Midway through enjoying a McDonald’s Angus Bacon Cheese or Wendy’s Bacon Deluxe or Carl’s Jr. Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger, the thought occurs: Doesn’t it seem like almost every burger now is bacon topped? Like the McDonald’s Australia commercial at left, the menu mantra appears to be, “Bacon. Bacon. Bacon.”
And, in fact, the lingering suspicion that restaurant meals are much more bacon-laden than ever turns out to be true. However, while burgers are ahead of the menu pack in adding on bacon, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) aren’t alone in playing this game.
Data compiled for BurgerBusiness.com by Chicago-based researcher Mintel shows that just since 2005 the number of menu items of all types that include bacon is up 26.5% at all (quick- and full-service) restaurants. QSRs have put on the bacon at a remarkable but less robust rate: +23% since 2005.
Certainly burgers have contributed to the bacon tsunami. Mintel finds that the number of bacon-topped burgers at all 580 restaurants in its Menu Insights database soared from 424 in 2005 to 576 in 2009, a 35.8% increase. At QSRs, the increase has been a Whoppering 32.9%, although that’s a bit less than for all restaurants.
What, you got a problem with bacon?
😉
No, as it should be.
mmmmmmmmmm, Bacon.
Everything is better with bacon!
I have to admit that pig lard with egg and toast is pretty darn good.
Don’t forget the sneaky Canadians passing off ham as bacon.
In an effort to drop weight I put a picture of a pig on the refrig and rigged up a sound box to oink every time I opened the door. Now whenever I look in there, all I can think of is how much better everything would taste with bacon on it.
This is interesting as the pork industry was very concerned about a drop in demand after the outbreak of Swine Flu.
Bacon is incredibly unhealthy.
Ham however, when you remove the fat carefully, is AWESOME.
In the mid to late 90s McDonald’s had the option to “make it bacon” where you can add bacon to ANY of their sandwiches. Even Fillet’o Fish if you wanted to pay the extra 85¢.
But they stopped this about 10 years ago. As far as I know there seems to be LESS bacon. Even this past week, I bought bacon “thick sliced” and it’s the lamest thinnest, and crumbly (raw) bacon I ever bought. After cooking it it shrivels down like tissue paper, and one strip becomes half a piece of proper bacon.
Also avoid water cured bacon (yeah sounds like a contradiction) which is the majority of the bacon you find at the supermarket. it’s crap.
Funny you should mention it. I just had a roast beef sandwich from a local deli and they put 3 rashers of crispy smoked bacon on it. Yum! Dinner and a meat dessert in one potato roll.
#6 I agree. What’s that all about?
I bought Canadian Bacon once and like said “WTF? This is ham!! ” I did not see a warning label.
Who here has had those burgers with THIN SLICED BACON?? crap, and they charge $0.50-$1 to add it, and LORD knows they have 64 slices to the Pound.
Anyone notice that ALL bacon is coming out with SUGAR on/in it?? And cooking it reduces it to LESS THEN 1/2 its size?? I just WANT BACON..I will wash my SALT PORK before I buy BACON and SUGAR WATER..
Just had a bit of the Vanilla Bean Apple Pie with Bacon (and Bourbon) milk shake this week from Michael Symon’s restaurant.
The bacon really made the drink.
#15 I draw the line on pork flavored milkshakes. That just ain’t right.
Anybody that eats in those places deserves all the cholesterol they can stuff themselves with. Philly cheese steak is the closest I come to fast food and that’s only on the rare occasions that I’m back in Philadelphia.
so do you want some bacon with your bacon
#6 and #13,
There is no such thing as Canadian Bacon, it is a invention of some moron. In Canada, if you order bacon, you get smoked pork sides same as you would in the US. However in Canada and other civilized nations you can order something called “peameal bacon or back bacon” which is brined pork rolled in cornmeal. Some stupid idots who have never been out of their hometown call this Canadian bacon – they are however mistaken. Many Americans may not be familiar with peameal bacon because it is generally enjoyed by people with better taste and not the swill eating, Twinkie devouring, cousin loving people who live especially in the Southern US.
19 AreYou Kidding Me: “Many Americans may not be familiar with peameal bacon because it is generally enjoyed by people with better taste and not the swill eating, Twinkie devouring, cousin loving people who live especially in the Southern US.”
That’s a little harsh. We don’t all like Twinkies.
I LOVE pork in its many forms. Bring it on!