McDonalds limited-time sauces - Mambo and Sweet & Spicy Jam

[bcla]

They've had these over the years. The almost legendary Szechuan sauce. The BTS meal with Cajun and their sweet chili.

I was at one last Friday and I saw something about their new ones - Mambo (I believe a variation on "mumbo sauce" from the DC area) and Sweet & Spicy Jam. But last Friday I just ordered them from the kiosk and I just set them aside. I think I asked for two each but all I got was Mambo. They have an entry for only one of these, but there are other pictures of both together.

https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/two-new-sauces-join-mcdusa-lineup.html

Tried them both yesterday. Both a little bit on the sweet side - more than sweet & sour. The latter has a special tie in with Loki Season 2. Not sure if these are still available. However, with a lot of these tie ins, they're encourage the use of these for more than just chicken tenders (which I haven't seen in a while) or Chicken McNuggets.

The other thing is just asking for more or these. I've seen prices lists for extra sauce at some McDonald's, but when I use a kiosk or mobile ordering there's an option to just ask for more condiments. Sometimes I just load up an order with condiments to see if they'll do it, and I've ended up with 8 tubs of sauce or 6 pats of butter. My kid has asked for weird stuff too like strawberry preserves. But often they seem to treat these where they seem to know it's just a test. I may not ask for ketchup now since they usually have it out, although I haven't seen a ketchup dispenser at a McDonald's in over a year.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Mambo and mumbo are interchangeable spellings for the DC sauce, but the pronunciation is mumbo either way. That’s my contribution to this thread as a former resident of the DMV.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I just noticed this thread. If any of you happen to go to Europe, especially Germany, Austria, Der Schweiz, or Poland, go into a McDonalds. They have a curry dipping sauce that is to die for.

 

[disneychrista]

I tried them both yesterday. The Sweet & Spicy jam really did taste like Strawberry jam and some spice to it. The Mambo sauce was my favorite of the two.

 

[bcla]

The Washington Post has a couple of articles on it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/03/mcdonalds-mambo-mumbo-sauce-experts-reactions/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/10/12/mcdonalds-mambo-sauce-review-black-culture/

 

[_19disnA]

Those Washington Post articles are behind a paywall so I couldn't read them. I never understood why any fast food place would offer something for a 'limited time only'. If something is popular it seems to me they would continue to offer it since they are all competing with each other for customers. Rarely eat at McDonald's since there are very few menu items that appeal to me. The eliminated their chicken tenders and now only offer various chicken sandwiches.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Those Washington Post articles are behind a paywall so I couldn't read them. I never understood why any fast food place would offer something for a 'limited time only'. If something is popular it seems to me they would continue to offer it since they are all competing with each other for customers. Rarely eat at McDonald's since there are very few menu items that appeal to me. The eliminated their chicken tenders and now only offer various chicken sandwiches.

Because it creates a demand that otherwise wouldn’t be there. It’s here! It’s here! Gotta rush out and get it before it’s gone! If Starbucks sold pumpkin spiced lattes year round, then there wouldn’t be a “PSL season” and people wouldn’t hype them the way they do, like they’re an essential part of a fall trifecta along with cooler temps and cozy sweaters.

 

[disneychrista]

I never understood why any fast food place would offer something for a 'limited time only'.

Because making something limited will draw more people to the restaurant that may not otherwise go. I know I made a point to go to McDonalds to try the new sauces when I may not have gone otherwise.

There is a brewery near me (Russian River Brewing) and they have a beer (Pliny the Younger) that they only release during 2 weeks every year. There are people who come from all around the US and even other countries to try it at one their pubs. There are lines of up to 8 hours just to get into to try this beer. If the beer was available year round there would not be this big of a demand.

 

[_19disnA]

Yes, clearly a marketing ploy but I still don't care for most of what McDonald's now serves and that gimmick isn't going to get me to go there. Many of their stores want you to download some app so I assume they can make money selling your email address to other companies. No thanks, not interested in that either.

 

[DodgerGirl]

My parents discovered that McDonald's had these sauces and I didn't even know that they existed until my mom got the Sweet And Spicy Jam sauce and my dad tried it and he loved it and now he wants to try it on toast. How is the Mambo sauce? Is it really good and is it very spicy at all? My mom tried to get some but our McDonald's was out of it. What exactly is in the McDonald's Mambo sauce?

 

[disneychrista]

My parents discovered that McDonald's had these sauces and I didn't even know that they existed until my mom got the Sweet And Spicy Jam sauce and my dad tried it and he loved it and now he wants to try it on toast. How is the Mambo sauce? Is it really good and is it very spicy at all? My mom tried to get some but our McDonald's was out of it. What exactly is in the McDonald's Mambo sauce?

Mambo sauce is similar to a sweet chili sauce (like P.F. Chang’s Changs Spicy Chicken)