McDonald's fans think they've found 'most underrated menu item' despite 'nuts' price tag

The McDonald’s menu has such a broad range and caters to so many tastes that it’s very common to have a favourite outside the heavy-hitters. Big Macs, McNuggets boxes, and Quarter Pounders are all well and good, but the real fans will know there are special treasures lurking in plain sight.

In the UK, the Saver Menu starting at £1.19 is the best place to look if value’s your main concern. Cheeseburgers, Hamburgers, small fries, coffees, mini McFlurries, and the beloved Mayo Chicken all feature, and that latter one is something of a heart-winner on either side of the pond.

The UK's Saver Menu works out a little cheaper than the US equivalent (Mike Kemp / Contributor/Getty Images)

The US’s mayo chicken is, somewhat confusingly, dubbed the ‘McChicken’. We have our own McChicken in the UK, but it’s one of the larger burgers and sits in the roster alongside Big Macs and the new Big Arch.

Once upon a time, the US’s McChicken cost just $1, similar to how the UK’s Saver Menu once started at £1. Nowadays, a US McChicken will set you back by $3.10 (£2.28). Our equivalent, the Mayo Chicken, is priced at £1.89 in 2025.

Our beefed-up version – not literally, of course – is priced at £5.09.

For Redditors, especially in the US, the McChicken is the McDonald’s menu’s coup de grâce, offering satisfaction and flavour in a petite package. Please excuse our French, by the way.

However, the gradual price creep affecting Maccies menus both here and in the US has tarnished the US McChicken’s reputation for some. Others, meanwhile, still have it down as the best thing under the golden arches.

When one Redditor asked whether it’s the most underrated item on the menu, one reply said: “The McChicken is nowhere near underrated. It is the undisputed GOAT. Spicy McChicken plain and dry, I always buy six of them. I eat four for lunch and stick two of them in my pockets to serve as a snack.”

A counter-question asked: “How is it underrated when it's one of the most purchased items?”

In the UK, a Mayo Chicken is many people's go-to for a budget bite at Maccies (McDonald's)

“I just had a Chick-Fil-a chicken sandwich yesterday and it was way worse than a McChicken. And spicy McChicken is even better!” opined another.

Not everyone is convinced: “I think it’s a mayonnaise burger with chicken on it.”

And, of course, the current price has come under heavy fire.

“I miss when it was $1,” lamented one Redditor.

“This is why it's a crime they are no longer 99 cents,” added another. “Being able to get three of these puppies and a drink for under $5 was peak. Or maybe 2 McChickens and a cheeseburger with value fries for $5. Let me leave before I get too nostalgic.”

Another shared: “Slapped for a dollar. This $2.89 price nowadays is nuts.” Wait until they discover it’s actually $3.19 in today’s money.

“At the current price, its just not worth it,” said another. “$3+ for a low quality piece of mashed together chicken. No thanks.”

The McChicken is America's answer to our Mayo Chicken (McDonald's)

“It’s the most overrated to me,” was one contrarian take. “That chicken tastes like pure salt. It’s like a giant chunk of fry batter with some flavorless chicken paste molded into a patty on the inside.”

Some reckon it’s just one of a few recent menu casualties: “Everything is overrated with the prices now.”

It seems we need to appreciate how good we’ve got it in the UK with our £1.89 Mayo Chicken and £5.09 McChicken Sandwich.