McDonald’s has had a strong start to 2026, and there seemingly aren’t any plans for the fast-food icon to slow down, what with the brand new Friends Meal roaring into restaurants this week.
On Tuesday (3 February), the eyebrow-raising Secret Menu made way for the return of The Philly Cheese Stack, and a new era of sweet treats were ushered in, alongside the anticipated Friends Menu.
The latter is collaboration between McDonald’s and Warner Bros. and consists of a main entreé - either a Big Mac, McPlant, or pack of Chicken McNuggets - a drink, and a carton of fries.
The combo also includes an ‘adult Happy Meal toy’, modelled after the core cast of the beloved US sitcom.
Advert
There are six mini figures to collect, but McDonald’s has confirmed you will have to lucky dip for them, rather than buy each character separately.
Alongside The Friends Meal, the American restaurant chain has repackaged some of its menu staples with Friends-inspired designs. These include subtle nods to New York City, and the iconic orange sofa.
What’s more, Maccies has launched gooey Pizza Mozzarella Dippers for a limited time.
Available in a three or nine-piece bag, the cheesy snack is served with an Italian-style Marinara Dip AKA Monica’s Marinara Sauce.
The new addition hasn’t pleased everyone though, with one customer taking to Reddit to share their thoughts.
“Absolutely diabolical,” they wrote. “What even is this. Doesnt even taste of cheese and didnt melt even though was piping hot - says a lot! Waste of money.”
The poster included an image of the Pizza Mozzarella Dipper shared alongside the scathing comment and from the image, it appeared as if the inside of the item had failed to melt.
Social media users have flocked to the thread to have their say, with one commenting: “Looks like you have a defrosted one, rather than cooked.”
A second reported: “I don't know why they bother with these things when they have the Cheese Melts of various types. The mozzarella sticks have always been terrible - just give us the melts all the time please!!”
Many others have rushed to McDonald’s defence, with one fan writing: “Can’t have been cooked properly as we tried these yesterday with the marinara dip and they were unreal so not sure what the hell they’ve served you there.”
Another penned: “Got to admit this is one of the best sides they’ve brought out in a long time.”
“I had one earlier it was lovely. This wasn’t cooked,” replied someone else.
The divide over the Pizza Mozzarella Dippers comes just days after McDonald’s quietly axed some of its veggie meal options.
Fans were ‘disappointed’ to discover that four vegetarian-friendly dishes had been put on the chopping block: Veggie Dippers, the Spicy Veggie Wrap, the Vegetable Deluxe sandwich, and the vegetarian-friendly Happy Meal.
In a statement to The Sun, the business said: “We’re always listening to our customers to help inform and evolve our menu.
“While McPlant remains a firm fan favourite and will continue to be the go-to choice for our vegetarian and vegan customers, we recognise these changes may be disappointing for some.
“We are actively learning from other markets to understand which vegetarian and vegan options are proving most popular and exploring exciting new offerings.”
FOODbible has contacted McDonald’s UK for comment.
Topics: UK Food, McDonalds , Fast Food, Social Media
Ella Scott