McDonald's Mac Jr., Big Mac, and Grand Mac Comparison

McDonald's new Mac Jr. and Grand Mac respectively offer new smaller and bigger versions of the chain's Big Mac. I tried all three to see how they compare to each other.

The Mac Jr. cost me $1.99 while the Big Mac was $3.99, and the Grand Mac was $4.79.

All three sandwiches include the same combination of beef, American cheese, Big Mac sauce, lettuce, pickles, onions, and a sesame bun, albeit in differing portions.

The bun width for the Mac Jr. and Big Mac are the same, while the Grand Mac has a much wider bun. Both the Mac Jr. and Grand Mac feature a slightly thicker, mostly wider beef patty than the Big Mac (the Mac Jr. comes with one and the Grand Mac with two). The Grand Mac gets an extra slice of cheese to cover the increased circumference.

As far as value goes, you get the most bang for your buck with the Mac Jr. It's half the cost of the Big Mac but includes almost as much beef (21 grams versus 25 grams for the Big Mac). It's followed by the Grand Mac, which for less than a buck more than the Big Mac gives you more of everything. Last is the Big Mac, which doesn't make sense for $3.99, which is the same price as two Mac Jrs.

In taste, they all more or less taste the same: beef offset with mildly tangy, sweet, and creamy special sauce with a bit of melted cheese and curiously bland onions plus the occasional pickle. The Mac Jr. is the beefiest of the bunch given the lack of the middle bun. The Grand Mac is just a little meatier than the Big Mac because even though it has more beef, it's stretched out quite a bit.

As for recommendations, I prefer the Mac Jr. for an affordable, meatier rendition, especially if you don't care for the third bun. The Grand Mac is nice if you've always wished the Big Mac was bigger as it gives you more of all the components but keeps roughly the same proportions. I'd go with the Big Mac for nostalgia or if you prefer your McDonald's burgers on the tall side.

Nutritional Info - McDonald's Grand Mac
Calories - 860 (from Fat - 470)
Fat - 52g (Saturated Fat - 18g)
Sodium - 1470mg
Carbs - 62g (Sugar - 13g)
Protein - 41g

Nutritional Info - McDonald's Big Mac
Calories - 540 (from Fat - 250)
Fat - 28g (Saturated Fat - 10g)
Sodium - 950mg
Carbs - 46g (Sugar - 9g)
Protein - 25g

Nutritional Info - McDonald's Mac Jr.
Calories - 460 (from Fat - 240)
Fat - 27g (Saturated Fat - 9g)
Sodium - 830mg
Carbs - 36g (Sugar - 7g)
Protein - 21g