Review: Carl's Jr. / Hardee's - Monster Angus Thickburger

Carl's Jr.'s / Hardee's Monster Angus Thickburger features two 1/3-lb Angus beef patties, three slices of American cheese, bacon, and mayo on a potato bun.

The burger normally costs a princely sum of $10.79 here in Los Angeles but I had a coupon that discounted it to $5.49 (which isn't bad as the Monster Angus Thickburger has more meat than two Whoppers, which are typically discounted to two for $5 or $6).

The burger is basically an even bigger take on Jack in the Box's Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger (I've only written about the version without bacon though) but minus the ketchup so there's even less to distract from the meat and cheese.

With very few components beyond meat, cheese, and bun, the Monster Angus Thickburger was very meaty but not as cheesy because they forgot the middle cheese slice on my burger (which was understandable as I came in around lunch time and there was only three workers bustling about and looking quite haggard).

The beef was moist with an enjoyable beefiness accented by a slight charred note that was buoyed by some decent smokiness from the otherwise limp and paper-thin bacon. The patties were big enough to slightly overhang past the edge of the bun.

The mayo was a far cry from Carl's Jr.'s, "if it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face" days but there was enough to impart just a touch of richness.

The bun was soft and spongy with a slightly more premium feel than a regular bun.

Overall, Carl's Jr. / Hardee's Monster Angus Thickburger turned out pretty well, especially if you want you want is almost unadulterated beef and bacon. It could use a bit more cheese for some ooze and stretch but the meat-to-bun ratio is really nice. The $10 regular price is a bit out there though, even here in Los Angeles. For comparison, the regular price around here for a Double Bacon King at Burger King is about $8, while the price of a Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box is $6.69.