Haute-N-Ready: King's Hawaiian BBQ Brisket

 

But now, Arby’s has the meats. All of them. Well, maybe just eight of them. Where the Market Fresh sandwiches were a timid attempt to compete with Subway, this is something bolder. This is a fast food joint whose meat has long been the butt of jokes saying, “Fuck you, you’re going to come here for our meats.” And it worked on me—albeit out of morbid curiosity. 

The King’s Hawaiian BBQ Brisket isn’t too far removed from an old Arby’s standby, the Arby-Q, which appears to have disappeared from the menu. With all due apologies to King’ Hawaiian, the buns are a wash. The same overly sweet ketchup-based sauce that signifies barbecue to the unwashed masses is here. Except this one has pickles. Oh, and I gather there’s a slight difference in the meat.

Despite being sliced nearly as thin, Arby’s brisket is if nothing else, more substantial than the roast beef. It has that familiar line of fat that we associate with the cut—although it it is too dry. It has a subtle smoky flavor. The brisket altogether looks and feels much more like meat than its predecessor. It’s tastes better, too.

The best part of this sandwich is, oddly enough, the one thing that goes unmentioned in the commercial: the pickles. That crunchiness and crisp, vinegary bitterness are a godsend amidst the soft roll and softer meat.

 

While I’ve yet to try Arby’s other meats, the King’s Hawaiian BBQ Brisket is a solid fast food sandwich. The curly fries in the combo are the best side offered by any national fast food chain. At $8.18 for a medium combo, you might not feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, but no amount of re-branding will ever make that feeling go away when you eat at Arby’s.