McDonald’s Daily Double is not the burger I wanted the fast food chain to bring back. That pedestal belongs to the Big ‘N Tasty, which, for those of you who are too young to remember, was a short-lived Whopper competitor rolled out at the turn of the century. While not as ancient as the Big ‘N Tasty, the Daily Double made its debut in 2012, and it’s been available occasionally in specific US markets. However, it’s now available nationwide again.

The well-topping-endowed burger features two beef patties, two slices of Roma tomatoes, slivered onions, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, and American cheese on a regular bun. I imagine it’s called Daily Double because Grimace wanted to remember the fond memories of watching the game show Jeopardy with The Professor, who grew Grimace from a petri dish and taught the purple blob love and compassion. I’m fairly certain that’s part of the McDonaldland canon.

Speaking of the McDonald’s universe (McDU), the Daily Double is one of the few burgers in Golden Arches history that, by default, comes topped with only mayonnaise and doesn’t come with pickles. But despite the lack of strong condiments like ketchup and mustard, it does have a flavor that I find to be good enough to convince me to order it again.

When I took my first bite, I had to double-check that there wasn’t a new sauce with the burger. It turned out to be the combination of mayonnaise and onion that created that pleasing flavor. The absence of pickles, mustard, and ketchup allowed the two beef patties to stand out with a strong meaty flavor and saltiness. I’m not sure I noticed the single cheese slice, so maybe a second slice should’ve been added for a stronger cheesiness, increased profit margins, and to really hit home the “double” in the Daily Double.

The lettuce and tomato bring a bit of freshness and something to cut through some of the saltiness of the beef patties. They also make the burger look as if there’s a salad on top of it. As someone who is trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet in any way I can, I appreciate the double tomato slices. The shredded lettuce also gives this a certain quality equal to McDonald’s signature Big Mac — its messiness.

Despite not being the Big’ N Tasty, I’m glad McDonald’s Daily Double has returned. Although it’s basically a heavily customized McDouble, so I guess I could have had it all this time, which is a good thing because when it disappears again, I can continue to enjoy it.

Purchased Price: $4.19*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 400 calories, 31 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 22 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Do you know what’s a great way to get out of a sleepy morning state?

Caffeine? Nah.

Multiple alarms? Beep, no!

A firm face slap? You’re getting closer.

After taking my first bite from McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg, I realized I’d been getting awake the wrong way. I don’t need coffee or multiple alarms set for 6:45, 6:50, 6:54, 6:57, 6:59, 7:00, 7:01, 7:02, 7:03 am. All I need is to make the inside of my mouth experience a slightly stabby pain. I figured this out thanks to this McDonald’s breakfast sandwich that features the chain’s Spicy Pepper Sauce, which debuted with the Spicy McCrispy Chicken Sandwich.

Now, pulling out the Spicy Pepper Sauce for the breakfast crowd begs the question: Why not bring out the Big Mac Sauce, too? I’m 100 percent sure it would make a McMuffin McBetter.

Anyhoo, the orangey condiment brings a spiciness that I’d put at a 4-5 on my heat scale. It’s not enough to make me sweat or wish I’d ordered orange juice with it, but I did find myself suddenly more alert with a burn circulating inside my mouth, and that peppery burn lingered on my lips and tongue well after finishing the sandwich.

Beyond the heat, I enjoyed the added flavor. Standard McMuffins aren’t completely bland, but after eating Grimace’s weight of McMuffins over my lifetime, it’s wonderful to be able to taste something different. The sauce’s pepperiness negates the egg and cheese’s flavor, but the savory sausage still comes through. However, I do think the egg and cheese slightly dampens the topping’s heat.

I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s the new hotness, but I think I’m going to order all my McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches with this sauce for as long as I can. Yeah, even the McGriddles for a swicy twist.

McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg was a great tasting way to start my morning. The sauce’s pepperiness awakened my taste buds, and the sauce’s heat awakened the rest of my head. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to place a bag of Flamin’ Hot chips next to my bed.

Purchased Price: $5.79*
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Unavailable at time of publication.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

Like Spider-Man movies, McDonald’s has rebooted its chicken strips multiple times. First, there were the Chicken Selects (Tobey Maguire). Then, there were the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders (Andrew Garfield). And now, the fast food chain has once again dipped its toes into the extended dippable poultry universe with its McCrispy Strips (Tom Holland).

McDonald’s uses 100% white meat chicken coated with a crispy golden brown breading that features a new black pepper flavor for the new menu item. Along for the ride is the new Creamy Chili Dip, a savory, sweet, and tangy sauce that McDonald’s says “unlocks the full Strips experience.” The chicken is available in 3- and 4-piece orders, and both options come with two sauces of your choice. But, spoiler alert, I REALLY recommend getting the Creamy Chili Dip, which I’ll get to in a moment.

The first thing that caught my eye about the McCrispy Strips was how McLong they were. They seemed more impressive than the previous McDonald’s offerings. Also impressive was how tender and juicy the meat was. However, I wish the “crispy golden brown breading” was crispier. There’s some texture, especially on the edges, but for the most part, I find the Chicken McNuggets to have a crispier exterior. That’s disappointing for something that seems more premium than chicken nuggets. As for its flavor, it has a light pepperiness that makes these okay enough to eat sans sauce, but you NEED to eat them with the Creamy Chili Dip.

I’ve had Raising Cane’s once, and all I remember is how much I liked the Cane’s Sauce more than the chicken fingers. And I can say the same thing about these McCrispy Strips. While the chicken doesn’t blow away my taste buds, the Creamy Chili Dip does, and I hope it never leaves. Its tangy and peppery flavor brings to mind what I remember Cane’s Sauce tasting like, and it perfectly complements the McCrispy Strips’ flavor. However, there were times when I thought the chicken strip with the sauce got a bit too salty. But overall (I can’t believe I’m about to type this), I might love this Creamy Chili Dip as much as my beloved Hot Mustard Sauce. And I look forward to trying it with Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald’s says the McCrispy Strips are a permanent item, but it’s hard to tell if it will cement them into the menu like the Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets. History shows that McDonald’s has an on-and-off relationship with chicken strips. Only time will tell if they stay. If they end up disappearing, I won’t be too sad. But if the Creamy Chili Dip goes, I may McCry.

Purchased Price: $5.99*
Size: 3-piece order
Rating: 8 out of 10 (with Creamy Chili Dip)
Nutrition Facts: (w/o sauce) 350 calories, 17 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 30 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

I know nothing about Minecraft.

But I do know that one of the ingredients in McDonald’s Nether Flame Sauce is also found in pepper spray — oleoresin capsicum. While not as unpleasant as I imagine being pepper sprayed is, this spicy sauce was not my cup of scalding hot tea.

Here’s how McDonald’s describes the sauce, “Like the lavafalls of the fiery dimension, this exclusive spicy Nether Flame Sauce will singe even the feistiest of mobs. Feel the heat of the Nether with crushed red pepper and flaming cayenne. Crafted with fiery flavor, this hot sauce gives hints of savory garlic and subtle sweetness. If you can dig the heat, know it goes perfectly with a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets.”

Spoiler Alert: I could not dig the heat and didn’t even want to dip all of my 4-piece order of McNuggets into it.

Of course, with the name “Nether Flame,” it should be evident that it will be spicy. But I thought it would be “mass appeal fast food spicy” where there’s a nice amount of heat that makes me want to reach for a refreshing and soothing McDonald’s Diet Coke, but I don’t NEED to. I guess I expected a heat level similar to the recent limited-time McNugget sauces.

While my eating history shows that I don’t mind the spicy, after dipping two McNuggets, my taste buds threw in the towel because they had a hunch that if they continued, the capsaicin level would make them and our digestive system regret it later. Also, while eating those two nuggets, I NEEDED to reach for the comfort of an ice cold McDonald’s Diet Coke. Of course, heat tolerances are different, so some of you might find this sauce’s spiciness to be lava off a duck’s back.

With those two McNuggets I consumed, I noticed not only the sauce’s spiciness and pepperiness but also a strong garlic taste, which also accompanied other recent limited-time McNugget sauces. So, it’s a little surprising that it’s also a notable component of this one. However, this sauce is much spicier than the previous ones.

If McDonald’s had turned down the heat a little, I might’ve enjoyed this because I love garlic. However, at the same time, doing that might’ve made this taste more similar to previous sauces.

Overall, while I know nothing about Minecraft, I do know that this Nether Flame Sauce is at the nether level of my favorite McNugget sauces.

Purchased Price: Free w/Chicken McNuggets
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.