When you visit the Golden Arches, what’s your go-to order? Are you all about the McNuggets? Are you a Big Mac ride-or-die? Are you currently getting your fill of McRibs, now that it’s been announced that they’re on their “farewell tour”? Or is it always a McMuffin or two for you, at all hours of the day? (These are all just a few of the most iconic fast food menu items of all time.)
Though it may seem like every McDonald’s menu item is a winner, the company has actually tested out lots of foods over the years that failed to make the cut. Among other things, they experimented with spaghetti in the ‘70s; pizza in 1989; hot dogs and lobster rolls in the ’90s; and fried chicken wings in 2013 – none of which caught on. (The chain has certainly had its share of the biggest food and drink flops in recent history.)
Many burger variations also famously went down in flames: The McDLT, which allowed customers to assemble parts of the burger themselves but was scuttled because it depended on excessive Styrofoam packaging; the McLean Deluxe, which attempted to cash in on the ‘90s low-fat trend by replacing most of the beef fat with carrageenan (a kind of seaweed) but simply didn’t taste good; and their most famous flop of all, the higher-end Arch Deluxe, which the company infamously spent more than $200 million promoting, to no avail.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s customers keep coming back for a number of proven standbys. Interestingly, though, the most-ordered things on the menu vary from place to place. To compile a list of the favorite McDonald’s items in every state, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by price-monitoring site Pricelisto.com, which used Google search volume data to find out which five were the most popular state by state. (See the states with the most McDonald’s.)
Perhaps not surprisingly, the favorite item in the majority of states is the chain’s emblematic Big Mac. The states that don’t put it at No. 1 might get up earlier in the day, because their favorite is the most famous McDonald’s breakfast item – the Egg McMuffin.
Alabama
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Iced coffee
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Alaska
> Favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 2nd favorite item: Big Mac
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McDouble
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Arizona
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Sausage McMuffin
Arkansas
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Iced coffee
California
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McFlurry
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Colorado
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McRib
> 4th favorite item: McChicken
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Connecticut
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McFlurry
Delaware
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Florida
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Georgia
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Hawaii
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Idaho
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Illinois
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Indiana
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Iowa
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Kansas
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Iced coffee
Kentucky
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Iced coffee
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Louisiana
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McRib
> 4th favorite item: McDouble
> 5th favorite item: McChicken
Maine
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Maryland
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Massachusetts
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McFlurry
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Michigan
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Minnesota
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Mississippi
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McDouble
> 5th favorite item: Iced coffee
Missouri
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Montana
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Nebraska
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Nevada
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Sausage McMuffin
New Hampshire
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
New Jersey
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
New Mexico
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McRib
> 4th favorite item: McChicken
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
New York
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: McChicken
> 3rd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McFlurry
North Carolina
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Iced coffee
> 5th favorite item: McRib
North Dakota
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Ohio
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: McChicken
> 3rd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Oklahoma
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Iced coffee
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Oregon
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Pennsylvania
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Rhode Island
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McFlurry
> 5th favorite item: McRib
South Carolina
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Iced coffee
South Dakota
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Tennessee
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Texas
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Iced coffee
Utah
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McRib
> 4th favorite item: McChicken
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Vermont
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Virginia
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
Washington
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: McDouble
West Virginia
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Iced coffee
> 5th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
Wisconsin
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: McChicken
> 4th favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 5th favorite item: McRib
Wyoming
> Favorite item: Big Mac
> 2nd favorite item: Egg McMuffin
> 3rd favorite item: Chicken McNuggets
> 4th favorite item: McRib
> 5th favorite item: Sausage McMuffin