Review: McDonald's - Signature Crafted Garlic White Cheddar Burger

McDonald's Signature Crafted Garlic White Cheddar Burger features creamy garlic aioli, crispy garlic chips, a slice of sharp white cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a quarter-pound beef patty on a toasted artisan bun.

I went and bought one for $4.89.

McDonald's is in the midst of rolling out a switch to fresh beef patties for their Quarter Pounders that are grilled-to-order. The same beef patties are also used in the Signature Crafted burgers and this was my first time encountering the new patties.

Appearance-wise, this was the nicest beef patty I've seen from McDonald's. Usually I receive a patty that's almost a uniform brown all around but this one actually had some sear marks and a bit of char. While it wasn't juicy all-around, it was juicy at parts and generally moist.

The garlic aioli was quite tangy and very garlicky which was great because I love garlic. It's buoyed by the lightly crispy, lightly seasoned, and slightly charred garlic chips.

The cheddar cheese was actual cheese rather than the processed white cheddar that they've gone with in the past, which meant it was actually sharp enough to taste against the other ingredients but also that it was more resistant to melting (and in this case, it wasn't melted at all). The taste was a welcomed and surprising addition given that most cheese (real or otherwise) in other fast food burgers that I've eaten tended to be overly mild.

Instead of lettuce that is advertised, my burger had baby spinach and kale, which made me think that they were trying to get rid of the leftovers from Signature Sriracha option that the Garlic White Cheddar Burger replaced. The flavor was mild enough that it didn't make a notable difference (and I felt slightly healthier for eating the kale and spinach versus shredded lettuce). Both the greens and the tomatoes were relatively fresh.

The bun was nicely toasted but a just a touch too hearty.

Between the garlic, the sharp cheddar cheese, and the new beef patty, McDonald's Signature Crafted Garlic White Cheddar Burger turned out excellently and might be my new favorite on the McDonald's menu.

Nutritional Info - McDonald's Garlic White Cheddar Burger
Calories - 620 (from Fat - 300)
Fat - 34g (Saturated Fat - 13g)
Sodium - 790mg
Carbs - 48g (Sugar - 11g)
Protein - 32g