In the grand tradition of trying unusual fast food menu items on their first day of nationwide release, I hauled it on over to Burger King today to try the new Bacon Sundae.

It’s a sad commentary on our dietary culture that bacon has become an ubiquitous garnish, occupying a position that was once the chief domain of parsley. Whereas a sprig of healthy green once occupied the margin of a plate, now bacon sits as an edible decoration on top of a variety of dishes. It’s practically become a condiment, ranking right up there with ketchup and mustard.

And why the hell not? Unless you’re a vegetarian or have religious dietary restrictions that prohibit the consumption of pork, its deliciousness cannot be denied.

And now, bacon has infiltrated our deserts.

It started slow with the trend of chocolate-covered bacon becoming a sweet shop curiosity. A little bit of Food Network coverage and before you could say “Paula Deen’s got the die-uh-beet-us”, chocolate-covered bacon became a sensation that can be readily found in most major cities and boardwalk candy shoppes.

From there, chocolate-covered bacon found itself as a key component in many a meal. In Philadelphia alone, it’s part of the reason gourmet burger bistro PYT‘s Krispy Kreme Sliders are so popular. It’s also a delicious decoration on local desert boutique Philly Cupcake‘s tribute to Elvis known simply as “The King.”

Finally, the bacon-as-desert phenomenon has made its rounds to mainstream America. One of fast food’s Big Three has brought home the bacon and is putting it on your sundae.

But enough of this bacon background! You came here to find out how this Bacon Sundae tastes, and by, gum! I’m going to give you the straight scoop! (Actually, it’s more of a straight soft serve, but why quibble?)

I got off the bus on my commute home, excitedly pulled the spatula-shaped handle on BK’s glass door, and marched up to the counter.

“Are you serving the Bacon Sundae today?” I asked politely.

The girl looked slightly confused, but luckily, the Manager was standing nearby and said that he would be happy to make me one.

I felt like a V.I.P.! A Very Important Pork-eater!

Within a few moments, I was handed a small cup filled with vanilla soft serve drizzled with caramel and chocolate fudge sauces, a generous sprinkling of bacon bits, and several short strips of bacon artfully placed atop the sundae’s spire.

The cup was deceptively small, but the sundae itself was rather filling. Although it could have used a bit more chocolate and caramel sauce, the vanilla soft serve was smooth and tasty. The bacon bits scattered throughout provided a smokey, savory, salty compliment to the vanilla ice cream. I was surprised just how well the two flavors meshed.

When I managed to get a bit of the caramel and chocolate sauces onto the spoon with the bacon and ice cream, it was pure awesome. The caramel was rich and creamy and the fudge was dense and dark. Pop some bacon on the spoon with it to provide a nice coating to the meat, and you’ve got yourself one helluva mouth party!

The bacon was perfect. Not a speck of gross gristle, as bacon is sometimes wont to have. Seeing as bacon is the lynchpin of this sundae, it’s crucial to have a crisp, salty slab that won’t wilt under the pressure of a mound of ice cream and toppings. Burger King came through in the clutch and offered some primo pieces of pork.

As stated previously, my only gripe was the scant amount of caramel and chocolate on this beauty, which was mostly collected near the bottom of the cup.

With just a little more of the traditional sundae topping drizzled over the top, this confection would be well worth its $2.59 price of admission.  Still, at a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay for more upscale versions of bacon-as-desert foodie fare, Burger King makes this trend easily accessible to folks without an eatery with menu items that incorporate bacon and chocolate within a 15 mile radius of where they live.

Would I eat it again? Damn skippy, I would! I’m not planning on making it a way of life, but 510 calories and 18 grams of fat in a single serving won’t do long-term damage if done in moderation. Have a nice green salad for dinner to offset the sundae and you’ll be fine!

If you’re planning on trying a BK Bacon Sundae for yourself, snap one up before September 3rd when the promotion ends.