Hacking menus at fast food restaurants isn’t a new concept. It’s been around for decades but only became more publicly known with the rise of the internet. Most hacks are fairly simple in execution: add a different condiment, swap meats, etc. However, some are insane monstrosities that push the limits of what is a sandwich, like the Land, Air & Sea sandwich from McDonald’s new Menu Hacks line.

The chain has been notoriously silent on the various ways in which customers have used existing menu items to create new (and sometimes colorfully named) products. It was sort of a shock to see it outright acknowledge the menu hacks with this recent promotion. Of course, it’s a win-win for McDonald’s with little effort and will easily end up making the chain some money through customers who are curious about what these items are.

The Land, Air & Sea consists of a Big Mac, McChicken, and Filet-O-Fish stacked together like an edible Jenga tower. It’s worth noting that any of the hack items you order will require you to assemble them yourself. I’m sure most people would assume that, but glancing at the ads can make it seem they’re pre-assembled. It makes sense why we have to do the assembly, but I still would have liked the sandwiches to come as ordered.

I set out the three sandwiches and attempted to replicate the photo from the ad as closely as possible. I was shocked by how much it looked like the promotional photo without much fluffing done. The first flavor to pop was the Filet-O-Fish and tartar sauce. After that came the familiar taste of the special sauce, chicken, and beef. Three bites in, the sandwich imploded into a pile of meats, sauces, and bread. While not awful, the flavor created by combining the three sandwiches wasn’t particularly interesting.

One issue was the leftover bun conundrum. After assembling it, I was left with the buns for both the Filet-O-Fish and McChicken. This was why I had hoped the assembly would be done in-store to avoid food waste. Lucky for me, I have a husband who will, without question, eat whatever I hand him, so the buns didn’t get thrown out.

My biggest issue was the cost. Ordering the Land, Air & Sea through the app was $9.99. I had an inclination that I could get the three sandwiches cheaper but went with the official item in the event there was anything special. There was no special packaging, wrapping, or anything to indicate the hack item. It was just a McChicken, Big Mac, and Filet-O-Fish. After it all was said and done, I went back to the app to see if I could get a deal on the three sandwiches. Through an in-app deal on the Big Mac and Filet-O-Fish, I could get all three for under $7.

The Land, Air & Sea has been a well-known off-menu hack for over a decade, so it’s no surprise that McDonald’s would include it on its Hack Menu. There is certainly a novelty to it, but I think the overall experience makes it hard to recommend. If you’re adamant about trying it, I’d certainly explore the cheaper ordering route instead of through the official Hack Menu. I do like McDonald’s is now openly acknowledging the hacks and would like to see other ones (like the McCrepe) featured on a future menu.

Update: We also reviewed other Menu Hacks — the Crunchy Double and Surf + Turf.

Purchased Price: $9.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1330 calories, 69 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 160 milligrams of cholesterol, 2150 milligrams of sodium, 123 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 55 grams of protein.

After combining a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger with a Filet-O-Fish to create the Surf + Turf Menu Hack, the biggest question I have isn’t about how the Franken-wich tastes. Instead, it’s what the McHeck do I do with the extra top bun?

I’m left with some extra bread-age because I wanted to make it look like what’s in the promotional photo, so I put aside the Filet-O-Fish’s top bun and placed the tartar sauce-topped fish filet and the fish sandwich’s bottom bun between the Double Cheeseburger’s two halves. I imagine I could’ve just slapped the extra bun on top of everything and had the Atkins and Keto gods shake their carb-deprived heads in disapproval. Instead, the extra bun is a pain in my filet as it sits in my fridge.

Creating the menu hack was also a pain. Have you ever tried to pry apart the two beef patties in a Double Cheeseburger that are pasted together with a Pasteurized Process American Cheese slice? It’s as frustrating as trying to get bubblegum off a shoe’s sole. The cheese prevented me from pulling the patties away from each other cleanly with my fingers. I eventually got them separated, but a patty was harmed in the making of this hack.

All right, enough about sandwich construction. Let’s move on to sandwich conMUNCHion.

I thought the addition of tartar sauce to a cheeseburger would be odd, but it’s not bad. And after thinking about it, it’s like mayo and pickles, which are on other burgers. So maybe it’s not weird. But, it has me thinking about adding tartar sauce to a burger in the future. Oh, perhaps I’m weird.

I could taste the beef with a few bites as I ate the sandwich, but the fish’s flavor stood out the most between the surf and turf. The tartar sauce comes through with every bite and gives everything a pleasant tanginess. The Surf + Turf is also quite cheesy, thanks to the three Pasteurized Process American Cheese slices. They stand out flavor-wise as much as the tartar sauce. And, as I experienced with the Crunchy Double, the ketchup and mustard get lost among all the other ingredients.

I occasionally crave a Filet-O-Fish, and I often crave a McDonald’s Cheeseburger. While I like eating these sandwiches individually, when they’re together, I get less delight out of them. I kept thinking that I’d like it more if the fish wasn’t there, but that wouldn’t be in keeping with the menu hack.

I’m glad I finally got around to trying McDonald’s Surf + Turf. I’ve known about the hack for a while but never had the motivation to make it before since it’s something I could make at any time. But, after trying it, I’m not motivated to construct and eat it again.

Although, making it again will give me another extra bun to pair with the one sitting in my fridge.

Update: We also reviewed other Menu Hacks — the Crunchy Double and Land, Air & Sea.

Purchased Price: $7.28
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 830 calories, 42 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 1700 milligrams of sodium, 73 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 41 grams of protein.

Update: We also reviewed other Menu Hacks — the Surf + Turf and Land, Air & Sea.

I thought I knew all of the McDonald’s menu hacks before they were McDonald’s Menu Hacks. Land, Air & Sea and Surf + Turf, the other two non-breakfast hacks the chain is promoting, are two that I’ve seen before. But the Crunchy Double is a creation I’ve never come across.

To create it, you have to bring together a Double Cheeseburger with a six-piece Chicken McNuggets and Tangy BBQ. Yes, YOU have to build it.

Combining the two menu items appears to be simpler than the other two mentioned above — pull off the bottom bun, place a layer of McNuggets on it, pour the sauce on the nuggets, and then place the rest of the Double Cheeseburger on top of it. Despite my 20-piece jigsaw puzzle prowess, I was able to put only four of the six nuggets on the bun to make a layer. If you’re able to put five or six on the bun neatly, I bow down to you. Also, teach me your McNugget puzzle ways, sensei.

I didn’t expect a Double Cheeseburger with McNuggets and barbecue sauce stuffed in it would be anything special, but I was surprised by how much I loved it and how much its flavor and texture remind me of a “Western” cheeseburger or chicken sandwich. Sometimes the McNuggets’ seasoned coating comes through and overwhelms the beef patty’s flavor. But other times, it’s the beef that stands out.

But when it comes to condiments, the Tangy BBQ takes the condiment reins from the ketchup and mustard in the Double Cheeseburger. It’s as if the red and yellow toppings weren’t even there, but the napkin I used to wipe my hands and mouth assured me they were there. As for the pickles, they add a sour tang that helps push the whole Western burger/chicken sandwich flavor.

But, my favorite aspect of the sandwich is the combination of the chopped onion’s flavor with the McNuggets’ crispy texture, which makes it seem like there are onion rings in the burger.

My least favorite part about the Crunchy Double is its name. I’ve never considered McNuggets to have a crunchy texture. Crispy? Yes. And I believe this so deeply that I accidentally typed or started typing “Crispy Double” every time I should’ve typed “Crunchy Double.” The only way this could truly be a Crunchy Double is if, instead of McNuggets, this had a layer of those small, pointy French fry end nubs that fall to the bottom of fry sleeves.

McDonald’s says Menu Hacks can only be ordered through its app. But, let’s be honest, they can be ordered via the drive-thru, in the restaurant, or even through the app, but instead of ordering a Crunchy Double, you just have to order a Double Cheeseburger and a six-piece McNuggets with Tangy BBQ. It’s the same price no matter how you order it.

I’m glad I now know about McDonald’s Crunchy Double. It was worth putting together.

Purchased Price: $5.98
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 740 calories, 39 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1890 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 39 grams of protein.

I have had a McRib. In fact, I have had more than one McRib. If I had to guess, I’d wager that I’ve had somewhere between three and five McRibs. Each fall, there are some immutable truths: your brother-in-law will attempt to persuade you to let him take you deer hunting, people will spend the week after the time change complaining about how early it gets dark, and McDonald’s will act like they are doing the world no small favor by bringing back everyone’s favorite processed pork-parts patty.

And every three or four years, I go, “Do I like a McRib? People go nuts for these things. But I can’t remember…” And so I eat one and then go right back to forgetting. But now that I am committing my thoughts to the Internet — and provided the domain fees for this site continue to be paid — I will never again forget how I feel about this annual porkwich.

Here’s how I feel: I probably don’t need to eat another one of these again in my life.

That’s not to say this sandwich is aggressively bad or that it is an affront to my gastric sensibilities; it’s fine. But “fine” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and the fact of the matter is this: there are 15 better menu items you can order from McDonald’s.

Furthermore, if you have an unyielding hankering for a pork-patty sandwich, you can probably get a cheaper and more delicious one somewhere else. QuikTrip, a multi-region chain of convenience stores, sells a much better and cheaper BBQ pork riblet sandwich. I mean, sure, you have to microwave it yourself, but it’s a small trade-off for a vastly superior product.

So, what is it about the McRib that keeps me from — ba-da-ba-ba-ba — loving it?

The pork patty itself is perfectly okay. It’s meaty and chewy, and what one probably expects from “restructured meat” composed primarily of pork shoulder. It’s inoffensive (if uninspired). There are no “subtle undertones” or “complex nuances” to be had; it is chewy, and identifiably meat, and that’s pretty much it.

The same can be said of the pickles, which are McD’s standard, flimsy sour discs, and the onions, which are respectably crunchy and tangy. The bun is a bland (but again, just fine) homestyle roll that is dusted with some sort of seed. (Nearly everything on the Internet identifies it as a sesame seed bun, but this isn’t true. The ones on the McRib bun are tiny and round and yellow, like a poppy seed, but not. I think this is called “corn dusted”?)

Anyway, what I think really ruins the McRib is the bath of sweet sauce the patty receives. The sauce is tart and pungently tangy, like ketchup that has gone south, and the sandwich is absolutely SWIMMING in it. You cannot take a bite of this thing without splurting or dripping the sticky red goo everywhere. It is a slasher-film of a lunch.

In the end, I think this sandwich thrives off of two things: 1) nostalgia and 2) limited availability. I’d be genuinely surprised if many people try one for the first time this November and instantly begin a countdown clock until its sloppy return.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 520 calories, 28 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 890 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugars, and 24 grams of protein.

(Editor’s Note: Last year, I decided we would review the McRib every time it returns, and each time it would be a different writer. I’m doing it mostly for funsies, but I also want to read different takes on this sandwich. If you’re interested, here’s our review from 2020.)

When Dunkin’ dropped the “Donuts” from its name, I never would have guessed good ol’ Ronald would be the one to stumble over from the 2 am drive-thru line and try to pick it up.

Sure, McDonald’s added several baked goods to its McCafe menu last year, which is clearly competing with Dunkin’ and Starbucks for morning notoriety, but a donut at McDonald’s? It all feels a little too “dreams do come true” for my Standard American Diet heart to handle. But that’s exactly where we are with McDonald’s first Limited Time Only offering to its McCafe Bakery menu: the Glazed Pull Apart Donut.

The donut is described as light and airy and coated in a delicious, sweet glaze. Visually and conceptually, a bunch of donut holes all shoved together in a pull apart fashion, I love this donut. In terms of its execution, it’s just okay. Before I go any deeper, can we address the elephant in the room — why wasn’t this called the McDonut? Gold.

I asked the cashier if it’s served warm like the Cinnamon Roll, and she said they could warm it if I wanted, which I opted out of so I could try both ways when I got home. At room temperature, the donut is relatively firm but soft — it doesn’t give under the pressure of my fingers but has a gentle and slightly bouncy chew.

The fluffy texture of the yeasty dough reminds me of the bun on McChicken in the best way. It has that artificial squish akin to Wonder Bread, and I find it endearing in this context. The sweetness of the glaze is relatively mild with a vanilla flare and a touch of salt. I get much more of a fried bread flavor than I was expecting for a fully glazed doughnut; it’s kind of savory when compared to Dunkin’ or especially Krispy Kreme, and I wish it were a touch sweeter.

Warmed up, it tastes mostly the same but has a softer and almost melty texture that helps tame some of the more bready notes that jump out at room temperature. The heat helps activate the sweetness, and I found myself nodding my head in approval — this is what I was looking for. I’m not usually one to warm my pastries unless it seems absolutely necessary, and in this case, I 100% recommend it.

The biggest point of intrigue is the center — is it the best part like a cinnamon roll? Yes, yes, it is. While it doesn’t reach the same ooey-gooey heights that the center of a Cinnabon does, it is softer and a bit more glaze-soaked than the outer wannabe Munchkins are and delivers deliciously sweet satisfaction.

As fun as it was to devour an entire family of donut holes, picking them off one by one like a 90s slasher movie antagonist, I can’t help but wonder how much better it could have been if it were just a touch sweeter and softer. I enjoyed the McDonald’s donut experience, but unless I’m already in line with a massive craving for a donut on the side of my Big Mac, I have zero inclination to go out of my way to eat it again, no matter how fun the form factor is.

Purchased Price: $1.79
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 donut) 310 calories, 17 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 15 gram of sugar, 4 grams of protein.