Whataburger Just Launched A New Burger Smothered With Chili

When it comes to food, Texas is well known for several culinary treats, including Tex-Mex, BBQ, and, of course, their state dish — chili (via Where Texas Becomes Texas). However, if you ask residents of Texas to identify the best burger joint, you'll probably hear them praise the local chain, Whataburger. So what happens when the local favorite combines with the state dish? You naturally get a Chili Cheese Burger. 

Whataburger's website describes the new menu item as "two fresh, 100% beef patties and two slices of melty American cheese layered with Whataburger's own beef chili, crunchy corn chips, tangy mustard, and crisp onions piled high on a toasted five-inch bun." If that just seems like too much food to handle, it also comes in a junior size. 

Unfortunately for many, Whataburger is not available in all states. However, if you're lucky enough to have one of the fast-food outlets near you, My San Antonio reports that the Chili Cheese Burger is only available for a limited time. 

Interestingly, the burgers have drawn interesting reactions from social media users.

"Well, ain't that the most Texas-style burger I seen," said @jazmin.s23 on Whataburger's Instagram page. Many were curious about the new item. Several asked if the chili contained beans. While most traditional chili con carne contains beans, the House of Yumm reports that most iterations of Texas chili do not, and they're actually quite insistent about it. 

Dedicated fans of Texas chili will doubtlessly be pleased to hear this burger does not contain the legume. However, there still seemed to be a substantial disagreement over whether the burger was any good. Another person reported some important information after they tried it, saying, "The chili doesn't make the bread soggy and the Fritos stay crispy". On the other hand, other commenters complained that they thought the new burger was "weird and gross."

Unsurprisingly, social media reactions weren't limited to Instagram. Facebook fans were similarly divided on the issue, and the post racked up thousands of comments within the first 24 hours. "That burger was delicious," one Facebook user wrote. "If anyone gets a chance, switch onions for Jalapeños. You will thank me later." However, other commenters were decidedly less enthusiastic. One user wrote, "I was very disappointed, there was less than a tablespoon of chili on it and maybe a half a dozen fritos and no onions that I could see."