Arguably, the best food imaginable is McDonald’s fries. They “hit the spot” no matter what situation I find myself in: after sports practice, after school, or just a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. While I wish I could dine on this delectable delight daily, that is not the healthiest lifestyle option.
When my dad and I make our rare trip to McDonald’s, I always enjoy checking out the new menu items, whether it’s their seasonal items or, in the case of my discovery last week, their new McCrispy Strips.
If it hasn’t been shared enough on social media, McDonald’s announced the return of their chicken strips as a permanent menu item, calling them the McCrispy Strips, along with a dipping sauce to pair called the Creamy Chili Dip. I am a barbeque sauce fanatic, so I unfortunately will not be able to comment on the sauce, but I have plenty of things to say about the strips.
Upon hearing the news of the McCrispy Strips, I rushed to my dad to tell him the news. He was equally as excited as I was because of our fond memories of eating their Buttermilk Crispy Tenders before they were discontinued in early 2020. We decided that the next day, we would do a thorough taste test to compare them to our recollection of the refined flavor of the Buttermilk Crispy Tenders.
The next day could not come any sooner. I was ready to add a new favorite fast food item to my palate. After going through school that day, while thinking about how good my strips would taste, my dad took me after he finished work.
We ordered a three-piece McCrispy Strip meal with medium fries and a medium lemonade. What I thought would be the perfect cure for all the stress that comes in the final month of school. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
Upon opening the McCrispy box, I was greeted by the sight of what looked like some tenders taken from my high school cafeteria: dry, old, and stale. It looked like when they discontinued the old tenders in 2020, they left them on the counter and decided to throw them in the microwave before boxing them up. After this unfortunate first impression, I still decided not to judge a book by its cover and took a bite.
There was a peppery taste to them, but not the throat-burning pepper flavor. It has a more complex flavor compared to their classic McNuggets, making it geared more towards teenagers and adults. These can be perfect to pick up on your lunch break from work, with it being less embarrassing than an iconic McDonald’s Happy Meal.
As I got more into the tenders, I started to enjoy them more and more. The spice flavor faded away after a few bites, but they were still quite arid, so make sure you have a full drink to sip on during your feasting.
The new McCrispy Strips did not live up to the hype of the old Buttermilk Crispy Tenders and did not make up for the disappointment I felt when they removed those from their menu. However, the fries never fail to live up to my expectations and make up for the shortcomings in my chicken tenders.
