Review: Jack in the Box - Smashed Jack

Jack in the Box's Smashed Jack is a limited-time, fast food burger that features a 1/4-lb smashed beef patty, American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and new Boss Sauce, on a toasted soft brioche bun.

I bought one for $7.19.

The smashed beef patty had a nice sear to it with craggy edges and a substantial beefy flavor. The grind of the meat was a little too fine and smooth though. There was a notable crust to the surface of the patty but was not enough for a bit of crunch. Bun coverage was good and it was fairly thick.

Boss sauce is a pale orange savory and sweet sauce that has an unusual but familiar note that, after some consideration, I guessed to be caraway seed but I could be completely wrong (let me know in the comments if you think differently). Regardless, the sauce had an interesting flavor that matched up well with the burger. It's not very tangy as far as secret sauces go but there were plenty of pickles to make up for it.

The pickles provided a good bit of crunch all around and were salty and tangy but not too sour. Because there weren't any other strong tangy ingredients, I didn't find them too excessive.

The two American cheese slices were nicely melted and the grilled onions were tender and sweet. I could have used a bit more onions for the flavor though.

The bun was soft but sturdy with a satiny sheen to its crust.

Overall, Jack in the Box's Smashed Jack turned out pretty well. While it didn't have the crispy edges that I normally associate with a proper smash burger, it did sport a rather robust beefy flavor and was thoughtfully assembled with an interesting sauce that actually added something new to your standard fast food burger ingredients. It is a bit pricey when compared to other quarter-pound, fast food chain burgers though.