i’m just gonna put it out there, the flavor term ‘flame-broiled’ is fairly ambiguous and could mean just about anything. the ketchup and fries flavor seemed rather straight-forward by comparison. however, before ripping into the bag, i’m going to make the assumption that the ideal taste they are going for is like biting into a fresh whopper. that being said it’s now time to close my eyes and open my mind. here we go again.

in the bag: the chips are uniform, again. this time instead of being like fries but thinner, they are perfect circles (like a burger). i bet some manufacturing genius got a sweet bonus for coming up with that connection. the smell really is no different than a regular bag of barbecue potato chips. i am underwhelmed so far. really nothing more to see. i am eager to get to the taste.

crunch time: my first thought is that is does, in fact, taste like a burger from bk. however, that’s about where it ends. here is the flavor profile, in order: beefy (ugh, awkward), grease, american cheese, mustard, pickle and bun. there was some, i mean some, tomato flavor buried in there, but not enough to do it justice. i would also imagine that the onion powder on the ingredients list has a supporting role in all this, but not enough to stand out. again, being made from dehydrated potato certainly changes the overall texture of the chips that lends itself to a toasted bun more than potato.

overall: these are a mere novelty in the snack food landscape. albeit a well thought out one, but a novelty nonetheless. after a few chips i appreciate the real burger even more. when my cravings come for a fast food burger i will be hauling ass to my local drive-thru rather than the vending machine in the break room. finely crafted, they are amongst the more clever flavors combinations i have seen. they are reminiscent of the doritos x-13d ‘all-american classic’ potato chips from last summer. the ‘all-american’ flavor, in case you were curious, was the flavor of a mcdonald’s cheeseburger. rating is a solid 6.5/10. big points for ingenuity, however falling short on the ‘full bag consumption’ tip. my recommendation is to buy a bag and bring them to the office where all your colleagues can sample along with you around the water cooler (perfect to quench your thirst from all the salt). after that, you can sleep better at night knowing you tried something different today.