{"id":19569,"date":"2016-01-22T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=19569"},"modified":"2024-02-27T17:25:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T03:25:38","slug":"review-mcdonalds-italian-and-greek-mctasters-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/01\/22\/review-mcdonalds-italian-and-greek-mctasters-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: McDonald’s Italian and Greek McTasters (Canada)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m going to admit it: I liked the McPizza.<\/p>\n

I ordered it quite a few times during its brief but memorable life, and I mourned for its little pizza soul when it inevitably got pulled from the menu (because let’s face it, pizza at McDonald’s was never going to be a thing, as much as they pushed hard to make it happen<\/a>).<\/p>\n

It’s okay, McPizza: you\u2019re in McDonald’s heaven now, partying with the Super Hero Burger<\/a> and trading war stories with the McDLT<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So when I heard that McDonald’s was taking another culinary excursion to Italy (and stopping off in Greece for good measure), I got pretty excited. It’s never going to fill the McPizza-sized hole in my heart, but then is anything ever going to fill that hole? No. The answer to that question is no. <\/p>\n

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

Happily, the Italian leg of Ronald McDonald’s European tour was actually pretty satisfying. The Italian McTaster consists of a Junior Chicken patty, topped with lettuce, tomato, parmesan and herb sauce, and parmesan flakes, all on a ciabatta bun (dubbed an “artisan-style bun” in a further attempt by the fast food chains to make the word artisan completely meaningless).<\/p>\n

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

I enjoyed it. The herby, slightly garlicky sauce works in tandem with the salty Parmesan to give the sandwich a nice zingy kick of flavour, and the lettuce and tomato adds some welcome freshness. The chicken was a standard-issue Junior Chicken patty, and the chewy ciabatta bun suited it quite well.<\/p>\n

However, like a vacation that doesn’t quite know when to end, the Greek McTaster wraps things up on a sour note. <\/p>\n

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

It consists of a standard beef patty (the smaller one, not the Quarter Pounder or the Angus) topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, and Mediterranean olive sauce. It’s basically a Greek salad on a burger, which doesn’t sound like a horrible idea in theory, but the execution is off. Despite the inclusion of assertive flavours like salty feta and briny black olives, the flavour here is oddly muddled and far more muted than you’d think it would be. It’s a half-hearted melange of flavours that never comes together or stands out in any meaningful way.<\/p>\n

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

The mediocre patty doesn’t help matters, though after the uncharacteristically tasty patty <\/a>in the last McDonald’s burger I reviewed, its badness is actually weirdly comforting. McDonald’s beef shouldn’t taste particularly good; it should be inoffensively lousy, with a dry, crumbly texture and no particular flavour. That’s just the way things are supposed to be.<\/p>\n

\"McDonald's<\/a><\/p>\n

A patty like that needs the toppings to do the heavy lifting, and the toppings here just aren’t up to the task. <\/p>\n

Although the chewy, dense ciabatta bun works quite well in the Italian McTaster, the bun proves to be a little bit too hearty for the diminutive beef patty. It’s overwhelming.<\/p>\n

The quality difference between the two McTasters becomes even more pronounced when you have both sandwiches in front of you and you’re alternating between the two. The Italian has a nice contrast of textures, with flavours that really pop. The Greek…does not have those things. <\/p>\n

So for those keeping track: the McPizza-sized hole in my heart? Still unfilled. Your move, Ronald. Your move.<\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts – Italian McTaster<\/b> – 370 calories, 18 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0.2 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fibre, 12 grams of protein. Greek McTaster<\/b> – 330 calories, 17 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0.4 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 690 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fibre, 14 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> McDonald’s Italian and Italian McTasters (Canada)
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $2.99 CAN (each)
\nSize:<\/b> N\/A
\nPurchased at:<\/b> McDonald’s
\nRating:<\/b> 7 out of 10 (Italian)
\nRating:<\/b> 4 out of 10 (Greek)
\nPros:<\/b> Italian has a nice combo of crispy chicken and tasty toppings. Chewy bun suits the chicken well.
\nCons:<\/b> Greek features a mediocre patty with bland toppings that can’t quite save it. Chewy bun overwhelms the small hamburger. Profound McPizza-related sadness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m going to admit it: I liked the McPizza. I ordered it quite a few times during its brief but memorable life, and I mourned for its little pizza soul when it inevitably got pulled from the menu (because let’s face it, pizza at McDonald’s was never going to be a thing, as much as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1648,1477,1481],"class_list":["post-19569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-canada","tag-fast-food","tag-mcdonalds"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24558,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/09\/09\/weekend-reading-992017\/","url_meta":{"origin":19569,"position":0},"title":"WEEKEND READING – 9\/9\/2017","author":"Marvo","date":"September 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are a few interesting junk food-related stories from the past week or so. Enjoy. The McPizza Is Officially Dead (via Munchies) McDonald's Imperial (via Atlas Obscura) The Best and Worst Bacon from Fast Food Restaurants (via Extra Crispy) Coca-Cola Offers A Sweet Quest: A Million Bucks To Replace Sugar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Weekend Reading"","block_context":{"text":"Weekend Reading","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/weekend-reading\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"McDonald's","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5199\/13988001407_c5579a5d5d_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5199\/13988001407_c5579a5d5d_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5199\/13988001407_c5579a5d5d_z.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26063,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/11\/30\/fast-food-flashback-mcdonalds-pizza\/","url_meta":{"origin":19569,"position":1},"title":"FAST FOOD FLASHBACK: McDonald’s Pizza","author":"Kelley","date":"November 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you remember McDonald's Pizza? If you don't, you're apparently not alone. In fact, if you'd Googled \u201cmcdonalds pizza\u201d before March of this year, your resources would have been scarce. Since then, the subject briefly went viral \u2013 there's even a podcast extensively devoted to the subject. The reality is,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food Flashback"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food Flashback","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-flashback\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/McDonalds-Pizza-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/McDonalds-Pizza-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/McDonalds-Pizza-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18038,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/02\/09\/review-mcdonalds-cbo-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":19569,"position":2},"title":"REVIEW: McDonald’s CBO (Canada)","author":"Michael","date":"February 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"McDonald's Canada is pushing the CBO pretty hard. Where I live, at least, there are billboards all over town proudly proclaiming this sandwich to be \"the next legend.\" Obviously, McDonald's has high hopes. I should probably note that the Canadian CBO is, oddly enough, different than the CBO introduced in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"McDonalds CBO (Canada)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7426\/16477846202_ee3daede90_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7426\/16477846202_ee3daede90_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7426\/16477846202_ee3daede90_z.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16065,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2014\/01\/07\/review-mcdonalds-poutine-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":19569,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: McDonald’s Poutine (Canada)","author":"Michael","date":"January 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Is there anything more Canadian than eating a poutine? 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Seemingly overnight it was decided that if parents are foolhardy enough to take their child to McDonald's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"McDonald's Asian Crispy Shimp Signature McWrap 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3866\/14499183298_c3ed5c0d2a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19239,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/10\/27\/review-mcdonalds-kale-feta-more-ning-mcwrap-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":19569,"position":5},"title":"REVIEW: McDonald’s Kale & Feta More-Ning McWrap (Canada)","author":"Michael","date":"October 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the last few weeks, an overwhelming amount of attention has been paid to McDonald's breakfast menu -- specifically, to the Golden Arches finally ceding to popular demand and serving that menu all day. 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