Carnival Cruise Line Guy’s Burger Joint Menu and Review
Guy’s Burger Joint is one of Carnival Cruise Line’s most recognizable casual dining spots, serving freshly grilled burgers and fries from a menu created in partnership with celebrity chef Guy Fieri. On Carnival Celebration, it is one of the included dining options and an easy choice for lunch when you want something quick, filling, and considerably more indulgent than a trip through the buffet.
During my Carnival Celebration cruise, I ate at Guy’s Burger Joint twice. The burgers were excellent both times, although there are a few things I would change—particularly the somewhat confusing menu terminology and, for me, the fries. Here is the full Guy’s Burger Joint menu, what all those abbreviations actually mean, and my review of the burgers I tried.
For more Carnival information, CruisePrism readers can also explore our Carnival Dining Menus, Carnival Drink Lists, and Carnival Onboard Guides for more information about restaurants, schedules and onboard activities.
Guy’s Burger Joint Menu
The Guy’s Burger Joint menu is fairly small, but at first glance it can be more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of simply spelling out the ingredients, the menu uses several abbreviations and Guy Fieri-specific terms such as S.M.C., L.T.O.P., Rojo Ring, and Donkey Sauce.
Once you know what everything means, the menu is much easier to understand:
- L.T.O.P. – Lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle
- S.M.C. – Super Melty Cheese
- Rojo Ring – Crispy spicy onion ring
- Donkey Sauce – Guy’s mayo-based signature sauce
There are five main burgers listed on the menu.
Plain Jane
The simplest option starts with an 80/20 ground chuck burger on a grilled roll and can be ordered with or without Super Melty Cheese.
This is the choice for anyone who wants to keep the burger simple or customize it with their preferred toppings.
Straight Up
The Straight Up adds S.M.C., lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and Donkey Sauce.
This is essentially the classic fully dressed Guy’s Burger Joint option and gives you the cheese, vegetables, and signature sauce without adding one of the heavier specialty toppings.
The Ringer
The Ringer starts with the Straight Up burger and adds Guy’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce along with a Rojo Ring, the crispy spicy onion ring.
It is the menu choice for cruisers looking for something sweeter, smokier, and more heavily topped than the standard burger.
Chilius Maximus
The Chilius Maximus takes a different approach. It starts from the Straight Up concept but removes the lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, Rojo Ring, S.M.C., and Donkey Sauce before topping the burger with chili.
In other words, despite all the terminology used to describe it on the menu, this is essentially the chili-focused burger.
Pig Patty
The Pig Patty was the burger that immediately caught my attention.
It starts with the Straight Up burger, including the Super Melty Cheese, and then adds something considerably more substantial than a few pieces of bacon: an actual patty made from crispy bacon.
That bacon patty makes a major difference.
My Guy’s Burger Joint Review
Overall, the burgers at Guy’s Burger Joint were fantastic.
The beef patty itself had great flavor, the bun was delicious, and the cheese was properly melted into the burger rather than simply sitting on top. Everything worked together extremely well, and the burger was a reasonable size. It was satisfying without being one of those enormous restaurant burgers that becomes difficult to eat.
On my first visit, I ordered my burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and the bacon patty.
The bacon patty was delicious. If you love bacon, it is certainly something worth trying at least once. However, I also thought it was almost too successful at what it was trying to do.
The bacon patty is substantial. It is somewhat thinner than the beef patty, but its richness and strong bacon flavor can overpower the beef. Instead of feeling like I was eating a hamburger topped with bacon, the bacon became one of the dominant parts of the entire burger.
I love bacon on hamburgers, but personally, I would prefer a couple of strips of bacon rather than an entire bacon patty. At times, the Pig Patty started moving closer to BLT territory because the bacon became such a major part of every bite.
That is not necessarily a criticism if you are a huge bacon fan. The bacon patty itself tasted great. It simply changes the balance of the burger considerably.
Trying Guy’s Burger Joint Again
I liked Guy’s Burger Joint enough that I went back for another burger later in the cruise.
This time, the burger again reinforced what I liked about the restaurant in the first place. The bun was good, the beef had plenty of flavor, the cheese was nicely melted, and the toppings added freshness without overwhelming the burger.
I could easily have eaten at Guy’s Burger Joint more than twice during the cruise, but I try to eat a relatively normal amount of food when cruising rather than turning every day into an eating marathon.
For me, two visits were enough to confirm that the burgers themselves are one of the stronger casual food options on Carnival Celebration.
What I Thought About the Fries
The weak point for me was the fries.
They were fine, and I ate them, but I simply did not think they were particularly good. The difference became even more noticeable when comparing them with the fries available at Big Chicken on Carnival Celebration.
I thought the Big Chicken fries were considerably better.
Apparently, I was not alone in wanting to mix the two restaurants. I saw plenty of passengers getting food from both places—essentially creating their own combination of a Guy’s burger with Big Chicken fries.
If you want to do the same thing, there is a practical way to approach it.
Guy’s Burger Joint vs. Big Chicken Lines
During my cruise, the line at Guy’s Burger Joint could get fairly long. My wait was around 10 to 15 minutes at times.
Big Chicken moved considerably faster, with waits generally around one to five minutes during the times I visited.
Because the two restaurants are separated by a decent walk on Carnival Celebration, I personally was not interested in making the trip just to replace my fries. However, I saw plenty of passengers doing exactly that.
If you want a Guy’s burger with Big Chicken fries, I would get the burger first and the fries second. The Guy’s Burger Joint line was substantially slower during my experience, while Big Chicken moved quickly enough that you could pick up fresh fries afterward without adding much additional waiting time.
Of course, lines can vary significantly depending on the day, sailing, and time you visit, so these wait times should be treated only as my experience on this particular cruise.
Is the Guy’s Burger Joint Menu Confusing?
A little.
The actual menu is simple once you understand it, but I think it would be easier to read if Carnival simply spelled out more of the ingredients.
Terms such as S.M.C. and L.T.O.P. fit the Guy Fieri theme, but when you are standing in line trying to decide what you want, having to decode abbreviations makes a five-burger menu feel more complicated than it actually is.
Fortunately, the basic choices are straightforward once you get past the terminology: a simple burger, a traditional dressed burger, a BBQ and onion-ring burger, a chili burger, or a burger topped with a bacon patty.
Is Guy’s Burger Joint Included on Carnival Cruises?
Guy’s Burger Joint is a complimentary dining venue on participating Carnival Cruise Line ships, including Carnival Celebration. There is no separate charge for the standard burgers and fries covered by the included menu.
That makes it particularly easy to try something different without worrying about paying for another specialty meal. If one burger sounds too elaborate, you can keep things simple, and if the Pig Patty sounds irresistible, you can give the bacon patty a try for yourself.
Tips for Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Celebration
Based on my experience, a few simple tips can make the visit easier:
- Learn the menu abbreviations before ordering so the menu is easier to understand.
- Expect the line to become longer during popular lunch periods.
- If you want Big Chicken fries with your Guy’s burger, get the burger first because the Big Chicken line moved much faster during my cruise.
- Try the Pig Patty if you really love bacon, but expect the bacon patty to become one of the dominant flavors.
- If you want the beef itself to remain the focus, choose a simpler burger or lighter toppings.
- Remember that actual lines and wait times can vary from one sailing and time of day to another.
Guy’s Burger Joint FAQ
What is S.M.C. at Guy’s Burger Joint?
S.M.C. stands for Super Melty Cheese.
What does L.T.O.P. mean?
L.T.O.P. stands for lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.
What is Donkey Sauce?
Donkey Sauce is the mayo-based signature sauce used on Guy’s Burger Joint burgers.
What is a Rojo Ring?
A Rojo Ring is a crispy spicy onion ring.
What is the Pig Patty?
The Pig Patty combines the Straight Up burger and Super Melty Cheese with a separate patty made from crispy bacon. The bacon component is much more substantial than simply adding a couple of bacon strips to a burger.
Is Guy’s Burger Joint free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Guy’s Burger Joint is an included dining venue on Carnival Celebration, so the standard burgers and fries do not carry an additional restaurant charge.
Are the Guy’s Burger Joint fries good?
This comes down to personal preference. I did not particularly care for them and strongly preferred the fries at Big Chicken. The burgers, however, were excellent.
How long is the line at Guy’s Burger Joint?
It varies. During my Carnival Celebration cruise, I encountered waits of roughly 15 to 20 minutes at times. Big Chicken was considerably faster during my visits, usually taking only a few minutes. Other sailings and dining times can be different.
Final Thoughts on Guy’s Burger Joint
Guy’s Burger Joint delivered exactly where it mattered most: the burgers.
The beef was flavorful, the bun was delicious, the cheese was properly melted, and the finished burger tasted fresh and satisfying. The Pig Patty is especially memorable because the crispy bacon patty is so substantial, although I personally found that it sometimes overwhelmed the beef rather than complementing it.
My biggest complaints are minor compared with how much I enjoyed the burgers. I would simplify the menu terminology, and the fries would not be my first choice—particularly with Big Chicken serving fries that I enjoyed much more elsewhere on Carnival Celebration.
But the burger itself? Excellent.
After eating there twice during the cruise, Guy’s Burger Joint is an easy recommendation for anyone sailing on Carnival Celebration and looking for a casual included lunch. Whether you keep it simple with a Plain Jane or go all-in with the Pig Patty, this is one Carnival restaurant where the menu is absolutely worth checking out.
