McDonald’s New York Stack

Review of McDonald’s New York Stack – Great Tastes of America

New York Stack:

What they say:

Two 100% British and Irish beef burgers with bacon, cheese, chunky coleslaw, tomato ketchup, mustard, lettuce and pickles in a sesame & poppy seed topped bagel.

Price: £3.89 for the burger only, £5.49 for a meal (subject to variation).

Calories: 754 kcal.

The burgers were coming thick and fast at the exclusive preview event of the Great Tastes of America promotion at McDonald’s Head Office on Tuesday 26th April.

And up next we have weeks’ three and four burger – The New York Stack.

McDonald's New York Stack
Promo picture

Long-term readers of BURGER LAD® will know that I’m not a massive fan of ketchup, or mustard for that matter.

So when I saw the description for this build I wasn’t actually that enamoured by it.

In my original speculative GTA post I’d also mentioned the Memphis Special – a burger featuring coleslaw which I flatly did not enjoy, so you can also imagine my trepidation when I saw that ingredient listed too.

In that original post, I also anticipated the return of a GTA promotional mainstay, the New York Classic… and looking at the toppings, the Stack and the Classic do share some common characteristics (bacon, cheese, mustard and ketchup).

But that is about where the similarities end – because on this double patty burger (aptly named a stack in-line with the rest of the promotion) the real main talking point is the sesame and poppy seed topped bagel bun.

McDonald's New York Stack
First look…

Before we get into discussing the bagel bun it is great news for us, the consumer, that we are getting double patty burgers.

I talked about it in our previous Tennessee Stack review, but basically McDonald’s conducted in-depth customer research and found a recurring theme – we want double burgers.

Interesting and topical due to CEO Paul Pomroy recently telling BBC Breakfast (on sugar tax) “Our customers tell us they don’t want a nanny state.”

Paul. As a McDonald’s customer and super-fan you are correct. We don’t… and we want doubles!

Besides, you look at the New York Stack and might think it has excessive calories because it is a double, but clocking in at 754 kcal this is under the 869 kcal of the Big Tasty with Bacon.

Enough. Let’s talk burger.

The New York Stack is an interesting release from McDonald’s and that bagel bun is brilliant. And I mean brilliant. It looks fantastic, it tastes fantastic and is not a gimmick for gimmicks sake.

The top down view is when it is most impressive with that vivid yellow American cheese shining through the circle in the bagel.

Whereas the Tennessee Stack had one slice of cheese placed between the patties, this has a slice strategically placed on-top of everything else to give this effect and it does provide an element of wow factor.

New York Stack
Visually impressive…

The sesame and poppy seeds on the bagel give the bun a new dimension to McD’s in terms of flavour and is highly recommended.

It does make you feel like you are eating something New York-inspired and is a clever association with the city (as I was writing this an advert for the New York Bakery Co. popped up on TV and I reminisced of this burger).

If the bacon was swapped with something like Pastrami then I could well be talking about “the best burger at McDonald’s ever”. And it really would feel like the ultimate McD’s NY creation.

But… I appreciate the business-side of things (cross-use of bacon on other items) jettisons such dreams off the Empire State Building.

McDonald's New York Stack
McDonald’s New York Stack…

Despite not being a fan of the sauces used on the New York Stack they work incredibly well together and are a classic combination (a nod to the Hot Dog vendors in The Big Apple).

And I really did enjoy it, to the point that when asked which was my favourite, I did find it very difficult to choose between this and the upcoming Tex Mex Stack.

I’m still undecided. Would I go out and buy the Tennessee Stack in weeks one or two? Probably not.

Would I buy this one in weeks three or four of the promo? I can categorically state now that yes I will – a testament to a burger featuring three ingredients I “don’t really like”.

New York Stack
Classic combo of flavours…

That brings us to the third topping I had reservations about – the chunky slaw/coleslaw.

I actually didn’t finish the Memphis Special which also had the offending ingredient on-board.

Whatever they have done to the recipe it certainly was much more enjoyable than last time… or it works better on this build. I won’t proclaim to be a convert, but hats off it did taste better and you can see how it complements the other components.

The pickles really made this burger too.

I appreciate not every person is a fan but I think the combo of the ketchup, mustard and pickles really is such a classic that it has to be enjoyed this way. Again, if that bacon was pastrami instead this would be immortalised in the McDonald’s Hall of Fame.

New York Stack
Lifting the bagel lid…

People often complain that McDonald’s just release the same ingredients, albeit slightly different each time, however, GTA 2016 shows a real sign of intent from The Golden Arches.

OK each burger is in essence, a bacon double cheeseburger but that is always going to be the core element.

I see it as a brave (and good) move to introduce doubles or stacks to the menu.

Personally, I’d rather see three new innovative inventions with bold flavours (like this one) instead of re-hashing five “lazy” ones over the course of five/six weeks. I believe this switch to three builds will benefit both staff and customers in the long run.

New York Stack
An impressive promotional burger…

Overall, The New York Stack is an incredibly good burger.

Offering a classic combination of NY-inspired flavours (ketchup, mustard, pickles) and with that impressive and visually striking bagel bun, makes this a sure-fire winner and memorable promotional item from McDonald’s.

You might think that being invited to Head Office makes for a good review. It doesn’t. And testament to this burger that not only did I enjoy it, I would say it is possibly the best of all three beef offerings. And that’s coming from someone who is not a fan of ketchup, mustard or coleslaw.

Individually, I don’t like eating them, but collectively they work very, very well together alongside the beef, bacon and cheese. And whatever you do… keep those pickles on it!

The New York Stack is available from 11.05.16 to 24.05.16 at all participating restaurants.

Burger Lad®

Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb.html

New York Stack

£3.89
8.3

Taste

8.0/10

Look

9.0/10

Price

8.0/10

Hot

  • Bagel bun
  • Appearance
  • Classic flavours

Not

  • Slaw

5 thoughts on “McDonald’s New York Stack

  • 15/05/2016 at 2:54 pm
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    I tried one this week, was so impressed. The burgers as so juicy and “meaty”. The lettuce was a bit too big (could be shredded finer) but apart from that It was so so nice. The Slaw was a great addition. I have only ever had bagels at McDonalds from the breakfast menu and this seeded one did not disappoint. I shall be sampling a few more before the promotion ends.

  • 25/05/2016 at 9:00 am
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    I tried one yesterday; in my humble opinion, one of the best burgers McDonald’s UK has ever done.

  • 29/05/2016 at 8:17 pm
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    My thoughts too.

  • 01/06/2016 at 8:47 pm
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    Best burger in McDonalds ever – I try them all but have never went back for a seconds. Until this delicious burger which I did go back for seconds but due to the extremely short time span (the very next night) I realised it was gone. I hope not forever and McDonalds actually read these reviews and bring this one in permanently – like the comments above juicy as and toppings just right. The tex mex is not a patch on this one (tried one as consolation for the bagel one not being on offer) and I really wished I hadn’t bothered – dry, dry, dry and pretty tasteless. In a steet test you would think the tex mex was a microwave burger and the New York stack a gourmet burger job which I feel the bagel burger. My boyfriend (who only ever buys chicken as he hates McDonalds burgers altogether) had a bite of my New York stack and said it was delicious and that even he would buy another – hence the trip next night. Please McDonalds listen to your customers – put out feelers to see that lots more people out there I am sure will feel the same. Bring the New York Stack back permanently!

  • 14/05/2019 at 11:38 am
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    The one I tried yesterday was truly awful. Never have I been so disappointed. I’m not a fussy eater by any stretch of the imagination, but I ended up having to throw most of it away. The bagel was really dry and tasteless, same goes for the patties. Not wanting to waste it all, I ate one of the patties (the other one seemed to be welded to the bagel!!). From reading previous reviews, I reckon the McDonalds I went to must have been having a bad day! On the plus side – it looks really enticing!

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