A dad reckons he's ordered the 'UK's first Real Cheeseburger' after demanding Burger King stack his meatless bun with 20 slices of cheese - recreating the viral Thai menu option.
Craig Harker was desperate to sink his teeth into the dairy-laden burger and ordered the towering 930-calorie sarnie with a side of large fries washed down with a full-fat coke.
But the item that sent online foodies wild when it was announced earlier this week isn't available on the UK menu.
So the 36-year-old ordered a large cheeseburger meal at the Chandlers Wharf branch of Burger King in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, with a twist.
Instead of having the meat he requested the bemused server to pile 20 cheese slices onto the plain sesame bun instead.
Stuffing so much American-style cheese into the burger cost the dad-of-three an additional £5 - bringing the total to £8.85.
Despite being excited to try the cheesy sandwich, Craig was defeated half-way through, having struggled to swallow what he managed even with the help of his soft drink.
Craig, from Hardwick, County Durham, said: "I'd seen it [online] so I thought 'I'm going to have to try it'.
"Sometimes I've been surprised in the past by things tasting good, this one went the way I thought it would.
"There's no meat, it's literally just the bun and 20 slices of cheese.
"The lad who took my order was a bit confused at first, I had to drive round [and explain]. It's a unique order, I'm guessing no-one's ever ordered it before in the UK.
"I can see the hype about this burger. If something's new to a menu we all get excited, it's why the other fast food chains change speciality items every few weeks.
"I only ate half. It was a challenge that just defeated me and I could tell that after the first couple of bites.
"It was so stodgy the cheese was sticking to the roof of my mouth and I needed the drink just to swallow it."
This is the breakdown of Craig's meal:
- 20 slices of American style cheese - 800 calories
- One Burger King sesame bun - 130 calories
- Large fries- 448 calories
- Large full-fat Coke - 350 calories
- Total calories= 1,728 calories
The chain announced the burger's release on the official Burger King Thailand Facebook page earlier this week, with a post that read, 'This is no joke. This is for real'.
Despite being glad to have ticked-off a viral menu item, Craig won't be trying it again.
Craig said: "I won't be ordering it again, it was just missing meat."
Burger King was contacted for comment.
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