Location: 372 Main Street North, Brampton
Website: https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html
McDonald’s recently announced that they’re testing a new veggie burger — the McVeggie — at various locations in Ontario, British Colombia and New Brunswick. This includes locations in Brampton, and sure, I’ll drive over to Brampton to check that out. I drove all the way to Woodstock the last time McDonald’s was testing a veggie burger, so I think it’s clear that I don’t value my time.
Unlike the last veggie burger, the P.L.T., which was made with Beyond Meat and kind of sucked, this one features a more traditional veggie patty. Here’s how McDonald’s describes it: “The McVeggie features a breaded veggie patty made with a blend of vegetables (including carrots, green beans, zucchini, peas, soybeans, broccoli and corn) and seasoning, topped with shredded lettuce and mayo-style sauce served on a toasted sesame bun.”
Clearly, it’s popular, because the first location I went to was actually sold out. Yes, I drove to multiple McDonald’s locations in Brampton to try this thing. Did I mention that I don’t value my time?
They have a version that comes with spicy habanero sauce, but I figured I’d try the standard one. It’s pretty good! I should note that I got lucky and got one that was clearly fresh from the fryer (it was piping hot), so your mileage may vary, but I liked it more than I thought I would.
The patty has a pronounced crunchiness on the outside, and an interior that I wouldn’t describe as full-out mushy, but that’s fairly soft. It might have come off as too soft, but the satisfying crunch of its exterior does a good job of balancing things out.
There are noticeable chunks of vegetables interspersed throughout, though they don’t add a whole lot to the burger’s texture or flavour. It’s kinda falafel-esque, but with a much lighter flavour (the seasoning, in general, is fairly muted — don’t expect anything with much more punch than a McChicken).
The rest of it is basically a McChicken — same sauce, lettuce, and bun. Overall, it’s nothing too mind-blowing, but it’s pretty satisfying.
Michael Eats 