Feeling patriotic this month? Craving a burger? Carl’s Jr. has just developed a way to make you feel like a proud (and full) American in the most indulgent possible way.
The new “Most American Thickburger” features the usual Thickburger one-third pound of Black Angus beef, but is also topped with a grilled and split hot dog, American cheese, and a layer of kettle cooked potato chips.
Basically, it’s a backyard cookout under one bun. The burger will begin being sold on May 20 (just in time for Memorial Day) at both Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s locations.
How, though, did we get to this point where this intriguing and nostalgic combination has decided to grace menus? Behold, a timeline of potato chip sandwiches, combo burgers, and more.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
1911
American Cheese Invented
While takes on “American Cheese” date back to the 1700s, the processed orange slices we know and love today find their roots as a brainchild of Kraft founder James Kraft in 1911.
1950s
The (Rumored) First Combo Burger
Marty’s Hamburger Stand in Los Angeles (founded in the mid-1950s) claims to be the first spot ever to serve a combo burger—that’s a hot dog on top of a hamburger patty inside a bun. Who are we to dispute that?
2003
Carl’s Jr.’s/Hardee’s “Thickburger” First Introduced
In 2003, Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s went through a branding overhaul dubbed internally as the revolution. During this time, they decided to focus their marketing energy on a single product: Thickburgers. The burgers consisted of different toppings loaded onto a hunk of Black Angus beef, and has led to some pretty unusual combinations in flavors over the years including the jalapeño-popper topped “El Diablo” Thickburger.
2014
Potato Chip Sandwiches
Growing up in Kentucky, I had many friends who would bring potato chip sandwiches (two pieces of white bread with potato chips and mayonnaise smashed together in the middle) to school for lunch. When it became a giant national trend in 2014, I was happy to see that my classmates were ahead of their time. The trend had gotten so huge that in January 2015, the first ever “chip sandwich” only pop-up shop opened in Belfast. (Currently, it is without a permanent home.)
Photo: CKR Restaurant Group
2015
“Most American Thickburger”
Today’s burger-hot dog-potato chip hybrid will have 1,030 calories and 64 grams of fat. Is it worth every indulgent price? Probably.