The mid- to late-90s were an amazing time to be a kid discovering Star Wars. We had the Special Editions bringing the original trilogy back to theaters. We had The Phantom Menace kicking off the prequels. All of those developments brought with them wave after wave of promotional crossovers.
Star Wars was on Pepsi cans. Star Wars was in bags of Doritos. I’m pretty sure there were even Star Wars toys at Pizza Hut.
While Star Wars is pretty much ubiquitous now, thanks to Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm, a bunch of new Star Wars movies and countless new TV shows on Disney+, the magic of a fast food crossover has been missing.
Press play on John Williams’ iconic Star Wars theme, because The Mandalorian and Grogu and Burger King are ready to bring back that magic with a new menu featuring the BBQ Bounty Whopper, Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries, Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots, Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shake and a collectible cup.
“Star Wars has always been about bringing generations of fans together. The Burger King ‘Have It Your Way’ spirit makes them the perfect brand to help fans celebrate the upcoming theatrical release of The Mandalorian and Grogu because it's rooted in bringing people together through shared, memorable experiences,” Jan Coleman, vice president of partnerships and promotions at The Walt Disney Studios, said in the announcement of the Bounty Bundle. “Together, we’re giving fans and families a fun and delicious way to connect with the excitement of the galaxy.”
Happy May the 4th, Star Wars fans.
I was going to pose the question of whether or not this limited-edition Burger King menu would meet Grogu’s dietary standards, but then I remembered that the foundling eats just about anything. Seriously. Remember the time he tried to eat that frog lady’s children?
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What it costs
You can get the complete Bounty Bundle for $19.99. There’s also the Galactic Family Bundle, which’ll run you $33.49 and includes — summons up Tim Robinson voice — two BBQ Bounty Whoppers, two cheeseburgers, an 8-piece Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries, two small fries and two Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shakes.
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Before we get into the actual food, two of the highlights of the Bounty Bundle are the large box (similar in size to what McDonald’s used for its KPop Demon Huntersand Grinch meals) and the collectible cups.
My Burger King was somehow already slammed at 10:45 a.m. on a Monday, so they didn’t have the boxes and cups ready when I was there and originally skipped the cup and gave me everything in a giant bag.
I got the dark blue collectible cup featuring Zeb Orrelios, the Lasat who Star Wars fans first met in Star Wars Rebels. I’m a bit concerned that Kallus has been absent from all the promotional stuff for The Mandalorian and Grogu ...
Anyways, onto the food ...
BBQ Bounty Whopper
When Burger King introduced its “elevated” Whopper in February, I was a huge fan. That burger, with its “freshly cut onions and tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tangy pickles and better tasting mayo” was fantastic.
My hopes were high for the BBQ Bounty Whopper. The Star Wars-themed take on Burger King’s iconic burger swaps in Swiss cheese while adding bacon, crispy pickle chips and Bounty BBQ Sauce.
Here’s the problem: Remember how I mentioned my Burger King was slammed at 10:45 a.m? All those tasty additions to the BBQ Bounty Whopper don’t hit the same when your burger sits for like twenty minutes as the rest of your meal gets pulled together.
I know they’re silly, but I love Burger King’s Chicken Fries. I remember getting them in college when the fast food chain first introduced them. (For the record, I’m also a fan of Burger King’s sometimes terrifying King mascot.) In terms of flavors of Chicken Fries, I’ve had the traditional and spicy ones, and I was intrigued by a version seasoned with parmesan and garlic.
These are a tasty addition to the Chicken Fries family. The flavors are subtle while still delivering just the right touch of garlic and parmesan flavors. The box is also super cute. I forgot to flip out Grogu’s ears before taking photos of the entire Bounty Bundle.)
Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries are also supposed to come with a “garlic dipping sauce on the side to fuel your next adventure.” I didn’t realize until I got home that my Burger King gave me a packet of Zesty Sauce — which is the perfect sauce for an order of onion rings — instead of the sauce that was supposed to come with Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries.
If I’m getting Burger King, my side of choice would obviously be their fantastic onion rings. And if for some reason I wasn’t getting onion rings, I do enjoy their fries. The Bounty Bundle was the first time I’ve had Burger King’s tots.
For this promotion, the restaurant promises “perfectly crispy tots stuffed with melty cheddar cheese, fluffy potatoes and ranch seasoning.” I was impressed to find melty cheese on the inside of each tot, just as Burger King advertised.
I enjoyed the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots. The outside of each tot had a nice crunch to it, while the inside was a tasty combo of cheese and potato.
I’m gonna assume that The Mandalorian and Grogu will explain why these tots are Imperial themed. They were supposed to be “served in an Imperial-themed carton,” but mine came in a plain paper packet.
OK, we’ve finally reached the part of the Bounty Bundle that I was most looking forward to: Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shake. If you’ve been following along with Snackology for pretty much any length of time, you’ll know that these amped-up treats are usually my favorite part of a fun fast food menu. (I’m looking at you, Confetti Cookie Freeze at Taco Bell.)
This shake starts with vanilla soft serve before blue sugar cookie syrup is swirled in (my Burger King nailed the swirl) and topped with blue cookies. (Definitely not the same as Grogu’s Nilla Nummies.)
I think Grogu would be on the same page as me when it comes to the Blue Cookie Shake when I say that this is a super fun and super tasty way to finish eating a Bounty Bundle. There’s a good chance Grogu would start with dessert, but I’m going to hope that the little green guy has picked up some manners since being adopted by Din Djarin.
The Omnicosm founder. Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
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