend of 52% American Wagyu and 48% ground beef, Arby's said.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
I was impressed at first look. The burgers come with American cheese, lettuce, red onion, pickles, and "special burger sauce" on a brioche bun. It looked and smelled great.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Arby's says the burgers are 6.4 ounces each, 50% larger than McDonald's Quarter Pounder.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
I was pleasantly surprised to find that despite the heft of the burger, it wasn't a huge mess to eat and the bun accommodated all the toppings.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The bacon version was my favorite of the two because the salty pork added a pleasant crunch.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Arby's also noted that it cooked the burgers using the Sous Vide method to keep burgers pink in the center.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
I don't think my burgers were cooked evenly. The bacon version was much pinker in the middle, but the deluxe was closer to a standard burger.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
My personal preference is a bit more char on a burger, and the idea of any pink in a fast food item makes me a bit uneasy.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The flavor was good, but the texture was a bit softer and chewier than I'd prefer.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Arby's first burger exceeded my expectations, but I still think it shouldn't have been attempted in the first place.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Arby's, which has over 3,000 locations, is known for its roast beef, and that was evident in everything from the packaging of my burger to the restaurant running out of burger supplies.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The burgers add unnecessary complexity to Arby's operation, which isn't set up for grilling burgers and likely led to the unfortunate Sous Vide situation.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Typically fast food chains try to minimize complexity to keep wait times down and require fewer workers on the line.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Source: Insider
The other piece that makes this burger unnecessary is the price tag. The Deluxe burger was $6.99, and the bacon ranch was $7.99.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
That's a big ask for a fast-food customer. For that price, customers can go to fast-casual or other restaurants and venture outside fast food altogether.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
The price may be a good value for the amount of food, but it's simply too big and expensive for typical customers.
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider
Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.
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