Carl’s Jr. Might Be Starting Beef With Another Burger Chain

Which fast food chain do you think has the most fight in it? Would you expect it to be Carl’s Jr.? If not, we wouldn’t blame you – but judging by the marketing moves it’s made throughout 2026, this restaurant is ready to go toe-to-toe with all its competitors, in a pretty vocal way. It all started in March, when Carl’s Jr. announced a new Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich and, in doing so, called out other chains that fail to put actual flavor in their chicken burgers. This was followed by a more overt throwing of hands at Jack In The Box, asking customers to drive past the restaurant in favor of its own.

Videos by Sporked

Now, it looks as though it might be taking on another burger restaurant…a burger king, if you will. No names are being named here, but we’ll let you draw your own conclusions. 

Coming For The Crown

Yesterday, Carl’s Jr. announced its Stealing the Crown promotion, following the release of its new Angus Maximus burger and a change in how it cooks its sandwiches. The promotion aims to highlight one thing Carl’s Jr. does that others, and we’re naming no names here, may not: cooking them to order. “A burger worth fighting for shouldn’t be waiting for you in a holding cabinet — it should hit the grill when you order it,” Burge Diemer, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr., says in its press release. “With ‘Stealing the Crown,’ we’re inviting burger fans to surrender the crown and taste the difference for themselves with an Angus Maximus cooked fresh specifically for them.”

The idea behind the Stealing the Crown promo is simple: My Rewards loyalty members can send Carl’s Jr. either a picture of a crown “or their receipt from a royally disappointing burger from the competition” (again, unnamed competition there) via a DM on Instagram to the chain. As a reward, customers will get a promotional code for a free Angus Maximus sent to their My Rewards app. 

It’s all very good-natured – but who could it possibly be talking about? We do have to wonder.

It May Have To Sort Out Its Own Royal House First…

Carl’s Jr.’s Stealing the Crown promo is typically bold and bolshy – but if we’re being totally honest, it’s a confident move to place itself in direct implied opposition to a very well-known chain, and implicitly make the point that its new burger is going to be the better choice, when it…may not be. Reviews for the new Angus Maximus burger have been rolling in on sites like Reddit, and they’re not exactly glowing. “More like Angus Maximus Sadimus,” said one person, who lamented the small size of the burger. “Good thing its only for a limited time and $6. Save yourself.” They weren’t the only one, either. Hey, look, if you give it, you gotta be able to take it.