Does McDonald’s Still Have the Bacon Smokehouse Burger? A Look Back at a Short-Lived Menu Item

The Bacon Smokehouse Burger was a limited-time offering from McDonald’s back in 2018. It was part of their Signature Crafted Recipes line, which aimed to provide more gourmet, customizable burgers. But the Bacon Smokehouse Burger was only on the menu for a short time before disappearing.

So does McDonald’s still have the Bacon Smokehouse Burger in 2023? Let’s take a look back at this past menu item.

Overview of the McDonald’s Bacon Smokehouse Burger

The Bacon Smokehouse Burger was introduced by McDonald’s in 2018 as part of a push towards more premium burger offerings It was marketed as

• Made with a fresh beef patty
• Topped with thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon
• Sweet and smoky bacon-onion sauce
• Crispy onion strings
• White cheddar cheese
• Mild mustard sauce
• Served on an artisan roll

It was part of a Signature Crafted Recipes line that allowed customers to customize burgers with premium ingredients and toppings like grilled or fried mushrooms and onions, guacamole, garlic aioli sauce, and more.

The Bacon Smokehouse Burger was available as a single or double patty burger, with a fried or grilled chicken version too. A single patty Bacon Smokehouse Burger meal cost around $8.39 before tax when it was available.

Why the Bacon Smokehouse Burger Was Discontinued

The McDonald’s Bacon Smokehouse Burger was only on menus for a short time in 2018 before being discontinued. There seem to be a few likely reasons it was a temporary menu item:

• It was part of a wider Signature Crafted Recipes campaign that McDonald’s didn’t continue long-term. The whole line was phased out after an initial push.
• As a more premium burger, it had a higher price point than core McDonald’s burgers. The price may have deterred some customers.
• Reviews of the burger were mixed. While some loved the fresh beef and bacon, common complaints were about skimpy toppings, a messy build, and inferior bun.
• It didn’t generate enough ongoing consumer demand after initial buzz to become permanent on the menu. New limited-time offers are sometimes tests, and this one may have failed to meet sales thresholds.

The Bacon Smokehouse Burger was likely intended as a short-term, innovative menu item to generate interest around McDonald’s fresh beef quarter pound burgers and more gourmet offerings. Once that marketing push ended, it seems the burger didn’t have legs as an ongoing menu item.

Does McDonald’s Have Any Similar Burgers Now?

Since discontinuing the Bacon Smokehouse Burger, McDonald’s no longer has anything quite the same on its menus in 2023. However, there are some current options with similarities:

• Quarter Pounder with Bacon – Comes with thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cheese, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard. No smokehouse-style sauces or onion strings though.

• Bacon McDouble – Features bacon, cheese, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard on a double patty. A lower cost double bacon burger option.

• Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles – These breakfast sandwiches contain bacon along with egg, American cheese and maple syrup flavor pancake buns.

While none have the same toppings blend as the old Bacon Smokehouse Burger, the current options with bacon showcase McDonald’s applewood smoked bacon on fan favorite burgers and breakfast sandwiches.

Revisiting a 2018 Review of the McDonald’s Bacon Smokehouse Burger

To provide more insight into why the Bacon Smokehouse Burger didn’t last, it’s helpful to look back at a 2018 review of the burger from the blog Fast Food Connoisseur:

• The fresh beef quarter pound patty itself got a thumbs up for good flavor and texture closer to a restaurant burger than frozen patties.

• The applewood smoked bacon provided nice crunch and smoky flavor. A highlight ingredient.

• The white cheddar cheese nicely complemented the other flavors without overpowering.

• But the reviewer felt the tavern sauce (likely the advertised mustard sauce) didn’t taste great and there wasn’t enough of it, leaving the burger dry.

• Fried onion strings became soggy, losing their crispness in the burger, a common problem.

• The fancy bun was criticized as too bready and not holding ingredients well. The sesame seed buns were preferred.

• Inconsistent ingredient coverage with some bites lacking key flavors.

This review seems to confirm some recurrent issues with the Bacon Smokehouse Burger – skimpy condiments, a finicky artisan bun, and soggy onion strings underdelivered on expectations set by the burger’s marketing and price point. The fresh beef and bacon still delivered though.

Is the Bacon Smokehouse Burger Ever Coming Back?

Given that it was a limited-time offering nearly 5 years ago now, the chances seem very slim of McDonald’s bringing back the Bacon Smokehouse Burger in its original form. Limited-time fast food items are usually retired for good once promotions end.

However, McDonald’s could potentially revisit the concept in future with tweaks to fix some of the original sandwich’s shortcomings. The Signature Crafted Recipes line showed McDonald’s willingness to test more gourmet burgers. A next iteration of a smokehouse-style bacon burger could perform better.

Never say never, but diners probably shouldn’t get their hopes up. The Bacon Smokehouse Burger seems destined to remain a short-lived menu memory. Fans may have to settle for adding bacon to their Quarter Pounder or Bacon McDouble instead to satisfy that smoky bacon craving.

Should You Try Current McDonald’s Bacon Burgers?

While the Bacon Smokehouse Burger is long gone, McDonald’s does still offer several bacon-topped burgers that can satisfy. Here is a quick rundown:

• Quarter Pounder with Bacon – The quarter pound fresh beef patty makes this a step above other bacon cheeseburgers. Great for bacon and burger purists.

• Bacon McDouble – At a lower price point than the Quarter Pounder, two patties and bacon makes this a substantial bacon burger.

• Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles – For breakfast, the sweet pancake bun sets these bacon sandwiches apart.

Overall, reviews of McDonald’s current bacon menu items remain positive. The applewood smoked bacon stands out as high quality. While not the same as the Bacon Smokehouse Burger, McDonald’s bacon burgers and sandwiches are still tasty options for bacon enthusiasts.

The Bottom Line

The McDonald’s Bacon Smokehouse Burger had a short run back in 2018 before being discontinued. Lackluster feedback on some of the components like the bun and onion strings, as well as its higher price point, likely contributed to its fate as a temporary menu item. While you can no longer order one today, some current options like the Quarter Pounder with Bacon still allow you to get your bacon fix at McDonald’s. And who knows – a future reimagining of the concept could potentially bring a taste of the Bacon Smokehouse Burger back someday.