With hot burger vegetables being an issue in the 1980s, McDonald’s rolled out the McDLT, a burger that promised to keep the hot side hot and the cool side cool.
It came in a white styrofoam container with two compartments. The bottom bun and the quarter pound beef patty were in one compartment and the lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, cheese, and top bun were in the other. The L in its name stood for lettuce, T stood for tomato, and I can only assume the D stood for dumb idea.
Its commercials claimed it could be the best lettuce and tomato hamburger ever. Well, it’s not around anymore, so I guess that’s a sign it’s not.
Even though I had it more than once, I don’t think I was ever enamored with it. Maybe it was the extra work I had to do to bring together the two sides. Or maybe I still didn’t like vegetables then. Or maybe the McDLT could pull me away from my beloved Chicken McNuggets, which debuted a couple of years earlier and was part of the McDonaldland universe.
Maybe if the McDLT had its own McDonaldland character, I would’ve liked it more. But I think it was developed for grown up palates.
Besides its container, another interesting thing about the McDLT was one of its commercials. It starred a guy many of you older folks know as George Constanza on Seinfeld and some of you younger folks know as George Constanza on Seinfeld reruns. Before Jason Alexander was George Constanza, he was singing and dancing his way through a McDLT commercial.
Oh, that jingle will be stuck in your head all day.
You’re welcome!