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UltimateCheeseburger2022

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[]

MeatyCheesyBoys08

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[]

  1. Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Accessed March 6, 2024.
  2. Hedges, Joyce. BATTLE FOR BURGER BUCK GROWS FIERCE. Chicago Tribune. December 26, 1988.
  3. Viper, Black. "The Jack in the Box Rant." Black Viper. September 6, 2002.
  4. Ultimate Cheeseburger: RUINED. Forum thread. The Straight Dope. August 14, 2002.
  5. Jack In The Box | Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Archived on February 28, 2014.
  6. Hume, Scott. "Jack in the Box plans 2016 menu blitz." The Christian Science Monitor. December 18, 2015.
  7. Neal, Richard Leland. "Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger." Richard Reviews Everything. February 21, 2017.
  8. Jack In The Box - Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger™. Jack in the Box. Accessed August 11, 2022.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Jack in the Box Twists Up Your Favorites With Three New Menu Items." RestaurantNews.com. June 12, 2014.
  10. Fast Food's Most Decadent Burger Arrives at Jack in the Box Restaurants. Junk Food News. Archived on December 4, 2013.
  11. "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>.
  12. Products and Promotions Facts. Jack in the Box Inc. Archived on October 6, 2014.
  13. Oppenheimer, Todd. "Duped Again!" Valley Advocate. December 4, 1989.
  14. Memminger, Charles. Making a federal case of everything. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 29, 1999.
  15. Virbila, S. Irene. "Jack in the Box introduces its new summer menu." Los Angeles Times. June 11, 2014.
  16. Jim. "Phoood Hall of Fame: Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger." Phoood. September 15, 2008.
  17. Ellis, Kori. "Popular Jack In The Box Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best." Mashed. July 19, 2021.
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