NYC Burger King Has Been Serving Real Beef to Its Vegan Customers

Whopper (Image: Burger King)

“Is it live or is it Memorex?” If you’re old enough to remember VHS tapes, then you may remember an ad campaign for that brand from the 1980s that asked the question as the voice of jazz great Ella Fitzgerald shattered a wine glass.

That ad came to mind when I learned that one branch of the Burger King chain in Brooklyn admitted to feeding its customers who ordered meatless Whoppers the conventional sandwich, made with beef.

According to The Takeout, the branch, at 736 Broadway in Brooklyn, “has for weeks been filling Seamless delivery orders for Impossible Whoppers [advertised as ‘100% WHOPPER, 0% Beef’] with regular Whoppers, asking the Seamless driver to inform the customer of the switch.”

But according to customers, they were never so advised. This prompted a spokesman for the chain to tell The Takeout:

We have recently become aware that due to a technology error, one of our franchisees incorrectly listed the Impossible Whopper as a menu item available at some New York-area restaurants through two third-party delivery platforms. The issue has been corrected and the item is no longer listed as an option until we officially bring the Impossible Whopper to New York. We apologize for any confusion this has caused. Any guests who ordered an Impossible Whopper through delivery in the New York area and have any questions may call 866-394-2493.

That comes as cold comfort to customers who abstain from eating meat for religious reasons. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some of them were suing.

In the meantime, if you want to “have it you way,” you should probably buy your fast food from the other place.