I tried the new McDonald's McPlant burger. It tastes like real meat, but it's too expensive to buy again.

Stephanie Nieves

• McDonald's is responding to increased demand for meat substitutes with the McPlant, a Beyond Meat burger.
• The McPlant is only available in a few markets for now, and I tried one in Dallas.

McDonald's is responding to the increased demand of meat substitutes by launching another Beyond Meat burger, the McPlant.

The McPlant packaging.      Stephanie Nieves

The McPlant is a plant-based patty topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, condiments, and cheese on a sesame-seed bun. I decided to try it out.

McDonald's is testing the McPlant in the US.      McDonald's

The McPlant features many of the same ingredients as the PLT, which launched in September 2019 but was quietly removed from the menu in April 2020.

The McDonald's PLT.      McDonald's

But according to recent reports, McDonald's restaurants in San Francisco and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas are only selling around 20 McPlant sandwiches per day — short of the company's goal, which is 40 to 60 sales per day.

Stephanie Nieves

Source: BTIG via Market Watch

Could the McPlant really be that bad? I would have to find out for myself.

Stephanie Nieves

The McPlant represents a massive opportunity for Beyond Meat, which announced a three-year partnership with the franchise in February.

The Beyond Burger.      Beyond Meat

McDonald's may also be able to benefit from this co-development, possibly drawing in new customers and reaching its sustainability goals.

Stephanie Nieves

According to Beyond Meat, the original Beyond Burger generates roughly 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a quarter-pound beef patty and takes significantly less water, land, and energy to make.

The Beyond Burger.      Beyond Meat

Source: Beyond Meat

Chains like Shake Shack, Carl's Jr., and White Castle also have their own variations of the veggie burger as well, offering plenty of options for plant-based foodies who need a quick bite.

Carl's Jr.'s Beyond Famous Star      Carl's Jr.

Similar to the McPlant, the 'Shroom Burger at Shake Shack isn't vegan because it contains cheese, but meat lovers seem to love it just the same.

Andrew LaSane

Given that, I decided to stop by a nearby McDonald's and purchase a sandwich and a meal (just to see if the fries and drink add a little "something" to it).

Stephanie Nieves

In my area of Dallas, the sandwich costs $5.49 on its own, and it's $8.49 when you add medium fries and a drink.

Stephanie Nieves

That's pricier than: the Big Mac sandwich, which costs $4.69 (and $7.89 for the meal); the Quarter Pounder sandwich, which costs $4.89 (and $7.79 for the meal); and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, which costs $3.99 (and $7.38 for the meal).

McDonald's.      Joe Raedle/Getty Images

My first impression of the McPlant is that it tastes just like a Big Mac — seriously. I noticed that they put Big Mac sauce on it, or something similar, because I recognized the subtle sweet tang right away.

Stephanie Nieves

I kept eating, and the more bites I took, the more I realized that the flavor of the burger actually comes from a combination of the cheese, bun, and condiments — not the patty.

Stephanie Nieves

The lettuce and tomato were also pretty overpowering, but I didn't mind.

Stephanie Nieves

I took a bite of the patty alone, too. It was much softer than a meat patty, not surprisingly, and it had a faint herbal aftertaste.

Stephanie Nieves

It was neither good nor bad; it was just kind of there, but it did mimic the texture and taste of their meat-based patty (think the McDouble, not the Quarter Pounder).

Stephanie Nieves

As someone who grew up on their value menu items, I'd say it definitely compares. As I was eating the McPlant, I wasn't missing the chain's beef-based items at all.

McDonald's Big Mac.      Yu Chun Christopher Wong/S3studio/Getty Images

Overall, I'd say if you were craving the classic McDonald's burger taste, then you should definitely order a McPlant.

Stephanie Nieves

My guess is that people aren't ordering it because they're either not vegetarian, so they don't feel the need to, or because they think they'll miss out on the classic flavors we know and love.

McDonald's double cheeseburger.      Erin McDowell/Insider

I'm here to tell you that the McPlant's got all of that: the sweet ketchup, the melty cheese, the juicy lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, and apparently even the fan-favorite Big Mac sauce.

Erin McDowell/Insider

McDonald's doesn't need to change anything about its McPlant recipe, because as a meat-loving fast food eater, I was satisfied.

Stephanie Nieves

But if they want me to buy it again — over the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, or Crispy Chicken Sandwich — then they'll need to change the price.

Stephanie Nieves