The Ultimate Cheeseburger is a signature cheeseburger sold at Jack in the Box.
It consists of two beef patties with American and Swiss style cheeses, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on a "buttery bakery" bun.[1]
The burger was introduced in 1987 and became a big seller.[2]
In 2002, ketchup, and Mayo-Onion sauce replaced mayonnaise, and the number of slices of cheese went from three to two, much to the chagrin of Ultimate Cheeseburger purists.[3][4][5] In 2016, the Mayo-Onion sauce reverted back to mayonnaise, an additional slice of cheese was added, and the sesame seed bun was replaced with a "buttery bakery bun" as part of a menu-wide improvement initiative.[6][7]
Variants[]
- Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger - Adds three slices of bacon.[8]
- BBQ Ultimate Cheeseburger (discontinued) - Adds BBQ sauce and grilled onions.[9]
- Jalapeño Ranch Ultimate Cheeseburger (discontinued) - Adds creamy sauce and sliced jalapeños.[9]
- Triple Ultimate Cheeseburger (discontinued) - Added a third beef patty.[10]
Advertising[]
A 1988 commercial for the Ultimate Cheeseburger featured a man praising the burger for "what it's not," noting "all the onions it doesn't have" and "the pickles they left off."[11]
A wildly popular 1999 commercial featured the Meaty Cheesy Boys, a mock boy band, singing a song about the Ultimate Cheeseburger, which they later performed at the Billboard Music Awards.[12]
Reception[]
The Ultimate Cheeseburger has been criticized for its unhealthiness. It was ranked the "first-place worst burger" in terms of fat by the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 1989, dethroning the Wendy's Triple Cheeseburger.[13] During the Meaty Cheesy Boys phenomenon, newspaper columnist Charles Memminger slammed the burger as "about the fattiest, most cholesterol-laden concoction known to man," noting fat consumption is "responsible for more health problems that tobacco ever was."[14]
Jack in the Box innovation manager Karl Arend noted that it had become a "cult burger with Jack fans."[15] In 2008, it was added to the Phoood Hall of Fame.[16]
The Ultimate Cheeseburger came in last in a ranking of 25 Jack in the Box menu items by the website Mashed, with the reviewer calling it a "mushy, gooey, unappetizing mess."[17]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Accessed March 6, 2024.
- ↑ Hedges, Joyce. BATTLE FOR BURGER BUCK GROWS FIERCE. Chicago Tribune. December 26, 1988.
- ↑ Viper, Black. "The Jack in the Box Rant." Black Viper. September 6, 2002.
- ↑ Ultimate Cheeseburger: RUINED. Forum thread. The Straight Dope. August 14, 2002.
- ↑ Jack In The Box | Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Archived on February 28, 2014.
- ↑ Hume, Scott. "Jack in the Box plans 2016 menu blitz." The Christian Science Monitor. December 18, 2015.
- ↑ Neal, Richard Leland. "Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger." Richard Reviews Everything. February 21, 2017.
- ↑ Jack In The Box - Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Accessed August 11, 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Jack in the Box Twists Up Your Favorites With Three New Menu Items." RestaurantNews.com. June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Fast Food's Most Decadent Burger Arrives at Jack in the Box Restaurants. Junk Food News. Archived on December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "1988 - Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger - What It Isn't Commercial." YouTube, uploaded by Consumer Time Capsule, 19 May 2019, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSYtUOxNfy0>.
- ↑ Products and Promotions Facts. Jack in the Box Inc. Archived on October 6, 2014.
- ↑ Oppenheimer, Todd. "Duped Again!" Valley Advocate. December 4, 1989.
- ↑ Memminger, Charles. Making a federal case of everything. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 29, 1999.
- ↑ Virbila, S. Irene. "Jack in the Box introduces its new summer menu." Los Angeles Times. June 11, 2014.
- ↑ Jim. "Phoood Hall of Fame: Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger." Phoood. September 15, 2008.
- ↑ Ellis, Kori. "Popular Jack In The Box Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best." Mashed. July 19, 2021.