Evidently Arby's has never had a burger on the menu before but they're doing a promotion on a regular Wagyu Beef Burger and a Bacon and Ranch Wagyu Burger.

I'm a big fan of Wagyu beef, so Mrs. Flash and we went down yesterday and got the regular burger meal with curly fries an a drink. It was a hair under $10.00/meal but I don't remember the price exactly.

Anyway, a little pink in the middle which is fine with me, very juicy and tender as you'd expect Wagyu beef to be, lettuce, red onions, dill pickles, tomato and some kind of sauce on a brioche bun and the bun was outstanding also. We got the small but it was about the size of half pound burgers I've seen. We both thought it was great.

So great I decided to grill a Wagyu ribeye for dinner with baked potato.

I could almost hear my arteries slamming shut.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

So great I decided to grill a Wagyu ribeye for dinner with baked potato.

I could almost hear my arteries slamming shut.

Love Wagyu too.

FWIW, it is a HUGE myth that FAT ~ from Beef in this case is BAD for you.
NOT TRUE!
It is Carbs ~especially sugar .. that is bad > NOT FAT or PROTEIN of the Wagyu Steak.
... OK, off the soapbox and just enjoy that steak without any guilt.

I saw it the other day but decided to stick with the classic roast beef since that is what I went for.
I’ll give it a go next time.

I read about this previously. I was driving by Arby's at lunch time and decided to stop.

It was really quite good compared to other fast food burgers.

Arby's has really upped their game lately. They have a 6 piece boneless wings and crinkle fries for $6 that is surprisingly good, nothing bland about it .

If you like it that's great but it's not 100% Waygu. It's a blend of some Wagyu and regular ground beef.

From the Arby's site: " Made with a blend of Wagyu and ground beef."

It's like buying a synthetic blend motor oil for your car. 1% synthetic? 10%? 35%? Arby's isn't saying.

All that for $10? Wow.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Arby's has really upped their game lately. They have a 6 piece boneless wings and crinkle fries for $6 that is surprisingly good, nothing bland about it .

Our local Arbys dropped the wings when the added the Wagyu burger. Guess they can’t do both at the same time.

I like the chicken salad sandwich they offer

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
If you like it that's great but it's not 100% Waygu. It's a blend of some Wagyu and regular ground beef.

From the Arby's site: " Made with a blend of Wagyu and ground beef."

It's like buying a synthetic blend motor oil for your car. 1% synthetic? 10%? 35%? Arby's isn't saying.

I eat Wagyu steaks about 4 times a month and kind of know when it is or isn't Wagyu by the taste and I figured from the taste it was around half Wagyu and that may be an accurate figure according to this:

https://www.foodandwine.com/ne...onal%20ground%20beef.

Using "our meat expertise," Arby's claims that this new burger is "the highest-quality burger" the fast food market has ever seen, featuring a blend of 52 percent American Wagyu (as opposed to Japanese Wagyu) beef and 48 percent traditional ground beef. The resulting 6.4-ounce patty — touted as 50 percent larger than McDonald's Quarter Pounder — is then cooked sous vide style leaving "mouthwatering marbling, rich flavor, and buttery tenderness."

Finally, the Wagyu Steakhouse Burger is topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, and "a special burger sauce" before being sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun. If that's not enough, customers can also add bacon and ranch for what Arby's describes as "a more unique, indulgent flavor."

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

I eat Wagyu steaks about 4 times a month ...

Really? There is a HUGE difference between authentic Wagyu from Japan and the stuff you're likely cooking. I make a decent wage, and my budget doesn't necessarily justify real Wagyu steak once a year let alone four times a month.

Bring back the Potato Cakes! I went a few weeks ago and the roast beef was as good as I remember. But was shocked to learn they dropped the potato cakes almost a year ago! I would have found out sooner except I tried to go through drive thru last year around 8:05 pm in the summer and was rudely informed they close at 8:00! So I didn't bother to return for a while after that. Seriously, stick to what you are good at. I don't need another burger place and I don't need another french fry option. And we certainly don't need fake Wagyu hamburgers.

I'm not sure what wagyu made in the US is. It it just the breed of cow but raised like any other cattle?

Wagyu in Japan has different levels. And different regions of fame. Wagyu really just means "Japanese beef" and so it's not really clear what wagyu from OR (for example) really means.

But agree with Balze, wagyu in Japan is not the same as the "wagyu" raised and sold here with the exception of beef sold here that was imported from real wagyu source from Japan.

Also, I'm wondering if the term wagyu is getting diluted and corrupted to just mean beef from Japan; not all beef in Japan is really wagyu. A lot of beef in Japan is just common beef as we would buy here.

I'm on a budget but not necessarily poor. I've had Japanese wagyu only twice in my life using personal funds. I've had American "wagyu" a handful of times with personal funds - still expensive (at least ribeye / NY cuts) at $40-50/pound but that's still less than half the price of real Japanese wagyu.

Makes me wonder what cut Arby's is using, even if it's American "wagyu" - what's the cheapest cut you could use for burgers and how much would that be per pound?

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

I eat Wagyu steaks about 4 times a month ...

Really? There is a HUGE difference between authentic Wagyu from Japan and the stuff you're likely cooking. I make a decent wage, and my budget doesn't necessarily justify real Wagyu steak once a year let alone four times a month.

I'm sure he is referring to American Wagyu which is often a cross with Angus or some other American breed. Companies are playing pretty fast and loose with the term Wagyu these days as it has become quite popular. Full blood Wagyu such as the A5 cuts are extremely expensive as these are not crossbreeds but full blood Japanese cattle. I believe the Japanese stopped shipping bulls or breeding pairs over here quite sometime ago back in the 90's I think. I have to think the breed is getting pretty watered down.

A example of this is Snake River Farms. I have been buying American Wagyu from them for around eight years or so. Started out as a small ranch where you could buy cuts online. Their cuts would sell out pretty quickly and you would have to get on a notification list. Now they are expanding their cuts and are almost always in stock. Plus their brand is showing up in a lot of grocery stores and restaurants. If Japan is no longer sending purebred Wagyu breeding stock over where is all this coming from?

The new beef coming is Akaushi Beef is from a different part of Japan not as easily sourced as the Wagyu. I'm going to order up a brisket of it here soon for the 4th of July cook I'm doing. I always like to try these things. Bottom line is if you like the Arby's Wagyu burger then it's all good.

A very average burger at best, imo.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:

If Japan is no longer sending purebred Wagyu breeding stock over where is all this coming from?

Ummm… perhaps the bulls are, y’know, getting on intimate terms with the friendly heifers and turning them into proud cow mamas?

If Snake River brought enough stock over in the 90s, it’s not inconceivable they could have a large breeding herd 30 years later.

Wagyu? Arbys?

You slay me.

Maybe those cattle have some wagyu in them. Arbys?

with "Raunchy" dressing?

Give me a break.......

For those who scoff, you haven't tried it or perhaps your local Arby's did it wrong, who knows. I do know that what I had was an outstanding burger, just about the same as the burgers that Drysdale's II used to serve before they went out of business.

Yes obviously I'm eating American Wagyu, and there is such a thing.

The stuff I buy comes from SRF (Snake River Farms) and here's what they say about Wagyu.

https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kobe-vs-wagyu

WHAT IS WAGYU?
Wagyu is a Japanese cattle breed that produces intensely marbled beef. Bona fide Wagyu is rare and carefully guarded. The breed is unique in that it continues to add intramuscular fat as the cattle grows.


When crossbred with other non-Wagyu cattle breeds, it yields American Wagyu which features rich marbling and the traditional beef flavor preferred by American palates.

SNAKE RIVER FARMS STORY
We maintain purebred Wagyu cow and bull herds from renowned Japanese bloodlines.

These imported cattle are the foundation of our Snake River Farms program.

We have been improving our herd since 1989.

WHAT IS AMERICAN WAGYU BEEF?
These purebred Wagyu are crossed with traditional beef cattle breeds to create American Wagyu Beef.

The result is a perfect blend of famous Wagyu buttery marbling and the robust beef flavor that American beef is known for.

It is the best of both worlds.

"It has the richness of Japanese beef with lots of marbling, but the flavor is more akin to what we're used to in America. You can give me a pound of the best Wagyu from Japan, or a pound of this, and I'll choose Snake River Farms every time."

- Chef Wolfgang Puck

And no, I'm not affiliated with SRF in any way. I don't even own stock in them, I just like their product.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Orndorff:
A very average burger at best, imo.

I’m with Chris on this one. Don’t get distracted with the mention of fancy meat, it’s still Arbys. It wasn’t bad at all, but just average. I’d go to 5 Guys across the street in a heartbeat, but I did want to try it.