Strawberry Candyfloss Frappé (McDonald’s) By @Cinabar

Oh my word, how cute is this McDonald’s Strawberry Candyfloss Frappé? I spotted it advertised in a service station and realised this was exactly the drink I needed as a little pick-me-up. When it arrived, it had an almost glitter-like topping, which sadly doesn’t show too well in the photo, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Full marks for cuteness!

I took a sip and was surprised to find it tasted like I was drinking a strawberry thick shake. Weird. It was lovely and sweet and fruity, but there was no obvious candy floss flavour, and it tasted suspiciously similar to their normal strawberry shake.

I decided to try the topping, and that’s where the candy floss flavour was hiding. The topping is thick and sugary, with that classic candy floss taste, but in a texture that reminded me a little of Angel Delight. It was delicious and definitely added the fun element I was expecting from the drink. 

Overall, it was exactly the pick-me-up I needed. Spectre had a black coffee. Each to their own!

McDonald's World Menu Heist - International Disappointments [@NLi10]

 McDonalds have a lot of adverts at the moment for all kinds of exciting things.  And as I had a green Sprite there a month or so ago that was quite nice I let work talk me into a visit one lunchtime for their new (at the time) World Heist menu.

It was so exciting I forgot to write a review...

The gimmick is this was stuff they already had, that you'd see on holiday.

What's this - Polish fries?

Oh - it's salt-&-shake, but pepper and odd cream flavour.  And surprisingly it works - they are essentially turned into KFC fries.  These were a win.

The Pink Drink is cherry blossom, and its fine.  The green one was great, this is a solid 5/10 and you'd not be fussed if they forgot and gave you a normal Sprite

And the main event! It's a le big mac but with some bacon and some sauce

And it was absolutely terrible! The issue with these is the cheap meat and sweet buns are designed to be chewed easily and then you leave faster - but if the idea is to enjoy the texture and flavours then this is not the target.  Not one part of this improved the original, and if anything it was just a mess of flavours.

Overall then - for £11 - this was a massive disappointment and would put me off agreeing to the lunch time trips for the cheap wrap and iced tea.

Minecraft Apple Cake McFlurry and Happy Meal Toys for Grown-Ups! (McDonald's) By @Cinabar

The Minecraft movie is hitting cinemas next week, and in its honour, McDonald's has gone Minecraft mad! The Big Mac box has had a Minecraft makeover, and of course, the Happy Meal toys are all Minecraft-themed too. But the most exciting part? McDonald's has finally launched Happy Meals for grown-ups, complete with a toy! My inner child couldn’t wait to place an order.

In terms of new products, we have the fab-sounding Minecraft Apple Cake McFlurry. It’s the usual vanilla McFlurry, topped with candy apple pieces, shortcake chunks, and a bright green sour apple sauce. Once I’d finished my Big Mac and opened up my toy, I dived into dessert.

This was a really nice McFlurry. I was super impressed because I love a mix of textures, the candy apple was soft but firm, while the shortcake added a little crunch. Both the candy apple and shortcake were sweet, but the sauce was sour and zingy, which really mixed up the flavours. I loved it! It reminded me of sour apple sweets, and I found myself scraping every last bit out of the carton.

This new Minecraft Apple Cake McFlurry and the grown-up Happy Meal toy made me smile in a way McDonald's hasn’t since I was little and getting a Happy Meal.

The Shamrock Shake (McDonald's) By @Cinabar

Monday is St Patrick’s Day, a time to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. McDonald's contribution is the new Shamrock Shake, a milkshake inspired by the lucky Irish shamrock. It is green in colour, but thankfully not shamrock flavoured. That would probably just taste leafy. This new drink is peppermint, and I couldn’t resist picking one up as a Friday treat.

When the milkshake arrived, I could see that it was green, but only mildly so. A brighter shade might have put me off. I gave it a taste and found it sweet and very minty. I had expected something similar to mint choc chip ice cream, but without the chocolate, all that remained was intense sweetness and mint. I really liked it and found it refreshing, but I do love mint. I also have a sweet tooth, so this worked well for me, though I can imagine it being a bit much for some.

As much as I enjoyed the Shamrock Shake, it doesn’t beat the limited-edition blueberry Grimace Shake. Still, it is worth trying, and don’t forget to raise a glass (or a cardboard cup) to St Patrick.

McRib Burger (McDonald's) By @Cinabar

Today, we decided to get a takeaway. After a tough day, we needed something quick and comforting. I took the chance to check the menu for anything new and spotted something both nostalgic and exciting: the McRib Burger. Originally introduced in the 1980s but later discontinued, the McRib has made a few limited-time comebacks over the years. I was delighted to see it available tonight.

I ordered the McRib along with my childhood favourite, a vanilla milkshake, and fries. There’s something so comforting about a vanilla milkshake, never underestimate its simple joy. The McRib looked enticing in its box. The oblong bun held a generous portion of beef, along with onions and pickles. As soon as I took a bite, I noticed my fingers were covered in barbecue sauce, this burger is definitely a bit messy! Thankfully, I managed to keep it off my shirt.

The beef flavour was richer and more intense than I remembered, and I loved how the pickles and onions added a bit of crunch and tang. After a long day, this was just the treat I needed, finally bringing a smile to my face. I’d recommend picking up a McRib Burger while it’s back on the menu at McDonald's, as it’s available only for a limited time. At least they’ve kept the vanilla milkshake, some things are too good to take away!

Grimace Shake (McDonalds) By @Cinabar

You have one week to catch this in Britain. The Grimace Shake has been all over Tik Tok in the states; it has a cult following, and for one week it is visiting our shores. Grimace is the purple monster mascot, and the rumours are that he’ll do anything to get his shakes back, so if you do order one, keep an eye open. 

We decided to have a McDonald's takeaway and give the drink a try. The colour is gorgeous; it is a lovely, bright, fun purple colour. I gave the thick shake a sip and couldn’t help but smile. The drink has a sweet blueberry taste; it is fruity, fun, and creamy too. This is an absolute delight to drink. I loved every sip, and I am not ashamed to say I slurped my way to the end. I love that there is something fruity on the menu for milkshakes that isn’t just strawberry, and this Grimace Shake needs a permanent place on the menu. I also managed to finish the drink without Grimace turning up and wanting it back, so that was a win too. 

The Spicy Spanish Stack (McDonalds) By @Cinabar

Friday night is take away night and today we decided to have a look at what the latest is on the McDonalds menu. The new burger from their Summer selection is called the Spanish Stack. I gave it an order to be delivered, flicked the TV on and started to catch up on the Common Wealth games. We have a medal already!

So the burger is on a bread bun flavoured with paprika. It has a spicy salsa and chilli cheese slice. I gave it a try. The first thing to note is that there are two burgers under the bun, making it feel rather substantial. I liked the warmth of the salsa ketchup and the chilli cheese, it was gentle but worked well. I think calling it ‘spicy’ might be a bit optimistic but there was a nice tingle. I couldn’t taste much paprika on the bread, but I had an awareness it was there. The onion was lovely too, it gave the burger a fresh feel. The best thing, though, is the heavy hit of tomato on the burger. I could eat that spiced ketchup all day. Not enough chilli to overpower anything but a good flavour. I’d have taken a second helping of that with the chips had there been the option.

The Italian Stack and Tiramisu McFlurry (McDonalds) By @Cinabar

Gosh it is hot today, the sun is beaming down and I’m thinking summer is properly starting. So we decided we would grab a takeaway and and check out the new items at McDonalds from the summer menu. I picked up and Italian Stack burger and a Tiramisu McFlurry for dessert.

I was impressed by the burger when I saw it, it is quite large with its double burgers and there was plenty of crispy fresh salad in their too. Once you bite in you realise that switching the cheese to mozzarella does make it fun and stringy, but it is a nice creamy cheese. There is tomato and basil in the bread bun adding a gentle bit of Italian seasoning to the flavour but what really stood our for me was the extra onions, such a nice taste with the beef. A very enjoyable burger indeed.

We also picked up the Tiramisu McFlurry for afters, and have to admit the heat on their car journey made them melt a little, but they were still solid enough to enjoy. Mixed in with the ice cream were biscuit pieces and chocolatey Tiramisu sauce. I like texture so the biscuit bits were lovely to crunch on in amongst the soft ice cream. The sauce was good too, it had melted into the rest of the McFlurry but added a nice hit of coffee taste, just what we needed to cool down on such a hot day.

The Signature Collection: The Spicy Burger (McDonalds) By @Cinabar

I mentioned yesterday that I have recently moved house. Now I’m back at work, and spending the evenings unpacking boxes, we have started eating more takeaways than usual. I’m not complaining on this, I love takeaways, but we are trying to mix it up a bit. I actually haven't had McDonalds for a while so we thought we'd have a look and see if there was anything new on the menu. On the board behind the counter The Signature Collection: The Spicy Burger kept flashing up, so I decided to give it the taste test.
This burger came in a brioche bun, and is layered with jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, spicy mayo, relish and salad. I tucked in and loved the flavour, it was warm, and hot when you caught a jalapeño, but not uncomfortably so. I loved the spice from the burger relish, but that you could still taste the meatiness of the beef, it felt rather satisfying. The salad added a nice mix of textures, with crispy lettuce, and the meal went down a treat. I know I might be eating more fast food than I should at the minute, but McDonalds Signature collection has reminded me I should keep them on the options list when I’m choosing a quick and easy meal.

New Limited Edition BBQ Smokehouse Burger (McDonalds) [By @Cinabar]

I saw from an email McDonalds sent that they had a new summer special burger, so we made an excuse to go at lunch time. The new burger is called the BBQ Smokehouse. To be honest with the weather the way it is, it is at least a dry way to experience the barbecue flavour this year! :-D

The burger consists of a beef patty, salad, onions, cheese, maple smoked bacon and a good dollop of barbecue sauce. When I opened up the card container, I smiled as the bread is also very pretty. It is served in ciabatta but it was soft, easy to eat, rather than a firm version. They can be quite hard if you have ciabatta in restaurants.
I was impressed by how much fresh salad ingredients there were, and that the burger seemed quite large too. As someone who loves different textures, the crisp salad and crunchy onions were a lovely touch in this, but the highlight was the sauce. The flavour was sweet and smoky, and made this feel a bit different. Spectre’s favourite part was the maple smoked bacon. I think he’d happily have bacon as an addition to any burger. I have to admit the ‘maple’ smoked nature of the bacon is hard to pick up, but as smoky bacon goes is works really well. It was an excellent addition to the flavour set. The burger itself was moist and had a good rich beef flavour, and the cheese was nice too, it tasted like a proper cheddar and not indiscriminate burger cheese you sometimes get.
If you like barbecue sauce and bacon I would recommend giving this a try. You will need to catch it while you can though, as it is Limited Edition, and as such only available until 1st September 15.

By Cinabar

McRib (@McDonaldsUK) #McRibisBack [By @Cinabar]

It has been twelve years since the McRib was last seen on the menu at British McDonalds. Its return has caused quite a stir, with so many people nostalgic for the item. It has just re-launched, and I was really keen to try it out. I have to admit to not really remembering it the first time round, but I could see the enthusiasm for the burger the moment we pulled up in the McDonalds car park.

There were signs for it all about the place too. McDonalds was actually quite busy when we went in, but the branch we go to is very near a cinema. The queue was just out of the door, but within it I could over hear people talking about the McRib they were keen to order it, and happy to wait. I admit I was worried they were going to sell out before they got to us.

The queue moved fairly quickly and it wasn’t long before | was sitting down with the McRib in front of me. I opened the box to see what the fuss was all about and was surprised by just how much sauce there was, it was everywhere. This burger was fully loaded and dangerous. Even taking the photograph and lifting the bun involved a certain amount of barbecue sauce making its way onto my fingers. I could seen both onions and gherkin slices on top of my burger. The bun is white and elongated, but still didn’t quite cover the sticky coated burger within.
I loved the flavour of the burger though, it was oozing with that sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, and there was a lovely hint of rich smokiness mixed in too. The pork was a nice change too for McDolands, the meat was soft but nicely textured, although obviously there were no bones! :-D The onions and gherkins worked well with the burger, it added a nice hint of pickle taste with added sharpness from the onions. The flavour was otherwise very similar to proper barbecue ribs.
I thoroughly enjoyed the McRib, and although I can’t comment on its authenticity compared to the original, I enjoyed the meal as did others who had ordered it also. I felt like McDonalds could do with stocking wet wipes though as my fingers were sticky and red by the end of it! Not something you should order on a first date.
Just keep in mind that the McRib is only back on the McDonalds menu on a temporary basis, so get it while you can. If you tried the original and the new version let me know how it compares using the comments below.

By Cinabar

McPizza Pepperoni Burger and Toffee Latte (@McDonaldsUK) #MyBurger [By @Cinabar]

McDonalds are currently running a contest called My Burger in which members of the public have put forward their ideas for dream burgers, and now McDonalds are trailing a few of the varieties. I have to admit to not being a regular in McDonalds so I shan’t be reviewing them all, but I did manage to try out the McPizza Pepperoni Burger, currently on offer.

The burger is beef and it has a cheese topped bun, a specialty ketchup, salad, mozzarella slices and pepperoni layered in the bun. As a fan of pizza I liked how they mimicked a pizza flavour and thought the pepperoni layer sounded like a really fun edition. Cheese and tomato aren’t anything new on a burger but pepperoni added a nice new twist.
I liked the shape of the burger, it is slightly elongated and looks quite posh. The extra ingredients are all quite generous with plenty of cheese and posh ketchup. The mozzarella was melting pleasingly and added a nice soft gooey texture. The flavour was nice, it is mostly beef but the pepperoni and speciality ketchup add a nice hint of spice, I could pick up on paprika, and the extra meatiness. It was a very enjoyable burger, although the pizza flavours are subtle they do the trick nicely. A good hint of pepperoni pizza flavour without ruining the beef rush you get from a McDonalds meal.

Obviously while I was in McDonalds there was only one possible choice of drink for me, which was the Christmas Limited Edition Toffee Latte. The board behind the counter showed them served in super cute Christmas cups, but mine arrived in a plain cup sadly. The flavour was rather indulgent, and I liked the cream on top of my latte too, it made it feel special. The toffee syrup added a nice soft sweetness and gave the drink a dessert like feel, and turned it into a bit of a treat.
I have to say I very much enjoyed our trip to McDonalds, and although we don’t go regularly I’ll certainly look forward to our next visit. I’d also like to see the McPizza Pepperoni Burger again and hope it does well in the competition.

By Cinabar

McDonalds – Festive Deluxe and Matchmakers Cool Mint McFlurry [By @Cinabar]

As we count down towards New Years Day, we thought we'd take a trip to McDonalds. For all the snacking we get through we don't eat at fast food restaurants nearly as often as we should. We decided to have a trip to see The Hobbit Part 2 and had some pre film burgers.
There was no doubt in my mind what I was going to try, the festive menu of course.

Festive Burger
To be totally honest I'm not sure how this is festive, in that there isn't a hint of cranberry sauce, or any other traditional Christmas ingredient. There is however a very special burger, and it is fully loaded with goodies. On top of my burger there is bacon, cheese, black pepper mayonnaise, tangy barbeque sauce, red onions and the bun was even cheese topped. Wow, it was quite a taste sensation. I loved the spicy hint to the mayonnaise from the pepper, and the meat feast nature of the burger with its extra bacon. I'm not usually a fan of onions, but liked the sharpness they brought. It was a satisfying meal and was thoroughly enjoyable. It made me wonder why we do go to McDonalds so rarely, as it does make a great pre cinema treat.

McFlurry Matchmaker
There is a tenuous link between the festive nature of Matchmakers and Christmas in that we do always seem to have them at this time of year, but they aren't obviously seasonal. Oh well, who doesn't like chocolate mints!
The first thing I noticed with my ice cream was it's appearance. As I looked on the menu board at the neat fluffy white ice cream topped with chocolate pieces and sauce and then I looked down at what I was actually given which was much more of a mess.
This aside though, it did taste really good. The vanilla ice cream has tons of chocolate sauce, and there were loads of tiny matchmaker pieces too, which added a lovely fresh mint flavour and good crunch. The cold nature of the ice cream ensured the chocolate bits stayed extra crisp.
I actually loved the McFlurry and would have it again, despite its appearance! Just goes to show you shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

By Cinabar

Dairy Milk Caramel Milkshake (McDonalds)

I really don’t go in to McDonalds very often, and when I do, as you might expect, it is the new and specials that catch my eye. Now I don’t think that I have had one of their milkshakes since I was a child, but the idea of a ‘Dairy Milk Caramel’ variety meant I just had to buy one!
My first taste of this product was that of caramel and banana (no chocolate), which really isn’t a good sign. It made me worry for a moment about how the machines are used to produce different shakes, as banana clearly wasn’t supposed to be there.
I decided to stir the drink a bit and noticed it got visibly darker when I did that, like the caramel (with banana) and chocolate taste were separate and as I mixed them up the chocolate became more prominent and the drink went browner.
After doing this the banana flavour subsided a great deal and chocolate was also noticeable for the first time. In texture the drink was quite thick and (very) cold, but it did go up the straw okay. As it happened I liked the shake, despite this error in taste, but the making of the drink was obviously poorly executed by the assistant.

McDonalds Oriental BBQ Beef (McDonalds 31/8/08)

Ok this clearly is not from the recent haul of American candies! I'm also not sure how new it really is, as I very rarely eat at McDonald's. However I could not resist a special, and very nice it was too. I wasn't expecting the burger to have such a nice spicy taste. If the Chinese themed burger is available post Olympics, I thoroughly recommend it!