Upping the ante in the fast-food arms race in gluttony, Massachusetts-based chain Friendly's has unleashed its new Grilled Cheese Burger Melt in the U.S., a hefty beef patty buttressed between two oozing, grilled cheese sandwiches.
At 1,500 calories, the souped up burger is the caloric equivalent of nearly three KFC bun-less, fried chicken Double Downs, the previous heart-clogging sandwich to beat.
The Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt's calorie count is about half the estimated energy requirement of an active adult male. It also contains 97 grams of fat, more than triple the amount in a Big Mac, and 2,090 mg of sodium, far more than the recommended 1,500 mg daily intake.
Ever since Wendy's started the fat-dripping, calorie coma-inducing war with its towering, veggie-free Baconator sandwich, other chain restaurants have been vying for girdle-busting supremacy. Following on the heels of the Double Down this year, IHOP came out with its Pancake Stackers, two buttermilk flapjacks nestled between layers of whipped topping, fruit compote, and cheesecake.
Food bloggers are calling the newest creation from Friendly's the "KFC Double Down on steroids," "the latest food atrocity" and a "monstrosity."
Friendly's, meanwhile, is inviting customers to try it for themselves.
"You'll have to taste it to believe it," the company's website says. Hopefully, it's not the last thing you do.
Wency Leung