Restaurants

McDonald's Is Testing The Plant-Based P.L.T. Burger In Canada

PLT Courtesy of McDonald's
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper|

It was only a matter of time. Plant-based burgers are everywhere, and McDonald's is finally getting in on the action. The fast food giant is testing a plant-based burger, the P.L.T., which stands for Plant, Lettuce, Tomato. There's a catch, though: You need to go to Canada to try the new take on a burger.

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So what's McDonald's serving up on its signature sesame-seed bun? The P.L.T. is made with a Beyond Meat plant-based patty made exclusively for McDonald's, featuring no artificial colors, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives. The burger is also served with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo-style sauce, ketchup, mustard and cheese. (And if the P.L.T. name sounds familiar, you may remember McDonald's 1980s-1990s burger, the McDLT, a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato that came in a now-infamous split-sided Styrofoam container.)

While the burger may be a good option for those who want to cut back on meat, as offered, the standard P.L.T. is not suitable for vegans. While it can be served without the standard processed cheddar and mayo-style sauce, the burger is cooked on the same grill as meat and egg products.

The P.L.T. costs $6.49 Canadian, which translates to $4.89 U.S. It will be offered at more than two dozen locations in southwestern Ontario. You can find a list of the locations online. But you'd better hurry. The burger will be on those menus starting Sept. 30 for a 12-week test period. If it sells well, we could see it again and at more locations.

McDonald's is coming a bit late to the meatless patty party. Numerous competitors have already been trying out plant-based meats. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper, Carls Jr. has a Beyond Meat vegan burger and even KFC has tested a chickenless fried chicken.

Kids today are growing up with meatless offerings, but back in the day, consumers would've been shocked to see a plant-based burger on a fast-food menu. It's just another example of how fast food has changed since you were in high school.

 

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