McDonald's US fans in uproar over new menu item that can't compare to 'superior' original version
McDonald's fans take their favourite menu items very seriously and won't hesitate to let the fast food giant know when they're unhappy - as they have demonstrated with uproar over a new menu item.
The crispy, peppery Chicken Selects are a firm favourite among McDonald's customers, with many declaring them to be 'elite' chicken strips.
But while UK customers get to enjoy them any time, those in the US were disappointed when in 2013, the chain discontinued Chicken Selects on the menu across the pond.
Recently, McDonald's introduced chicken strips again in the US - but they aren't quite what the American audience had hoped for.
On May 5, the fast food giant rolled out McCrispy Strips, described as 'irresistibly craveable chicken strips made with juicy, 100% white meat, coated with crispy golden-brown breading and bursting with a bold, new black pepper flavour'.
This new version comes as Alyssa Buetikofer, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald's, said the demand for chicken strips 'has been remarkable to see across the industry'.
Commenting on why it's taken so long to bring chicken strips back to the US menu, she added: 'We took our time, listened to our fans and created a product we knew they would crave.'
But many have taken to social media to complain that McCrispy Strips are simply no match for Chicken Selects.
The most noticeable difference is the texture of the battered exterior of the chicken strips.
While Chicken Selects are beloved for their seasoned, crispy coating which delivers a satisfying crunch, McCrispy Strips have a smoother, much less rugged texture - more akin to outside of a McNugget.
When McDonald's announced the new chicken menu item in the US, American customers instantly became excited over the prospect that Chicken Selects may have returned.
However, they are now taking to social media to complain about how different McCrispy Strips are compared to Chicken Selects - and they aren't holding back about which they prefer.
On Reddit, one user said: 'All they had to do was bring back Chicken Selects and that would've made everyone happy.'
Another wrote: 'Select strips were clearly superior. McCrispy Strips 2/10'.'
A third added: 'I thought foolishly like someone else said they were the Chicken Select strips. Absolutely disgusting.'
Even those who thought the McCrispy Strips tasted good admitted that they would have preferred Chicken Selects.
'I just had them today and they're honestly disappointing,' one reviewer said. 'They smelled a lot like the old chicken selects while I drove home with them in the bag, but eating them… yeah, no.
'Just a bland, weirdly breaded, not-at-all crispy chicken strip! I don't understand why they're a permanent addition to the menu. I miss Chicken Selects so, so, so, so, so much!!'
Customers also expressed their displeasure at the fast food chain on X, formerly Twitter.
'McDonald's really played in our face talkin' about some damn 'McCrispy Strips'... WE ASKED FOR THE CHICKEN SELECTS,' one person wrote.
Another slammed McDonald's for discontinuing Chicken Selects more than a decade ago, only to bring back a different version.
'You took one of the best items off the menu and then had 12 years to come up with a replacement and this is the slop you've put out,' they said.
A third quizzed: '[They're] bringing back dinosaurs, direwolves, AND THEY CAN'T BRING BACK CHICKEN SELECTS???'
McDonald's has previously introduced a variation of chicken strips to its US menu in the past, in a bid to satisfy customers still upset about the loss of Chicken Selects.
Fans are demanding that McDonald's bring back Chicken Selects to the US menu
In 2017, the retailer added Buttermilk Crispy Tenders to the menu. These looked much more similar to Chicken Selects and were popular among customers - but they were discontinued just three years later due to the COVID pandemic.
However, McDonald's is standing by its new McCrispy Strips despite the criticism.
Cesar Piña, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at the chain, said in a press release: 'When we introduce a new menu item like McCrispy Strips, we know we have a big promise to fulfill to meet our customer's expectations.
'From the farms we source from to how food is prepared in our restaurants, bringing new products to our fans requires collaboration across suppliers, franchisees, and company staff.
'We hold ourselves to the highest standard and aim to bring fans nothing less than greatness.'
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