McDonald's CBO Angus Burger (and Free French Fries!)

After writing Fast Times for about a year now, I remain amazed at the frequency with which my fast-food orders are screwed up. If I were (more) OCD, I would probably be keeping a spreadsheet, but it’s definitely hovering around two-thirds of the time. I have actually played a game, now and again, where I order what I don’t want, just to see if I receive what I actually want by mistake. Example: a chicken sandwich version of a promotion, when I really want the burger. It hasn’t worked yet, but it’s still a fun game.

So this week I stopped by McDonald’s to check out the CBO Angus Burger, where CBO=Cheese, Bacon, Onion. As I pulled up to the window to claim my food, the employee confirmed, “Just the burger, right?” and I answered in the affirmative. Four kind of long minutes later, I took my take-out bag and drove away, only noticing once I hit the next stoplight that I was gifted with a meal — fries included. My waistline does not say thanks.

The CBO burger, made with a one-third-pound Angus beef patty, also comes in grilled or fried chicken sandwich form, if you are so inclined. I was tempted to “be good” (460 calories) and get the grilled chicken, but I went whole-cow and opted for the 790-calorie Angus burger ($4.75).

I was totally prepared to diss this burger, but I have to admit that it was completely delicious. The three toppers — white cheddar, hickory-smoked bacon and caramelized onion — sit atop a juicy (for McD’s) burger. The heft on the sandwich is pretty impressive as well. I didn’t weigh it, but then I’m not going to weigh myself for a while, either.

I wish there were more caramelized onions to give the sandwich more sweetness. Without a lot of onions to balance the beef, cheddar and bacon, the burger was a little one-note. I could have added ketchup, but I live in Texas now! Aren’t you proud?

Are there better ways to blow those 790 calories? Yeah, probably — there are certainly hand-crafted burgers around town that will scratch the itch better, though you’ll also have to invest a few hundred more calories (at least) and more than a few extra bucks. But judged on its own merits, against other fast-food burgers, the BCO is definitely a winner.

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