When I was sharing the news that McDonald’s now has a Mac Jr. with a co-worker (side note: we’re marketers, so creativity is always on the brain), we both deemed it a lack of innovation on Mickey D’s part for calling it Jr. since so many other chains Jr.-ize their burgers.
Personally, I think it should be called the Baby Mac. So much so, in fact, that I’ve had to stop myself from writing Baby instead of Jr. several times already.
But lack of creativity in the name is not what I’m here to judge, so let me tell you about the size and the flavor. While the good old Big Mac has two meat patties, you’ll find just one on the limited time only Mac Jr. From bottom to top, the burger was built as so: Bun, cheese, meat, pickle, onion (very little onion on mine), lettuce, Big Mac sauce and bun.
I’m going to have to agree with Leonard here, I wish the meat was more prevalent in size. Because the patty was so thin, it left me wanting more. (Thank goodness I also picked up an Oreo McFlurry. Purchase price? $1.99 for a snack size.) I easily polished off the burger without feeling completely satisfied.
But that being said, the taste was on point. There was a great ratio of cheese to meat, and the pickles were fresh and crunchy. And the sauce? Oh, the Big Mac sauce. My only gripe is that my friendly McDonald’s Mac Jr. assembler was a little heavy-handed on the sauce. As soon as I unwrapped the paper, it was oozing out of the sides. Delicious and warm, but slightly too much. I think this is the case where it’s just a tad too much of a good thing.
If you’re in the mood for the Baby Mac, err… Mac Jr., you won’t be disappointed in flavor. McDonald’s definitely gets that right. However, I caution to you add some fries or that beautiful, sweet McFlurry if you’re looking for a complete meal but don’t want the extra meat and bun of a Big Mac or Grand Mac.
(Nutrition Facts – 460 calories, 240 calories from fat, 27 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 830 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 21 grams of protein.)
Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Cost is less than my morning coffee order. It’s the adorable little sibling of the Mac family.
Cons: Pretty thin meat patty, a bit too much sauce (but is that really a problem?)
I tried this but didn’t like it. It tastes different than the Big Mac. They add “grill seasonings” to the Mac Jr. and the Grand Mac. When I took a bite of the Mac Jr. I expected it to have the same taste as the Big Mac and it didn’t. I won’t order this again.
Love the marketing angle. Baby Mac is definitely a better name.
I wonder if overdoing the sauce is a general directive, since mine (yesterday, first time I tried it) was the same. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Big Mac. Maybe it’s the seasonings that DJ mentions, or maybe I just like bread that much.
Yes, I guess the best way to describe it is this way. When I get a Whopper Jr. it tastes just like the Whopper to me. Sadly, the Mac Jr., for whatever reason, didn’t taste like a Big Mac to me nor did the Grand Mac taste like the Big Mac to my husband.
Good comp. I miss the $1 Whopper Jr (that’s in the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayback machine). Two of those + $1 fries was my dinner more often than I’d ever admit in public.
Thats O.K.! =) Burger King has always been my favorite, although I don’t like their fries as much any more. Wendy’s and McDonalds (when just made and extra salt added!) are my favorites now.
The whole Grand Mac/Mac Jr thing is such a sad attempt at innovation. McDs has lost it.
When I first tried the Grand Mac, I was impressed, however, a follow up visit showed it’s true colors! The Great Bait and Switch! The patties were MUCH larger the first time around. It truly makes no sense to purchase the Grand Mac with such underwhelming patties. I wished I had read these reviews prior to purchasing
My default order has always been a double cheeseburger +add Big Mac sauce…none of that useless lettuce!