The Big Arch from McDonald’s: The Search for the Next Permenant Menu Item
The hype for McDonald’s newest burger has been pretty big. The sandwich launched internationally and was announced for stateside release in 2023. Unfortunately, a bit of bad publicity emerged in a since viral video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski awkwardly eating the Big Arch and calling it a “product.”
Anyway, I was able to secure a Big Arch ahead of its nationwide launch tomorrow, and I have thoughts. McDonald’s describes the new sandwich as spicy and slivered onions, zesty pickles, and crisp lettuce, but what truly sets it apart is the new BIG ARCH Sauce—tangy, creamy, with the perfect balance of mustard, pickle, and sweet tomato flavors. All served on a toasted sesame and poppy seed bun, making each and every big bite equal parts juicy, melty, and saucy.” *
McDonald’s is constantly searching for the next Filet-O-Fish or Chicken McNugget; two notable menu items that we’re introduced to, become popular, are added to the permanent menu, and stay there to this day. Those menu items are a bit of an anomaly. Most new menu items are marketed as “limited time” with no intention of becoming permanent menu items. McDonald’s has the viral McRib, which, of course, returns to the menu annually with much fanfare. But with burgers, it’s been a different story. Burgers have been introduced with claims that they will stay on the menu, but eventually disappear to the various retro-Facebook pages of time. The Big N Tasty. The Arch Deluxe. The McDLT. The McLean Deluxe. The legendary McJordan. All of these burgers hit the McDonald’s menu with considerable marketing, and all of them eventually faded away. It seems the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, and the cheeseburger are what Americans want when they pass through the Golden Arches.
Yet, here we go again. A new burger. A huge marketing push. Is the Big Arch a winner? Let’s see.
The Big Arch is a hefty sandwich. Two all-beef quarter-pound patties will do that. I was unable to confirm whether it uses the same fresh, never-frozen Quarter Pounder patties or if they are separate patties just for this burger. On my particular sandwich, they definitely were not as juicy and plump as Quarter Pounders, and they were definitely cooked well done.
The sandwich looks good! I had some unfortunate damage to my top bun, but otherwise it looked close to the pictures. It smelled…like McDonald’s.
RAPID REACTION: The first bite was…disappointing. I mean it was fine. But it was oddly, bland? With all the stuff on this sandwich, I guess I expected an explosion of new flavors. Perhaps under seasoned beef? Not sure.
As I continued to enjoy this giant burger, it definitely got better. In fact, when you got all of the elements in one bite, it was pretty magical for a fast-food burger. The new Arch sauce is good, a tangier version of Mac sauce. The crispy onions are fine, but not super necessary. The poppy seed+sesame seed buns seem unnecessary?
The Big Arch has some structural issues as well. While it was assembled well, it didn’t stand a chance of surviving being eaten in the car. The size of the sandwich, coupled with the placement of the sauces, led the burger to begin losing structural integrity about halfway through. The centrally placed burgers stuck together thanks to the delicious, creamy, melted white cheddar cheese, but the sauce's viscosity made things really messy, really quickly. Working with two hands and several napkins helped maintain the burger through the end. I’d say the structural integrity dropped from 100% to 78%.
The Big Arch is a fine fast-food burger offering. I am not sure if this is a game-changer, and I would be surprised if it’s still on the menu when the McRib returns. The highlights are the cheese and sauce. The burger patties were dry and possibly unseasoned or under-seasoned. The lettuce and pickles were standard fare. Honestly, and I totally understand what they are going for here, but I think making it a single and dropping the price by a dollar would be a superior experience. If you enjoy McDonald’s, this is a great way to try something different. It’s huge, filling, and messy.