McDonald's now selling Customer "Menu Hacks"

[WillTravelForFood]

Somebody in McDonald's marketing needs to look up what the word "hack" really means.

They're not assembling the sandwiches for you, they're just helping customers order all the appropriate parts. But if you were a customer who would regularly order one of these, you would know what you were doing anyway.

Beginning January 31 and for a limited time, McDonald's will sell four menu hacks popularized by its biggest fans. It's the first-time ever that McDonald's has sold "hacks" by name, which have become prominent on social media platforms, such as TikTok.

They can be ordered via the new "Menu Hacks" section on the McDonald's app or in-person by saying the name. Self-assembly will be required for each hack because McDonald's will sell the ingredients separately, The chain said that is "half the fun," but it's also easier (and faster) for the restaurant's employees.

Here are the four hacks:

• Hash Brown McMuffin - In a breakfast-only exclusive, this order combines a sausage McMuffin and a hash brown for "an extra crunch."
• Crunchy Double - An order of 6-piece chicken nuggets, inserting them into a double cheeseburger.
• Land, Air and Sea - This sandwich combines a chicken sandwich, a Big Mac and a Filet-o-Fish all on one bun.
• Surf and Turf - This puts together a double cheeseburger and a Filet-O-Fish and is only available on the app or through delivery.

Only one of these seems reasonable -- the hash brown McMuffin. And honestly, that doesn't even need its own menu item -- it's basically a McMuffin meal with a hash brown as the side. If they end up charging more for this because it now has a fancy name, somebody's going to call them out on it.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/26/business/mcdonalds-fan-hacks-meals/index.html

[Huskee]

I'd try the Hash Brown one and the Surf & Turf. My fave is a Double Filet O' Fish (not on the menu any longer but they'll make it if you ask).

[mcook2201]

I cannot eat anything at McDonald's But, I can devour me some Filet O Fish there. Extra tartar of course! True guilty pleasure..

[Huskee]

mcook2201 I love the double fillets with extra cheese. Guilty pleasure for sure!

[Old Glory]

These items were known hacks that people were ordering and showing online. They saw how people were eating their food and embraced it.

What does "hacking a menu" mean? - It means, "to use the standard menu items to create food that is not a standard menu item." These are also known as ‘secret menu’ items, but the only place I know of that actually has a secret menu is In-N-Out Burger. And, well, it’s no secret. Animal style, protein style, 4×3 patties × cheese, etc., are well known options that every location supports.

I think it's a great promotion. It is generating lots of buzz...not that I would order anything. Well maybe the hash browns McMuffin.

[WillTravelForFood]

What does "hacking a menu" mean? - It means, "to use the standard menu items to create food that is not a standard menu item." These are also known as ‘secret menu’ items, but the only place I know of that actually has a secret menu is In-N-Out Burger. And, well, it’s no secret. Animal style, protein style, 4×3 patties × cheese, etc., are well known options that every location supports.

It's just ordering standard menu items, then having the customer assembly themselves. Nothing hacky about that.

In-n-Out's or Starbucks "secret" menus are dishes that require different types of prep and ingredients that are not displayed on the menu board but are accessible (such as "add 5 extra patties")

Chik-Fil-A has at least one non-displayed menu item: you can order a single nugget or a single tender (as opposed to the 6-10 per box or whatever the usual order is. But we wouldn't call this a "hack" either. https://www.mashed.com/714660/this-s...ddit-laughing/

To us, a hack would be along the lines of ordering a McDouble burger, adding extra lettuce, and subbing out ketchup/mustard for Big Mac sauce. Presto! a Big Mac sandwich without a Big Mac price.

[Old Glory]

If you have to build it yourself I agree. I thought they were building it for you. Still generating lots of buzz though.

[bbqLuv]

The hacker looked, the hacksaw, then ransomware to go phishing.

[glitchy]

I don’t have any queens…go phish.

[Santamarina]

Lame ploy to get more customers. It’s not like the "secret" menu at In-N-Out, where they actually assemble a ton of different menu items.

These hacks aren’t even the way I do them. Not a l McDonald’s fan, but I have young kids, so I find myself there on occasion. Surf n Turf my way has always been a double quarter-pounder with a filet o fish in between. None of this double cheese burger garbage, and I keep ALL the buns!

[HawkerXP]

NO, no, ,,. gave them up a long time ago.

[Murdy]

I've heard of people mating a McDouble and an Egg McMuffin, in the nature of the hangover burgers you see on sports bar menus here and there.

[Huskee]

I'd try it for sure

[STEbbq]

If I am reading this right you are saving money.

I actually tried to order the hash brown hack when they were selling egg McMuffins for 69 cents as a promo but the app was down. Basically you’d need to order a full egg McMuffin plus two hash browns and pay for the "wasted" muffin tops. Now you can order the egg, cheese, bacon, and two hash browns to make it work. At least that is how I hope it will work.

[WillTravelForFood]

we read their McMuffin hack as "ya slap the hashbrown into the sandwich".

No muffin tops being discarded here.

[STEbbq]

Sounds like a different one then. The one I wanted to do was essentially a egg and bacon McMuffin with has browns instead of muffin tops.

Still sounds doable though now…something to remember next time we are there.

[Jerod Broussard]

I don't see a chicken mcnugget with bbq sauce. Maybe it was too hard to glue the crust back on the nuggets.

[Bkhuna]

Back when I ate at McDonald's I would make a sandwich at the time they turned over their breakfast menu to their lunch menu by ordering an egg McMuffin and a cheese burger with no ketchup. Toss the cardboard english muffin and put the egg, ham and cheese in with the cheeseburger.

[Huskee]

I'd be all over that!

[Bkhuna]

Huskee - It's a pretty good sandwich but you can only get it for a few minutes each day when their switching from breakfast to lunch.

[Spinaker]

It was more fun when no one officially knew about the off menu creations. In my self-destructive vortex that was my younger years, I used to order a McChicken that they would put inside the double cheese burger. Not gonna tell you the name associated with that one.

......man was it good, particularly at 2 am.

[Huskee]

That sounds very good. I am unabashedly a fast food fan and I don't pretend to hide it. I would eat that sandwich right now!

[Spinaker]

They are so good. And, yeah, I hear ya. I have a guilty pleasure when it comes to fast food too. I love it. I avoid it now and stop maybe a couple times a year, but when I do.....mmmmmmmmm is it good. Huskee

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

So a dirty little piece of me prefers McDonalds classic whatever is in 'em nuggets to the real deal nuggets at other places. It's kinda a 2 time a year comfort food. But there is no way I'd want 'em on a burger. Not even sure I'd be down with that hash brown mcmuffin thing, but it's the only thing on this list I'd try.

[Spinaker]

I will say, the hash brown MCMuffin is real good. I have been doing that for a while now.

[Lost in China]

Somebody in McDonald's marketing needs to look up what the word "hack" really means.

They did perform a hack. They got people to do their advertising for them. I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise.