I'm a meat-eater, and I tried the new Impossible Whopper from Burger King - here's my verdict

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I'm a meat-eater, and I tried the new Impossible Whopper from Burger King - here's my verdict

impossible whopper

Burger King

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  • I just tried the new Impossible Whopper from Burger King out of curiosity, and I thought it was pretty good! It's better than a standard veggie burger overall.
  • The Impossible Whopper is made in partnership with Impossible Foods, a company focused on making plant-based meat alternatives.
  • Whopper and meat fans in general may not gravitate towards the Impossible Whopper, but it's a good option for vegetarians who just want a fast-food burger sometimes, and even for meat-lovers trying to reduce the amount of meat they're eating.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I just polished off Burger King's new Impossible Whopper for lunch, which comes with a meatless patty made of plants from Impossible Foods, a company focused on making plant-based meat alternatives.

It's an unusual lunch. I don't typically eat fast food for lunch, and the Impossible Whopper is a brand-new meatless offering from Burger King, a company that's built itself on meat sandwiched between bread.

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What are my qualifications to review fast-food? Well, I appreciate fast-food. I find it fascinating that millions of dollars - if not billions - in research and work were spent on every bite I take. And, straight up, I find fast food delicious in its own way.

Check out what I thought of Burger King's new Impossible Whopper:

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Here it is, the Impossible Whopper from Burger King, knows as the "Imposs Whop" in Burger King's systems.

Here it is, the Impossible Whopper from Burger King, knows as the "Imposs Whop" in Burger King's systems.

The contents of the Impossible Whopper meal look identical to a regular Whopper meal.

The contents of the Impossible Whopper meal look identical to a regular Whopper meal.
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The packaging of the Impossible Whopper itself has different colors. I had the option to add cheese to mine, and it was an easy choice to make.

The packaging of the Impossible Whopper itself has different colors. I had the option to add cheese to mine, and it was an easy choice to make.

Funnily enough, you have the option to add bacon to the Impossible Whopper. The option seemingly defeats the point of the Impossible Whopper's veggie-ness, but hey, why not?

I didn't go for the bacon option, though, as I wanted to taste the Impossible Whopper in its purest form, plus some cheese.

Unleashed from its wrapping, the Impossible Whopper could easily sneak by as regular Whopper, at least at first glance.

Unleashed from its wrapping, the Impossible Whopper could easily sneak by as regular Whopper, at least at first glance.
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Upon closer inspection, I started to recognize the usual visual cues that the patty within was of the veggie variety.

Upon closer inspection, I started to recognize the usual visual cues that the patty within was of the veggie variety.

Otherwise, you get the usual Whopper toppings, including tomato, lettuce, onion, ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, and the optional cheese.

Otherwise, you get the usual Whopper toppings, including tomato, lettuce, onion, ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, and the optional cheese.
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With little drama, I took the first bite. Despite an exterior that's nearly identical to a regular Whopper, it was clear that the Impossible Whopper was different.

With little drama, I took the first bite. Despite an exterior that's nearly identical to a regular Whopper, it was clear that the Impossible Whopper was different.

The Impossible Foods plant-based patty in the Impossible Whopper was drier than the regular beef patty in the regular Whopper. It also tasted less meaty, less savory, less juicy, and overall, less tasty than the regular Whopper.

With that said, the patty itself tasted better than most veggie patties I've tried, and dare I say, slightly more meaty, too.

Burger King says the Impossible Whopper is 100% Whopper, but I'd say the taste is closer to about 85% there.

The Impossible Whopper was good, but the next Whopper I'll get will likely be the regular Whopper.

The Impossible Whopper was good, but the next Whopper I'll get will likely be the regular Whopper.

I was hoping that the Impossible Whopper would at least reduce that post-fast-food "brick in the stomach" sensation, seeing as I was eating a plant-based patty instead of meat. Alas, this wasn't the case.

To be fair, the fries almost certainly have a large role in the post-fast-food feeling, and I ate every last fry (Burger King fries are among my favorite, which is surely a divisive opinion).

Read more: I tried fries from 8 major fast-food chains, and one far outshone the rest

For the calorie counters out there, the Impossible Whopper's 630 calories is only 30 less than the regular Whopper's 660 calorie count.

Otherwise, I can see the Impossible Whopper being a great option for vegetarians who want a vegetarian fast-food option once in a while, or if you just want a burger experience when you want to reduce the amount of meat you eat. I have this marketing image in my head of a group of friends going to Burger King, and the vegetarian members of the group being happy they can get a burger, just like their carnivorous friends.

With that said, I should note that the Impossible Foods patty in the Impossible Whopper is usually cooked on the same broilers as the beef patties. If you truly don't want any trace of meat on your Impossible Whopper, you can ask for the burger to be cooked on different broilers, according to Burger King.

I'm glad I tried the Impossible Whopper, and I might get it every few visits to Burger King. If anything, reducing the amount of meat in my diet can only be a good thing.

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