Burger King Brutally Skewers McDonald's After Video Of CEO Gingerly Taste-Testing Burger Sparks Mockery

Folks, the burger wars are heating up after Burger King seized on an awkward moment involving the McDonald’s CEO taste-testing the company’s newest menu item.

Last month, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video in which he tried the brand’s new Big Arch burger.

Kempczinski wrote in the caption:

“The Big Arch might be my new go-to lunch order. Who else is counting down the days until it’s in a store near you?”

The Big Arch is McDonald’s newest large-format burger, introduced in March 2026. The limited-time menu item includes two quarter-pound beef patties (totaling half a pound), three slices of white cheddar cheese, crispy onions, slivered raw onions, lettuce, pickles, and Big Arch Sauce.

It's described as having “a perfect balance of mustard, pickle and sweet tomato flavors,” according to the company’s release. The elements are sandwiched between a toasted sesame and poppy seed bun coated with poppy seeds.

In the video, a comfy sweatered Kempczinski enthusiastically praises the sandwich:

“I love this product. It is so good. I’m gonna do a tasting right now, but I’m gonna eat this for my lunch, just so you know.”

Then he takes a bite—well, more of a nibble:

In his defense, the Big Arch is the fast-food giant’s biggest burger to date and just rolled out nationwide. But social media users quickly seized on the clip, with commenters mocking the ultra-delicate bite while others took issue with Kempczinski referring to the burger as a “product.”

One social media commenter reacting to the CEO’s now-viral taste test:

“What’s the opposite of genuine and authentic? 😂”

The moment quickly became parody material as well. TikTok creator @itscatsullivan posted a recreation of the video that has already racked up more than 1.2 million likes.

You can watch the parody here:

Then Burger King entered the chat. The rival chain posted its own video on Monday featuring Tom Curtis, president of Burger King U.S. & Canada, enthusiastically biting into the brand’s signature Whopper—sauce on his face and all.

In the clip, an off-camera voice asks Curtis, “Not bad, right?” The president reacted with:

“Only one thing missing—a napkin.”

You can watch the BK shady response video here:

If there was any doubt the moment was intentional, the internet quickly connected the dots. Entertainment outlet Pop Crave even posted both burger taste tests side by side, prompting Burger King’s official X account to jump in.

The BK account replied:

While the viral jab grabbed attention, Burger King has also been making changes to its own flagship burger. The company recently announced that the Whopper will receive its first makeover in nearly 10 years. According to a February 26 press release, the changes are based on guest feedback and aim to deliver what the brand calls a “higher-quality Whopper experience.”

Upgrades include a more premium bun and improved mayonnaise. Instead of being wrapped in paper, the updated Whopper will also be served in a box. The chain says the burger will be “stacked tall” with freshly cut onions and tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and tangy pickles.

The burger bites clip spread quickly across social media, where users joked that the careful bite looked less like burger enthusiasm and more like brand damage control.

You can view the reactions below:

McDonald’s, meanwhile, has also experimented with buzzy menu drops this year.

In February, the company offered limited McNugget Caviar kits featuring premium sturgeon caviar and crème fraîche—but the promotion sold out before many fans could get their hands on one.

A McDonald’s spokesperson addressing the rapid sell-out of the McNugget Caviar kits:

“We look forward to bringing more ways for fans to enjoy our limited-time drops in the future.”

Despite Burger King’s viral moment, McDonald’s is still winning the numbers game. In early 2026, McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales grew by 6.8%, outpacing Burger King’s 2.6% growth.

Still, if the latest social media back-and-forth is any indication, the decades-long burger rivalry isn’t cooling off anytime soon. In the age of viral marketing, sometimes all it takes is one awkward bite—and one perfectly timed response.