The Brave Fast Food Restaurants That Tried Selling Wagyu Beef

When it comes to high-end steak, it's hard to beat a decadent cut of well-marbled Wagyu. Originating in Japan, Wagyu literally translates to "Japanese cow," though the breed has since been developed in countries such as the United States and Australia. In terms of red meat, it's the top of the line. 

While it's easy to find at high-end steakhouses — and even at some barbecue restaurants — all across the U.S. these days, you might find it surprising that some fast food restaurants have attempted to dip their toes into the world of Wagyu beef. It's no shocker that Arby's — the fast food chain known for having all "the meats" — was one of the first chains to offer a Wagyu burger.

It debuted in 2022, using 52% American Wagyu and 48% ground beef, and the restaurant sold the Wagyu Steakhouse Burger from late May to late July that year for just $5.99 — an insanely low price for a high-quality burger. It was a 6.4-ounce burger with a slight pink center, served with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion, and Arby's signature burger sauce, inside a toasted brioche bun. It's cooked sous vide style — slowly cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath — then flash-fried to order. Due to popular demand, the burger returned for a limited time in November later that year for $6.99, but has basically disappeared since.

While the meat-focused Arby's fast food chain might make some sort of sense offering a Wagyu burger, one other chain with this burger option might come as a surprise: Burger King. At the time of writing, Burger King is still bold enough to offer a $15 burger made with 100% Wagyu beef, which has the support of none other than Gordon Ramsay. The flame-grilled burger also includes caramelized onions, pickled onions, crispy onions, arugula, and creamy caramelized onion mayo served inside a brioche bun. The catch here is that it's only on the menu at BK's U.K. locations, and the chain has not indicated it will come to the U.S.

In an interview, the celebrity chef told The Independent, "Everyone thinks that we need to draw on Japan for their Wagyu, or American Wagyu, but to have our own British Wagyu? Come on, let's f***ing celebrate!" he said. Ramsay was even featured in a Burger King commercial to promote the burger — laughably in over his head and ignored by BK cooks when he tries to help prepare the Wagyu burger to order.

But while the Arby's Wagyu burger was a hit, how was this menu item received at the U.K.'s Burger King locations? The reviews are mixed. Some reviewers say it's a pleasant burger, much better than Burger King's standard options, while some Redditors say the burger is "rubbish" and give it a 3 out of 10 rating. In all, while we appreciate Arby's and Burger King for at least attempting to up their burger game with Wagyu, this type of beef is probably best left for the professional butchers and high-end steakhouses. If you can purchase a Wagyu burger for seven bucks, you can probably guess that — whatever that meat is — it's not anything close to authentic Wagyu.