Review: Wendy's - Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger

Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger features a quarter-pound beef patty, Muenster cheese, three strips of applewood-smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, warm beer cheese sauce, crispy-fried onions, and pickles on a toasted soft pretzel bun.

I paid $6.19 for one.

While Wendy's has put out a pretzel bun before, they're claiming this new pretzel bun is their "softest, signature, best-tasting pretzel bun." It was indeed soft, dense, and chewy so that it felt like a pretzel, but didn't taste much like a pretzel without that hallmark lye (or baking soda) dip flavor. Still, there's an enjoyable novelty in the texture.

The beer cheese sauce was quite mild and any tangy or bitter beer notes were largely lost dueling it out with the other components of the burger. Joined by a similarly mild slice of Muenster cheese, the two mostly provided a creamy base.

Interestingly, the pickles were also on the weak end of the flavor spectrum. They were mostly good for a watery crunch but did manage to eke out a few sour notes.

The bacon was solid as ever with a nice crispiness and smoky flavor. The onions were good for a bit of crunch as well.

The beef patty seemed loosely formed with a decently coarse grind and a fair amount of moisture.

The honey mustard played in with just a touch of sweetness and tang that served to accent the salty, smoky, and savory notes.

Taken altogether, Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger is perfectly presentable and enjoyable with its balance of interestingly low-key flavors, but a punchier pretzel bun and/or beer cheese would probably fit the "pub" designation better.

Nutritional Info - Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger
Calories - 730 (from Fat - 400)
Fat - 44g (Saturated Fat - 17g)
Sodium - 1070mg
Carbs - 46g (Sugar - 6g)
Protein - 39g