Review: McDonald's New Bold Bbq Sauce In The Angel Reese Special Is A Slam Dunk

The Quarter Pounder found a permanent place on McDonald's menu back in 1973. The chain's famed Tangy BBQ Sauce descended from a defunct steak sauce, which once accompanied the failed Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich and Onion Nuggets in 1978. The large burger and beloved McNugget dipping sauce were like two ships in the night, coexisting for decades, but never officially partnering up. McDonald's finally united the two in 1999 with the limited release of a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder Sandwich which was a fan favorite at McDonald's. For anyone hoping to recapture that brief culinary magic, they had to reconstruct that sandwich themselves by pouring on some BBQ sauce from a side cup under the bun.

Well, thanks to WNBA baller, podcaster, and fashionista Angel Reese, a new BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese is being cooked up in McDonald's in her good name, for the chain's first-ever female athlete meal. This time around, the real all-star is hoping to be a new BBQ sauce that claims to be "Bold." So then, is the Angel Reese Special meal deal with this BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese the real deal, or more of a technical foul? The Takeout went full court press on the new sandwich to see where the truth actually lies — and it's not on the secret menu.

The BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese is a part of the new Angel Reese Special meal deal. While the official launch date is February 10 2025, this meal may already be available at your local participating McDonald's, and will remain in store for a limited time only, and while supplies last. It is available to order once McDonald's switches its menu over from breakfast to lunch. This meal deal may not be available to order after midnight at some locations. It can be ordered in-store, at the counter, kiosk, or drive-thru where available. Advance ordering for pickup or delivery is available through McDonald's app or other delivery services. Higher prices and additional fees may apply for delivery.

The Angel Reese Special comes standard with a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, a medium order of fries, and medium soft drink. There is also an option to order the Quarter Pounder with double the hamburger patties, and to order a larger size of the fries and drink. The BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese cannot be ordered a la carte, nor can the new Bold BBQ Sauce that comes on the burger. The burger can be completely customized to add items like lettuce, tomato, or mayo, remove any of the ingredients, or even to double up on them, including the Bold BBQ Sauce. Price will vary by location, but at my local Manhattan location of McDonald's, a single Quarter Pounder meal deal ran $12.19, and a double only $0.50 more. I opted for extra Bold BBQ Sauce on my double, which ran an additional $0.49.

The standard Angel Reese Special comes with a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, medium fries, and the suggested medium cup of Hi-C Orange Lavaburst. That all adds up to 1,230 calories, 41 grams of protein, 160 total carbohydrates, 50 grams of total fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, 7 grams of dietary fiber, 85 grams of total sugars, 82 grams of added sugars, 205 milligrams of calcium, 75.5 milligrams of iron, 1,145 milligrams of potassium, and 1,790 milligrams of sodium. By its lonesome, a single serving of the Bold BBQ Sauce runs 25 calories.

All the ingredients of the Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese are standard — 100% beef patty prepared with salt and pepper, American cheese, pickle slice, onions, and thick cut applewood bacon housed in a sesame-seeded bun. The Bold BBQ Sauce consists of water, sugar, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, salt, and a prepared mustard made up of water, distilled vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, extractives of paprika, and spice. It also contains 2% or less of corn starch, spices, paprika, dehydrated garlic, natural flavor, dehydrated onion, green jalapeño pepper, autolyzed yeast extract, caramel color, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. The sandwich contains the allergens wheat, sesame, milk, and soy.

Before I got my hands full with the Angel Reese's signature sandwich — the BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese — I wanted to become more acquainted with the sauce itself. Luckily, the kind staff at my local McDonald's somehow granted my request for a side of the Bold BBQ Sauce. In a plastic cup, the new Bold BBQ Sauce sat there in swirl of stillness. It had a beautiful burgundy hue to it, and with closer inspection, orange and brown seasoning flakes. It kind of looked like a cocktail sauce of sorts. As I tipped the cup forward, its textured consistency revealed a thickness, as it was a slow mover. I leaned in for a whiff and it had a familiar barbecue essence that was a tad smoky, and richly sweet.

I scooped up a spoonful and its taste greatly diverged from what it smelled like. While a hint of sweetness kicking things off, it quickly turned peppery, and in a final approach, a wallop of Cajun spice punched through. That rollercoaster ride of tang sealed the deal for this sauce, as I was instantly ready to declare awesome.

Knowing it was quite the kicker of a sauce, I couldn't wait to taste it in conjunction with the always solid Quarter Pounder with Cheese, here with bonus bacon. While the burger did tamper down the true boldness of the Bold BBQ Sauce, in turn, the sauce added an excellent zest to the sandwich I didn't realize it was ever missing.

I am well aware how great McDonald's regular Tangy BBQ Sauce is. After trying all of McDonald's dipping sauces months back with a fresh mind and a refreshed set of taste buds, the BBQ sauce came out on top. To not influence this taste test, I held off trying the old Tangy one until after I first tried the new Bold BBQ Sauce.

The original Tangy one has a similar thickness, but a much smoother veneer. Leaning in for a whiff, its lead smells were more of a pungent nature, like vinegar or Worcestershire sauce. Its taste this time around was shocking — it was way too sweet, almost drowning in sugar. I tore off a piece of the burger with no Bold BBQ Sauce included, and dipped it into the cup of Tangy. It ended up chipping away at the well salted and peppered slab of beef, almost becoming a distraction. On the other hand, when I tried the burger again with the Bold BBQ Sauce in tow, it proved its worth as a better enhancing condiment.

Next, I tried a taste comparison when using the perfect serving mechanism for sauces — McDonald's golden crispy French fries. The results were the same, as the Bold BBQ Sauce ran laps around its older brother — Tangy BBQ Sauce. The new sauce is so darn good it's actually hard to imagine going back to a McWorld where the only BBQ sauce available is the overly sweet one, and not this new multi-layered flashier one that packs a whole lot of yum.

I ordered my Angel Reese Special meal deal through McDonald's app, picked it up at my local McDonald's in Manhattan, and ate it on site. For maximum taste, I ordered my Quarter Pounder with two patties, as well as with an extra serving of the Bold BBQ Sauce. Although the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst was the recommended drink for this collaboration, I opted for my standing favorite Diet Coke, which also doubled as my palate cleanser. While not technically a menu item one can order, I was lucky to have my request granted for a side dipping cup of the Bold BBQ Sauce by the staff. It never hurts to ask, as the worse anyone would ever say is "no."

Taste testing began with the Bold BBQ Sauce by itself, followed by it on the BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Then the original Tangy BBQ Sauce was tasted by itself, and then compared with the Bold BBQ Sauce in a variety of ways.

The ultimate criteria for this chew & review is flavor, aroma, texture, true boldness, uniqueness, how it pairs with the burger, overall lovability, and likelihood of wanting to order it again. The short answer is — a resounding yes!