Wendy's new, limited-time Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger features a quarter-pound beef patty, oven-roasted chopped tomatoes, rosemary-garlic aioli, spring mix, natural Asiago cheese, and applewood-smoked bacon on a toasted
Ciabatta bun.
I picked one up for
$4.79.
The Ciabatta bun was completely soft as I picked up the burger; not a good sign. I was expecting a little bit of a crust from toasting but my bun felt more like out of a bag rather than freshly-toasted. It was not warm at all. The bun is also much denser than a typical Ciabatta, but I think it has to be, since a regular Ciabatta can harden and go stale in no time flat.
The bun's faults were especially apparent against the quality of the rest of the burger.
The spring mix was fresh and varied with nary a piece of iceberg lettuce in sight. They skimped a little but I didn't mind too much. Somehow, a stray floret of broccoli found its way into the mix though.
Wendy's bacon is top of the major fast food chain heap. It was flavorful and delivered a decidedly satisfying crunch in every bite.
The Asiago cheese could have used a heavier flavor; it was hard to pick out among the other ingredients.
Besides the bun, the new ingredients here were the rosemary-garlic aioli and oven-roasted, chopped tomatoes. The aioli was great with a nice flavor that goes well in the sandwich, but would work just as well to dip fries in. The tomatoes were very much like a tapenade with a distinct tang and olive oil taste to it.
While the patty didn't sport any char, it was thick and pretty juicy to boot. It also fit the rectangle-square shape of the bun really well.
Overall, I basically liked everything about Wendy's new Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger except for the bun, which doesn't have that much in common with ciabatta save for the shape. I would have rather had Wendy's regular bun over it. That being said, it might be better freshly toasted; it seemed like mine had been toasted and then left to sit for too long.
Nutritional Info - Wendy's Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories - 670 (from Fat - 350)
Fat - 39g (Saturated Fat - 13g)
Sodium - 1260mg
Carbs - 42g (Sugar - 3g)
Protein - 32g
