What Really Happened To McDonald's McFeast Burger?
If you've never heard of the McFeast and are wondering if you blinked and missed some super-duper extra-limited release (five minutes only!), relax; this isn't something that's been featured on the Mickey D's menu in the good old U.S.A. Instead it comes from a Land Down Under (you know, the one where "where women glow and men plunder" — if not, you're welcome for this throwback '80s earworm from Men at Work). This Australian entree is somewhat like the Big Mac, only instead of having the two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun (there, now the Big Mac song can replace that earlier song stuck in your head), it has but a single patty, a tomato slice but no onions, and the special sauce is actually a blend of three: ketchup, mustard, and McChicken sauce.
When McDonald's Australia dropped the McFeast from its menu in 2021, people were pretty upset about it. It seems, though, that this item has long had a habit of appearing and disappearing. It was around in the '80s and also the '90s — until suddenly it wasn't. It then returned in a slightly revamped version in 2009, only to vanish again and reappear once more in 2011 for another limited-time appearance. As of May 2023, though, the McFeast is back, although again, its time is limited. Even in the Antipodes, Mickey D's seems fond of playing McRib-type games.
The McFeast is also on the menu in another country
Australia isn't the only country to have a McFeast on the menu, although if you'll note the choice of indefinite as opposed to definite article, the reason why we say "a" instead of "the" McFeast is because South Africa's burger isn't quite the same as the one being sold on the other side of the world. For one thing, it has two beef patties instead of just one. For another, it has onions but no pickles. The most significant difference, however, is that while it, too, is topped with McChicken sauce, the ketchup and mustard are replaced by something called "braai sauce."
What, exactly, is braai sauce? It's not something the South African McDonald's menu has need to explain as it's a favorite condiment in that country. "Braai" is an Afrikaans term used to mean barbecue, and the sauce is something that might not seem amiss at an American barbecue, as it is a cooked sauce made with a base of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and vinegar and flavored with brown sugar, yellow mustard, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce. It does contain one element that is a bit different but sounds quite tasty: peach chutney, which adds a little extra sweetness to this tangy sauce. Not your typical burger topping, perhaps, but one more reason for us to be envious of McDonald's overseas offerings.