McDonald’s recently embarked on a nationwide roll out of its “Create Your Taste” menu system; a touch screen kiosk that lets you build bespoke burgers from a range of premium ingredients. Since it launched late last year, close to 800,000 burger combinations have been made by peckish customers. The company’s touch screen data has revealed some interesting divides when it comes to the preferred toppings in each state. So who can we blame for the “national” beetroot burger? Turns out it’s Queensland.
To be fair, McDonald’s “study” is limited to touch screen purchases from its own restaurants. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see that the Sunshine State is the only massive beetroot fan when it comes to Macca’s burgers. They might always trounce us in the State Of Origin but at least we have this over them.
Featured below are the most popular Macca’s toppings in each Australian state. Apologies to health-conscious readers for posting this at lunch. (We’re just trying to strengthen your willpower. We’re nice like that.)
New South Wales
Angus patty and colby jack cheese on a toasted brioche style bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, guacamole and aioli.
Victoria
Angus patty and swiss and cheddar cheese on a bakers bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, egg, jalapeños, tortilla strips, rasher bacon and Big Mac Sauce
Queensland
Angus patty and colby jack cheese on a bakers bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, beetroot, caramelised grilled onions, guacamole, crispy bacon and BBQ sauce.
South Australia
Angus patty and shaved parmesan cheese on a toasted brioche style bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, pickles and chipotle mayo.
Western Australia
Angus patty and McDonald’s Classic Cheese on a bakers bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, grilled mushrooms, jalapeños, egg, crispy bacon and dijonnaise
Tasmania
Angus patty and colby jack cheese on a bakers bun with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, tortilla strips, egg, crispy bacon and aioli.
Before you rush out and ruin your diet, it’s worth noting that fast food burgers rarely look as delicious as their marketing images — as amply proved by Takeaway Truth. Mind you, our own experiences with the Create Your Taste have been largely positive — check out our taste test and hands-on video here.
Comments
26 responses to “Beetroot Burgers: According To McDonald’s Data, It’s All Queensland’s Fault”
Wow, I think I need to try this now just to see how tortilla chips on a burger go down
Angus Beef
Cheddar
Crispy Bacon
Bakery bun
lettuce
tomato chilli sauce
Hehe. “We beat you at State of Origin all the time!”
“Oh yeah? Well … You guys eat beetroot!”
“Another reason why we’re better!”
Should of seen the newspapers in QLD after NSW beat them in origin the other year.
So salty you could taste it.
No coincidence the jerseys are maroon..
I feel like we’ve been put in our place. Not sure I could show my face south of the border now that the truth is out.
Probably because people who enjoy real burgers don’t go to Macca’s in the first place and prefer corner-store burgers, which by default have beetroot.
I’d probably rather some maccas beetroot than maccas Tomato. Frozen tomato = the worst tomato.
The tomatoes are stored at a minimum of 0 degrees for a limited time during transit and are never frozen. Their quality is also mostly better than what we get in the supermarket and the short shelf life and fast use means they are almost always fresh.
Not saying maccas is quality food but high buying power and fast turnover means they do get some quality ingredients.
I can’t say I’ve ever had quality Tomato from McDonalds, usually a one bite, pull out. I also however avoid buying Tomato from Woolworths/Coles.
Wait… what do you have over us? That you don’t eat beetroot? Trust a southerner to trumpet something terrible like it’s a victory because they can’t get a real victory. 😉
A burger is no better than fast food crap until you put beetroot on it and make it something more like a real burger. Which ALWAYS has beetroot. And preferably egg.
No to beetroot yes to egg!
The beetroot is symbolic of eating your opponents heart. Seems to be working.
When NSW has aioli in their burgers, it’s a disturbing comparison.
I made myself a Bacon Clubhouse Deluxe from the U.S Mcdonald’s site.
“Thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, caramelized grilled onions, white cheddar*, crisp leaf lettuce and fresh tomato, all lovingly layered on a quarter pound of 100% pure beef, then topped with Big Mac special sauce. Served on our artisan roll.”
Had it takeaway… served in that nifty open burger style box, fries in an unbranded box, drink served in a mccafe clear cup, complete with nice napkins and refresher towel…all in a lined modern unbranded plain carry bag with handles .
Waiting time was 6 mins. ( at a busy adelaide suburban store ) weekday lunchtime 12:15pm
$14.85
Burger was yummy
Looking forward to Chicken option .
$14.85? Layby that shit
If I want a real burger I go to a burger joint or Local chip shop – great big greasy mess!!!
I go through Macca’s every now and then just to grab a cheap double cheeseburger when i dont have the time to eat or enjoy what im eating – Now the past few times I have been the wait has been agonising and the retaurant is full of customers already ordered standing around waiting for their “creations” – I just really don’t trust the spotty 16 year old to get my creation right – to get the right balance of flavours!
Keep the SOPs as the shitty crappy burgers are what you’re known for – once the novelty of Create your taste wears off hopefully there wont be 10 minute waits for simple 1 minute orders like a chicken and cheese and a double cheeseburger!
CYT is not making your orders slow, those burgers are made in their own separate area with a dedicated crew person(s). The ‘old’ menu is still made in on the usual area and usually has more crew dedicated to it.
Source: work at one (sadly)
Yeah I was blaming it on that but really I think a lot of the staff had changed at the local more recently and they just don’t seem to know what they’re doing! My misses cousins worked there for years and I havent seen them either.
It’s easy to blame it on a new product 😉
What’s it like to work there these days? I never did work one but knew a lot of mates who did
Ummmm…I’d eat beetroot over pineapple on a burger any day, losers.
I love beetroot and egg on a burger , it just seems right
I read somewhere beetroot improves your sex live as well
I think anyone who puts Pineapple on their burger has more wrong with them than someone who chooses Beetroot.
I reckon anyone that judges someone based on that persons choice of burger toppings SERIOUSLY needs to re-evaluate their priorities.
whoa whoa, relax your sack good sir. I’ll still sit next to you and be your friend no matter what you put on your burger. its ok little dude, enjoy your Pineapple. High Five!
Yeah I probably read your comment in the wrong tone of voice my bad. Why would you just add one :/
So in essence, the burgers (sans the fancy names) are really:
NSW
Cheeseburger
VIC
Mexi-burger
QLD
Real burger
SA
Quarter pounder with cheese
<WA
Bacon Deluxe
TAS
Hawaiian burger
“but at least we have this over them”
you have what exactly?
objectively worse taste?
beetroot is practically made for burgers
The beta-carotene in it will make you a Goddamned Sexual Tyrannosaurus.
Like me.
What about ACT and the Territory? What do Canberrans have when the temp drops to single digits in winter and high 30s in summer? Those Darwin folks are known for their quirkiness. Do they combine pineapple and beetroot or something more staid?