# Does Burger King really flame broil?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 2, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633 "2006-12-02T23:30:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/21 "2006-12-05T02:10:46Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed]
whatever happened to Burger Queen (with mascot Queenie Bee, kinda scarier than the modern Burger King)?
[/QUOTE]
Burger Queen turned into ‘Druthers’, which I’ve heard some say was bought out by Dairy Queen. Don’t know if that’s true or not (although I think the Burger Queen in my old hometown in Kentucky was/is a Dairy Queen now.)
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### Author:  [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/22 "2006-12-05T02:26:48Z")
Chiming in - I worked the chain grill as well at Burger King in the 1980’s, and there were indeed visible flames in there cooking the meat.
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/23 "2006-12-05T02:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed]
Back in the 60’s our local Burger Chef (who remembers THAT?
[/QUOTE]
Me. Had one in my home town. At the time, it was the only chain fast food place we had. We did have a couple of mom&pop dairy bar type things, but that was about it. Pizza Hut and KFC came in around 73ish, followed by BK a year or so later. We didn’t get a Mickey D until I’d left for college…
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### Author:  [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/24 "2006-12-05T09:13:58Z")
[QUOTE=Asgardking]
I worked at a Burger King almost 20 years ago and we used the chain broiler.
I worked night shift so I got the honor of stripping down the broiler and cleaning it.
It was fun because we used to take the detachable parts which were coated with burned on grease and dip them in an acid bath to clean them.
Acid is fun.
[/QUOTE]
I had the same job. Except we had something they called “hood cleaner”, which was a really caustic spray-cleaner/degreaser. We used it for the chain and the inside of the broiler hood. If you got that stuff in a cut in your finger, it burned like hell. I was required to clean inside the hood with no mask and no gloves. After about 30 seconds you would start coughing from the fumes and would have to stick your head out from under the hood to catch a breath of air. I didn’t know what OSHA was back then.
We cooked the burgers on the chain, then they immediately went into a steamer (with the bun) which kept them hot and moist. If they stayed in there too long they would get soggy. Most of them got served that way anyway. In addition, each burger was microwaved before it was served. You really can taste the smoky flavor in my opinion. I used to really like the taste of their burgers, but not so much after I worked there for awhile - I just got burned out on them.
I always thought it was a pretty clever innovation. Once the speed of the chain was set correctly, the burgers were automatically cooked exactly the right amount without any guesswork or mistakes. You would put 12 patties and 12 buns at one end, and by the time you walked around to the other end, the first ones were already coming out, and you’d grab a patty and a bun and assemble them. Very efficient.
One day someone forgot to turn on the gas. I put the patties down at one end, came around to the other end, and raw burgers came out.
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/25 "2006-12-05T12:32:00Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed]
Back in the 60’s our local Burger Chef (who remembers THAT?, btw it was eventually absorbed into Hardees which I guess still exists, tho ours also died a few years back)
[/QUOTE]
Sure, I remember that. “Burger Chef & Jeff” was one of their commercial lines.
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### Author:  [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/26 "2006-12-05T15:37:12Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl]
What I want to know is, who was the stupid celebrity who mistook the flame broiler for a branding machine.
[/QUOTE]
Ethan Hawke. He was on one of the late-night celeb wank-fests last week. One of the minor ones, like kimmel, I think.
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### Author:  [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/27 "2006-12-05T16:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed]
…whatever happened to Burger Queen (with mascot Queenie Bee, kinda scarier than the modern Burger King)?
[/QUOTE]
I was curious about this, so I looked it up and found [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druthers). Burger Queen turned into Druther’s, and apparently there is still one in operation in Campbellsville, KY.
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/28 "2006-12-05T16:05:37Z")
Sorry, this is off-topic. Does anyone remember those collectable Looney Toons glasses from Carroll’s Restaurants. I think it was around 1973. I remember how excited we’d get when a new glass came out. I still have mine.
I also remember the .15 hamburgers.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/29 "2006-12-05T20:39:23Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam]
I worked at a BK once. When I had that task, I felt like I was sending the patties into hell. Put them on the conveyor and watch them move inexorably towards the flames, grease dripping from them and sizzling when it landed. On the other side, they slid lifelessly down the chute, whereupon I put them between toasted buns and filed them in a bin like so many casualties.
[/QUOTE]
I think I smell a new viral video series, “Rilchiam, the Tortured Fast-Food Worker”
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### Author:  [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/30 "2006-12-05T21:05:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder]
I was trying to imagine the logistics of having that happen in an airport.
[/QUOTE]
Wonder no more - Burger King have already established this [the hard way](http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/12/heathrow.fire.update/index.html?eref=sitesearch) [twice](http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/04/08/netherlands.airport.03/index.html).
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### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/31 "2006-12-05T21:06:30Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed]
Back in the 60’s our local Burger Chef (who remembers THAT?, btw it was eventually absorbed into Hardees which I guess still exists, tho ours also died a few years back) used a chain-broiler visible to the public through a window. I loved watching that thing cook our burgers- made 'em taste better! _L_
Other local fast-food eateries that have since expired- Dog’N’Suds (specialties- Hot dogs of course, and also root beer & creme sodas) and Park’N’Eat (spawner of dirty jokes, of course). I know some A&Ws survive, but whatever happened to Burger Queen (with mascot Queenie Bee, kinda scarier than the modern Burger King)?
[/QUOTE]
During one of our Engineering depressions in Michjigan I managed at Burger Chef. They had a division called Sani Serv which actually contructed and sold the chain drive burger cookers to Burger King. We did studies that showed that grilled burgers were preferred by most consumers and we went to grills.We did keep selling the chain drives to BK though.
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### Author:  [@Asgardking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asgardking)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/32 "2006-12-06T00:03:08Z")
Yep, I remember Burger Chef. There was one right next to the bowling alley I used to bowl league in when I was in second grade and we would go there for dinner sometimes.
The thing I remember was the Works Bar where they had all the topping for the burger and you could put on what and how much you wanted.
and I remember seeing a Burger Queen once. Butr I never ate there.
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### Author:  [@Gringojon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gringojon)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/33 "2012-09-15T18:20:21Z")
The Burger King burger has more flame broiled flavor than any outdoor grilled burger. Someone told me that he has been to a warehouse of spices and that Burger King uses such a spice to make the burgers taste very flame broiled. No telling what the chemicals are.
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### Author:  [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/34 "2012-09-15T19:08:37Z")
> [@Gringojon](#):
>
> The Burger King burger has more flame broiled flavor than any outdoor grilled burger. Someone told me that he has been to a warehouse of spices and that Burger King uses such a spice to make the burgers taste very flame broiled. No telling what the chemicals are.
Then that’s new, when I worked there it was just a frozen patty fed into the chain broiler. Nothing but condiments put on after.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/35 "2012-09-15T19:21:23Z")
I’ve always loved Burger King.
The other chain that also did flame broiling was Minute Man. They didn’t use the chain broiler. They had an actual gas grill. It was fun watching the flames. Minute Man was popular in the late 60’s, 70’s and into the 80’s. It was sad seeing them go downhill from mismanagement. The last ones closed in the early 90’s.
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### Author:  [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/36 "2012-09-15T19:33:25Z")
> [@Gringojon](#):
>
> The Burger King burger has more flame broiled flavor than any outdoor grilled burger. Someone told me that he has been to a warehouse of spices and that Burger King uses such a spice to make the burgers taste very flame broiled. No telling what the chemicals are.
Essence of zombie.
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### Author:  [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/37 "2012-09-15T19:55:08Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#):
>
> It makes a difference in the taste, I think. BK burgers have a smoky flavor that McD’s burgers do not.
Pretty sure you’re tasting flavoring added to the burgers, not a byproduct of the cooking method.
Burgers cooked on a gas grill over a direct flame don’t taste smokier than those cooked on a flattop.
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### Author:  [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/38 "2012-09-15T19:58:00Z")
> [@Gringojon](#):
>
> The Burger King burger has more flame broiled flavor than any outdoor grilled burger. Someone told me that he has been to a warehouse of spices and that Burger King uses such a spice to make the burgers taste very flame broiled. No telling what the chemicals are.
The smoke flavor comes from liquid smoke, I’d wager.
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/39 "2012-09-15T21:01:30Z")
> [@typoink](#):
>
> Pretty sure you’re tasting flavoring added to the burgers, not a byproduct of the cooking method.
>
> Burgers cooked on a gas grill over a direct flame don’t taste smokier than those cooked on a flattop.
I don’t know if they do or do not add flavoring (but I’d guess not) but I can guarantee you I can taste the difference between a grilled (flame broiled) and a fried burger.
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### Author:  [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burger-king-really-flame-broil/382633/40 "2012-09-15T21:45:19Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#):
>
> I worked at a BK once. When I had that task, I felt like I was sending the patties into hell. Put them on the conveyor and watch them move inexorably towards the flames, grease dripping from them and sizzling when it landed. On the other side, they slid lifelessly down the chute, whereupon I put them between toasted buns and filed them in a bin like so many casualties.
I also worked for BK in the 80s I even remember the speed of the chain 55 links per minute and the buns went on the bun chain at 110 LPMs.🙂
What was fun at the end of the day cleaning the large drip pans under the broiler from the days accumulated grease and debris.
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