Swallowing the new Italian stack, the creamy cheese sauce oozes from the sides – it tastes like sloppy lasagna.
I was one of the lucky few people who got a taste of McDonald’s new summer menu before it hit restaurants.
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This summer, the fast food giant is offering halloumi fries, a McFlurry tiramisu and four new burgers.
McDonald’s mega menu shakeup is summer vacation-themed and coming in two waves, so you won’t be able to try everything this week.
On Wednesday, June 8, McDonald’s is adding “taste of Italy” menu items – a new Italian Stack, Crispy Chicken Italiano and a McFlurry tiramisu.
Then on July 27, it adds flavors from Spain and Cyprus with the Spicy Spanish Stack, Chicken Fiesta burger, Spanish Fruit Punch and the much anticipated halloumi fries.
I went to McDonald’s headquarters last week to try out the new menu items before launching them in restaurants.
Sloppy and greasy – but good
The Italian Stack burger, which costs £5.39, includes two beef patties, mozzarella, crispy onions, a rich tomato sauce, lettuce and a creamy cheese sauce.
It comes in a tomato and herb style bun. I found this burger a bit more greasy – but in a good way.
That’s because the beef burger tasted like perfectly sloppy lasagna.
If you love a cheese burger then this is the one for you too, after all a lasagna is ALL about cheese layered between sheets of pasta straight out of a hot Italian oven.
Crispy Chicken Italiano is a dish for chicken lovers, with a crispy tenderloin topped with a slice of juicy tomato, mozzarella, basil pesto-style sauce, red onion and lettuce, and served in a toasted ciabatta style bun.
Compared to its beefy twin, the Crispy Chicken Italiano tasted very fresh. It costs £5.39.
Had a nice light airy bun, with lots of fresh tasting salad in the burger.
If I had to compare it to anything I’ve tried before, I’d say this burger tasted more like a Subway sandwich than anything.
The Tiramisu Mcflurry – my opinion
Next, the McFlurry tiramisu. The classic soft serve ice cream has a chocolate cookie with a coffee and chocolate sauce swirled on top.
It was nice and velvety. It reminded me a lot of the Secret Menu hack, where fans added a shot of coffee to a vanilla milkshake to create a McDonald’s affogato.
I was excited to try the Spanish Spicy Stack – and just like the McSpicy, it lives up to its name.
There was a lot of praise for the other recent addition to the menu – the McSpicy.
The burger has two beef patties, chili cheddar, red onion, spicy tomato sauce and lettuce. It comes in a hot paprika bun and costs £5.39.
I was also excited to try the Chicken Fiesta. When I’m on vacation in Spain, I love ordering the Patasa Bravas version from the fast food chain.
Somehow, without the carby vegetable in sight, McDonald’s managed to recreate the exact taste of this iconic dish in this burger.
It seemed a lot more tomato than the other versions on the menu, but it’s perfect if you’re looking for a great Spanish taste.
The Chicken Fiesta, which costs £5.39, comes with a crispy fillet of chicken topped
with chorizo, cheddar chili, spicy tomato sauce, red onion and lettuce
in her own warm bun topped with roasted chili peppers and paprika.
Finally, the halloumi fries
This is the first time McDonald’s has served halloumi fries in the UK and soon the long wait will be over when they join the menu later this summer.
They tasted very much like the classic mozzarella dips that Maccies had had for a while, but had a more grating, cheesy texture – as you often find with halloumi.
The breadcrumb coating was also nice and crumbly and they were a good savory alternative to fries. I really liked them.
They come in a bag of four and a rich, flavorful tomato sauce, priced at £2.49.
Finally, I cleared my palate with the new Spanish Fruit Punch.
Costing £2.29 for a medium or £2.61 for a large when fans get the chance to try it later in July, the thirst quencher was a dream as the room started to heat up.
The chilled soft drink is great if you have a sweet tooth like me, as it’s packed with berry and citrus flavors – it’s not sangria, but McDonald’s will do.
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