McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Review: Is the New Burger Worth the Hype?

The burger is actually good. The CEO’s video is not.

EXPERT OPINION BY MICAH SOLOMON, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXPERT @MICAHSOLOMON

Photo: Courtesy Company

The call came from my wife, who was out shopping at Costco. “Would you like me to bring home a product for lunch? I could hear the air quotes around “product” and knew what was up. As I expected, she soon arrived home with a McDonald’s bag and two Big Arch burgers and some fries. She shouted, “Surprise!” I pretended to be. 

Here are some of my observations, even before taking a bite: 

1. The Big Arch is, in fact, big.  

I’d describe it as hefty, a handful, or presumably a mouthful. Its size is about the same as a Big Mac. Maybe it’s a bit bigger. The difference is that a Big Mac’s burger is somehow more generic. This is offset by the Big Mac’s famous condiments — special sauce, pickles, onions, and the rest. 

2. McDonald’s CEO was right about one thing — the bun is something to behold.  

Not that he made that case articulately. As I transcribed his words, approximately, “We’ve used a sort of bun with sort of sesame seeds and poppy seeds.” Well, actually, the bun’s not sort of that. It’s exactly that, with a generous helping of both types of seeds actually embedded in the top of the bun.  

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Curious to see the entire bun “product,” my wife turned the sandwich over carefully to peek at the bottom. She found sesame seeds and poppy seeds thoughtfully embedded there as well, which is something I’ve never seen on a burger and only once (hello, Eltana) on a bagel. 

3. I have to take back my second point.  

So much for the legendary McDonald’s consistency. I did the same inspection of my bun’s bottom half, spilling a bit of lettuce in the process, and found exactly one poppy seed on mine. At least this bun’s inconsistency is happening in an entirely new product, so they may yet figure out how to get it right. 

OK, my wife and I are ready to take a real bite rather than McDonald’s CEO’s performative micro-nibble. 

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