Footlong Cheeseburger Vies to Become the Next Double Down

(July 13) -- The battle between fast-food restaurant chains to concoct the most eye-popping, unhealthy sandwich creations is dragging on ... a few inches, that is.

According to the Orange County Register, Carl's Jr. is testing a new secret weapon to try to compete with Sonic's Footlong Quarter Pound Coney. Dubbed the Footlong Cheeseburger, the cholesterol spiking sandwich is nothing if not aptly named.

It consists of three hamburger patties housed inside a single footlong submarine sandwich bun and sells for $4 sans toppings. The Register's Nancy Luna filed the following review of the Footlong Cheeseburger after sampling one:

"I was kind of hoping for one long, lean burger pattie. The toppings (onions, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomato and cheese), made the whole thing ordinary."

Indeed, the Footlong Cheeseburger seems something of a cop out, meant to capitalize on the popularity of Subway's wildly successful "Five Dollar Footlong" campaign. Though it remains to be seen whether the Footlong Cheeseburger will put a dent in Footlong Quarter Pound Coney sales, with the absence of deep frying and bacon, it appears unlikely that Carl's Jr.'s new heart-stopping sandwich will replace the KFC Double Down as the sandwich Americans love to laugh about.