BBQ Ranch Stack vs McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse: I try both new McDonald's burgers to see which is better

Having just arrived to the leviathan burger chain’s menu for 2025, McDonald's new BBQ Ranch Stack and McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse are unique and distinct takes on the classic burger, each with its own flavour profile and personality. Let's dive into the comparison.

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Immediately, I noticed how the BBQ Ranch Stack seemed significantly bigger than its chicken-based brother, but c’est la vie - I was keen to dive into both and see how they not only compared to one another, but to see if they warranted a place on the regular Maccies roster alongside OGs like the Big Mac.

The Ranch Stack stood out from the off - there was a nice balance to the flavour between the meaty beef, the smoky BBQ sauce, and the bacon, which I had thought might get lost a bit in the flavour profile, but which came through nicely.

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The salad was also good in the sense that it provided a refreshing contrast to the warmth and the gloopy stickiness of the meat and the sauce. That cold crunch was a good point of difference, while the Ranch Stack overall very much came across like a classic McDonald’s burger with a bit of a twist.

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On the flip side, I was slightly underwhelmed by the McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse. From the very start, the taste was dominated by the sickly sweetness of the BBQ sauce, which seemed to overwhelm everything and take over, detracting from any flavour of chicken or, frankly, anything else at all.

When I isolated the chicken for a nibble, it was nice - that classic McDonald’s chicken made famous by countless nuggets. But that batter and the classic flavour was lost thanks to the sandwich being dominated by sugary sauce. Also, the pale and anaemic-looking cheese slice on there was completely non-existent when it came to taste.

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Ultimately, while both burgers have their merits, the Ranch Stack comes out on top as the more well-rounded, enjoyable option by a million miles. Its clean flavours and satisfying build make it a burger worth coming back to - I’ll definitely be having another bash at it sometime soon.

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