As Joni Mitchell once said, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
That's exactly how I felt upon discovering that McDonald's had killed its Create Your Taste experiment.
A thorn in the side of many franchisees offering over 30 fancy ingredients and toppings, the Create Your Taste customizable menu was recently replaced with a different and more limited menu platform called Signature Crafted Recipes.
Instead of allowing you to build your own burger, this new menu offers three burgers to choose from: pico guacamole, sweet barbecue bacon, and maple bacon dijon.
You can then choose a protein — quarter-pound burger, crispy chicken, or grilled chicken — and pick from two options of buns.
As a Create Your Taste fan myself, I decided to test all three replacement burgers. Which, if any, are worth a bite?
Unsurprisingly, the sandwiches come in the same strange double-wide container that the Create Your Taste burgers arrived in.
![](http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/582a12cd691e882c4e8b5d83-400-300/unsurprisingly-the-sandwiches-come-in-the-same-strange-double-wide-container-that-the-create-your-taste-burgers-arrived-in.jpg)
First up, we have the pico guacamole burger. It's a vaguely Southwestern themed flavor — very vaguely. Underneath the "artisan roll" (you can choose between that or the classic sesame seed bun) lies a quarter-pound beef patty, white cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, and buttermilk ranch, all for $6.69.
![](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/582a12cd691e881b008b69d8-400-300/first-up-we-have-the-pico-guacamole-burger-its-a-vaguely-southwestern-themed-flavor--very-vaguely-underneath-the-artisan-roll-you-can-choose-between-that-or-the-classic-sesame-seed-bun-lies-a-quarter-pound-beef-patty-white-cheddar-cheese-pico-de-gallo-guacamole-lettuce-and-buttermilk-ranch-all-for-669.jpg)
See what I mean by "vaguely Southwestern"? I'm not sure what flavor demographic this is aiming for… Southwestern, without spice? But with ranch? And I can't even discern the white cheddar cheese, so why bother including it? Why not spicy pepper jack, which was on the Create Your Taste menu?
![](http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/582a12cd691e888b588b62d3-400-300/see-what-i-mean-by-vaguely-southwestern-im-not-sure-what-flavor-demographic-this-is-aiming-for-southwestern-without-spice-but-with-ranch-and-i-cant-even-discern-the-white-cheddar-cheese-so-why-bother-including-it-why-not-spicy-pepper-jack-which-was-on-the-create-your-taste-menu.jpg)
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