I finally had a chance to try United’s new buy-on-board beef burger with cheddar cheese earlier this week and am so happy it has returned to the onboard lineup.
United Airlines Burger – A Lovely Onboard Treat
Traveling home from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles, I was fortunate to score an upgrade to business class on the Boeing 787-8, which has only 28 business class seats. Dinner was served after takeoff and included a choice of grilled chicken with rice and salsa or Italian ragu with polenta.
I ordered the chicken and quite enjoyed it: it had a nice kick to it and was quite satisfying. I’ll review both new first class meal choices in a future installment.
As we neared Los Angeles, I noticed my stomach was growling. Irene, the amazing flight attendant working my section, came by, saw me working, and asked me if she could get me anything. I asked her if there were any cheeseburgers left and she gladly said she would check.
A few minute later, she came back with one and told me to sit tight while she warmed it in the oven. About 10 minutes later she returned and presented it to me with a drink.
The ingredient list is a mile long, but it breaks down each component of the burger, even the cheese and pickles.
Bottom line: the hamburger was a hot delicious mess. I liked the buttery bun and loved the hamburger itself. I added no ketchup or mustard and thought it was great with only the pickles and cheese. I wouldn’t turn down lettuce and tomato (or bacon), but it was not necessary.
This cheeseburger retails for $9 on the buy-on-board menu and I highly recommend it. In fact, I would not mind seeing this as a plated meal in the forward cabin.
Have you tried United’s new hamburger? How did you like it?
Isn’t it the second meal on the long haul HI flights?
Yes, it is.
No I don’t want this to be the plated meal on a transcon
Have some higher standards for UA – use the bully pulpit to get them to compete and exceed B6 and Alaska
As a pre-arrival meal, Greg! 😉
Regardless. Have some standards!
I”m a burger fanatic and admitted United Airlines fanboy and I still think that looks absolutely disgusting.
What makes it look disgusting to you?
The cheese has melted and then congealed (but is still melted on the patty), and the bun looks very soggy. Either way, I’m happy for you that you enjoyed it, but it’s not something I’d be salivating over. Different strokes for different folks.
One thing I’ll say is that the bun was definitely not soggy (it has been, but not this particular iteration of the burger)
It’s a Butter Burger bun. It’s buttery, hence the “shine”, just like Culver’s.
So many articles dedicated to the United cheeseburger!!! Bon Appetit! Perfect blog post for Friday!
It’s so disgusting and I love it. It’s too bad fries don’t heat up well in the sky, otherwise it would have been perfect.
fries would heat up just fine if UA would install air fryers onboard.
Would greatly increase the type of meals that could be served
I agree, it’s disgusting… ly delicious!!! Had it in Polaris and was shocked as to how good it tasted. Well done!
I had it last week. It’s as disgusting as it looks. Your standard must be pretty low. The week prior I was in Houston and had a proper burger.
I think the cheese is over-melted. Perhaps adding the cheese after heating would be better.
I give UA and airline food a lot of crap for lots of things but I wouldn’t mind all that grease and cholesterol.
That looks like the old Continental coach burger, albeit in a paper bag instead plastic wrap.
@ptahcha: Like it (your comment). Another difference is that the Continental coach burger is served with baby carrot in coach for free, and this burger “the new United” will offer you for $9
Had this so-called burger on a trans Atlantic flight last month. Absolutely terrible!
This one is different.
No you didn’t – the Butter Burger is domestic market catering only. Different iterations for international flying.
Son had it on the way to LAX last week… The kid is the pickiest eater I’ve ever known… He devoured the burger and loved it… As far as looks… Some foods look like disgusting but are delicious… Show me a a airline meal that looks like it came from Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen !!! Especially in coach
That is truly the singular most disgusting looking thing I can imagine putting in my stomach. And I have eaten some weird stuff. Your love of the United Burger is perplexing, Matthew. Albeit charming.
Honestly, if they offered a vegetarian version of this (Impossible Burger or just a veggie burger), it would make me choose United a lot more often
I prefer the Angus cheeseburger on Amtrak (yes, really! ) but I do like the United burger
I like it too!
Jack McBrayer wouldn’t have been so friendly if he saw you eating this nasty sh*t.
He ate the same crap I did – that croissant loaded with cheese. He even ate the cheese on the side! Somehow, I think he would have liked the cheeseburger.
Lmao @ everyone complaining about the way it looks. FYI what it looks like has nothing to do with how it tastes.
I can almost hear my arteries closing up just looking at the picture of that cheeseburger. It’s probably $15 if even available at all in cattle class.
“The ingredient list is a mile long, but it breaks down each component of the burger…”
GROSS DONT EAT THAT!
Now if only they would offer a nice Plant Based Burger for us Vegan/Vegetarians!
A flight from Dulles to LAX and you got hungry after dinner??? Hilarious. If UA’s burger is as good as the ones they used to serve on Continental, it is indeed worthy of a permanent place on the menu. I’ll check on this my next UA flight and see if I can scrounge one from coach. Thanks for the tip.