Review: Arby's - Bourbon Bacon & Steak Sandwich

Arby's Bourbon Bacon & Steak sandwich features thin-sliced Angus steak, brown sugar bacon and bourbon Dijon sauce as well as crispy onion strings and smoked cheddar cheese on a star-cut bun.

I picked one up for $5.49.

The sandwich ended up being less than the sum of its parts for me. Individually, the ingredients were great: the steak was tender and flavorful; the bacon was sweet, crispy, and smoky (and, in smaller quantity, was much more palatable than my first experience with them); the bourbon Dijon was tangy with a strong mustard punch but I didn't really pick up on the bourbon; the onion strings offered a slightly charred onion flavor; and the cheddar cheese was thoroughly melted, wonderfully creamy, and yes, smoky. Unfortunately, I only know this because, after my initial less-than-inspiring bite, I picked out a little bit of each ingredient to sample.

My initial bites was altogether too tangy from the dual layers of sauce (both on the top and bottom bun) and salty; the steak came across but the bacon, onion strings, and especially the cheese, were muted.

I tried scraping off some of the bourbon Dijon sauce but the sandwich was still a little too salty for my liking. I think the brown sugar bacon is supposed to balance out the tangy and salt of the sauce but it didn't work out that way for me.

Overall, while the quality of the ingredients of Arby's Bourbon Bacon & Steak sandwich was fairlyimpressive, their finer qualities were largely lost against the bourbon Dijon sauce, which may have been better as part of a simpler sandwich with just the steak alone. A more savory sauce would have worked better here.

Nutritional Info - Arby's Bourbon Bacon & Steak (245g)
Calories - 590 (from Fat - 240)
Fat - 26g (Saturated Fat - 11g)
Sodium - 1870mg
Carbs - 48g (Sugar - 12g)
Protein - 40g