It seems like McDonald’s is making a lot of big moves this year. But this one is actually kind of sad. Their menu is going through a big change, and it looks like a lot of go-to items are getting cut.
Around two years ago, McDonald’s experimented with some very special burgers and sandwiches. But unfortunately, it looks like they just aren’t as popular as everyone hoped. Hey — as long as they keep the Quarter Pounder and Big Mac, I’m happy.
Business Insider saw the leaked plans and reports that the items will be phased out around June 5th. So if you’ve been meaning to try them, now is definitely the time.
That means that the Mushroom and Swiss burger will be no more. The Mushroom and Swiss Artisan Grilled Chicken and the Bacon Smokehouse Artisan Grilled Chicken are also likely getting the ax. More or less, if it has “artisan” in the description, consider it gone.
This move means that McDonald’s will have a lot more room in their kitchen. Prior to these items entering the lineup, they had no use for mushrooms, artisan rolls, or aioli before. If you think about it, those don’t really scream “McDonald’s,” so maybe this is a good move.
They might not have been huge sellers, but they had plenty of rave reviews. So, a bunch of McDonald’s fans are going to be brokenhearted if the rumors are true.
The Swiss mushroom melt with grilled chicken on an artisan roll at McDonald's umm.. it's delicious. I had it for lunch
— Jackie (@Jackie_Healey) December 8, 2017
But, plenty of people were also grossed out by it. Mushrooms are something you either love or hate, and it’s hard to trust them when they come from a fast food chain.
It is a bummer that Swiss cheese will be leaving the menu. Plenty of customers who knew it was in stock liked to add it to nontraditional items.
In fact, if McDonald’s changes their mind, they should at least keep the Swiss. And maybe add some cheddar while they’re at it.
McDonald's doesn't have Swiss cheese anymore and I'm expected to believe there's a god looking out for us?
— ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔦 𝔛𝔇𝔛 (@nitsudkyos) January 24, 2015
But then again, this is a company that took way too long to bring us one of the best comfort foods ever — cheese fries. So, the possibility of a three-cheese burger may still be a little far out.
McDonald’s briefly addressed the news in a statement that was pushing new Quarter Pounder burgers. Since the Quarter Pounder now comes with fresh beef, they feel as if that will be a great option for people looking for the Artisan lineup.
“Based on their feedback, we’ll move away from the Signature Crafted Recipes line on our national menu,” they wrote on their website. “Our fresh new Quarter Pounder lineup brings customers more of the craveable, customizable and delicious tastes they love.”
The new burgers are called the Quarter Pounder Deluxe and Quarter Pounder Bacon.
And they look like they’re destined to be winners. Never before has a burger with bacon on it not succeeded. And the Deluxe offers toppings you never knew you needed.
This isn’t the first time the Quarter Pounder Deluxe has been on the menu. It looks like they initially introduced it in 2013 to replace the Angus Deluxe in participating locations.
McDonald's got rid of the Quarter Pounder Deluxe, oh, the humanity!
— Nekolukka (@nekolukka) June 26, 2017
And there have been reports that the Quarter Pounder Bacon has also been on the menu before.
According to BrandEating, the Deluxe that was introduced years ago included tomatoes, lettuce, a slice of American cheese, mayonnaise, red onions, and pickles. So, your standard burger toppings.
The original Quarter Pounder with Cheese, which is still good, has two slices of cheese, but no tomatoes or lettuce. You might not have even realized they were absent until this very moment.
McDonald’s reportedly stated that sales went up after introducing the fancier burgers. It’s possible that people were curious, since it seems like territory that McDonald’s wouldn’t even want to touch. There are far too many other places offering a gourmet burger.
But, it probably wasn’t worth all the extra storage. And let’s face it — isn’t it weird to see a McDonald’s burger without a standard sesame seed bun?
Plus, cutting out these menu items means they can put more focus on fresh beef. The healthy move was a risk for the company, since fresh meat is a lot more expensive, but the change has been really great for both the customers and McDonald’s.
The new quarter pounder at McDonalds made with fresh beef is..... really tasty, don't judge me😋
— SM☆rider (@SMrider86) April 21, 2018
The items being cut also used the fresh beef patties, according to the McDonald’s website, but just couldn’t compete.
However, in the ever-changing world of fast food, the items may make a grand comeback someday. So even though you won’t be able to enjoy a Bacon Smokehouse Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich from McDonald’s in a couple of weeks, it might show up on the menu sometime in the future.
Or, a product just like it may come out. People are already saying that the Quarter Pounder Deluxe is almost the same as the Big ‘N Tasty, which is another discontinued burger.
No matter what, I trust that McDonald’s knows what they’re doing. Out of all the fast food companies out there, they’re really trying to make changes that are good for both their company and their customers.
