Every 4 to 6 weeks, my team hosts a technologists’ lunch at work. We used to call these lunches “Lunch 2.0″, but sign of the times, these are now known as “Brown Bag 2.0″, implying that each one of us has to bring some form of food to the table.

I have over the last 2-3 “brown bags” introduced some form of face-off between 2 similar types of food that the American Grand Cuisine has to offer and have so far covered the likes of Papa Johns vs. Domino’s Pizza (I’ll post it here as soon as I can locate the deck again) and KFC Grilled Chicken vs. El Pollo Loco…So last month, I decided to indulge myself to a premium burger face off. I have recently discovered the fantastic Portobello Mushroom Six Dollars burger at Carl’s Jr and have recently heard tons of commercials for the new McDonalds Swiss and Mushroom Angus 1/3 pounder burger, so I asked myself: “How does the McDonalds premium burger taste compared to the Carl’s Jr one?”. I have to admit that since we moved to the US, I have been almost exclusively eating fast food from either In’n Out burgers or Carl’s Jr. I tried twice to go back to good old McDonalds but the taste and the quality of what I got served here put me off it!

And so it begins, both contenders have entered the ring. On the left hand side, dressed in black, yellow and red, wearing its famous star , the Six Dollar Portobello Mushroom Burger [SDPMB] from Carls Jr. On the right hand side, dressed in white and brown, wearing its famous golden arches, the Angus Third Pounder Mushroom and Swiss Burger [ATPMS].

Robes are down and we discover both contenders “au naturel”. First immediate impression: Carls Jr SDPMB comes with salad, tomatoes and onions where McDonalds’ ATPMS harbors the bare minimum trimmings, as described in its name. Bread, burger, Swiss Cheese and Mushrooms… First impression: Carls Jr 1 – McDonalds 0

Getting closer and more personal, Carls Jr burger looks better, healthier (as if!!). The bread looks fresher, the salad adds to the color and the mushroom sauce is oozing off the bun. First bite: First. the mushrooms taste and the creamy sauce that comes with it. I still don’t know what this sauce is made of but it got me all addicted to it! Then the patty. Tender, grilled. and finally, the greens parts adding some freshness to the whole experience! I am in heaven! Probably the best burger I have ever eaten!

Turning now to the McDonalds contestant…. Sadly, we reach here Disappointment Central: the bread is soggy. The cheese feels like plastic. I know I didn’t eat the burger at the restaurant but drove 1/3 mile back home, took a couple of pictures before I started tasting, but there was no excuse for the cheese to feel like it had been mixed with savory chewing gum. Mushrooms are blend and honestly, the meat tastes greasy. I even had to force myself to eat 1/2 of the whole burger before trashing it and going back to my Carls Jr burger. Carls Jr 2 – McDonalds 0.

Or actually, switching to Judo, I would call for Ippon! (An ippon literally means “one point” and wins the match). Game Over! I tried… I really tried and I was almost hoping that McDonalds would have managed to come up with a good, quality burger, the same way you always want the poor little weak kid to end  up being the strong hero in the end a girl flick! Well, no! They failed me miserably, once again and are now relegated to the lowest possible rank: Food I’d eat while drunk in London, after having failed finding a Kebab shop!