Do you remember when Burger King sold veal? Watching this commercial again, it almost seems impossible that one of America’s biggest hamburger chains was trying to convince us that a Veal Parmigiana sandwich belonged in the drive-through
Burger King had been expanding beyond burgers with its Specialty Sandwich line, offering chicken, roast beef, ham and cheese, fish and steak on those familiar long rolls. Then came the Veal Parmigiana — a breaded veal patty with tomato sauce and mozzarella — tested in selected markets before going national in 1982. The idea was to give adults something that felt a little more like restaurant food than ordinary fast food.
And Burger King really was out there by itself on this one. A May 20, 1982 Christian Science Monitor report specifically called Burger King the only major fast-food chain then selling veal sandwiches, adding that representatives from both McDonald’s and Jack in the Box said they had no plans to follow. Historical accounts of Burger King’s Specialty Sandwich program also cite that contemporary report.
The sandwich soon became controversial. Animal-rights groups organized a boycott over the treatment of calves raised for veal, putting Burger King in the middle of a debate that was becoming much more visible nationally. Burger King later said the protests were not why it removed the sandwich and blamed weak consumer demand instead. By 1983, it had disappeared from almost every Burger King menu.
What I find especially interesting is that Burger King didn’t completely forget the idea. Veal Parmigiana reportedly made a limited return in New England in 1988, and Burger King later had much more success putting marinara and mozzarella on chicken instead with its Italian Chicken Sandwich.
It’s hard to imagine McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burger King introducing a veal sandwich today, but for a brief time Burger King actually tried to make Veal Parmigiana mainstream fast food
Did anyone actually try one of these, and was it any good?