The Worst New McDonald's Items Of 2026 (So Far)

McDonald's may be an iconic fast food chain, but its status doesn't necessarily ward off criticism. The restaurant was one of several fast food joints that raised prices in 2026, and annoyed customers on Reddit have complained McDonald's went back on its affordable pricing promises ("It's a hamburger, not a Stradivarius violin," mused one commenter). Compounding the ongoing discussion about high prices, the restaurant has struck out where some newly released items are concerned. We dug through the 2026 Golden Arches drops to determine which debuts left a sour taste in the mouths of diners, and here's what we found. 

In a move that was likely influenced by Starbucks Energy Refreshers (a line of fruit-flavored caffeinated beverages), McDonald's released its own Strawberry Watermelon Refresher this year. Customers also received a new variety of the famous Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit, as well as a new Caramel Apple Pie Coffee. In all three cases, fans felt let down by the quality, while cost was also an issue for the new breakfast sandwich. Despite the lackluster response garnered by these limited time releases, 2026 hasn't been a complete wash for the chain. McDonald's Derpy McFlurry (a creamy collab with "KPop Demon Hunters") ranked among the best new fast food items of 2026 so far. 

Caffeine fiends (i.e., me) are always seeking new and inventive ways to get their fix. That could explain the influx of Refresher beverages from fast food places like Panera Bread and Sonic. McDonald's introduced its own line of Refreshers this year, caffeine-free though, including a strawberry watermelon variety made with lemonade, fruit flavorings, and freeze‑dried strawberries. The new line of beverages was part of some big changes McDonald's made in 2026, but the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher wasn't a hit among customers. 

"Nobody order the new strawberry watermelon refresher at McDonald's," commanded a Redditor, who went on to describe the drink in rather family-unfriendly terms (let's just say they found it disgusting). A commenter agreed, saying, "It just tasted bland and pink and plastic and globby." Elsewhere on Reddit, another dissatisfied customer said, "Taste was very weak, had four bits of strawberry. Could barely taste watermelon. Nope. Never again." On the other hand, the Sprite Berry Blast (crisp soda, blue raspberry syrup, and cold foam) appears to be a solid choice. As one Redditor put it, "OK but the blue drink f*****g RULES."

While some customers have praised McDonald's new Honey Brown Butter Biscuit, the breakfast item received its fair share of criticism. The new Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit variety featured a honey brown butter sauce that set it apart from the restaurant's McMuffins, McGriddles, and other breakfast sandwiches. Though the pairing of sweet honey and toasty, caramelly brown butter sounds delicious in theory, the sandwich had a somewhat disappointing reception on Reddit. "It was lame, hardly had any sauce," said one diner, "Could barely tell it was different than a regular biscuit." It's worth noting that insufficient sauce was a complaint repeated by several customers, while others disliked the flavor: "Removed the top biscuit with the honey butter and wiped off as much as possible to salvage the sandwich," said one person.

In another Reddit thread discussing the Honey Brown Butter Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit, cost was a major sticking point for diners all over the country. "It is $5.19 in Connecticut, just for the sandwich alone," said one commenter, while another claimed, "$6.77 here in Seattle after tax." In an open letter, president of McDonald's USA, Joe Erlinger, said the average price for McDonald's items rose by about 40% between 2019 and 2024. The chain attributes these increases to supply costs and rising wages, but disputes that it engages in price gouging.

What's your favorite fall flavor? While pumpkin still reigns supreme at fast food chains and coffee shops this time of year, a Mashed poll declared apple is the best fall flavor of the season. In this case, McDonald's Caramel Apple Pie Coffee is certainly tempting. Available hot or iced, as well as in a decadent Carmel Apple Pie Frappe, the drink consists of flavored coffee and apple pie syrup, plus a topping of salted caramel whipped cream and apple pie crumbles. 

As always, we turn to Reddit for the cold, hard consumer truth, and this seemingly tasty coffee drink doesn't exactly meet expectations. "Absolute sugar slop liquid," said one commenter, while another person declared, "Apple and coffee were not made to go together in a drink. It's a problem combo." But even if you enjoy apple and coffee together, another Redditor gave an even harsher critique, saying, "1/10, the apple pie flavor they use is awful and extremely overwhelming. It tastes almost musty." The sole silver lining to this disappointing coffee drink is it will vanish from menus by the end of the fall season.