Food Review; Promotion - McDonalds Fish McBites in snack size for $1 (through 2-14-13)

From 2-12 through 2-14, McDonalds has the snack size of their Fish McBites on sale for $1. This is a new menu item and I thought I would give it a shot. Paired with a small fries or salad, you can have lunch for around $2. It is currently listed as a temporary item, so I am not sure whether they are just testing the waters or will handle this potentially similar to the McRib. I am not sure why this could not be a permanent item on the menu since it is actually not bad and for people that like fish, it is an alternative to their sandwich, which I for one do not like at all.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - snack size Fish McBites and Tartar Sauce for $1 during promotion

So what was the first impression?

Fish McBites in their snack size come with 10 pieces and you can get tartar sauce with it for dipping. The box has a little holder to put your tartar sauce in. Overall, for $1 it is a good value. The tartar sauce is very liquid, not as thick as I like it. The flavor of the Tartar sauce is okay, although I prefer the sauce they put on the McD Fish sandwich. So if possible, I would ask for some of that sauce to go with the Fish McBites.

The fish bites are actually pretty good. The breading is soft, not crunchy and so it is hard to make two bites out of one piece because you tend to end up with a mess in your hand. The breading may be soft in part because it is fairly thin and that means there is quite a beat of fish filling in each bite. The bites actually taste like fish.

Now before everyone starts and says this is not real fish. I used to live in Minnesota and really enjoy fresh fish. But I do not like to spend the money required for a nice lunch with fresh fish on a regular basis and for a quick lunch, these bites are quite tasty and they are nice non-beef alternative.

The fish used in the McBites is Alaskan pollock and since the breading is not too spicy, the fish taste carries the meals. Based on the McDonalds website here, the snack size contains 250 calories, with 120 calories coming from fat. The tartar sauce will add likely another 30 or 40 calories. By comparison, grilled Honey Mustard Snack Wrap has also 250 calories, but only 70 calories from fat. I would not consider the Fish McBites a staple of my diet, but when I feel like eating fish for lunch, I may grab the snack size in the future.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - 10 total bites in a package!

The promotion is ongoing until 2-14-13, so if you have a McDonalds close by, consider stopping by and forming your own opinion for $1.