This article originally appeared on another site I used to own in 2015 and that’s long-dead. I’ve recovered the text from it but most of the images are now missing.
OK. I don’t know how fair it is to review a burger that I designed myself because, in theory, I should definitely thoroughly enjoy it by default. So instead, I’m reviewing the “experience” of this process, with mention to some anecdotes as well.
What is Create Your Own Taste at McDonald’s?
It’s a fancy machine that lets you custom-design your burger order. It’s like a futuristic burger version of Subway. Basically, there are these big touch screens that allow you to make your burger from about 30 different ingredients. You can choose from multiple buns, cheeses, meats, salads, sauces, etc. The presentation is fancier than normal too- but I think this was just for the friends and family preview night.
A bit of back story
This is the second special McDonald’s event I’ve been to. A few years ago, McDonald’s had a series of tours you could book yourself into, for members of the public to go on a guided tour with the manager to find out about all that happens behind the scenes. It was actually very interesting. The rest of my tour group didn’t turn up so I got a one-on-one tour with the owner. It was far more interesting than you’d probably expect, but enough about that. I got invited to this by my friend who works there. Her manager asked her to invite me because she knows I like fast food and talk about it on social media a lot. I got to invite some friends but in the end, they couldn’t come, so the original girl who invited me went with me instead. She was originally going to go earlier, but this ended up working out well for her too.
What did I order?
I regret not looking up the options before I went there because I don’t think I really made the best choices here. I could have done so much more, but given all the options at once, I panicked and selected whatever options I could together as quickly as possible. Of course, being really hungry didn’t help either. This was almost as disastrous as a trip to Subway is for me as I can never choose what I want there either. A trip to Subway can be really confusing for all involved.
- (Default includes 113g Angus Beef is included)
- 1 Brioche Style Bun
- 1 Rasher Bacon
- 1 Extra 113g Angus Beef
- 1 Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 Chipotle Mayo
- 1 Grilled Mushrooms
- 1 Caramelised Onions
Note: You can remove the default Angus Beef if you don’t want meat
Just by looking at it, you can probably spot my first mistake. Look how brown it is. It almost looks like I was trying to make the meatiest burger ever- but even still, I could have done a better job than that. The lack of salad was actually a hindrance. It made the burger look really dull and I feel I have a new appreciation for tomato and lettuce; they seem to add a bit of moisture to the burger which seems to help with the taste, as well as the overall appearance of the burger. I also think that one piece of cheese to each piece of beef would have been better, and more bacon too.
I found it hard to work out how much each of the ingredients cost. There’s actually a price that appears after you select something. Things like bacon cost $1 extra and other smaller items are $0.60 each (such as tortilla chips and guacamole).
What else can the Create Your Taste machine do?
The machine also gives you the option to buy fries and drinks, and the choice to eat in or take away. Luckily for me, they were giving away free fries and drinks to us tonight for the friends and family of staff- so that saved me a few bucks.
There was also an extra part on the receipt that acts as a table/order number. You stick it to a sign on your table to make it easier for staff to find you.
What could the future hold for Create Your Taste?
I’ve heard chicken will be added as an option later this year. I predict it will get added to the MyMacca’s app eventually too (McDonald’s has an app now). I think it could be used to make your own Breakfast McMuffins in the morning too.
Verdict
I really hope McDonald’s keeps Create Your Taste permanently and continues to refine it. This creates much more of an experience and much more of a talking point than the regular McDonald’s dine-in experience. I’d like to see other chains try something similar. The quality of your burger will depend on what you order. I think it’s definitely worth trying a few times until you find your perfect burger.
Update: My 2nd attempt at Create Your Taste
I went again a week later and paid more attention to what I was ordering. I now know that quite a few ingredients are free so I didn’t have to skimp on things.
- (Default includes 113g Angus Beef is included)
- 1 Brioche Style Bun
- 1 Chipotle Mayo
- 1 Big Mac sauce
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 Long Sliced Pickles
- 1 Sliced Tomato
- 1 Whole Leaf Lettuce
- 1 Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 Natural Cheddar
- 1 Rasher Bacon
- 1 Crispy Bacon
- 1 Grilled Mushroom
- 1 Caramelised Grilled Onion
I didn’t get a photo, but this time our drinks were served in clear plastic cups which looked much nicer than the regular paper cups. The fancy jar drink bottle was not used. My meal came to around $16 (inclusive of the drink and fries this time).
They still used the wooden board and the chips in the metal cage thing, as these are permanent features of the experience. This burger was much nicer. The green and red vegetables really helped- so make sure you include some on your burger when you Create Your Taste. The fries are regular sized but look deceptively big in the photos.
