Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Well, not SpongeBob SquarePants, after he splashed down in above-sea-level fast food with Wendy’s limited-time Krabby Patty Kollab to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the renowned children’s show.
Featuring the Krusty Krab’s signature Krabby Patty Burger, a special Pineapple Frosty and a side of fries, the meal offers a reasonable amount of food — while totaling a hefty 1,260 calories — all for the price of $13.89.
I had the chance to try one on Oct. 8 — the day it arrived in stores around the nation — but while it has its merits, Wendy’s ultimately failed to knock it out of the ocean.
On first glance, the meal is nothing special — the Krabby Patty is wrapped like a usual Wendy’s burger, and opening it reveals your run-of-the-mill cheeseburger. The fries are just that; Wendy’s natural-cut fries. If there’s anything that looks appealing, it’s the pineapple frosty, with sweet pineapple syrup flowing around the inside of the cup.
In terms of actual taste, the story is generally the same. The Krabby Patty tastes like an In-N-Out cheeseburger with extra pickles (and an extra $4 out of your wallet). Of course, with a warm, juicy patty and all the toppings you need — lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles — there’s not much to complain about.
What felt most like a missed opportunity for me was the burger’s “Secret Krabby Patty Sauce,” which, despite obvious inspiration from Mr. Krabs’s legendary formula, fails to accomplish anything significant for my taste buds aside from a light tanginess. If anything, its suspicious similarities to Thousand Island dressing only contributes to the feeling that you should’ve just gone to In-N-Out.
The fries are also just what you’d expect — light on salt but with a nice consistency and crunch. In terms of value, they’re what makes the combo meal worth purchasing instead of just the burger or drink.
The real star of the show is the Pineapple Frosty — a thick, icy milkshake bursting with flavors of pineapple and vanilla. The two flavors go so well together that I wonder why no other restaurant has ever jumped on this opportunity. Unfortunately, since the drink is just a vanilla frosty with a bit of added pineapple syrup and flavoring, the vanilla flavor quickly takes the spotlight and you’re left wanting more of the pineapple to shine through.
The Krabby Patty meal is a nice, hearty treat for those wanting to reminisce on times when our worries were limited to if Plankton would get away again. It’s obvious that Wendy’s put notable effort into this meal (for a fast-food chain), so I’ll give the meal 2.5 of 5 Falcons, but SpongeBob is definitely better suited back home in the Bikini Bottom.
