Review: Jack in the Box - Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger

Jack in the Box's Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger features a grilled beef patty, smoked cheddar cheese, chipotle sauce, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes on a toasted bakery bun.

A combo with the burger, small fries, and a small drink go for $5.99 in my area, while the burger by itself is $5.29 so I went with the combo and somehow substituting the fries for hash browns and soda for orange juice brought the price down to $5.19 (10 cents less than buying the burger alone...).

For the most part, the Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger is a fairly standard burger with just a slight tweak by going with smoked cheddar, chipotle sauce, and grilled onions.

The chipotle sauce was good for a touch of heat, a bit of smokiness, and a creamy mayo base. It's a fairly mild sauce which was actually nice because I could actually taste the note of mild cheddar from the cheese although I wasn't able to discern any hints of smoke. Additionally, the cheese was nicely melted (it looked to be actual cheddar, which isn't typically a great melting cheese).

The onions could have stood for a bit more time on the grill as they didn't brown or caramelize for that extra layer of flavor. Instead, they were cooked just long enough to take out that astringent bite but not so long that they lost their crunch. They were okay but could easily be better.

The beef patty, on the other hand, turned out pretty well with a nice browned crust to it, while still remaining relatively moist inside.

The lettuce was crisp although a bit yellow, while the tomatoes were a nice middle between firm and soft.

The bakery bun offered a bit of sweetness and richness over a standard burger bun. It was also slightly denser but still soft.

Overall, Jack in the Box's Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger turned out pretty well for me. It was fairly solidly made and tasty. It's light on the Southwest quality but I didn't mind it as I liked the sear on the beef and the prevalence of the cheddar cheese.

Nutritional Info - Jack in the Box Southwest Cheddar Cheeseburger (243g)
Calories - 590 (from Fat - 360)
Fat - 39g (Saturated Fat - 14g)
Sodium - 660mg
Carbs - 32g (Sugar - 6g)
Protein - 28g