GrubGrade

Fresh off the national release of its Angus Snack Wraps (read our review here), McDonald’s seems to be testing a new line of products in the Baltimore market. The “deliciously unexpected” Chicken Flatbreads come in four flavors: Tuscan Tomato Basil, BBQ Bacon Ranch, Southwest, and Four Cheese. My local McDonald’s is running a promo on the flatbreads for a price of $1.89 each. On a recent trip to Micky D’s, my hermana and I chose the later option, going with the Tuscan Tomato Basil Flatbread and the Southwest Chicken Flatbread. Have a gander at the “official” description:

Get ready to enter a brand new flavor zone with McDonald’s Chicken Flabreads. Our new juicy grilled chicken is served on a warm flatbread with a roasted garlic spread, deliciously melted Fontina, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack and White Cheddar cheeses and unexpected ingredients such as the Southwest’s tangy Pico de Gallo and creamy guacamole. Give your appetite some tasty options!

At first I was somewhat disappointed with the size of the flatbreads, which come in their own containers and aren’t much bigger than the length of a person’s hand. My concerns, however, were misplaced. (more…)

What’s up with GrubGrade feeding America these days? Hehe, I kid.   McDonald’s recently debuted their wrap version of the premium Angus Third Pounders.  Mickey D’s wants you to try them on the house!  Who wants one?  Leave me a comment and I’ll draw some random winners by tomorrow.  Good luck!

UPDATE: Read our FULL REVIEW

Ditch the bread, grab a tortilla.  McDonald’s has toyed with a burger version of their Snack Wrap before (see our Big Mac Snack Wrap review)… and they’re doing it again.  This time around, McDonald’s is going for wraps in the form of their premium line of 1/3 pound Angus Burgers.  I think McD’s did pretty well with the Angus Third Pounders (see Angus Third Pounders review), and I’m especially impressed with their Angus Deluxe.

Deluxe Angus Wrap from McDonald's

Let’s see how the Angus line works as a wrap… Coming August 10th.

• Deluxe: Fresh ripe red tomato, fresh green leaf lettuce, fresh rings of red onions, crinkle cut pickles, American cheese, creamy mayonnaise and yellow mustard.
• Bacon & Cheese: Fresh rings of red onions, crinkle cut pickles, a strip of bacon, American cheese, ketchup and yellow mustard.
• Mushroom & Swiss: Sauteed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and creamy mayonnaise.

There is a picture currently circulating the internet that is getting some attention… McRibbles.  Everyone knows about the McRib sandwich right?  I guess this is the offspring of the abomination that is the McRib.  Is this a hoax or in fact a new creation from McDonald’s? Maybe BBQ ribs, or something disguised as ribs, are the new thing in the quick-serve industry… Who knows? This could mean competition for the BK Fire-Grilled Ribs from Burger King.  I just want to know this… Why?!?!  How is this a good idea?  Are people really clamoring for fast food ribs?  Did I really just ask something like five questions in one paragraph?

I was out and about the other day and decided to stop by McDonald’s for dinner.  I usually go for something off of their dollar menu, but sometimes I’ll get a grilled chicken snack wrap or the Premium Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich.  While sitting in the drive-thru scanning the menu, I noticed something new: The McBistro Chicken Sandwich.

I was surprised that McDonald’s came out with yet another chicken sandwich and thought to myself, “What could be so different between the McBistro Chicken Sandwich and the Premium Chicken Sandwiches?”. (more…)

Arguably the most famous item on the McDonald’s lunch/dinner menu would be the Big Mac.  When it comes to the morning, you’d have to put the McD’s Egg McMuffin at the top of the breakfast popularity list.  I’ve admitted before that the McDonald’s Big Mac is an item that I’ve probably consumed only a few times in my life.  The same can be said about the Egg McMuffin.  I don’t really have anything against these items, I’ve just never been particularly crazy about them.  With Burger King coming out with their own version of the McMuffin, my interest in the “Golden Arches” original has been piqued.  It’s time to revisit this fast food classic and give you my full review of the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin.

As I’m sure you all know, the Egg McMuffin is a simple breakfast sandwich.  This sandwich is made up of a round griddle-steamed egg, a slice of American cheese and a slice of Canadian bacon all on a toasted and buttered English muffin. (more…)

The Golden Arches have been rolling out and testing a number of new menu items as of late (including the new McBistro Chicken sandwich in the Baltimore and Albuquerque markets) with the chain’s latest offering in the McCafe line further blurring the line between fast food and fast casual. I’m of course talking about McDonald’s McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies, which the company announced the debut of during last month’s Olympic Games.  So far the Smoothies are apparently still in the testing phase, with the two flavors – Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry – scheduled to hit the national scene by the summer. I stopped by my local Micky D’s the other day and ordered a Strawberry Banana, which retails at $1.99 for a small (12 ounces).

When I arrived at my McDonald’s I asked what was in the smoothies, and was told it was a fruit base blended with low-fat yogurt and ice. Touted as containing “real fruit,” the smoothies are made to order for the customer, and mine was delivered in a timely and pleasant enough manner. The smoothie had a good consistency that was neither too watery nor too icy, although I wouldn’t go so far as to label it creamy. Based on the consistency and available nutritional data, I’d guess that the ratio of “fruit blend” to yogurt favors the fruit blend, although I found the texture no different from most run-of-the-mill smoothies you’d order at your local juicer.

While the texture and consistency of the product revealed no flaws, I was somewhat disappointed in the taste. It wasn’t that the smoothie didn’t taste “real” or that it tasted “artificial” (a common complaint I have never truly understood), but rather that it tasted muted. To a certain degree it tasted watered down, and lacked the initial “punch” of sweetness that the glorious first slurp of a smoothie should bring. (more…)

Seriously, how is the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish not already a “Dollar Menu” item?  Either the Filet-O-Fish has shrunken down to an almost laughable size or my hands have become monstrous.  So we are in the season of Lent and fish on Friday’s is a common tradition.  Last year we featured a seafood product on every Friday during Lent (check out our Fish Fridays Review Wrap-Up).  Of course one of those products was the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish.  Here in the DC Metro area, the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is promo priced at 99 cents for a limited time. Add in a medium fries and drink for $3.99.  The 99 cents for the sandwich alone is a nice deal but an extra $3.00 for fries/drink?  Really?  So do you have this deal running in your town? Let us know.

St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner and it’s time for the Shamrock Shake to make a return.  This limited-time only green treat should be springing up at select McDonald’s locations around this time of year.  Is it at your local McD’s? Last year, the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake lost out in a head to head battle with Dairy Queen Mint Oreo Blizzard.  Which one will you grab this time?

With a new McNugget sauce hitting McDonald’s restaurants for a limited time, I’ve had McNuggets on the brain for a couple of weeks now.  If you’ve got a dollar, a 4-piece is in your future.  While I’m sure that a majority of the readers know all about McNuggets, I still thought it would be fun to revisit this classic and feature them in a review.  Every kids favorite and yet another food I have yet to grow-up from, McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets.

For a lot of you, McNuggets were probably your introduction to the world of McDonald’s.  As a kid I can remember sitting in the back seat of the family station wagon on a Saturday afternoon, patiently waiting for my Happy Meal with McNuggets.  It’s really such a simple item and that’s likely why it appeals most to kids with simple tastes. (more…)