Burger King Debuts Pricey Ribs Meals

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted May 19th 2010 @ 2:00PM

How much would you pay for ribs at Burger King?

The home of the Whopper is rolling out new Fire-Grilled Ribs this week in major markets around the country at prices that rival casual-dining restaurant fare, Nation's Restaurant News reported.

Burger King's six-piece combo with the bone-in ribs will set you back $7.99 in Dallas and $7.49 in Chicago. An eight-piece ribs meal -- including fries and a drink -- is priced at $8.99, according to NRN.

Burger King confirmed to Slashfood that the new ribs are available nationally in three-, six-, and eight-piece serving sizes but would not comment further on the Fire-Grilled Rib meals.

The company is looking to mix "extreme affordability" with value promotions, Burger King CEO John W. Chidsey said in February, when the company reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. He added that the fast-food chain will balance its affordable offerings with "offerings with a strong, indulgent product pipeline that includes Steakhouse XT, ribs, stuffed burgers, chicken LTOs [limited time only] and others."

Meanwhile, industry analysts think Burger King's decision to launch an $8.99 menu item at a time when casual dining restaurants like Applebee's and Chili's are lowering prices is a bold one, NRN reported.

Burger King is currently promoting $1 menu items and 5 meals for $5, so introducing $8 and $9 items could send a message that confuses customers or at least creates some sticker shock," Leslie Kerr, president of the Intellaprice pricing advisory firm told NRN.

Kerr said the average price of a half-rack of ribs at casual-dining restaurants was $11.68 in 2009 and a riblet basket cost an average of $8.87 -- both including side dishes.

If customers can get comparable items for a similar price or just a few dollars more in a full-service environment, it could make the sale a bit challenging for Burger King," Kerr told NRN.

Filed Under: Fast Food
Tags: burger king, burger king ribs, john w chidsey, ribs

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Reader comments (Page 3 of 3)

5-20-2010 @2:21PM Jim said... I am a major BK fan and have been for years! This new feature is simply RIDICULOUS. I had to search the inside of my bag to find the small bag the 3"mini ribs" were in. Tiny, minute, mini . . . you won't see any TV ads with cowboys eating these. There was as much fat as meat! Make certain to get extra napkins . . . this is a "one hand" size experience . . . not recommended for "in-car consumption." BK, stick with those great whoppers !!
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5-21-2010 @3:52AM Cico Hernandez said... Burger King's pauper portion rib's
or
Are you “FN” Serious?
I couldn't resist Seven tender pork ribs with a Smokey BBQ sauce. Burger King confirmed to Slashfood that the new ribs are available nationally. But didn't say that they actually have slashed the ribs in half.

And I got all the meaty taste of What ? ! ! HALF CUT RIBS?!!

Misleading photos of a full sizes ribs and not the hobbit portion I received.

Huffington Post implied that this was a rival to Applebee's and Chili's $9.99 order. Well... if this is Burger Kings food fight challenge, they are going on a half cocked load. The average length of a pork rib at Chili's is 4 to 6 inches. Burger king must be using a smaller breed of pig or by the looks of it, the racks have been cut down the length creating 2 to 3 inch ribs. I've been hoodwinked, Flim-Flamed, RIPPED OF ! ! ! . I get a similar feeling as when Adam lost a rib.

Burger King doesn't hold a candle to Applebee's and Chili's and is very mistaken if they think this is any sort of deal. And Chili's isn't my first choice for ribs but they sure kick butt on Burger King's offer.

Burger King! . . . Just stick to what your good at and quit dreaming of any thought of raising the bar on this issue. What a disappointment. I should have gotten what I originally went through the drive thru for. A standard good O'L WHOPPER.
If I want ribs, I'll go where they're known for it. . .
Burger King should try to be little more honest with this offer and call them something like “Smokey BBQ pygmy pork riblet's” Eh! ? (Suckered on this one, big time.
Cico Valencia, CA

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5-30-2010 @8:47PM Bob H said... I can't believe how big a ripoff these ribs are. I ordered the 6 pc for $5.69 and got a nearly empty 'BK Shots' box. The commercial mentioned sauce. Is it supposed to be on the ribs or separate? There was no trace of sauce anywhere, and they really could have used some sauce. The ribs were tiny and flavorless- 2" to 2 3/8" long. This isn't just a bad deal. This is purposely taking advantage of the good faith of BK's customers. I can't believe BK would knowingly alienate their customers this way. If I hadn't gotten them to go or if BK was reasonably nearby, I would have returned them. As my wife put it, "I think this is the worst we've ever been ripped-off." BK has lost at least these two customers for life.
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