I’m on a mission to try every international McDonald’s item that isn’t sold in the US. So, while on a recent trip to Italy, I ordered a bunch of menu items in Rome that I’ve simply never seen before. Below is my honest review of each one, some of which I never want to eat again, and others that I think the US should adopt ASAP.
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You can also read my McDonald’s UK taste-test here.
There were a ton of cool and unusual menu items to choose from, like cheese fries (called “The Rich Cheddars”), spicy chicken nuggets, hamburger wraps (i.e. a Crispy McBacon but in wrap form), and, yes, even beer. I only ordered items that felt either traditional to Italy or were just really, really funky. Enjoy!
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1.First up was the McChicken Il Provolone. Wildly enough, I think this sandwich got removed from McDonald’s menu within the last few days. Like, the product page existed yesterday, but it no longer shows up now, so I think they may have discontinued the sandwich altogether. I can’t say I’m particularly shocked. Though the sandwich was innovative, the taste itself was only ~fine~ and not something I’d order again, especially since it cost €6.80 (or $7.93 in US dollars!!!!).
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What it is: A sandwich made with breaded chicken breast, topped with provolone cheese, a caper mayonnaise, bacon, and tomato.
I strongly believe that the best McDonald’s menu item is a McChicken sandwich. I will die on that hill. So it felt especially appropriate for Italy to have a version that was topped with provolone cheese. However, I was extremely caught off guard by the bacon on this sandwich – in my opinion, it has no business being here and actually makes the sandwich taste worse. The bacon is too overpowering, and the caper mayo doesn’t hold a candle to the regular sauce on a classic McChicken. I’d rate this a 4/10.
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2.Next was the McToast. This can be found on the “Salvaeuro” menu, which basically translates to “save euro.” This is kinda like their version of the long-lost Dollar Menu (now “Value Menu,” because unfortunately nothing in this world costs $1 anymore). It’s sold for €1.89, or $2.20 in US dollars.
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What it is: A grilled cheese on round bread with a slice of cooked ham in the middle.
I think a McToast would be the perfect hangover cure. It’s greasy and cheesy and easy to eat. There’s not much flavor going on here, but if you want a simple and cheap bite then you can’t really go wrong. I’m actually surprised that this sandwich is sold in Italy instead of the UK (toasties are huge there!), but other versions are apparently sold in different countries. For example, McDonald’s in Malta has a McToast with bacon, and McDonald’s in Czechia has a McToast with mushrooms. I’d rate this Italian version an 8.1/10.
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3.I think the most expensive singular item on the entire menu was a Tasty Basket, which cost €13 (or $15.15 in US dollars). This comes with 16 items total. I did a LOT of fluffing up in my photo to try to make its contents semi-resemble the promotional still, but it doesn’t even remotely look accurate or appealing.
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What it is: A bucket containing six Chicken McNuggets, six chicken wings, and four Asiago bites. I’ll break down each item for you below.
The first item has an incredibly long name (“Pepite con Asiago DOP e Speck Alto Adige IGP”), so I just call them asiago bites. McDonald’s touts these as “chewy and tempting” nuggets that are filled with melted Asiago cheese and tiny bits of cured ham. I was at least hoping for some type of cheese pull, but the inside was congealed and cold, and after a singular bite I had to stop. I shared all of these foods with friends, so nothing went to waste, and they all agreed that this was one of the worst bites of the entire day. I’d give this a 2.6/10.
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This was the day I learned that McDonald’s sells fried chicken wings. I’m a flats guy myself, but I also tried their drumsticks to see which might be better. However, I was so disappointed in both of them. In fact, I’d say these were the worst wings I’ve ever had. I obviously wouldn’t recommend that anyone travel to Italy for fried chicken, but, holy crap, this felt like a caricature of what someone thought fried chicken wings were supposed to be. Like, they were dripping in grease yet also so, so, so incredibly dry. I wouldn’t wish these on my worst enemy. I’d rate this a 1.3/10.
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The third and final item in the Tasty Basket was Chicken McNuggets. I’m ~very~ familiar with these in the States, so I was curious to see how the Italian version would compare. I must say, there IS a clear difference. These were crispier and way drier and somehow tasted fake (while also having no real flavor). I was wishing I’d just ordered their Spicy Chicken McNuggets instead. I’d rate these a 6.9/10.
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I don’t think the Tasty Basket is worth it, neither in flavor nor in cost. You’re much better off ordering your go-tos separately so you can mix and match with better items. In fact, I actually think it’d be cheaper too. I added up each item separately, and six Chicken McNuggets are €4.99 ($5.84), four chicken wings are €3.50 ($4.09), and four asiago bites are €3.10 ($3.63). That’s €11.59 in total ($13.56 in US dollars), which is €1.41 ($1.64) ~less~ than the Tasty Basket. The bucket item does come with two extra wings, but, still, I don’t think it’s worth it at all. I’d rate this a 2.4/10, and I would never, ever order it again.
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4.The cheapest item on the entire menu was also the most fitting. They sold a Parmigiano Reggiano snack for €1, which equals $1.17 in US dollars.
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What it is: A single-serving block of Parmigiano Reggiano.
First of all, my friends and I couldn’t stop laughing at how comically small this block of cheese was. I don’t know why, but I was expecting something much, much bigger. Anyway, aside from the location of this McDonald’s being in Italy, I don’t really understand the point of serving a block of cheese. It doesn’t go with anything on the menu, and it’s not like you can shred it on top of your French fries or something. It’s simply a whole block of cheese. I’d rate this a 5/10.
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5.The Chickenburger is also on McDonald’s Salvaeuro menu. This one cost €1.90, which comes out to $2.21 in US dollars.
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What it is: A breaded chicken patty on a bun, topped with Caesar dressing.
I’m a sauce guy, so imagine my surprise when I peeled back the bun on this Chickenburger and saw the tiniest dollop of Caesar dressing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. It was a truly heartbreaking and harrowing sight. Still, though, this sandwich was fantastic. It tasted like both a chicken sandwich and a hamburger, so, damn, McDonald’s really got the name just right on this one. I did have to add my own sauce to it (I dipped it in a few different ones, but ketchup ended up being the best pairing). I’d happily order this time and time again. I’d rate it a 9.1/10. Again, it just needed more sauce!!!
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6.You’re able to choose three dipping sauces with each Tasty Basket, and the only non-US sauce available was Hot Devil sauce, so I knew I needed to try it. I’m a hugeeee fan of spice, so I was curious to see if this would actually be spicy. After all, “devil” is literally in the name!
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What it is: An “incredibly hot” sauce made with chilies, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
I dipped each item from the Tasty Basket into this sauce, which I really enjoyed. It did have a little kick, but I certainly wouldn’t refer to it as a “Hot Devil” sauce. In terms of actual spice, it’s certainly hotter than a regular tobasco sauce, but not by much. This was also way creamier than I was expecting. I’d rate this a 7.9/10.
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7.McDonald’s has a separate “McCafé” portion of the restaurant where you can order everything from fresh pastries (like pistachio croissants and macarons) to hot drinks (espressos and cappuccinos), and everything in between. One of their cold drinks is a Coffee Sorbet, which is called Crema al Caffè. It’s sold for €1.80, or $2.10 in US dollars.
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What it is: A blended iced coffee concoction, almost like a thick slushee.
This item was THICK, so luckily they served it with a spoon. Honestly, I loved it. I don’t drink coffee itself, but I really like coffee ice cream, and this tasted just like a coffee shake. My only complaint is that its container was so small. I desperately want US McDonald’s to start serving these in small, medium, and larger forms, rather than in little espresso cups. I’d rate this a 10/10.
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8.It’d be a missed opportunity for Italian McDonald’s to not sell tiramisu. I ate at least half a dozen of these desserts from other restaurants during my stay, and this one cost €2.90, or $3.38 in US dollars. Let’s see how it compares to all the others.
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What it is: A stacked dessert with a layer of mascarpone cream and coffee-soaked ladyfingers.
McDonald’s has some decent desserts! This is not one of those desserts. My first bite was good, but after that it all tasted like mush. If you’re a fan of cream then I think you’ll enjoy this one because that’s pretty much all it was. Each layer and flavor ended up blending together, and it was so incredibly sweet that it was impossible to eat more than a few bites (and I’m someone who ~loves~ a dessert). This is also twice as expensive as it should be. I’d rate this a 6.1/10.
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9.Out of all the milkshake flavors that exist, I never thought I’d see banana on the menu at McDonald’s in Italy. I don’t recall there being an option to order this drink in different sizes, so it was sold for a flat €1.50, or $1.75 in US dollars.
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What it is: A banana-flavored milkshake.
I’ll say this about international McDonald’s locations: I’ve never seen their ice cream machines NOT working. A ton of people were ordering sundaes and McFlurries, but that machine kept spitting them out with zero problems. Now, in terms of milkshake flavors, I’m a chocolate guy, but I was excited to try this banana shake because I’ve never actually seen it offered anywhere before. Some restaurants might have a chocolate banana shake with, like, an actual banana blended inside (I used to work at Dairy Queen and definitely made my fair share of those), but this just tasted like vanilla ice cream with a little banana syrup mixed in. In fact, the banana flavor was so subtle that I’d basically just refer to this as a vanilla shake. I was pretty underwhelmed, so I’d rate this a 6.3/10.
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Overall, I think each one of these menu items is wayyyyy more expensive than it should be. I spent €30.79 in total ($35.77 in US dollars), and very few of them were actually worth the cost. Sidenote: I also have to point out that all of my items were served with proper silverware and plates. Like, the forks and spoons were real (not plastic!), and my Coffee Sorbet came in a glass cup on a glass plate. This would NEVER fly in the US, and I’m pretty sure people would steal everything the first chance they got. The restaurant itself was also super clean, so I guess what they’re lacking in flavor they’re trying to make up for in the overall experience. Still, though, I’ll happily take my McDonald’s US food over these Italian dishes any day of the week.
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Are there any international McDonald’s items you absolutely swear by? Tell me about them in the comments below!
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