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Welcome to Haute-N-Ready, in which John Locanthi, Willamette Weekâs trencherman of leisure, tastes the hastily made, modestly priced food of the common man.
Burger King, fresh off its merger with Tim Hortonâs, has brought back the YUMBO®.
While long one of the more well-known items on the chainâs secret menu, the ham and American cheese product sandwich known as the Yumbo was discontinued in 1974. Itâs now on the chainâs 2-for-$5 menu alongside such other retro items as the Original Chicken Sandwich (1979) and the Big King, Burger Kingâs failed (and subsequently discontinued, though brought back in 2013) attempt to directly compete with the Big Mac in the 90s.
Youâve undoubtedly seen the retro-inspired commercials for the return of the Yumbo, but it remains to be seen how much nostalgic interest the public has in the 1970s, the decade that brought us That 70's Show.
My curiosity piqued, I donned my finest polyester jacket, unbuttoned my shirt to show off my chest hair and chain necklace, and strutted into the nearest Burger King. I ordered a Yumbo and a Big King.
The Yumbo breaks with its ancestral sandwich by being served in a submarine-like bun instead of a traditional hamburger bun. But the ham is there, as is mayonnaise, trace amounts of lettuce and alas, a few slices of American cheese. It is a remarkably simple sandwich. In an age where taco shells are made out of Doritos® and FRITOS® are a pizza topping, this simplicity is a welcome change of pace.
While long one of the more well-known items on the chainâs secret menu, the ham and American cheese product sandwich known as the Yumbo was discontinued in 1974. Itâs now on the chainâs 2-for-$5 menu alongside such other retro items as the Original Chicken Sandwich (1979) and the Big King, Burger Kingâs failed (and subsequently discontinued, though brought back in 2013) attempt to directly compete with the Big Mac in the 90s.
Youâve undoubtedly seen the retro-inspired commercials for the return of the Yumbo, but it remains to be seen how much nostalgic interest the public has in the 1970s, the decade that brought us That 70's Show.
My curiosity piqued, I donned my finest polyester jacket, unbuttoned my shirt to show off my chest hair and chain necklace, and strutted into the nearest Burger King. I ordered a Yumbo and a Big King.
The Yumbo breaks with its ancestral sandwich by being served in a submarine-like bun instead of a traditional hamburger bun. But the ham is there, as is mayonnaise, trace amounts of lettuce and alas, a few slices of American cheese. It is a remarkably simple sandwich. In an age where taco shells are made out of Doritos® and FRITOS® are a pizza topping, this simplicity is a welcome change of pace.
Or rather, it would be if the sandwich was any good.
The ham is fine, indistinguishable from the ham at any other fast food joint. The problem is that there simply isnât enough of it or any other ingredient to distract from the yellow, plastic-y garbage melted all over it. Ham and cheese sandwiches are heavily dependent on the quality of both ingredients in the name. Cheddar, jack, Swiss, whatever cheeses you can find at other fast food placesâhell, even Burger King is offering a four-cheese Whopper right nowâwould have been far preferable.
Unappetizing, no?
The ham is fine, indistinguishable from the ham at any other fast food joint. The problem is that there simply isnât enough of it or any other ingredient to distract from the yellow, plastic-y garbage melted all over it. Ham and cheese sandwiches are heavily dependent on the quality of both ingredients in the name. Cheddar, jack, Swiss, whatever cheeses you can find at other fast food placesâhell, even Burger King is offering a four-cheese Whopper right nowâwould have been far preferable.
Deviate as it may from the original Yumbo, any change to improve the actual flavor of this sandwich would elevate it from a short-lived gimmick to a more permanent member of the menu. In order to finish my Yumbo, I took to dipping it in the house buffalo sauce (not recommended) about halfway through.
The Big King, which I had the foresight to order sans American cheese, was fine.
Burger Kingâs 2 for $5 menu is an interesting development. Instead of creating a separate dollar menu with smaller items, you get two oversized sandwich for about the same as a traditional combo meal. (Both my Yumbo and my cheese-less Big King came out to 490 Calories a piece.) But Iâm not sure why youâd make something as uninteresting as a ham & cheese sandwich the centerpiece of this deal. It could be a last ditch effort for a losing McDonaldâs competitor to get in on Subwayâs racket. Or maybe Burger King is hoping to draw in aging boomers longing for the days when fast food restaurants only offered simple food.
Whatever the inspiration for resuscitating this bad sandwich, Iâll point to a part of Burger Kingâs 70s oeuvre with far more nostalgic value.
The Big King, which I had the foresight to order sans American cheese, was fine.
Burger Kingâs 2 for $5 menu is an interesting development. Instead of creating a separate dollar menu with smaller items, you get two oversized sandwich for about the same as a traditional combo meal. (Both my Yumbo and my cheese-less Big King came out to 490 Calories a piece.) But Iâm not sure why youâd make something as uninteresting as a ham & cheese sandwich the centerpiece of this deal. It could be a last ditch effort for a losing McDonaldâs competitor to get in on Subwayâs racket. Or maybe Burger King is hoping to draw in aging boomers longing for the days when fast food restaurants only offered simple food.
Whatever the inspiration for resuscitating this bad sandwich, Iâll point to a part of Burger Kingâs 70s oeuvre with far more nostalgic value.
WWeek 2015