We tried McDonald's answer to the fast casual burger boom - and it could be the future of the chain
You can order anything off the menu from the touch screen kiosks as you would at the counter – but the Create Your Taste burger can only be ordered from the kiosks, not at the register. Also, no cash or coupons at the kiosks – better have a card handy.
The kiosk gives you the choice of the quarter–pound burger or the one–third pound burger to start – although now, there's often a custom chicken sandwich option as well, either grilled or fried. You can add as many patties as you'd like for an additional charge. And of course, bacon is a must–have option.
There's a decent amount of choices during the process. There are four types of cheese from which to choose, and several bun options. You can even make your burger a lettuce wrap – although I wouldn't recommend it.
The array of toppings is impressive – I can honestly say I never expected to see guacamole or chili lime tortilla chips as options at the Golden Arches. Pick as many as you'd like, as there are no additional charges for toppings.
It's the same deal with the sauces, too. And yes, you can now add the hallowed Big Mac sauce to your custom burger, along with more adventurous dressings.
The kiosks are fairly intuitive and easy to use, apart from some vexing scrolling issues. You can order your custom burger to go or to stay – if you have the time, I'd try eating in, because it's like no McDonald's experience you've had before.
If you choose to eat in, you simply take a numbered locator from the kiosk, and go sit down. The tables are connected to a locator system that tells the servers – yes, servers at McDonald's! – where you're sitting. So sit back, relax, and let the burger come to you.
Within eight minutes, your burger arrives optimistically open–faced, as if they know you'll want to meticulously inspect your first custom McDonald's burger for quality and accuracy. I've ordered them several times, and I've yet to have a wrong order.
If you choose to order a burger meal, you'll get a drink and fries on the side. The fries, like the burger, are served in a rather trendy metal mesh basket that divulges McDonald's aims to bring their experience up to a fast–casual level.
The ingredients are typically of shockingly good quality. The tomatoes are crisp and red; the lettuce, vibrant and fresh – far cries from the anemic and pale toppings of fast food yesteryear. Even the bacon has a crispiness and sheen to it that suggests a certain level of respectability.
For my custom creation, I added Wisconsin cheddar cheese, Mac sauce, ketchup, pickles, red onions, lettuce, fresh tomato, and bacon. An upright, stalwart burger with a sense of authenticity and no fuss.
I always choose the "artisan" bun, as it seems to hold up better to multiple sauces and toppings without succumbing to sogginess or spongy despair. The burger looks – dare I say it – appetizing. This is no squashed McDouble in the bottom of a bag: nay, it's downright handsome.
The beef itself is savory and ever so slightly charred. Perhaps it's simply a trick of the mind (Eating custom McDonald's from a fancy wire basket? Impossible!), but it honestly tastes good. It's satisfying without being too much – and more importantly, it manages to avoid the greasy unease of a fast–food burger.
The Create Your Taste program is incredibly promising. McDonald's is looking to elevate its status amongst the fast–food fray, and this is helping. Combined with the svelte restaurant renovations, the paring back of the menus, and the launch of the exalted all–day breakfast, McDonald's future is looking very sunny.
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