Former McDonald’s corporate chef Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) has piled up quite the TikTok following and viewership numbers revealing some insider information from his days back working under the golden arches, along with his own opinions about some of the best food creations that ultimately never came to fruition as part of the chain’s official menu. That’s usually down to cost effectiveness and ease of operational implementation when it comes to churning them out hour after hour, shift after shift for hungry patrons.
His latest video hearkens on the chain’s item costs of yesteryear, which recently became a hot topic of conversation after word broke out that the chain has effectively priced itself out of a reach for lower income customers.
The restaurant’s CEO even went on record acknowledging the issue and vowing to make affordability a priority of the chain to give folks a taste of what it was like to waltz into a McDonald’s location with a $20 bill and getting enough double cheeseburgers and McChickens to feed you and your friends for a small get together with plenty of calories to spare.
Haracz highlighted how a Frankenfood creation arose from the $1 Double Cheeseburger and McChicken days: The McGangBang. The x-rated name for the cheeseburger could also be a metaphor for what repetitive consumption of the approximately 800 calorie sandwich (which is comprised of sandwiching a McChicken in between the two burger patties of its $1 menu sibling) does to one’s arteries.
@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef talks about the #mcgangebang sandwich. #McdonaldsLife #McDonaldsTikTok #mcdonaldssecrets #McDonaldsSecret #mcdonaldshacks #mcdonaldshack #FastFoodSecrets #FastFoodTikTok #FastFoodLife #fastFood #fastfoodworkers #McChicken #DoubleCheeseburger #McDouble ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
In his video, Haracz incited feelings of nostalgia from Mickey D’s stans who used to turn to the chain for a quick, cheap and tasty fast food meal, while also asking folks what the cost of a McGangBang is for them at their local restaurant these days. Additionally, he discussed that even though the name may be off-putting to some people, he states that anyone who’s ever worked for McDonald’s knows exactly what that moniker refers to, and he’s wondered if anyone has ever ordered it by that name at a restaurant and if an employee would make it for someone should they request it by that name.
In the clip, Haracz says, “The McGangBang. I’m a former McDonald’s corporate chef and this sandwich, if you’ve never heard of it, is a double cheeseburger with a McChicken. It’s actually better with a Spicy McChicken in the middle of it. It is part of a secret menu that McDonald’s had, and it was much more popular when the double cheeseburger or the McDouble and the McChickens were on the Dollar Menu.”
He continues, “So you could get this massive burger and assemble it yourself for like two bucks. Couple things I wanna point out everybody who is part of McDonald’s knows what it is whether they want to admit it or not or call it that. I’m wondering if you go to a McDonald’s and order a McGangBang will they know what it is? Will they know how to make it? How will they give it to you? The other thing I’d like to know if you do order a McGangBang from your local McDonald’s, how much does it cost now? Because back in the day, you can make this monstrosity for $2. What is a McGangBang costing you these days?”
According to Restaurant Eugene, the price of a Double Cheeseburger is $3.69 and a McChicken is $3.09, resulting in a grand total of $6.78 for a McGangBang today. That is more than triple what it cost when you were blasting “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park while slamming back Mountain Dew Code Red and geeking out over how weird BioShock was. It’s important to note, however, that Restaurant Eugene’s prices don’t accurately reflect all McDonald’s restaurants.
Some folks who replied to Haracz’s video shared their own “hacks” for getting better prices on the sandwich. One user wrote, “According to the app it’d be $4.39 with the current Buy 1, Get 1 for $1 promo. But McDouble is $3.39 and McChicken is $2.39 where I live.”
Another also suggested folks use the McDonald’s mobile application in order to get the most bang for their buck when ordering items from the chain. “My McDonald’s it’s 4.89. Bogo $1 so buy a McDouble 3.89 and the mcchicken is $1,” they wrote.
There were folks who seemed to have an affinity for the sandwich, and hand continued the tradition of making them despite the fact that they aren’t as cheap as they used to be. “I still consistently make one when I get McDonald’s,” wrote one user.
Although some order the sandwich by its Christian name, there were some folks who wouldn’t dare utter than moniker at a drive-thru loudspeaker. “it’s my go to order, not I’ve never dared call or that to the drive thru speaker lol,” another user wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s and Chef Mike Haracz via email for further comment.
Update 11:27am CT, Mar. 18, 2024:
In an email to the Daily Dot, Haracz shared the following:
“It is my understanding it is best to wait for an app deal to get the McDouble/McChicken as they are no longer on the dollar menu.
Everyone internally knew exactly what this was and what it was called but for marketing/PR purposes were not allowed to call it by this name.”