We Tried McDonald's New Mighty Wings - Here's The Verdict
Mighty Wings debuted on the fast food chain's menu earlier this week.
After trying them, we're not surprised that the company extended the item nationally after a couple of local test runs.
The chicken wings are good by any fast-food or casual dining standard.
The breading is crisp and has a level of spice pleasing to most people. The heat is there, but won't make your eyes water.
The chicken itself is moist and on par with other quick service restaurants. If you knew nothing about the Mighty Wings and someone put them on a plate in front of you, you'd probably guess they were from KFC, the brand known for its chicken.
Customers might look at the prices and question the value. The wings come in packs of three for $3.69, five for $5.59, and 10 for $9.69. That sounds expensive for fast food, but customers are getting their money's worth.
The Mighty Wings seemed large in comparison to those served at Buffalo Wild Wings, for example. It would take a big appetite to consume ten wings by yourself.
The sauce could be the only barrier between the Mighty Wings and success.
Like with McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, customers who order Mighty Wings get a choice of McDonald's sauces: Sweet n' Sour, Honey Mustard, Chipotle Barbeque, Tangy Barbeque, Spicy Buffalo, Sweet Chili, Hot Mustard and Creamy Ranch.
It's a good selection, but the sauce packets are designed for dipping chicken nuggets into them, not slathering bone-in wings. I had a hard time spreading my Spicy Buffalo sauce evenly over my meal.
An easy solution is to open the sauce, dump it into the box of wings, close it and shake it around. That's what other restaurants do before they serve you wings, only they toss them in a bowl.
But consumers shouldn't have to do that themselves, and therein lies the problem. For people who really care about well-sauced wings, McDonald's wings won't hold up. And the sauces at McDonald's aren't as good as those at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Anyone who likes breaded chicken wings without sauce will be happy with Mighty Wings.
Take a closer look:
William Wei / Business InsiderA McDonald's Mighty Wing.
