Texas Double Whopper Vs Rodeo Double Cheeseburger: How The Burger King Menu Items Differ

With its distinctive flame-grilled patties and seemingly endless set of burger variations, including numerous limited and regional editions, Burger King has carved a name for itself as one of the indisputable leaders of the fast food world. As for trying to figure out which of its many sandwiches on offer are the best, we have you covered for the top 10. But, when it comes to two of its more distinct, Southwestern-inspired items — the Texas Double Whopper and the Rodeo Double Cheeseburger — you might wonder how exactly they differ.

For starters, the two burgers have some things in common beyond their geographic allusions. Both include a double serving of Burger King's beef patties and melted American cheese, lumping them together in the chain's cheeseburger category. When it comes to size and fillings, however, they noticeably diverge. The former lives up to its majestic name with a much richer set of fillings, including bacon, vegetables, jalapeños, mayonnaise, and mustard. The latter strips things down with smaller patties, and includes onion rings and barbecue sauce.

Their flavor profiles have broad commonalities (they're a clear homage to the Texas barbecue tradition), but the sheer size and richness of the Texas Double Whopper's fillings clearly stand out, also contributing to their starkly different nutritional values. Here, we break down the differences more closely.

A Texas Double Whopper makes no attempt to skimp on size or flavor. First introduced in 2006 as a regional item, its popularity led to it becoming a nationwide menu item 15 years later. It can currently be found in Burger Kings across the United States. The burger builds from the standard Whopper, which typically tops its beef patty with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, sliced onions, mayo, and ketchup, by doubling the meat, adding some heat with jalapeños, tangy creaminess from American cheese, smoky umami from bacon, and replacing the ketchup with yellow mustard. It's a grand affair, and one that can transport you to the depths of the Southwest in a single, flavor-packed, hearty and heat-filled bite.

Its weight is no joke, with two ¼-pound beef patties, and the seriousness continues in the Texas Double Whopper's nutritional values. It packs a whopping 64 grams of protein and 28 grams of saturated fat — over double the 13 grams advised by the American Heart Association. It's an assault on the senses and on the wallet, too; the sandwich alone typically sets you back around $8.99 to $11.99, depending on location, and much more if you get the combo.

However, it clearly has Burger King customers coming back for more. On Reddit, reviewers rave about it. "20x better than any Whataburger," said one user (although we ranked Burger King's burgers quite far below the Midwestern chain in our ranking of fast food chains), as well as "bangin!!" and "epic," as per another thread.

If you want a taste of Texas, but in a more manageable size that's less likely to see ingredients spilling all over the place, then the Rodeo Double Cheeseburger is your best bet. First introduced as a single Rodeo Cheeseburger in 1998 as part of a promo for the sci-fi movie "Small Soldiers," it was discontinued except in some locations, then properly reintroduced in 2013.

The sandwich builds on Burger King's cheeseburger formula, but takes it into slightly more sumptuous and smoky territory by adding two slices of American cheese, crunchy, almost caramel-sweet onion rings, and barbecue sauce. This all infuses the sandwich with a depth of sweet-savory flavor that punches above its weight in the fast food cheeseburger category — especially given its relatively affordable price of under $4 in most locations. Like the Texas Double Whopper, it has two patties, although the Rodeo Double Cheeseburger's weigh a rough ¼-pound in total. Much like its weight and price tag, its nutritional scores also come in lighter, with less than half the former's protein and saturated fat at 28 grams and 12 grams, respectively.

It's clear the sandwich has lasting power, despite being in the shadow of the towering Double Whopper. Most Burger King lovers are generally loyal to the Whopper — which we ranked as Burger King's best burger offering — though customers have had a warm reception to the Rodeo Double Cheeseburger. "I usually get Whoppers, but recently I've been trying BK's other burgers, and I [was] pleasantly surprised how good this was," remarked one Redditor.