Friendly's latest hamburger replaces buns with grilled cheese

When I first saw the ad for Friendly's Ultimate Grilled Cheese Burger Melt on TV last night, I doubled up in laughter. It's a huge burger stuffed between two grilled cheese sandwiches, with a slice of tomato and lettuce.

This new American hamburger mutation nearly triples KFC's notorious Double Down's calorie count. The UGCBM, only available in the US, contains 2090 mg of sodium, 97 grams of fat and a gut busting 1,500 calories per serving. But before you point an accusing finger at the 75-year-old fast food chain based in Massachusetts, try to remember they have slimmed the recipe down from a version in the US south which added onions and mushrooms as well as Thousand Island dressing to the towering hamburger. The Globe & Mail reports Friendly's is not alone in mutating standard dinner fare. "Following on the heels of the Double Down this year, IHOP came out with its Pancake Stackers, two buttermilk flapjacks nestled between layers of whipped topping, fruit compote, and cheesecake."