Burger King — Restaurant in Kaipātiki

I'm a huge BK fan and it's my first choice when neither hubby or I have the energy to cook dinner at home. BK Wairau Park is usually quite busy and for a good reason. Instead of wondering how messy my burger will be when I unwrap it at home, also wondering did they fill the chips to the top of the box or small bag or will I be getting half of what I'm paying for? From prep to finish, BK Wairau 98% of the time, gets much appreciation from this OCD customer where the burger has to be neat and all ingredients evenly spread. So I actually don't stress that with BK Wairau My burger will be... a fresh patty, sauce evenly spread with fresh salad ingredients on top with minimal times that ingredients are just slightly not quite centred on the bun or a few of its lettuce leaves are in the box. I don't mind at all, compared to how I am with other very busy burger chains all around Glenfield, where I open the paper bag, then each burger to inspect, while still in the store or I'll open up all items before leaving the drive thu. Out of the 3 top Global chains in Glenfield BK Wairau is #1.

So with BK Wairau achieving great service and food assembly 99% of the time they just make my night when I'm really looking forward to eating (I have gastroparesis, major stomach digestion problems with sever IBS, so I eat 1 small meal a day and I have to eat very slowly, chew food for ages, to ensure the food is broken down enough to give my stomach some help in digesting it within the next day or 3) It seems their staff keep in mind when getting my order together and just in general, that what they are making is someone's dinner, that the customer (me) may have been craving for this food for a month or 2, that if a customer is on a very tight budget, but once a month, a burger from a chain store is the highlight of the next few weeks, they don't have many negative aspects, just compared to other chain stores where it's dread on the way home to discover that my burger looks like it has been "literally" thrown layer by layer into the box with no regard for if ingredients are even on the bun!!

So BK Wairau is now our go to as I know that with each bite I'll get a taste of most, if not all the ingredients and layers.

BK Wairau, the staff are always friendly, I can not remember a single negative experience with staff, the burgers are mostly neatly put together with generous size portions of each ingredient, also generous with Fies, in packets the chips are falling off the top stacked ones.

I highly recommend this BK and especially downloading the app, which gives you access to really impressive deals!! Also they have an incentive programme where you earn crowns on each purchase and it doesn't take many to get some free basics like a cheeseburger, frozen coke, fries through to higher crown levels that gives you free gourmet menu items like high end range of burgers, a hersey pie etc. Love BK, especially the Wairau...

Shame you can't give this place zero stars.

A few months back I posted on Facebook regarding Burger King's lack of intelligence and service when ordering three simple value meals through their Wairau Rd drive-through:

Me: "3 Cheeseburger stunner meals please. With Sundaes" BK Drone: "Do you want nuggets or Sundaes?" ... Hmmmmm.... good listening skills. Me: "Sundaes please - two chocolate, one caramel" BK Drone: "What drinks do you want?" Me: "What do you have? You don't list them on the board here" BK Drone: "We have the Coke range"... again... Hmmmmmmm Sarcastic Me: "That's helpful, shall I look up what coke offers on the internet then?" - No Answer. Me: "1 Coke, 1 Lemonade, and 1 Raspberry" (Hoping they actually have a raspberry flavour in the range - fingers cross). They did. But hey - BK - how about you actually put everything on the board? I don't even think the Stunner Meal range was listed there - just luck we knew it was available eh?

Shortly afterwards, BK reached out to me asking for contact details and then said someone from the store would contact me. I thought that was a turn up for the books but then nothing actually happened and I ended up chasing them for every few weeks via messenger for 2 months. Eventually, someone at their head office presumably got tired of chasing the store and sent me a $5 voucher and Free Whopper Burger voucher along with a hand-written apology note. James and I went into the same store again this morning and I gave him the vouchers to take up to the counter. He got there and we made our order but when he handed over his voucher, we found out they wouldn't accept it as the Stunner Meal we ordered was already discounted. What a joke this company is.

Oh, and this was the second store we had been to that morning. 10-15 minutes earlier we had gone into their Albany store only to find their Sundae machine was not working. Jezzz!

And looks like they've now removed the stunner meal from their line-up, replacing it with some thing similar but $2 more expensive = 40% price increase!

Update June 2023: The kids insisted on BK again so I used their new app to make a purchase for pickup. Grabbed some real food at the local supermarket and then placed the order via their app in the carpark at 6:17pm before driving the 1 minute to BK. Walked in and saw my order was in the 'Being Prepared" list on their screen. Waited, waited....Waited! At 6:30 the girl behind the counter asked me what my order number was which I told her. She then walked over to the burger prep area and picked up a bag which has been sitting there since I walked in! And my order was still sitting in the 'Being Prepared" list!!!!! Bloody pathetic...

Ah, Burger King, a kingdom built on flame, Where paper crowns proclaim a royal name. From humble storefronts, scents began to rise, Of charbroiled patties reaching for the skies. In nineteen fifty-four, a vision bright took hold, To offer burgers, brave and fiercely bold. "Home of the Whopper," a proud and loud decree, A sesame-seeded legend, wild and free. The broiler's hiss, a symphony of heat, Transforming ground beef, oh so good to eat. No steaming softness, but a smoky, crisp embrace, A flavor signature, leaving its own trace. The Whopper emerges, majestic and grand, A quarter-pounder nestled in your hand. With juicy tomatoes, crispest lettuce green, And swirls of mayo, a delightful scene. Onions so pungent, a zing upon the tongue, Pickles that tingle, where they have long clung. A simple masterpiece, in its cardboard keep, While loyal subjects their hungry vigil keep. But Burger King's domain extends afar, Beyond the Whopper, beneath a shining star. The crispy chicken, a crunchy, golden bite, A different craving, satisfying and light. The fiery tendrils of the Spicy Chicken's might, Awakening taste buds with a burning light. The Rodeo Burger, with onion rings stacked high, A western roundup, beneath a western sky. The milkshakes swirling, thick and oh so sweet, A frozen comfort, a sugary retreat. From chocolate rivers to vanilla's gentle flow, A creamy ending to the burger's show. The breakfast battles, with Croissan'wiches bold, Sausage and bacon, stories to be told. Hash browns golden, a starchy, welcome treat, Fueling the morning, on bustling city street. Through changing decades, the crown has seen its share, Of marketing campaigns, beyond compare. "Have It Your Way," a mantra strong and true, Empowering diners in all they say and do. The King himself, a figure strange and sly, With plastic visage and a knowing eye. A silent mascot, in commercials he'd appear, A touch of whimsy, banishing all fear (or maybe not). The Angus burgers, a step up in the game, With premium patties, whispering a fancier name. The Impossible Whopper, a plant-based surprise, Appealing to new palates, beneath discerning eyes. Through drive-thru windows, the orders swiftly fly, A constant stream of hunger passing by. From soccer moms to students late at night, Seeking that flavor, bold and burning bright. The paper wrappers, crumpled and cast aside, A testament to cravings satisfied. The lingering aroma, a phantom in the air, A Burger King memory, beyond compare. So raise a paper crown, to this fast-food chain, That dares to charbroil, again and yet again. For in the realm of burgers, one truth will stand, Burger King's flame-broiled flavor...