Prepare yourselves, burger lovers. (McDonald's)
Per consumer request: Fresh beef is in at the Golden Arches. McDonald’s has announced that fast food lovers can now order Quarter Pounder and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers made with cooked-to-order, 100 percent fresh beef patties.
The new protein offering was successfully tested in Dallas, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is currently available in 3,500 locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City. Remaining U.S. markets — excluding Hawaii and Alaska — will see fresher, juicier burgers at McDonald’s by May.
Most U.S. markets will see the new patties by May. (McDonald's)
“The switch to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers is the most significant change to our system and restaurant operations since All Day Breakfast,” McDonald’s USA president Chris Kempczinski said in a release. “Over the past two years, we have been listening to our customers and evolving our business to build a better McDonald’s. We are proud to bring our customers a hotter and juicier quarter-pound burger at the speed and convenience they expect from us.”
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While some may be skeptical about McDonald’s serving fresh beef, the Chicago Tribune reports that the new patties are actually really good when sampled in the revamped Double Quarter Pounder.
“The fresh beef patties were indeed juicier than its frozen counterpart — if you squeezed the sandwich, the liquid trickled out and coalesced into a small puddle on the tray liner,” taste-tester Grace Wong opined. “The flavor between the two was comparable, the frozen patty was significantly more tough while the fresh patty broke apart easily and maintained a nicer char, even reaching some crispiness on the edges.”
But this isn’t the first makeover the Golden Arches has given its burgers. The Illinois-based chain recently cut cheeseburgers from Happy Meals as part of a new health initiative in line with the guidelines of its formerly-estranged partner, the Walt Disney Company. The item will be included upon special request, but kids won’t see cheeseburgers on the menu.
As a tradeoff, McDonald’s will offer Disney toys with children’s meals again. The company’s first campaign kicks off this summer with Incredibles 2 followed by Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.