McDonald's brings Indian classic to Chicago for a limited time
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McAloo Tikki burger and Deluxe potatoes. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
I don't eat McDonald's often, so when I learned a new plant-based burger at the international McD's in West Loop was causing a stir, I — as the team vegetarian — had to check it out.
Driving the news: The restaurant connected to Hamburger University is serving the McAloo Tikki burger ($5.99) through June 23 as part of its Global Favorites menu.
- It's the only place in the U.S. to try the veggie patty.
Why it matters: To Indian customers, the burger offers a taste of home — the McAloo debuted there in 1998 and is one of the most popular menu items.
- For vegetarians (and vegans if you order without the sauce), it's something we can actually eat besides French fries and soft serve.
Dig in: The crispy patty, made of potatoes, peas and Indian spices, is topped with tomato and a tangy and somewhat sweet tomato mayo and served on the standard flat burger bun.
- I ordered a side of Deluxe Potatoes ($3.49) from France and a Banana Tart McFlurry ($2.99) from Japan, two more of the six items on the current global menu.
What they're saying: Tanmay Dhuri, who was visiting from the Bay Area, said he had to get the burger that reminded him of growing up in India."It has nostalgic value to it. It's not like something that's unique like in a flavor way, but it's just that everybody had it for so long," Dhuri said.
The intrigue: One of the cashiers told me it's the item people ask about the most and since they started serving it earlier this month, she's seen people order up to 30 at one time.
Flashback: The global McD's also offered the McAloo Tikki in 2018 and 2023.
State of play: McDonald's has tried to make a plant-based burger a regular thing in the U.S., but it hasn't quite caught on.
- They experimented with the McPlant, which was a Beyond Meat patty, in 2022 at restaurants in Dallas and the Bay Area, but McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger told WSJ last year it wasn't popular and he doesn't think "the U.S. consumer is … looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald's now."
- McPlant is still available in other countries, including Ireland and Switzerland, according to Food and Wine.
The verdict: The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I'd recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It's always nice to have a veggie burger that's actually vegetables and not heavy on the soy, which isn't as tasty and will give you a tummyache.