Taste Test Tales - February 27th, 2024
CosMc's Review: It's More Than a Boba Cafe in Clown Clothing
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I Hate Cold Weather. Living in the Midwest as a winter hater is quite challenging. However, being in the Chicagoland area, known as the Food Science Capital of the United States, has its perks. I had the privilege of experiencing McDonald's first spin-off restaurant in the world - CosMc's.
The announcement of CosMc's seemed to capture the attention of the entire world. It was as if all the tragedies and problems had been momentarily forgotten, just like Will Smith's slap. Although I was eager to be one of the first to try CosMc's, the traffic situation, which made national news, convinced me to wait at least two months after the opening before attempting to visit.
During my wait, there have been many mixed reviews about their experience. From "Not worth the wait" to "for sugar and McDonald's lovers only," opinions of CosMc's are strong. One major publication even described it as "a Boba Cafe in Clown Clothing." I respectfully disagree.
Cosmc's Kiosk was incredibly appealing, with visually enticing options that made me want to sample everything. Despite not having Bill Gates' wealth, I managed to order five items for less than $25. My choices included the Blackberry Mint Green Tea (with fruity boba, of course), the Blueberry Ginger Boost, a Regular Latte with Almond Milk, Pretzel Bites with Spicy Queso Sauce, Savory Hash Browns, and Mixed Bag McPops. Additionally, my coworkers kindly brought in two additional items that I was able to try: the Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich and the Iced Turmeric Spiced Latte. Overall, I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with my experience.
Here is the full breakdown of Taste Test Tale's Review of CosMc's:
Criteria
Unlike packaged taste tests, there is no individual winner and loser. Instead, I will evaluate both the individual items and the overall experience. Each criterion will be rated on a scale of 1-5 and multiplied by the corresponding points. The following are the criteria being evaluated:
Cost (x1 Point)
Cost is a primary factor that sets expectations. If a cheeseburger costs $16 and tastes the same as McDonald's McDouble, you would most likely give the burger a terrible rating. Conversely, if a burger costs $5 and tastes the same as your favorite local burger joint, you may rate it as exceptional. I will use this metric to determine whether the price is reasonable compared to the value.
Delivery (x2 Points)
I've tasted many things that tasted great but missed the mark in terms of delivery. This metric is to ensure that the description and flavor match.
Flavor (x3 Points)
There's no taste test without flavor. Simply put, did the product taste good? I will try to be as unbiased as possible, leaving my dislikes (such as chocolate) at the door. Do I think most people will enjoy this flavor, or is it simply hard to consume?
Blackberry Mint Green Tea (with Fruity Boba)
Cost: 4.5/5
Considering that a Starbucks grande refresher is roughly the same price, $4.80 is a reasonable price for a medium fruit tea. While $0.99 for fruity boba was a little surprising given McDonald's reputation of being cheap, the price tag is not beyond expectations.
Delivery: 4.5/5
One huge turn-off for me is liars. But in terms of food, a huge turn-off is when flavors taste artificial. As a Food Scientist, the term artificial does not scare me like the majority of Americans. However, when things scream artificially flavored, it's almost always a struggle to consume. Surprisingly, Blackberry Mint Green Tea was able to deliver the described flavors without the perception of being artificial. The fruity boba also surprised me by being on par with Boba establishments. My only reservation is that they used blueberry inclusions instead of blackberries. As a Food Scientist with an MBA in Finance, I would have done the same thing. One is because blackberry seeds are prominent and blackberries are too big to be slurped up through a straw; making it impractical. Secondly, blackberries are simply expensive; this is still McDonald's. However, as a consumer, I definitely would've liked to see real blackberries.
Flavor: 5/5
The lack of artificial taste and the delivery of the boba made this drink the best one I've tried. The drink was well-balanced between flavors and excelled with the inclusion of real blueberries. Surprisingly enough, there's no artificial flavoring according to their ingredient statement. I was astonished by the accuracy of the fruity boba and enjoyed the consistency of the drink.