The latest breakfast creation from McDonald's has been creating a buzz about fast food that's rarely been experienced before. THE MCGRIDDLE, which was introduced in June 2003 as a permanent item on the breakfast menu, is the cross pollination of an Egg McMuffin with an order of Griddle Cakes. The result of this Frankenstein-like experimentation is a sandwich that is one tasty, albeit terribly unhealthy way kick start to start your day.
I was always a fan of the original Egg McMuffin sandwich when it arrived on the scene, with either bacon or sausage. With the success of the McMuffin, McDonald's also added the Egg Biscuit sandwich, which was basically the same thing with a biscuit instead of an English muffin. Looking back over the years, it seems I've improved many a Friday morning hangover with merely my Sausage Biscuit extra value meal. The morning grease is normally just what the doctor orders after a night of heavy binge drinking.
My tasty treat arrived hot and fresh, and looked remarkably solid in form and shape -- which is quite rare for McDonald's food. After opening the brown, paper to-go bag on my desk, I immediately smelled a heavy scent of maple syrup; so far so good. I proceeded to eat my bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddle, savoring every bite. My gut-rott from the gin and tonics the night before was slowly disappearing.
I'm not really familiar with the term griddle cakes, I was raised calling them pancakes. Either way, these maple syrup flavored cakes complemented the sausage very well. The griddle cakes are a refreshing change of pace from the heavy, grease soaked biscuits that previously plagued McDonalds breakfast sandwiches. One other point worth noting is that you would think the cakes are sticky because of the heavy syrup taste/smell, they are not, in fact they feel lightly toasted.
At first bite, I was pleasantly overwhelmed with flavor; it felt as though I were eating a pancake with maple syrup before quickly changing to the taste of an Egg Mcmuffin. The soft pancake gave way to sausage, cheese, and egg before again being surrounded by a gentle maple flavor.
Although I made it about halfway through the McGriddle when the grease began to overwhelm me. There's a reason it has so much flavor, and it's not because of some kind of amazing organic process that allows the ingredients' natural flavors to come bursting through. I could feel the ooze burrowing into my lips and chin and just knew that it would regroup and mutiny into a zit within hours. Regardless the thing was tasty...damn tasty. The McGriddle was gone after four or five bites, and like the crack addicts in the alley behind our McDonald's, I was craving more. Even though my stomach felt like it weighed 50 pounds
Looking back on the experience, given that my entire body was working to repel the McGriddle and pass it from end to end as quickly as possible, I can't believe there are people who would eat this on a regular basis, unless they were trying to commit suicide in a very slow and cost-efficient manner. It just makes no sense to me. This is a once a month indulgence for anyone who doesn't want a heart attack by 30.
If you're willing to risk it yourself, at least read the facts first. Note that one McGriddle contains 80% of your recommended daily allowance of cholesterol. 80%! If I'm going to waste 80% of anything on one meal, it had better have some nougat and be surrounded in chocolate, or come in a small Ben & Jerry's container. If you're looking for the best damn tasting item on the McDonald's breakfast menu, look no further, just remember small children and fat people have no business eating these things, they'll take days to work off.