Fast-food (Burger King) Ordering Tip

"This tip comes to you because it's 3AM, mid-August, 2017.

 I can't sleep, and I'm hungry".

~BC

I realized this little factoid about 30 years ago and I'm sure most of you fellow burger aficionados and grease freaks already know it.

If you order Fast-food during off-peak hours, you will most likely be served a sandwich that's been sitting around. In other words, you won't have to wait for your burger, it'll be waiting for you.

You can change this backward equation by simply ordering your burger without ketchup, it's as simple as that - you can always get ketchup packets on the side. This will force your cook to make you a fresh (er) burger. This applies to any Fast-food restaurant.

Example: 
You find yourself craving a Burger King Whopper at three in the afternoon when it's very possible the burger you just ordered has been drying out in a waiting tray for some time...

...all you have to do is order the Whopper with no ketchup and you will see the grill person begin to prepare you a fresh (er) burger because you've just caused him to sidestep the pre-made stuff.  Instead, you will get a burger patty out of a steam drawer, which, although not freshly grilled, will be much fresher (moister) than the one that is waiting in the tray.

Is there a foolproof method for being served a hot,  fresh, Burger King burger straight from the grill?

As a matter of fact, there is. When ordering a burger at Burger King, you can request of the cashier to have it prepared "off the grill" or at some BK's they will recognize "off the broiler," either way, any BK will do this for you.

This request sidesteps both the waiting tray and the steam drawer by routing a burger directly from the flame broiler to your bun. Since burgers-off-the-grill don't see the inside of the steam drawer, they will deliver a much more intense grill flavor; (the way I imagine BK burgers would have tasted 40 years ago). 

It's a shame that when you're in a restaurant whose core marketing strategy is its "flame broiled burgers" you still have to ask for one that's "actually" flame broiled.

Send me your comments if you try one "off the grill".

~ BC