Taste test: Is McDonald's new Pico Guacamole sandwich a hit or a bust?

Grace Palmieri | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Taste test: McDonald's pico-guacamole sandwich Here's what one food writer thinks after she tried the new pico-guacamole sandwich from McDonald's.

Inside the Phoenix McDonald’s at Seventh Street and Interstate 10, you might notice a new addition to the menu board: the “Signature Crafted Recipes.” And it features a food trend that until recently hadn’t landed in the fast-food world.

The titan chain now offers the Pico Guacamole sandwich and — best of all — you get to build it yourself. First, choose your ingredients: In addition to the guac, there’s sweet barbecue bacon or maple bacon Dijon. Then, pick your protein: a quarter-pound burger, crispy chicken or grilled chicken. Finally, select your bun: sesame seed or artisan roll.

Stephanie Solorzano, assistant manager at the Seventh Street location, said the Pico Guacamole has been by far the most popular of the new sandwiches, which is no surprise. The build-your-own-style menu was released in May. Solorzano estimated one in every three or four people order the sandwich.

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Still, she said, it isn’t selling as much as she had expected, due in part to the cost. At $7.39, the Pico Guacamole meal is one of the most expensive on the menu, and especially steep for the chain known for its value.

Because it’s all customizable, the new menu slowed down production at first, she said, but over the last couple months, they’ve adjusted.

Customers also have the option of ordering a side of the guacamole.

On Friday afternoon, I tried it for myself. I chose the guac (of course), with crispy chicken and the artisan roll. The sandwich also comes with American cheese, lettuce and what I think was mayo.

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Overall, it was a bit underwhelming, but no one goes to McDonald’s expecting the best guac of their life, right? The addition of the pico gives the sandwich an overpowering onion flavor. If I were making the sandwich, I’d leave the guac and substitute the pico for just a slice or two of tomato.

I also shared the sandwich with two fellow reporters. The general consensus? Better than you’d expect from a fast-food place.

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