Bellying up to Kentucky Fried Chicken's double down

We were dubious when we first read that Kentucky Fried Chicken was coming out with a new sandwich that does away with the bread in favor of two fried fillets. And that the "sandwich" part of the sandwich involved was made of cheese, something called Colonel's sauce .. and bacon?

Could that possibly be true?

After all, this was the fast-food chain that seemed to be going all healthy on us, setting off stampedes for its new grilled chicken offerings.

We lobbed a call to a media representative. And the rest is a good news-bad news story. First, the good news. The sandwich does indeed exist, and it is called the double down. It is made of two Original Recipe fillets, bacon, Swiss and pepper jack cheese and something called the Colonel's sauce.

The bad news? The sandwich is only being tested in Providence, R.I., and Omaha, Neb. But if it does well  -- and really, why wouldn't this sandwich do well? -- it could head out West. 

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Kentucky Fried Chicken

Comments

[Brock]

Ive 4 of these since its came out 2 days ago... ITS AMAZING ! thanks from New Zealand

[Beats For Sale]

That's one greasy lunch!

[Vic]

My Email to KFC Corporate:
After seeing the advertisement for your new Double Down chicken sandwich, I was interested enough to drive to my local KFC restaurant and try it out. Being the manly man that I am, I didn't let the intimidating looks bother me one bit. Matter of fact, it was my personal challenge to consume this beast as soon as the restaurant opened it's doors. It only took me about 30-45 minutes to tame the beast all in while sipping on my large ice cold beverage. Initial impressions of the new Double Down sandwich: After taking the first two bites, I noticed that not only did extra hair start growing on my chest but the top frontal portion of my head began filling up with thick hair in places I've been spending a fortune on products with lesser results. I was simply amazed at the immediate positive affects it was having on me and my manliness. The genius thing about this sandwich is probably the fact that you burn off as much calories (if not more) than you actually consume due to the shear weight. This thing was at least around the 10 pound range and so it felt as if I was at the gym lifting dumbbells all the way up to my mouth. I even felt my biceps getting bigger with each additional bite! Other fine restaurants should learn form this concept of "Burn While You Churn". Needless to say, my overall experience with the Double Down didn't just end with the last bite. It's truly rare nowadays to purchase a product or a service that continues to give beyond it's intended use. One pharmaceutical product that comes to mind right away is similar to that of the ever-lasting experience I had with the new Double Down sandwich.Both target manly (or not so manly) men and both share the following side affects: Diarrhea;Dizziness;Heartburn;Upset Stomach;Severe Vision Changes;Fast Heartbeat;etc.

[Alan Blacks]

I had one of these the other day and they are FANTASTIC if you get them without the sauce (Which is responsible for most of the fat content) and grilled. After you do that not only is it delicious, but its actually healthier than a Big Mac.

[lisi]

Yuck. I imagine the chicken can't really make a good bun, so all that colonel's sauce, cheese, and bacon would begin to start dripping all over the place... Plus, holding on to this fried chicken would either make your hands, or the napkin all greasy. This is really quite gross.

[HD]

I remember hearing "cigarettes are the only product, if used as instructed, will kill." The fast food industry has proven that to be a false statement. And to those still clinging to the low carb Atkins BS, enjoy your cardiac disease and heart attacks when you buy this poison and stuff it down you fat swollen gullets.

[Rick K]

This will be great for my diabetes because other than the breading on the chicken it's practically carb free!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

[darrell]

Foods like these DO NOT cause heart disease and obesity. High-carb foods do, as do vegitable oils. I do not like this sandwhcih because it is most likely extremely salty, and has been fried in said vegitable oils. It may even contain trans fat, and I would bet my life the bacon contains nitrates/nitrites. Plus, the colonels sauce is sure to be full of sugar and artificial flavors. But I love the basic idea, and may make a homemade, all-natural version sometime. According to my sources, the thing packs 1200 calories as KFC prepares it so, unless you are extremely active, you should probably skip it.

[Andrew]

Why so harsh? I think this could make a couple good ghetto burgers. Bring two of your own buns, buy one of these and voila! Two, only somewhat artery-clogging burgers that you can share with a friend.

[Sherri Obermark]

Rene,

The existence of the sandwich is the bad news.

Instead of being a cheerleader for obesity, heart disease, cancer and premature death, how about using your brain for a change...

[Andreyka]

Eat America, eat!!!

It is just a matter of years where you all will start dying from heart attacks after just walking three steps (or maybe just two).... But hold on, we are going to get free health insurance and be cured for free so we can eat even more of this garbage... Hmm???

Then eat America, eat!!!

[Granny Smith]

I don't think eating thirteen of these a day would be safe if you just exercised enough.

There is just no way, shape or form in which these aren't just plain bad for the ol' chemical factory. I'm thinkin' at this point that the fast food folks are in bed with the insurance guys and Big Pharma. You can't sell people something until you've created the need, real or imagined. Entice 'em to blow up, clog their arteries, ruin their pancreases, and then sell 'em drugs to 'fix it.' Along the way, sell 'em very expensive insurance and then find the loopholes so there's plenty of income and nowhere near as much outgo. Voila! A few get 'fat' off the others getting fat. They get dead, too, but hopefully not before a ton of money is made off their ten-ton arses.

All they have to worry about is the Gen Pop wising up to their game. And how soon is *that* gonna happen?

[Natalie DeJohn]

Wow. Just...wow. That looks disgusting. Or maybe awesome. How about awesomely disgusting?

[jd.]

well, i'd eat it only if the colonel's sauce were low-fat, low-calorie. otherwise, i'll pass on a heart attack at age 30...especially if it'll hit me after just being in the same room as this baby. i mean, what's the point?

ok, i'm gonna lunch on my fried-spam w/ regular mayo on buttered white bread sandwich now. :o)

[John Chavez]

ihad one this morning and it came alive in my mouth. it literally started clucking in my mouth, feathers and all.

[Area Man]

Healthy or not, I bet that thing is good as hell.

[J.Troup]

OMG I NEED THIS IN MY MOUTH!! RIGHT NOW!!!

*homer simpson drool*

[jared]

I can't wait to feed this to my young children! They're going to love it. They are 4 and 5 years old respectively and they can't get enough of stuff like this! We'll probably be having this 3 or 4 times a week!

"4 double downs and 3 cokes please!" "Oh yes, of course I want potato wedges with that! Thanks!"

[Ron Mexico]

I had one today. It's awesome at first, but gets disgusting towards the end... I couldn't finish it. My friend, on the other hand ate two in one sitting.

[Beth]

Double Down - what a name! Does that refer to the sandwich or how deep they are going to bury you after you eat it?

[Carson]

I'm reading many comments here about how food like this is what causes America's obesity "problem." A person can eat 13 of these a day and still be fine if he or she exercises enough. Not accounting for cholesterol of course. I say, "bring on the calories"; all we have to do is burn them off.

You know'd I'm getting one of these if they do well enough to come to PA. (yes I realize that know'd isn't a word; please English majors, no grammatical corrections)

[Rich]

This has to be one of the most epic sandwiches ever. I only wish I was somewhere close where I could get my hands on one. A cornocopia of fried meat and cheese that just sings to one's soul.

But that's not what truly makes it epic. Apparently this sandwich has the ability to mind control the populace into eating it, thus taking away one's ability to choose not to eat it and opt for a healthy alternative instead. Because obviously, the source of our health problems is the food itself with no responsibility tied to choice. We're just helpless against it. This sandwich will single handedly cause America's health problems to further plummet. The end is near for us all. I suspect Communism.

[Battleaxe]

This, uh, "sandwich" could be the poster-child for the new socialized health care plan.

Just plaster this photo everywhere possible with one sentence underneath:

"DON'T EAT THIS AND YOU WON'T NEED HEALTH CARE."

[nauseous]

This looks like one big hot mess!!! I dont believe the government should step in to ban this piece of slop, but people should be intelligent enough to know this is a BAD food choice. Who thinks of this stuff?? Can you imagine the board meeting on this one......how bout we make a sandwich without bread, double the meat, add bacon, cheese and "special colonel sauce" to restrict America's arteries even more!!

[URE CRZY]

KFClover are you serious? When your child has to have his legs cut off at the age of 12 due to his diabetes induced by poor eatting habits all signs point to you! People take some responsibility for your children and your health and stop blaming video games and fast food...we're not zombies we have freedom of choice so use it and choose healthy choices!

[Worried in Illinois]

Why on earth would anyone get this sandwich? do we, as Americans, have a death wise? Yep, I want to see the nutritional information on this so called sandwich! I'm ashamed of KFC

[Bubba]

The only thing missing is a fried egg.

[Mark]

I used to make something like this while I was losing weight on a low carb diet. In spite of "common knowledge," this sort of thing helped me lose weight. As I lost 80 pounds, my cholesterol dropped from 195 to 183. My doctor, who had insisted upon monitoring me, was amazed.

[Bee Dub]

I don't know what to think about what this says in regards to the fact that it's being tested in my hometown of Omaha. I'm sorry, America, that we are a testbed for the pulse - or lack thereof - of America's gastrointestinal hankerings.

[Kate]

Oh, that ain't right. I'll have two, please!

[american male marcus bagwell]

if you don't try this sandwich then you are most definitely a goddamn terrorist..

[Chris Weber]

Fortunately in California, the sandwich would be labeled with its "nutritional" information, making it appealing to only the hopelessly ignorant and the suicidal among us.
This is just another example of the carelessness the fast food industry exhibits regularly with the health of its customers.

[Jimbo Jones]

Needs more bacon!

[Patrick Stonelake]

Sigh, America.

[marcoda]

Wait. Wait. This is GOOD NEWS? Because what Americans need is more fried meat? How about some damn VEGETABLES? Shame on anyone who gives this "food" to their children.

[kfc fan]

BRING IT TO NEW ZEALAND>>> we are your biggest fans!

[TonyStag]

If they could cut out the breading, or use low carb breading, and make sure there's no sugar or high fructose corn syrup in the sauce that thing would be PERFECT for low carb diets.

[Gregus Scottus]

Well, it sounds nice, but I'm afraid our loving, doting, over-protective government might insist that it come with a warning label from the surgeon general, if they allow it to be sold at all. The next big Obama Administration initiative?

[JR]

There is a God and this sandwich is proof positive

[Dave From Vegas]

Wow, I can feel my arteries hardening just looking at the thing. When can I get one?

[Janice]

I'd like to know the nutrition, or should I say lack of it, information

JS

[KFClover]

That looks yummers! My five-year-old loves trying new sandwiches!

[M]

This has got to be one of the most disgusting things I have come across in the food industry. As if our health problems weren't serious enough.

[H.C.]

I'm surprised something like this hasn't already surfaced at a County Fair -- then again, it's only a few weeks till the LA version strikes back in all its deep-fried, sauce-drenched glory.