Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries Review: This New Chicken Fries Variety Fails To Stand Out
If there's an eating experience that beats the joyously unexpected delight forged by the culinary clash of sweet and salty foods, we've yet to encounter it. After all, these two flavor profiles seem more like diametrically opposed foes than the perfect partners to dazzle your taste buds. But thanks to some unknown hero of human history, classic combinations like fried chicken and waffles exist. And, as of July 24, 2023, you can enjoy chicken and waffle-flavored Chicken Fries from Burger King ... provided you're in the Boston, Massachusetts area, that is.
The latest variation of Burger King's famous Chicken Fries isn't the fast food chain's first foray into expanding its popular menu item, of course. More than that, the Chicken & Waffle Fries aren't even the only new Chicken Fries variety currently being tested at select locations throughout the Boston market — Burger King is also running a trial for Chicken Parm Fries concurrently, though no restaurant will offer both varieties.
Now, whether or not the new Chicken & Waffle Fries will eventually make the leap to menus nationwide, we can't say. But after sampling Burger King's take on this sweet-and-salty classic dish, we can tell you whether or not it should become a permanent addition. Without further ado, then, here is our review of Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries.
What's in Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries?
First and foremost, just like its classic Chicken Fries, Burger King's new Chicken & Waffle Fries are crafted with white meat chicken cooked inside a crispy coating. But unlike the original Chicken Fries — which are covered in a breading that features herbs and spices similar to a standard piece of fried chicken — the Chicken & Waffle Fries pivot away from the savory side of things with its breading ingredients.
Now, we weren't able to obtain any specific information regarding precisely which ingredients are found in Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries. However, based on a press release provided to Mashed by Burger King, we can say the breading consists of a sweet waffle batter clearly meant to enhance that sweet-and-salty, chicken-and-waffle taste.
Additionally, while customers are more than welcome to request any particular dipping sauce their heart desires, the fast food chain recommends a simple cup of syrup alongside the Chicken & Waffle Fries. In theory, this not only meshes well with the sweet waffle batter surrounding the chicken but is also intended to evoke an actual plate of fried chicken over waffles with each ordered batch.
How much do Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries cost?
There may be no question simpler to answer than how much Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries cost. After all, if you're aware of the cost of a regular order of Chicken Fries, then you've already got your answer. It's going to be pretty much the same — maybe even exactly the same. But seeing as we're here to provide a thoroughly detailed report on the new Chicken & Waffle Fries alongside our objective review, we can say the newest Burger King test item is likely to cost $3.99 for a nine-piece order.
To be clear, this is the price for a nine-piece Chicken Fries by itself. Of course, if you're interested in obtaining fries of the potato variety and a drink, too, the option for a Chicken & Waffle Fries combo meal is available, with the price for a small combo likely to run you around $6.99 before taxes.
How long are Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries available and where?
Considering Burger King allegedly chose to split the Boston area market in two while testing its newest Chicken Fries flavors, it should be fairly easy to explain exactly where one can find the new Chicken & Waffle Fries. After all, based on the information provided by Burger King, it appears an arbitrary line was drawn through the center of Massachusetts with restaurants on the East side of the imaginary barrier offering Chicken & Waffle Fries, and those on the Western half expected to have Chicken Parm Fries.
However, based on our own experience, the purported division may not be as clear as Burger King indicated. In fact, we were originally planning to review the Chicken Parm Fries, but when we went to a location that was supposed to have that version, it had the Chicken & Waffle Fries available for purchase, instead.
In other words, it's self-evident the new Chicken & Waffle Fries are only available during this initial test run at locations in and around Boston while supplies last. Unfortunately, if you're hoping for a clear answer on which Boston-based restaurants will definitely have Chicken & Waffle Fries, we're not sure we can accurately predict which version a particular location will offer once you arrive.
What is the nutrition info for Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries?
Not unlike the difficulties we encountered finding specific, verifiable information regarding the new Chicken & Waffle Fries' ingredients, we weren't able to obtain any details regarding its exact nutritional information. However, given the inherent similarities to Burger King's standard Chicken Fries, we can glean, in part, what to expect nutritionally from this currently limited time product.
In that sense, a nine-piece order of regular Chicken Fries contains a more-than-ideal 13 grams of fat, and a whopping 780 milligrams of sodium — roughly one-third of the recommended Daily Value for sodium intake. We can presume the Chicken & Waffle Fries likely contain a similar amount of fat and sodium. Yet unlike regular Chicken Fries, which contain no sugar, the waffle batter-coated Chicken & Waffle Fries are all-but-guaranteed to include at least a few grams of the sweet substance.
Of course, just how much sugar is in the new Chicken & Waffle Fries is unclear. And since folks are apt to dip the new Chicken & Waffle Fries in a cup of saccharine syrup, consumers should prepare to have their blood sugar levels spike after consuming an order.
How does it compare to other Burger King products?
More than likely, the very first Burger King product you would expect the new Chicken & Waffle Fries to be comparable to is its standard Chicken Fries. And to be sure, it's entirely clear — both visually and in terms of taste — that there's a strong connection between the new, waffles-oriented version of Burger King's Chicken Fries and the original. Yet there's another widely beloved Burger King product that we found to be a far better comparison for potential consumers to consider: Its French Toast Sticks.
You genuinely might forget the Chicken & Waffle Fries are a take on the fast food conglomerate's poultry product after a few bites. The sweet waffle batter tastes much more like the syrupy flavors famous to its French Toast Sticks, and that's before we take into consideration the cloying cup of syrup provided with each order.
Long story short: The new Chicken & Waffle Fries are clearly comparable to Burger King's Chicken Fries, but the item appears just as closely related to Burger King's morning-time treat, in our experience.
Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Fries Verdict: We can't justify this new item's existence
It's no mystery why Burger King would want to expand its Chicken Fries line with the new Chicken & Waffle Fries. Unfortunately, upon actually tasting the new product, we found ourselves repeatedly asking why this was the version it settled on.
To be clear, we didn't necessarily hate the actual flavors found within the Chicken & Waffle Fries, and the sweetness promised by the waffle batter coating was more than prevalent. Yet therein lies the main problem — that sugary flavor absolutely dominates the rest, leaving barely a hint of any salty contrast typically associated with chicken and waffles. In fact, the waffle batter so thoroughly overwhelms the Chicken & Waffle Fries profile that the first part of its name gets completely lost in the process. If you dip one of them in syrup, it essentially morphs into a French Toast Stick.
Quite frankly, then, if you love the chain's French Toast Sticks and want to enjoy something close to that a.m. classic in the afternoon and evening, you might dig the new Chicken & Waffle Fries. But if you expect something that truly resembles fried chicken and waffles, you'll likely walk away disappointed.