4 Ordering Tips For The Best Burger King Whopper Every Time

Fast food classics — including the Big Mac from McDonald's, the ShackBurger from Shake Shack, and the Whopper from Burger King — have stood the test of time for a reason. The best fast food burgers evoke a sense of nostalgia. They're delicious, and they're quick and easy to grab when you're in the mood for something tasty and filling. That said, if you want to take your fast food sandwich to the next level, you have options. It's tough to beat the taste of a classic Whopper, for example — but upgrades can certainly take it to the next level.

Thankfully, it's easy to customize a Whopper at Burger King. Whether you're ordering in the app, at the counter, or in the drive-thru, employees are happy to accommodate customization requests. Whether you decide to add some salty crunch with bacon, or you'd rather spice it up with Zesty Sauce, we've got you covered with our next-level Whopper hacks.

There's nothing quite like a super-fresh burger, right? Whether it's from your grill, your stovetop, or your favorite fast food joint, there's something about a fresh patty that just feels right. Good news: You can easily score a just-made burger for your Whopper at Burger King. The key to getting a burger that's just finished cooking? Simply ask your server for a Whopper "off the broiler." Burger King is so familiar with this request that the chain added the "off the broiler" option to the Whopper customization screen in its app.

According to supposed Burger King employees on Reddit, the burgers are cooked on a conveyor belt system. If the restaurant has a few burgers made in advance, it tosses one in the microwave before using it to make your Whopper. If you ask for a burger off the broiler (or click the "off the broiler" button in the customization section of your BK app), you get one hot off the belt.

Have you ever taken a bite of a Whopper and felt like you just wanted more? More sauce, more lettuce, more tomato, more everything? It's easy to ask the folks behind the counter at Burger King to seriously load up your sandwich. According to social media, most Burger King employees know what you mean if you ask for a "heavy" Whopper (pro tip: some recommend asking for "heavy all" rather than just saying "heavy").

Of course, you can ask for specific components of the Whopper heavy if you're only a fan of one or two toppings. If you find that extra sauce makes your Whopper a little bit too messy for your liking, ask for extra ketchup and mayo on the side. While there isn't a "heavy" option in the app, you can add extra pickles, mayo, onion, and ketchup at no extra charge. If you want to add extra tomato and lettuce, you're usually charged a few cents (in Pennsylvania, for example, the Burger King app charges 8 cents for extra lettuce and 15 cents for extra tomato).

It's not all in your head: Bacon really does make everything taste better, and the Whopper is no exception. When you're ordering your Whopper, simply ask your server to add bacon (or click on the add bacon option in the app). You get a slight upcharge, but trust us — once you bite into your bacon-ified Whopper and taste how the salty, umami flavor works perfectly with the flame-broiled beef, you'll be hooked.

If you prefer crunchier bacon on your Whopper, just ask. According to Reddit, Burger King's bacon is typically cooked by employees in the morning and reheated just before serving. The person behind the counter making your sandwich just needs to heat it up a little bit extra to achieve a crispy texture. If you're in the mood to amp up the flavor of your bacon-topped Whopper even more, try throwing a few onion rings on top. There's something about salty bacon and crunchy onion rings together that just tastes right.

Zesty Sauce: it's not just for onion rings anymore. Adding a bit of the horseradish-infused spicy stuff can give your Whopper a bit of a kick. Depending on where you order, your server may be able to add Zesty Sauce to your Whopper for you, or they might give you some on the side so you can add it yourself. While you can certainly keep a Whopper's usual mayo and ketchup on the same burger with some Zesty Sauce, you might want to ask your server to leave the mayo and ketchup off your sandwich if you're adding Zesty Sauce, so you don't end up with a gloopy mess.

Pro tip: use the lettuce on your sandwich to create a DIY coleslaw (this hack also works perfectly to add a little something extra to the Filet-O-Fish at McDonald's). Rip up your lettuce, place it in the empty side of your Whopper container, top it with Zesty Sauce, mix until you get a coleslaw-esque consistency, then place it back on your Whopper and enjoy every spicy bite.