Picky Eater? You're Going to Be Obsessed With McDonald's Newest Concept

This is no ordinary McDonald's. From the charcoal tile floors to the cranberry and lime seats, the interior of the Create Your Taste restaurants feels ultramodern. You know that semisickening, seminostalgic fry oil smell that most McDonald's have? You won't find that here. The cool, crisp environment inspires customers to order their burgers for here. Another bonus: in downtown San Francisco, fast food joints are hardly inviting places to hang out; however, this McDonald's seated families, professionals, and students.

While anyone can go to the back of the restaurant and order with a person, these touch screens, shaped sort of like giant iPhones, greet customers at the front. I wasn't alone in my excitement upon seeing them. People walking in screamed, started Instagramming the kiosks, and otherwise freaked out with happiness.

The only problem is . . . they aren't very intuitive. That's why there is a McDonald's employee on standby to help guide customers through the confusing system. One engineer standing next to me even struggled through his order and had to cancel his order multiple times and start from the beginning. "Can I submit a bug report?" he asked the McDonald's employee, who smiled awkwardly.

Another issue for some — the price point. The customizable burgers are much more expensive than the standard menu. A few students came in and squawked at the $5 to $6 starting point for a burger. Half of the customers I saw ordered from the original menu.

Those looking for a more customizable experience and higher quality went with the Create Your Taste burger. The ingredient options are fairly extensive, in a fun, unexpected way. I tried a 100 percent sirloin burger with natural white cheddar, crinkle-cut pickles, leaf lettuce, fresh sliced tomato, and a toasted brioche bun (essentially a fresh, classic cheeseburger). However, I could have opted for roasted mushrooms, guacamole, tortilla chips, and many more flavor options.

The one menu item I couldn't find: sweet potato fries! According to a McDonald's rep, "Sweet potato fries are currently a local market offer and specific to a couple of Southern California restaurants." Here's hoping McDonald's expands that offering to all of its Create Your Taste locations.

I waited for my burger a solid 10 minutes (which is typical for a fresh burger). An employee carrying a thick-stock, recycled paper bag handed me my order. Inside, the burger rested open-faced in pretty packaging.

Spoiler: I ate the whole burger. Less greasy than the standard burger, the sirloin burger had a great seasoning that I couldn't distinguish, but it was slightly peppery and savory, like MSG. My only complaint: the meat was on the dry side. The bun was sweet and fluffy, as to be expected with brioche. The toppings tasted fresh, and they didn't ooze out of the burger as I ate it, making for a really clean burger-eating experience. All in all, I liked this burger! I may not crave it, but I would definitely want to eat one while road-tripping.