REVIEW: McDonald’s Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder

As the summer sun beats down upon our heads, McDonald’s has decided to also make the insides of our heads burn with its new Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The burger features a 1/4 lb beef patty, two American cheese slices, three half-strips of bacon, a cheese sauce, and jalapeno slices on a sesame seed bun. It’s basically a spicy bacon cheeseburger.

My order came with ten jalapeno slices. TEN! Of course, your results may vary. With that generous amount of brined, spicy peppers, I thought the flavor and heat would overwhelm the rest of the sandwich. But the cheese sauce tempers the spiciness and vinegary peppery punch with its salty processed cheese product goodness. But the sauce doesn’t make this spicy Quarter Pounder tolerable to those who are heat adverse. Also, oddly, the orange condiment has the viscosity of spackle, making it hard for gravity to pull down the jalapenos stuck to the sauce.

Yes, there are also the two American cheese slices that are in every Quarter Pounder, but they don’t stand out here because the sauce is cheesier and saltier. I imagine if the slices were left alone to manage the jalapenos’ heat and flavor, they wouldn’t stand a chance, and I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed this burger.

Now let’s get to the meat of the menu item.

The beef patty and bacon’s saltiness and meatiness still come through despite the strong jalapeno taste and cheesiness. The bacon’s smokiness is also noticeable with most bites. Unfortunately, the pork pieces are chewy but not crispy. However, the jalapenos do add some texture by providing a pleasant crunch.

I plan to reorder this tasty McDonald’s Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Quarter Pounder. Although when I do, I’ll probably customize it with extra cheese sauce to make it truly taste cheesy since the American cheese was no help in that department. But again, this is just a spicy bacon cheeseburger with pretty much the same ingredients we’ve seen in offerings from other fast food chains. There’s nothing groundbreaking flavor-wise here.

After eating the burger, my face looked and felt a little flushed thanks to the eight jalapeno slices, and I did reach for a cold drink a couple of times while eating this. But then again, my head might’ve felt that way due to the combination of this burger and the summer heat.

Purchased Price: $7.89*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 650 calories, 38 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1760 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 37 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.