- We visited two Burger King locations: one in Glasgow, UK, and another in New York City.
- Our US-based reporter was impressed by Burger King's large portion sizes and spicy chicken sandwich.
- But our UK reporter noted the portion sizes in both countries were remarkably similar.
We decided to visit two Burger King restaurants — one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom — to compare the taste and value of the same menu items, and to see which items are exclusive to each country. We also compared the interiors of the restaurants and the overall dining experience.
Here's how our Burger King experiences compared in the US and the UK.
The first Burger King restaurant opened in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida. Business Insider USA
During a weekday lunchtime in New York City, Burger King was busy. However, Erin was able to quickly place an order at one of the mobile kiosks. Three kiosks were available to order from, making it a much faster ordering process than waiting in line at the register. Erin waited about five minutes before receiving her order.In addition to carry-out, this NYC Burger King offered dine-in service. After walking up the stairs to the dining room, Erin was greeted by employees who showed her to a table.She had already placed and received her order, but other customers were given menus and the opportunity to place an order with an employee. Business Insider USA
Meanwhile, Mikhaila visited Burger King in a Glasgow shopping mall during the weekday lunchtime rush. Mikhaila visited Burger King in the food court of Buchanan Galleries, a shopping mall in Glasgow's city center. It's one of 12 Burger Kings in the city, according to the company's website.There was a long line of people waiting to be served, but Mikhaila only had to wait five minutes before ordering her items on a mobile kiosk.Burger King menus in the UK and the US are very similar, but there are a few differences. The UK's menu appeared to have a more varied selection of burgers.While the burger menu in the US features mostly different plays on the classic Whopper, the UK burger menu offers unique flavor profiles like burgers with caramelized onions and peppercorn mayo, or the Memphis BBQ King, which comes topped with full-size onion rings.The UK also offers a full vegetarian menu, something the US lacks. Mikhaila had the choice of ordering everything from bean-patty burgers to a vegan chicken sandwich and vegan nuggets. Business Insider USA
The New York City location had two levels. The stools by the windows downstairs were taken, so Erin went to the upstairs dining room, which was decorated with balloons. The dining room was clean and well-maintained. The restaurant and dining room were both decorated with red and yellow balloons, which created a festive atmosphere.The dining room had booths and tables, but almost all of the tables in the main dining room were taken when our reporter arrived.However, there were two other dining rooms available. Erin was surprised by just how much seating there was at this location. Business Insider USA
There weren't any decorations in the Glasgow location, which was on a single floor. Unlike the NYC branch, Mikhaila noticed that the Glasgow brunch didn't have balloons or any other notable decorations.However, the color scheme was the same: red seats, booths, and gray tables spread across one floor of the food court.Changes are coming to its dining rooms. Burger King has previously said the majority of its restaurants in the US will undergo full remodels or refurbishments in the coming years. The fast-food brand also plans to remodel restaurants in the UK. Forty-two restaurants were upgraded between 2022 and 2023, Burger King chief executive Alasdair Murdoch told QSR Media UK in October.Even though it was busy, Mikhaila noticed plenty of empty tables and booths at the Glasgow location, so she chose a booth. Business Insider USA
Erin ordered a medium Whopper with cheese meal, an original chicken sandwich, a four-piece chicken nugget, and a spicy crispy chicken sandwich at the New York location. The cost of the meal came to $34.25, including tax. Business Insider USA
In Glasgow, Mikhaila ordered a Whopper with cheese meal, a six-piece chicken nugget, a chicken sandwich, and a veggie bean burger. Mikhaila's order cost 25.59, or around $32.31, including tax.The packaging was mostly similar between the two countries, although the US fries came in a sturdy paper cup, while Mikhaila's fries came in an arguably flimsy and small paper bag.The Whopper wrapper in the US was also more colorful, with brightly colored illustrations of tomatoes, pickles, and other ingredients adorning the outside. The UK version also had illustrations, but they were more muted. Business Insider USA
We compared the chicken nuggets at both locations. Erin ordered a four-piece chicken nugget, the smallest size offered by the chain in the US, and a side of sweet-and-sour sauce. It cost $1.99, excluding tax.Erin thought the chicken nuggets were juicy on the outside but perfectly crispy on the inside, and the sauce reminded her of a classic American-Chinese-takeout dish. Business Insider USA
Mikhaila thought the nuggets were tender and full of flavor. Mikhaila ordered a six-piece chicken nugget with sweet-chili sauce, which cost 4.39, or around $5.53.She thought the nuggets were tender and crispy, and the sauce provided a flavorful kick. Business Insider USA
We also both ordered a classic Whopper with cheese meal with fries. The Whopper with cheese meal came to $13.29, excluding tax, in the US. Business Insider USA
Mikhaila's Whopper with cheese was less expensive. It cost 7.99, or around $10, in the UK. Business Insider USA
In the US, the Whopper came with one flame-grilled beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, pickles, and mayonnaise on a sesame-seed bun. The US Whopper contained a hearty amount of toppings, though the tomatoes were slightly unevenly placed on the burger.Erin thought the Whopper with cheese was large and extremely filling, though she did think the burger patty was slightly overdone and could have been a touch juicier.However, the tangy cheese, fresh-tasting toppings, and moisture from the mayonnaise more than made up for it. Business Insider USA
The same burger in the UK had a generous amount of toppings, including four pickles, two slices of tomato, onion slices, and a slathering of cheese, lettuce, and ketchup. Mikhaila thought the beef was a little thin but it tasted good, especially when paired with the onions.She thought the sauce was lacking, but overall it was comparable to burgers served at other fast-food chains, such as McDonald's.Erin found that, if anything, her burger was too moist from the amount of sauce, showing a possible discrepancy between the two countries.That said, menu items can vary slightly by whatever location you visit, even within the same country. While chains try to have consistency across their menus, human error can, of course, sometimes come into play. Business Insider USA
We also compared the chain's original chicken sandwich in the US and the UK. The original chicken sandwich cost $7.79, excluding tax, in the US (pictured above). Business Insider USA
The same sandwich is called the Chicken Royale in the UK. In the UK, the sandwich cost 5.99, or around $7.55, making it slightly less expensive. Business Insider USA
Both sandwiches came with the same basic ingredients, though we thought they looked surprisingly different. The US version came with a lightly breaded chicken patty, iceberg lettuce, and mayonnaise on a sesame-seed bun.Erin thought the chicken sandwich's patty tasted like an oversize chicken nugget.Adding lettuce and mayonnaise made this sandwich taste very light — it was the one menu item she could have kept eating if she didn't have others to taste. Business Insider USA
The UK version of the sandwich was served on a seeded bun with chicken, lettuce, and a generous amount of mayo. Mikhaila thought the sandwich was simple but incredibly tasty, and in this case, the saying "less is more" definitely applied.We noted the chicken patty appeared more deep-fried in the UK. However, despite this slight difference, we thought the chicken sandwich was the best menu item we tried. Business Insider USA
We also both decided to try menu items that were available in our own countries, but not the other. Erin ordered the spicy BK royal crispy chicken sandwich, which cost $7.89, excluding tax. Business Insider USA
The spicy chicken sandwich —which was on the US menu —comes with a chicken breast coated in triple-pepper spicy glaze, savory sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes on a toasted potato bun. Erin really enjoyed the spicy flavor and crispy texture of the chicken sandwich. The sauce had a honey-like sweetness that covered each and every bite of the sandwich and balanced the fresh flavor of the toppings. Business Insider USA
Mikhaila ordered the spicy bean burger, which is available on Burger King's vegetarian menu in the UK, which doesn't exist in the US. The bean burger cost 6.29, or around $7.29. Business Insider USA
The burger consisted of a plain seedless bun, a bean patty, cheese, two slices of tomato, ketchup, a handful of crispy onions, lettuce, and mayo. Mikhaila noticed the patty was much thicker and more substantial than the beef patty on the Whopper burger. It had a spicy flavor, which worked well with the juicy tomatoes.However, she thought the ketchup and lettuce were sparing. Business Insider USA
We wish both menu items would be available in our countries. While Burger King does offer plant-based burgers, like the Impossible Whopper, in the US, Erin said she would like to try the spicy bean burger."I personally don't love the taste of imitation meat and think I would prefer the bean patty," she said. "Since I love the spicy chicken sandwich so much, I'd love to see what the spicy bean burger is like."Meanwhile, Mikhaila said she'd love to try the spicy chicken sandwich because it seems like "the perfect option for those looking for a sweet and spicy combo," which she said was lacking in the UK items she tried. Business Insider USA
We also both tried McDonald's medium-sized fries. Erin thought the fries in the US were crispy and well-salted, and paired well with the chain's signature Zesty sauce, which is similar to a spicy mayonnaise.Mikhaila mostly agreed with Erin's assessment. While a couple of the fries appeared a little overdone, she said they tasted decent and the portion size was ideal. Business Insider USA
We were surprised by how similar our experiences were but noticed a few key differences. Business Insider USA
