We compared Burger King in the UK and the US. We noticed a few key differences but still see why it’s an international hit.

Business Insider’s New York-based reporter Erin McDowell visited a Burger King restaurant in Lower Manhattan, a few blocks from One World Trade Center and the 9/11 memorial.

Meanwhile, Mikhaila Friel, a senior reporter in the UK, visited a Burger King restaurant in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland.

Three kiosks were available to order from, making it a much faster ordering process than waiting in line at the register. Erin waited about five minutes before receiving her order.

In addition to carry-out, this NYC Burger King offered dine-in service. After walking up the stairs to the dining room, Erin was greeted by employees who showed her to a table.

She had already placed and received her order, but other customers were given menus and the opportunity to place an order with an employee.

Mikhaila visited Burger King in the food court of Buchanan Galleries, a shopping mall in Glasgow’s city center. It’s one of 12 Burger Kings in the city, according to the company’s website.

There was a long line of people waiting to be served, but Mikhaila only had to wait five minutes before ordering her items on a mobile kiosk.

Burger King menus in the UK and the US are very similar, but there are a few differences. The UK’s menu appeared to have a more varied selection of burgers.

While the burger menu in the US features mostly different plays on the classic Whopper, the UK burger menu offers unique flavor profiles like burgers with caramelized onions and peppercorn mayo, or the Memphis BBQ King, which comes topped with full-size onion rings.

The UK also offers a full vegetarian menu, something the US lacks. Mikhaila had the choice of ordering everything from bean-patty burgers to a vegan chicken sandwich and vegan nuggets.

The stools by the windows downstairs were taken, so Erin went to the upstairs dining room, which was decorated with balloons, creating a festive atmosphere.

The dining room had booths and tables, but almost all of the tables in the main dining room were taken when our reporter arrived.

However, there were two other dining rooms available. Erin was surprised by just how much seating there was at this location.

Unlike the NYC branch, Mikhaila noticed that the Glasgow brunch didn’t have balloons or any other notable decorations.

However, the color scheme was the same: red seats, booths, and gray tables spread across one floor of the food court.

Changes are coming to its dining rooms. Burger King has previously said the majority of its restaurants in the US will undergo full remodels or refurbishments in the coming years. The fast-food brand also plans to remodel restaurants in the UK. Forty-two restaurants were upgraded between 2022 and 2023, Burger King chief executive Alasdair Murdoch told QSR Media UK in October.

Even though it was busy, Mikhaila noticed plenty of empty tables and booths at the Glasgow location, so she chose a booth.

The cost of the meal came to $34.25, including tax.

Mikhaila’s order cost £25.59, or around $33.68, including tax.

The packaging was mostly similar between the two countries, although the US fries came in a sturdy paper cup, while Mikhaila’s fries came in an arguably flimsy and small paper bag.

The Whopper wrapper in the US was also more colorful, with brightly colored illustrations of tomatoes, pickles, and other ingredients adorning the outside. The UK version also had illustrations, but they were more muted.

Erin ordered a four-piece chicken nugget, the smallest size offered by the chain in the US, and a side of sweet-and-sour sauce. It cost $1.99, excluding tax.

Erin thought the chicken nuggets were juicy on the outside but perfectly crispy on the inside, and the sauce reminded her of a classic American-Chinese-takeout dish.

Mikhaila ordered a six-piece chicken nugget with sweet chili sauce, which cost £4.39, or around $5.78.

She thought the nuggets were tender and crispy, and the sauce provided a flavorful kick.

The Whopper with cheese meal came to $13.29, excluding tax, in the US.

It cost £7.99, or around $10.52, in the UK.

The US Whopper contained a hearty amount of toppings, though the tomatoes were slightly unevenly placed on the burger.

Erin thought the Whopper with cheese was large and extremely filling, though she did think the burger patty was slightly overdone and could have been a touch juicier.

However, the tangy cheese, fresh-tasting toppings, and moisture from the mayonnaise more than made up for it.

Mikhaila thought the beef was a little thin but it tasted good, especially when paired with the onions.

She thought the sauce was lacking, but overall it was comparable to burgers served at other fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s.

Erin found that, if anything, her burger was too moist from the amount of sauce, showing a possible discrepancy between the two countries.

That said, menu items can vary slightly by whatever location you visit, even within the same country. While chains try to have consistency across their menus, human error can, of course, sometimes come into play.

The original chicken sandwich cost $7.79, excluding tax, in the US (pictured above).

In the UK, the sandwich cost £5.99, or around $7.88, making it slightly less expensive.

The US version came with a lightly breaded chicken patty, iceberg lettuce, and mayonnaise on a sesame-seed bun.

Erin thought the chicken sandwich’s patty tasted like an oversized chicken nugget.

Adding lettuce and mayonnaise made this sandwich taste very light — it was the one menu item she could have kept eating if she didn’t have others to taste.

Mikhaila thought the sandwich was simple but incredibly tasty, and in this case, the saying “less is more” definitely applied.

We noted the chicken patty appeared more deep-fried in the UK. However, despite this slight difference, we thought the chicken sandwich was the best menu item we tried.

Erin ordered the fiery royal crispy chicken sandwich, which cost $7.89, excluding tax.

Erin really enjoyed the spicy flavor and crispy texture of the chicken sandwich. The sauce had a honey-like sweetness that covered each and every bite of the sandwich and balanced the fresh flavor of the toppings.

The bean burger cost £6.29, or around $8.28.

Mikhaila noticed the patty was much thicker and more substantial than the beef patty on the Whopper burger. It had a spicy flavor, which worked well with the juicy tomatoes.

However, she thought the ketchup and lettuce were sparing.

While Burger King does offer plant-based burgers, like the Impossible Whopper, in the US, Erin said she would like to try the spicy bean burger.

Meanwhile, Mikhaila said she’d love to try the spicy chicken sandwich because it seems like “the perfect option for those looking for a sweet and spicy combo,” which she said was lacking in the UK items she tried.

Erin thought the fries in the US were crispy and well-salted, and paired well with the chain’s signature Zesty sauce, which is similar to a spicy mayonnaise.

Mikhaila mostly agreed with Erin’s assessment. While a couple of the fries appeared a little overdone, she said they tasted decent and the portion size was ideal.

The portion sizes of the same menu items we tried appeared to be pretty similar. This surprised us — we expected the US versions to be much larger.

We did think the Whopper was slightly bigger in the US, but not by much, and the chicken sandwiches appeared to be exactly the same size.

Mikhaila also noticed some inconsistencies that Erin didn’t experience in the US. For instance, she found there was a lot more lettuce on the UK Whopper and chicken sandwich compared to her spicy bean burger. She also thought the Whopper and spicy bean burger were lacking in sauce, to the point where she could barely taste it.

The meal in the US was also slightly more expensive at $34.25, compared to £25.59, or around $33.68, including tax.

Despite a few differences, we both enjoyed our experiences at Burger King and can see why the chain has expanded worldwide.

We both enjoyed the classic Whopper burgers and thought the original chicken sandwich proved that “less is more.”