Wendy's Debuted Their Bourbon Bacon Burger in 2021
The Bourbon Bacon Burger was introduced to Wendy's menus in May 2021, when it was added to the restaurant's "Made to Crave" lineup, which was introduced in 2019. According to the chain, "Made to Crave is built around bringing unforgettable, diverse flavors you wouldn’t expect from a fast-food restaurant’s core menu. It’s where [the] team’s passion for food can shine and their culinary imaginations run free. As we innovate our menu, we conduct market research and track culinary trends to help inform the direction of our latest crave-worthy options." The 2021 addition was the Bourbon Bacon Burger.
Made with a quarter pound of fresh beef, the Bourbon Bacon Burger was topped with sweet but savory Bourbon Bacon sauce, piled high with smoked Applewood bacon, American cheese, and crispy onions, all on a classic bun. At the time of the item's debut, Wendy's boasted, "We operate off the pride we have in claiming the top spot as the number one seller of bacon cheeseburgers in the industry [according to the NPD Group/Crest]. We’re always challenging ourselves to think even bigger and hold true to serving the best bacon cheeseburgers in the business. Our newest offering is a perfect example of that effort."
Fans Furious The Bourbon Bacon Burger Has Been Discontinued: 'Bring It Back, Or Else'
Though it's returned to menus often since its first limited release, the Bourbon Bacon Burger seems to have been officially dropped as of May of this year. And, according to social media, fans are furious.
Under a comical meme posted to Instagram by the Wendy's official account, one commenter wrote, "day 20 of asking for the bourbon bacon burger to come back or i riot." The comment got 41 likes, and several others in the comment section agreed. "Hopefully Wendy's will listen," said one. "Bring it back, or else." another commented threatened.
Reddit has been home to similar feelings. "I work in the next town over and they said it's been discontinued. I almost wanted to cry," the OP of one post about the item's discontinuation confessed. "I've been eating them since they came out and it's my favorite burger ever, and one of my favorite meals ever." Horrified replies poured in: "I guess I won't be going to wendy's anymore...." said a sad fan. Another added, "Really loved that burger, wish it was made permanent."
One commenter on the Reddit post noted, "Yeah they switching it out for a ghost pepper chicken sandwich and they getting rid of the garlic fries for ghost pepper fries." This was cold comfort to fans, though: "I ain't gonna eat there for a good long while," said one protesting Redditor about the Bourbon Bacon Burger's elimination from Wendy's menus.