From the drive-thru mishap in “Boy-Scoutz ’n the Hood” to Homer’s clown-car joyride in “Homie the Clown,” Krusty Burger is about as ubiquitous as a Duff at Moe’s. So it’s only fitting that LEGO, in its infinite wisdom, has immortalised this bastion of corporate mediocrity in brick form. Behold Set #10352: a fully-furnished Krusty Burger oozing with enough nostalgia to clog up my heart quicker than a Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverage.
Krusty Burger #10352
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Right out of the box, you assemble Homer’s car (yes, the one decked with Krusty decals from “Homie the Clown” Season 6, Episode 15). Remember Homer’s immortal vow? “I’ll kill that Krusty Burglar for stealing my burgers!”? Well, the designers didn’t forget either: a tiny poster warns of the Krusty Burglar, and one cash register displays “$6.15,” a cheeky nod to S6E15. It’s the sort of sly wink that makes you feel like you’ve won the trivia jackpot at Luigi’s.
Meanwhile, Maggie’s scanner comes pre-set to “$847.63” (the very sum she rings up during the opening credits of The Simpsons Movie). Then, slide into the dining area and you’ll spot the Krusty’s Kidz Zone ball pit while across the way sits the poster for the glorious Ribwich.
And hey, hey, don’t overlook the Mother Nature Burger advert (a flashback to the eco-friendly fiasco in “Bart vs. Thanksgiving,” where Homer’s dietary curiosity led to ecological chaos and a very angry turkey). Lastly if you lean in close, you can practically hear Sideshow Bob muttering “An aha! moment, I do believe” as he plots his next burger-related mischief.
Behind the counter is where the real action happens. Expect to singe a whiny teengaer’s claw hand in a fry station with a broken ice-cream machine, a prep area stacked high with Krusty Burgers (that minimalist LEGO ethos on full display: one tan brick, two studs, and you’ve got yourself a patty), plus an employee loo. There’s even a drive-thru window, complete with a menu board demanding “700 Krusty Burgers” ala “Boy-Scoutz ’n the Hood” (Season 5, Episode 8), when Krusty’s oil-rig franchise ran wholesale orders to the scouts. It’s these tiny flourishes that transform a simple build into a pilgrimage for fanatics.
Now, you might ask: why build Krusty Burger when LEGO has already given us the Simpsons’ house and the Kwik-E-Mart? True, the Evergreen Terrace home debuted in 2014 and Apu’s neon oasis arrived in 2015, but Krusty Burger has always been the unsung hero of Springfield’s commercial landscape. Unlike Moe’s Tavern, where happiness is just a flaming drink away, Krusty Burger’s corporate ubiquity means it’s always been a blank canvas.
LEGO designer Ann Healy scoured dozens of episodes, including “One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish” (Season 2, Episode 11) where Homer’s dietary adventures almost ended in pufferfish calamity, to nail the perfect canon layout. She joked in our exclusive chat, “If I counted all the times Krusty Burger appears, I’d need a Duff to calm my nerves,” which is about as Swartzwelder-worthy as it gets.
The build itself is straightforward enough that even Kent Brockman could do it live on air without missing a beat, yet detailed enough to prompt a Marge-style raised eyebrow of approval. Piece by piece, you construct the drive-thru lane, the iconic red-and-white façade, the slanted roof… and before you know it, you’re hosting your own “Mmm, corporate grease” luncheon for seven minifigures: Homer, Bart, Lisa, Farmer Krusty, Sideshow Bob, the Squeaky-Voiced Teen and Officer Lou. Pretty generous stuff.
And speaking of attendance, the minifigs themselves are dead ringers. Sideshow Bob looks ready to sweep the floor with his coiffured hair, while Farmer Krusty’s blue overalls and straw hat perfectly recall his ill-fated “Cletus‒style” dalliances. Bart’s skateboard fits right into that Kidz Zone, and Lisa’s expression captures her eternal conflict over processed cheese and its effect on the environment.
Ten years have passed since the last minifigure-scale Simpson set hit shelves, and in that decade LEGO’s fan base has swelled like Comic Book Guy’s waistline after a two-for-one promotion. We deserve more playsets—Moe’s Tavern, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, maybe even a diorama of the Android’s Dungeon. But for now, Krusty Burger stands supreme: 1,635 pieces of nostalgia, wit, and corporate satire, retailing for A$329.99 (plus whatever you paid the Squeaky-Voiced Teen for that extra soft drink).
So whether you’re a fan who can recite the entire script of “Last Exit to Springfield” or you simply know that a Krusty Burger is the best steamed ham on the market, this set is your grease-covered Graceland. Here’s hoping LEGO is inspired to release more landmarks from this universe. And here’s also hoping I don’t have to sell my kidneys to acquire the original Simpsons House set as I didn’t have the good sense to buy it back in 2014.
LEGO The Simpsons: Krusty Burger, Set #10352, retails at LEGO AU for $329.95, and it is composed of 1635 pieces. You can purchase it here.
Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube and would like to thank Kevin Wong for his far superior photography skills.