A Food Editor’s Review of McDonald’s New Buffalo Ranch Menu (Plus a New Frappé)

• What It Is: coffee mocha Frappé base blended with chocolate chip cookie syrup and ice, topped with whipped cream and crunchy Chips Ahoy! pieces
• Price (small): $3

This sipper was super sweet and chocolatey with salty notes of caramel. The texture of the frappé was nice—not too chunky or smooth, with nibble-sized ice chips. The crispy cookie bits on top and blended chocolate chips throughout added texture as well. The flavor really did make me think of Chips Ahoy! cookies, but I can’t imagine treating this as a coffee because of how cloying it is. This is a fast food dessert, if you ask me.

• What It Is: Southern-style fried chicken fillet, bacon, shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes and Buffalo Ranch sauce on a toasted potato roll
• Price (sandwich): $5

This fast food chicken sandwich was sloppily assembled with a stack of tomatoes in the center and shreds of lettuce haphazardly strewn around. However, the bacon was very crispy and savory with no creepy chew that a lot of fast food bacon tends to have. It mostly lended texture, along with slight smokiness, but I think it distracted from the new sauce, which was approachable in its spiciness; very creamy, tangy and a touch herbaceous.

• What It Is: breaded, fried white-meat chicken strips
• Price (three-piece): $5

I ordered this the day it launched, so maybe the store didn’t have the proper dip cups yet, but the chicken strips came with regular Buffalo instead of Buffalo Ranch. (The rest of my order had the proper Buffalo Ranch, since it didn't come in a dip cup.) The Buffalo had more of a vinegary edge and extra heat, but it was still only medium-spicy and not overwhelmingly hot at all. The chicken was very juicy, but not as crispy as the last time I had it. That said, it was still well-seasoned with black pepper-forward breading.

• What It Is: Southern-style fried chicken fillet, bacon, pickles and Buffalo Ranch sauce on a toasted potato roll
• Price (sandwich): $5

I preferred this spicy chicken sandwich to the Deluxe because of the addition of sour pickles, which brought vibrancy to the entire handheld and played really well with the tang of the sauce. The pickles also complemented the herby notes of the ranch dressing and cut through its richness, while also taming the heat of the Buffalo and invigorating its potency with acidity in one fell swoop.

• What It Is: one McCrispy Strip, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and Buffalo Ranch sauce on a soft flour tortilla
• Price: $3

If you were psyched about the Snack Wrap’s return this past July, just wait until you get your hands on this portable delight. The ranch notes really came through for a balance of creamy and rich versus acidic and tingly. (FYI, it seems that the sauce is drizzled on the tortilla; the chicken isn’t tossed in it or fully coated.) It’s just right for folks who always have a hard time choosing between the Spicy and Ranch Snack Wraps. As usual, the tortilla was soft and pliable, the chicken was succulent and crisp and the toppings were well-distributed.