Review: Burger King - BK Fire-Grilled Ribs

Burger King's BK Fire-Grilled Ribs recently made their debut to major markets, including my very own Los Angeles.  Made possible by the new batch ovens that replaced the old conveyor belt flame broilers of old, the new BK Fire-Grilled Ribs are a limited-time item and advertised as "smokey and slow cooked" and "authentic bone-in pork ribs."  Around the web, they are also known for hitting a fairly high price and as a potential face plant for Burger King.

Prior to its recent entry to major markets, the ribs were tested for the better part of a year in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Greensboro, and Orlando.  They were developed for over a year in cooperation with the National Pork Board, whose logo features on some of the advertisements.

I went for an order of three pieces, which curiously came in a taped-shut Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich bag.

BK Fire-Grilled Ribs are made from "full-muscle" ribs (I have no idea what that means), cut into short sections.  This means the the pieces are smaller than the pork ribs you are used to.  I would say they are roughly 2.5 to 3 inches in length at most.

The price on these babies are $2.99 for three or about $1 a rib in the Los Angeles area (prices vary around that range in other markets).  They're available in three-, six-, and eight-piece orders and come with BBQ sauce on the side.  (Update: the suggested price for the ribs is $2.99, $5.69, and $7.19 for the three-, six-, and eight piece orders respectively.  The suggested retail price to add three ribs to a combo is $1.99)

A combo of six-pieces, a small order of fries, and a small drink comes out to $7.69 in my area.  An additional two ribs can be added for $1.30 more.

So how were they?  Beyond the fairly small size, the were actually nicely charred with a nice, smokey flavor, without tasting burnt.  The meat was pretty tender and pretty much fell off the bone.  I would guess that the ribs are pre-cooked, shipped to each BK restaurant, and are then finished in the batch broiler ovens when they are ordered.  On the downside, they were just a tad too salty and each piece probably had about as much meat as a chicken nugget or two, meaning you probably want to order at least six ribs for a meal.  Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the execution, but put off by the miniscule size for the price.

Ultimately, I think this is a gamble that won't pay off for Burger King.  The premium price puts the BK Fire-Grilled Ribs squarely in the range of fast casual restaurants and at the low end of casual dine-in restaurants, both of which offer a better dining environment and a more upscale dining experience.  What you get from Burger King is speed and convenience, but you can't sell a $6-plus premium item in a $1 value restaurant.  It would be a little easier to sell if Burger King restaurants looked a bit more upscale.

Also, considering that you can get a half slab of ribs at Tony Roma's for about $15 or a full slab (roughly 12-16 ribs) for $20 with two sides, and the BK Fire-Grilled Ribs end up costing around the same.  And, if you live in a barbecue-rich place like Memphis or Texas, I definitely don't see you forgoing your local favorites to get some ribs at Burger King.

The sister-in-law did ask me if I would get them again if they were full-sized ribs for the same price, and honestly, I would, but they're not.

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Nutritional Info - 3-piece 
Calories - 220 (from Fat - 144)
Fat - 16g (Saturated Fat - 6g)
Sodium - 640mg
Carbs - 2g (Sugar - 0g)
Protein - 17g