I don’t know what it is, but I swear Burger King tastes to me like the hamburgers have been dipped in lighter fluid. I’m only slightly exaggerating. I hate their burgers because of that weird flame-broiled taste. It’s not a woody, grilled flavor; it’s something else. I’ve always suspected they added some kind of flavoring to their patties to enhance the smokiness, but maybe it’s just their flame-broiling process that gives them that odd taste.
I think typoinc was hitting on the fact that using a gas grill (as opposed to a charcoal grill) doesn’t make it taste smokier. I agree with you–it does make a difference. Even with a direct gas flame, when the fat from the meat hits the fire, it burns and produces a distinct smoky flavor, which is different than a woody smoke flavor. I just call it “fat-in-the-fire” flavor. A burger cooked in a gas grill where the fat occasionally flares up and burns tastes distinct from a griddled burger.
Years ago I read that Queen Elizabeth owned a huge chunk of Burger King through one of her many firms.
That explained BK’s answer to Ronald McDonald, its freakazoid burger “king.”