Is Wendy’s and SpongeBob’s Krabby Patty Kollab F.U.N.?

Unlike a lot of people from my generation, SpongeBob SquarePants wasn’t a huge part of my pop culture diet. As a household without cable, I didn’t grow up with easy access to Nickelodeon. If I wanted to see Stick Stickly, I had to depend on the kindness of my friends. Or wait until we had access to cable while in a hotel on vacation.

But I did cross paths with SpongeBob over the years. My high school — for reasons I still don’t understand — allowed juniors and seniors to hang out in the cafeteria and watch TV or play cards instead of signing up for a full schedule of classes. (I always heard those New York education standards were tough, but I’m not sure how you square those standards with what my high school officially called Oasis.) If the TV in the side cafeteria wasn’t on MTV during these open periods, it was often on SpongeBob SquarePants.

I also caught the occasional episode of the animated series while hanging out at my friend Andy’s parents’ house. For some reason the “weast” bit always cracked us up.

Despite not growing up with SpongeBob as a big part of my life, would Wendy’s new Krabby Patty Kollab Burger and Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty be right for me?

Where I found it

This Wendy’s exclusive can be found exclusively at Wendy’s.

What I paid

Prices likely vary depending on location, but my Krabby Patty Meal cost $12.20.

My thoughts

I have watched enough SpongeBob SquarePants to know that the Krabby Patty recipe is a secret, with the villainous Plankton often trying to steel the recipe from the Krusty Krab founder Mr. Krabs. (No word yet on a competing promotion between McDonald’s and the Chum Bucket.) When I first heard about this partnership between Nickelodeon and Wendy’s, my brain jumped to the burger having a pineapple in it.

But that would be dumb. SpongeBob didn’t eat a pineapple under the sea. He lived in one.

So before I placed my order via the Wendy’s app on Tuesday, I crosschecked the ingredients in the real Krabby Patty and the version that Wendy’s was selling. Buns? Check. Pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions? Check to all of them. While Wendy’s skipped ketchup and mustard as standalone condiments, they did include Secret Krabby Patty Sauce. A lot of it.

The biggest difference between the Krabby Patty featured in the animated series and the one at Wendy’s is that the Wendy’s version is a beef burger. This one will possibly trip up fans of the show who had assumed the Wendy’s version would be meatless — just like the Krabby Patty featured on SpongeBob.

If I had to guess, Wendy’s went with a normal meatful burger since, well, they’re Wendy’s. They have the meat. They’re gonna use it for a promotion like this instead of sourcing a meatless burger. (Or following a darker SpongeBob SquarePants theory and bringing in a different kind of meat ...)

Putting aside how closely Wendy’s hewed to Mr. Krabs’ culinary vision, the Krabby Patty Kollab Burgers is a really good Wendy’s burger.

Reddit is pretty sure that the Secret Krabby Patty Sauce is just Thousand Island dressing or something close to that, but it works. I appreciated the instant tang from the sauce, which bites a touch harder than the burger sauce you’d get on a burger from Shake Shack.

Of the three major fast food joints, Wendy’s burgers are consistently on a level above McDonald’s and Burger King, so I’m not surprised that the Krabby Patty Kollab Burger was a hit for me.

While Wendy’s didn’t put pineapple on this burger, they did bring it to the Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty.

Or, that’s what they claimed.

From what I saw online, this limited edition Frosty is supposed to have pineapple not only at the bottom of the cup but also drizzled on top. Mine appeared to just have pineapple underneath the vanilla Frosty, which meant I could get a touch of pineapple flavor if I dug deep. By the time I hit the motherload of pineapple syrup, my Frosty had fully liquefied.

Final verdict: BUY

Whether you’re a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants or just like trying gimmicky foods, I’d recommend the Krabby Patty Meal. It’s a very solid (if not very messy) burger and side Frosty. (The fries are your normal Wendy’s Fries, and you can never go wrong with them.)

If you’re hoping to relive your childhood love of SpongeBob, though, don’t get your hopes up. Besides the signage around the building, there’s zero SpongeBob branding on any of the food. Regular bag. Regular burger wrapper. Regular Frosty cup.

It’s actually pretty disappointing when you think of what McDonald’s has done with not only its Happy Meals but also with recent promotions like the collector’s meals that came with cups featuring Shrek, Beanie Babies and Barbie.

The Krabby Patty Meal debuted on Tuesday, so head over to your nearest Wendy’s if you want to give it a try. There’s probably a location just weast of your home.