Why Doesn't Burger King's Whopper Come With Cheese? Reddit Debates

Fast food fare can truly be a beacon of convenience. Sometimes, there's simply nothing more gratifying than biting into a meal that is essentially engineered to satisfy, without having to wait for a table or needing to babysit a stove. However, while some drive-thru items have catapulted to legendary status in customers' minds, others remain a bit more polarizing. For instance, Redditors have been deep in debate about the construction of Burger King's Whoppers.

"Aren't burgers supposed to just come with cheese?" one forlorn user asked — an opinion echoed by many others, some intimating that the onus should fall on folks with dietary restrictions to opt out, rather than opt in. "Why does [Burger King] treat 'no cheese' like the norm?"

Opinions are, of course, varied; a segment of commenters suspect a monetary ploy. "BK won't give you a slice of cheese ... because they can SELL it to you," one Redditor theorized. Another user explained that as employees, they're encouraged to promote add-ons, and can actually face repercussions if they don't. "I lost my restaurant points from a secret shopper because I took their order at face value instead of trying to upsell on everything," they disclosed. For pragmatists, the solution is simple — they merely add their own slice of cheese and call it a day.

Then there are the contrarians — those who believe the burger actually tastes better exactly as designed. "I prefer my Whoppers with no cheese," one Redditor boldly asserted — a sentiment that was met with its fair share of support, with some claiming the other ingredients are able to shine best without the dairy's distraction.

To be fair, fast food items are sometimes truly composed with precision in mind. For instance, there's only a half-slice of cheese on McDonald's Filet-O-Fish because the chain believes a full slice throws the flavor balance out of whack. There's likely also some credence to the frugality claim. Various Subway employees have shared that they were trained to only put six olives on a footlong sub. We imagine this might have been defended as a way to prevent one strong flavor from dominating the sandwich, but considering customers are the ones paying — and presumably know more about their personal tastes than a faceless corporate handbook — that logic often falls flat (and feels a tad stingy).

Of course, if the lack of dairy on the Whopper really bothers you, you can always order one of the BK options that does include a slice (or two), such as the Bacon King or ... well, the Cheeseburger. Alternatively, try hitting up another one of America's best burger chains. In fact, our top pick, Culver's, also offers Reddit's favorite fast food burger. Interestingly enough, however, one of the chain's most iconic (and beloved) staples is the ButterBurger, which features a bun lightly toasted with real Wisconsin butter ... and no cheese, unless you order it deluxe or specifically request the version that includes it (just like how it works at Burger King). Alas — we guess when it comes to food debates on Reddit, one netizen's gold standard is almost guaranteed to be another person's culinary nightmare.