Brianna Lopez/Tasting Table Add Tasting Table on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover There is much debate over whether McDonald's is the true origin of the first fast-food breakfast sandwich. Chains like Jack in the Box claim to have debuted a breakfast sandwich years before McDonald's, but one thing is for sure: McDonald's serves up one of the most iconic fast-food breakfasts on the market. It began with the Egg McMuffin, which debuted on the menu nationally in 1975, and quickly spiraled beyond that, with the McDonald's breakfast items expanding to breakfast classics like pancakes (called Hotcakes at the chain) and hash browns. Then, the breakfast offerings expanded even further, including more unique items like McGriddles branded with the golden arches on the outside.
Now, McDonald's breakfast menu consists of over 20 items, varying by location, and around 14 of those are variations on breakfast sandwiches. There are bagels, McMuffins, McGriddles, and biscuits, and in many locations, you only have until 10:30 a.m. to grab breakfast. This means there is limited time to try the various sandwiches McDonald's has to offer. How do you know which sandwiches are worth the purchase, and which you can probably skip?
I taste-tested several McDonald's breakfast sandwiches to find out. I tried a range of sandwiches, including McMuffins and bagels, to get a good idea of what sandwiches stand out. The sandwiches that made it high on this list were well balanced in flavors and not too indulgent that they'd leave you feeling heavy for the rest of the day. Let's see where the sandwiches rank.
Brianna Lopez/Tasting Table Steak is probably an item you should avoid ordering at a fast food restaurant. Admittedly, going into this, I was not excited about trying it. This sandwich felt like it would be the most indulgent, and that proved to be true.
The Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel is heavy and greasy. Just by looking at it, the bagel doesn't look very appetizing — it looks chewy — and it was covered in oil when I unwrapped it from the packaging. This is likely from the butter used after the bagel is toasted and also from the grilled onions that top the steak patty. The initial smell was instantly of caramelized onions, which I would normally enjoy, but which here was overpowering and too much for a breakfast sandwich.
Plus, the sandwich certainly smelled more seasoned than it tasted, with the onion flavor not actually showing up on my palate as much as it did in the aroma. Overall, the sandwich is very wet, between the steak grease, the onion grease, and the butter. It is just too much oil. Unfortunately, it tastes mostly like onions and is otherwise bland. It is exactly what I would expect fast-food steak to taste like, and that is just not good.
Brianna Lopez/Tasting Table The Egg McMuffin has a long history at McDonald's, and for that reason, I really wanted to like it. In 1971, a McDonald's owner and operator in California wanted to create the Egg McMuffin as a way to make a portable eggs Benedict. He nixed the Hollandaise sauce but otherwise stayed true to an eggs Benedict, including by using Canadian bacon. For me, this intentional choice is the downfall of the Egg McMuffin.
I had never had the classic Egg McMuffin before, and I think it is safe to say I never will again. The sandwich smells prominently (and uncomfortably) like deli meat in a way I do not find appetizing. The slice of Canadian bacon was thicker than it needed to be, and though Canadian bacon is typically meant to taste mild, I felt that it overpowered the entire sandwich. It tasted very artificial, overly salty, and cured.
