You’re probably not wondering what a Mac Snack Wrap is, because it’s pretty obvious, but in case you are, it’s a Big Mac inside of a tortilla. Well, part of a Big Mac. We all know (hopefully) that the Big Mac itself is

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

The Mac Snack Wrap is basically that, except instead of two all beef patties, it’s one half of a patty, and instead of the famous three-part bun, it’s dumped in an unfortunate flour tortilla. How could a poor tortilla be subjected to such an awful fate? It never hurt anyone.

Anyway, last week McDonald’s was kind enough to send me a Big Mac t-shirt, and some cards for free Mac Snack Wraps. I’ll admit that I was really not looking forward to eating this thing, but if someone sends me free food, I am wont to eat it. Everything tastes better when it’s free. It’s a scientifically proven fact.* (*No it’s not.)

Now, personally, I’ve always liked the Big Mac. It’s not my favorite, but every once in a while I crave that sauce. Sometimes a simple McDouble with Mac Sauce will suffice, others I can’t do without the signature sandwich itself. The only thing I really like about it is the sauce, actually. The meat-to-everything-else ratio is quite low for my tastes, and I’m not a huge fan of their pickles, shredded lettuce, or tiny diced onions. Which is a good portion of the burger…you know, the more I talk about the Big Mac, I realize maybe I don’t like it as much as I thought. I’ve confused myself.

In my neck of the woods, the Big Mac costs $4.19, and the Mac Snack Wrap is $1.89. When you consider that the wrap has one quarter as much beef as the burger, it doesn’t seem like much of a value. That’s always been my problem with wraps in general. You’re never really getting value. I LOVE VALUE. Another thing I don’t get is that people actually think the wrap is healthier than the sandwich. But really it has less calories because it’s so much smaller. (The wrap has 330, compared to 510 in the Big Mac). Pay more to eat better, I guess. One positive that can come from the wrap is that it’s much easier to eat, which I think was the whole purpose of the trend in the first place. The Big Mac, for example can get pretty messy. Definitely not made for eating on the go. The wrap, however, has no mess whatseover. You really don’t even need a napkin. In our million miles-per-hour society, it seems like the perfect solution. Because who really has 5 minutes to eat a burger anymore?

So now that I’ve basically told you I was always going to hate this, I’ll tell you what I actually thought of the Mac Snack Wrap. It was horrible. As you can see in the picture, it looks like everything fell on the floor and was then scooped up and dumped into a tortilla.

It was reminiscent of a failure pile, but much less appetizing. It was cold, and the piece of meat tasted as though it had literally been sitting there all day. Like they cut the patties in half in the morning, and I was the first person to get one all day (I ordered around dinner time). It was dry, cold, and flavorless. As far as the other ingredients, they were just the same as usual. The problem is that the meat-to-other ingredients ratio is now even lower, because they put the same amount of special sauce, lettuce, pickles and onions as there are on the actual burger, but with half a patty. The other problem is that it’s TERRIBLE. Did I mention that? I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t have that same signature flavor of the Big Mac. This may be the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. A couple days later I considered going back and giving it one more shot; maybe this was an aberration. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The experience with the first one was so bad that I cringed at the thought of it.

So McDonald’s, thank you for not making me pay $1.89 to be mentally scarred for the rest of my days, which, if I ate any more of these, would be very limited.

And with all of that said, you probably want to try one for yourself now! Leave a comment on this post to be eligible to win. McDonald’s will send two winners a Big Mac t-shirt (actually kind of cool), and a card for a free Mac Snack Wrap. Suggested topics:

• Thoughts on the Mac Snack Wrap, or wraps in general
• Other uses for the Mac Snack Wrap
• Haiku about the Mac Snack Wrap or other wraps
• Anything else related! Be creative

Here are my haikus:

Dearest McDonald’s,

Mac Snack Wrap is total shit

But I like your fries.

Kim Jong-Il is dead

Because of the Mac Snack Wrap.

‘Merica, f–k yeah!

Show your taste buds what they’ve been missing. Try our all-new Bacon Cheddar TOASTER MELT^™ on Texas Toast. Grilled onions, crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles and hickory BBQ sauce stacked high on a 100% pure beef patty.

Take on the savory Mushroom Swiss TOASTER MELT.^™ Two golden slices of Texas Toast on a 100% pure beef patty loaded with grilled onions, sautéed portobello mushrooms, mayo and Swiss cheese. It’s the best thing since toasted bread.

For the purposes of my review, I went with the dynamic duo of Bacon Cheddar. Upon inspection, I found a couple of jalepeños hidden inside. I double-checked the website to see if that was listed as an ingredient. It was not. I also found the Texas Toast to be very soft, and barely toasted. That there was only one piece of bacon was disappointing as well.

The main problem with this burger is the Texas toast. The bread-to-meat ratio is ridiculous. There may as well not have been any beef at all, because I couldn’t taste it. The other thing about the toast is that it was quite soggy. If it had been toasted more, it wouldn’t have soaked up so much sauce, and the added crunch would have been nice. The fact that Sonic uses foil wrappers didn’t help that either. As a whole, it kind of tasted like the McRib, due to the barbecue sauce-pickles-onions combo. The jalapeños added quite a bit of heat, as you might expect. For me, the best parts were the bacon and cheese because, well, bacon and cheese.

In the end, I came away disappointed. Texas toast is not suited for burgers or sandwiches. My taste buds are not suited for jalapeños. Yet another dud.

People have flocked in increasing numbers to these occasionally quick means of hunger management. In a 2010 study by Yale University it was reported that nearly 60% of all fast food consumers procure their burgers and shakes via the stop, yell and grab method. Drive Thru’s systematically rendered the Drive-In concept to be quaint, while continuously assisting in the obliteration of our Ozone layer via that never ending idling conga line of exhaust.

At one point in time it was considered glamorous to be awarded with the Drive Thru job during your shift. There may have even been a small amount of prestige that went with this tour of duty. I doubt it got you laid.

David Letterman had a reoccurring bit during his late night tenure at NBC where he would man the window at a local restaurant and gleefully confuse increasingly befuddled patrons as they tried to put in straight forward orders. It always culminated in enraged folks, only wanting their trans-fat soaked bag of carbs being strung along mercilessly to the delight of viewers and more importantly Dave himself.

Truly, the Drive Thru window had become a beloved institution in America.

Then we began to get wise to the power the Drive thru held over us. How many times had you been asked to pull up ahead and wait for someone to run you out a burger because you had the audacity to ask that the pickle be held? Why was it that you had to now request salt and ketchup? Why had Ronald revoked our God given rights to free condiments? How many times have you heard pimple face snickering in the background when replying that you wanted the “boy toy” with that Happy Meal?

The increasing resentment toward Drive Thru service is no more eloquently summarized in pop culture then Joe Pesci’s legendary profanity laced rant in Lethal Weapon 2, which remains the expected stereotypical outcome for anyone dumb enough to wait until getting home before checking an order for accuracy.

As the digital age stormed the golden arches et al, it has armed the consumer with Smart Phone prowess. This has turned the tide of power considerably and ensured that Drive Thru Cinema could be considered a legitimate art form. Today’s technology means whether it an elaborately planned joke or an improv based drive by, all can be captured if there is a iPhone at the ready. These days you can get it all up on You Tube before you even leave the parking lot and finish that McRib. And with that, the power has shifted from window jockey to the consumer.

Just look how quickly Coning became a phenomenon as the money shot was not someone manhandling soft serve, but the general shock or disbelief on the face of the drive thru operator.

I used to think operating the fry station at any restaurant would easily be the most hated job in Fast Food Land. You’d think having to labor hour upon hour in oppressive heat while fending off searing barrages of spitting grease only to trudge home defeated, smelling like you oil wrestled in Crisco all day would be the last choice of any kid reeling in those big minimum wage dollars.

My theory is soundly trounced upon viewing any of the Millions of You Tube videos in which poor corporate smocked souls manning the Drive-Thru window are continuously subjected to pranks, customers ordering as Elmo and other unrelenting torture via their two way headset.

The Drive Thru window could now be considered the Gulag of medial fast food jobs. Isolated from the majority of your co-workers, it’s just you against the elements. Namely aspiring Cinéma vérité Directors ordering up a sac of tacos while documenting your reaction to him made up as a Party Clown with nothing but a pair of Where’s the Beef? boxer shorts on.

And Heaven help you if you’re working the late night shift, in a County with lax drinking and driving enforcement and run out of McNuggets.

Last month, after two years of testing and tinkering, Wendy’s finally released its ‘new and improved’ burger. Through their extensive research, they found that customers felt the chain had fallen behind the times. It was a tough decision to make, but after 42 years without changing their product, it was time to make some improvements.

So what’s different about the Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburger? Well, it starts with the “juicier, thicker” beef. Not more beef, mind you. It’s still ¼ lb. for the single, ½ lb. for the double, and ¾ lb. for the triple. They also changed the shape of the beef patty, going for a “natural square,” with more wavy edges. Then there’s the cheese, of which there is supposedly more. The burgers now have “premium toppings,” which include “crinkle-cut pickles, sweet red onions, and thick sliced tomato.” They have also scrapped the mustard, opting just for ketchup and mayo. The buns are now “soft, warm and topped with real butter.” That all sounds nice, but how does the new burger taste?

I chose the ½ lb. double on this day, as I prefer the meat-to-everything else ratio of a double cheeseburger. At my local Wendy’s, it’s $3.49 for a single, $4.59 for a double, and $5.59 for a triple, which seems to be in line with the pricing of premium burgers at other chains. Upon inspecting the burger, I found that there was actually mustard hidden between the patties. Personally, I like mustard on a burger, so that was alright with me. I found my burger to be neither hot, nor juicy, which was a little disappointing, considering the name.

The beef itself tasted less salty than the old beef. The consistency was different; it was a very loose beef patty, easily falling apart. There were two slices of cheese, which were melted. Iceberg lettuce adds a crunch, along with the crinkle-cut pickles. The tomato was good, not too slimy, which is my usual problem with fast-food tomatoes. The sweet red onions didn’t add much to the overall flavor. The “soft, warm” bun was very average. It tasted fine, but wasn’t soft or warm. My main gripe is with the ketchup and mayo: there was way too much. They sort of engulfed the burger, and it was hard to taste the rest of the ingredients because of it. My favorite components were the melted cheese and crunchy pickles. The “premium toppings” were above average, but nothing special. The bun was a flop for me, and the burger would have been much more enjoyable if it weren’t for the sauce overload.

In all, I found this to be an average burger. When Wendy’s announced that they were changing their burgers for the first time in 42 years, it was big news in the food world. But I think this burger may be a victim of too much hype. If you’re expecting to be dazzled by “premium toppings” and “thicker, juicier beef,” you’ll come away disappointed. If you’re expecting a decent burger, that’s what you’ll get.

For those of you born after 1984 here is the original campaign, and then the new one:

What it lacks in Clara Peller it more than makes up for with an attempt at ironic hipster humor. Or not.

Perhaps its the nostalgia speaking but when the original ad was running you couldn’t go anywhere near a burger without someone sneaking up behind you to inquire “Where’s The Beef.” Which would often lead to someone being so startled that they would drop their burger onto the floor, thus making the answer to the question, “It’s on the floor you jerk.”  OK that never happened.

So what do you think? Are you expecting a wave of “Wheres the Beef?” at all hours of the day or will this new commercial fade away quickly?

Option #1: You can never eat burgers again.

Option #2: You can never eat sandwiches again.

Let’s not get too technical here and say “oh but a burger is a sandwich.” You know what a burger is, you know what a sandwich is, as traditionally defined. This includes ALL burgers, not just beef, so bison, veggie burger, lamb burger etc. Ditto sandwiches. Anything between pieces of bread, i.e. turkey, veggie, cheesesteak etc. is a sandwich.

Share in the comments why you made the choice you did.

The spot has been a favorite of Michelle & their daughters, who have been several times. However, the POTUS himself had yet to stop by, despite having twice visited Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington. Obama ordered a regular cheeseburger, fries and a salad, while the table shared a round of milkshakes. No word on Obama’s favorite milkshake of the bunch, which wedge salad he ordered, or if he tried any of Good Stuff’s 4 dipping mayos. Good Stuff is already slammed every time I go in there anywhere near lunch or dinner hours, but this visit from the POTUS can only give the burger join more press as they prepare to expand to Crystal City and Georgetown.

The burger is described as a 1/3lb Angus Beef Burger with hickory-smoked bacon, white cheddar, American cheese, steak sauce, Dijon mustard, grilled onions. It’s also touted as being on an “artisan roll”, which is different than the regular Angus burger bun. One reader of GrubGrade tried it and exclaimed:

it works and tastes unlike anything I’ve ever had from McDonald’s

First off, how unoriginal are McDonald’s and American fast food places in general with their cheese selections? Is it possible for a fast food place to EVER use a cheese that isn’t American or Cheddar? Yeah, you OCCASIONALLY get Swiss, but only in the context of a mushrooms & Swiss burger.  Why are these chains so unimaginative? Also, American cheese on an English Pub Burger? Sure, makes sense (*punches self in face*).

I also got a kick out of the placemat advertisement for it, which gives a one-paragraph description of the burger including popular English buzz words like “fancy”, “smashing”, and “gobsmacked.” For the average McDonald’s customer, who may not be cultured enough to know these terms, McDonald’s provides a handy glossary at the bottom of the placemat:

Awesome. A GrubGrade reader also snapped this picture of a bus stop ad for the new burger, just in case there were still any doubters out there:

Are there any So Good readers in Illinois or elsewhere who have seen or tried the English Pub Burger? If so, what did you think?

If you didn’t grill on Memorial Day, then what is your favorite grilled food? Are you a typical hot-dog-and-hamburgers grill master? Or hungry for a fire-blasted, smoky steak? Maybe you have more herbivorous tendencies, and like grilled corn or pineapple. Do you pair veggies with shrimp on a kabob? Do you get fancy with grilled pizza? What do you grill, So Good readers? Vote on your favorite grilled item below and explain in the comments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Shake Shack features a menu of burgers, fries, hot dogs, shakes and frozen custard. The shakes, much like those at Good Stuff Eatery, are made from a custard, rather than an ice cream base, making them extra sweet and rich.

The star of Shake Shack’s food is definitely the burgers. Hormone & antibiotic free angus beef, the patties are cooked to a juicy medium. Unlike some area burgers, this is a relatively grease free affair – the Shake Shack burger has a clean, fresh taste.

The french fries served are crinkle-cut style fries like you see served at Nathan’s or maybe your high school cafeteria, although these aren’t your soggy cafeteria fries, as they all have a crunchy, crispy exterior.

The opening party was jam-packed, and while it may feel like higher-end burger places are reaching a saturation point in DC, I’d say it’s a pretty good bet that Shake Shack will thrive.