Review: McDonald's Snack Wrap Is Back And It's Just As Good As You Remember

When McDonald's first launched the Snack Wrap back in 2006, it became a sleeper hit for those who craved something a bit lighter than a burger on their fast food runs. Something about its simple construction — which consisted of grilled or crispy chicken, shredded lettuce, cheese, and ranch sauce — made quite the impression on McDonald's fans. Though the Snack Wrap was discontinued in 2016, the fast food restaurant has officially re-released the menu item at participating locations.

It's been a big week for the McDonald's menu, as we recently saw the new Spicy McMuffin arrive on the restaurant's breakfast menu. Re-releases tend to be a bit more popular with customers because the nostalgia factor has created an existing fanbase, and the Snack Wrap had a pretty sizable following. Though there are a few missteps with this re-release of the Snack Wraps, fans of the original will be glad it's back on the menu. The original Ranch Snack Wrap will appeal to purists, and the Spicy Snack Wrap will be popular with those who like their nostalgia with a spicy kick.

Both the Ranch Snack Wrap and the Spicy Snack Wrap are $2.99 a la carte, and they will also be featured in combo meals that include two snack wraps, fries, and a drink. It's not a bad price point for the menu item, as the serving size is decently large — I vaguely remember these being a lot smaller when they were first released. Getting two of them in a combo meal is great because you can mix and match to your preference. We also won't tell anyone if you pile a few fries inside the Snack Wrap's tortilla.

Like most of McDonald's seasonal and promotional items, the Snack Wraps will be available at participating locations, which means that there may be some franchises or locations that don't serve the item. If you find yourself in an area that isn't serving Snack Wraps, the McDonald's app is a great place to see where you can remedy the situation. That said, it's a good bet that most locations will be on the Snack Wrap train.

One of the reasons people liked the original Snack Wraps was because they seemed a bit lighter than a Double Cheeseburger. From a calorie perspective, that's accurate; a Ranch Snack Wrap will net you 380 calories, and the Spicy Snack Wrap clocks in at 390 calories. While the calorie count is fairly low, the fried chicken strips and the flour tortilla ramp up the carbs and fat levels.

Both options are too similar to say which is the healthier option. The Spicy Snack Wrap has fewer calories but also has more sodium, so there aren't a whole lot of differences between the two. The original Snack Wrap had a grilled chicken option, which would be a great addition here, but at the moment, Snack Wraps are only available with the McCrispy Strip as the protein. Though the McCrispy Strip is a tasty addition to the McDonald's menu, and it works very well with the mix of sauce and shredded cheese, it would still be nice to have a grilled option for something a bit healthier. As the McCrispy Strip is the current protein of choice, you may as well see if the made-to-order menu hack also applies to the new Snack Wraps.

This is the Snack Wrap variation that first made an impression on McDonald's fans during its ten-year run. Chicken and ranch dressing have always been a fantastic combination, so slapping the pair on a soft flour tortilla with a bit of shredded lettuce and grated cheese is a no-brainer. Though I ranked McDonald's Creamy Ranch Sauce dead last on my ranking of the restaurant's McNugget sauces, the ranch sauce on the Snack Wrap works really well with the McCrispy Strip.

The quality of the menu item hinges on the chicken, and McDonald's McCrispy Strips are honestly pretty good as far as chicken strips go. Wrapping one of these new chicken strips in an appropriately-sized tortilla and hitting it with some lettuce, cheese, and ranch sauce makes for a flavorful combination that feels like a lighter contrast to McDonald's burger menu. Again, a grilled option would be great to have as the current iteration feels a bit like the restaurant repurposing an existing menu item rather than re-releasing a classic.

Swapping the ranch out for a dollop of McDonald's Spicy Pepper Sauce is a great call if you're after nostalgia with a spicy kick. It's the same sauce that can be found on McDonald's new Spicy McMuffins, but its vinegar-forward flavors and modest heat level work a bit better on the Snack Wrap. The Spicy Pepper Sauce is enough like the McDonald's Spicy Buffalo Sauce that it makes the McCrispy Strip evoke the flavors of spicy buffalo wings. With sauce game like this, it's no surprise that McDonald's is considering adding more chicken items to its menu.

While I appreciate the amount of sauce you get on the Spicy Snack Wrap, the habanero heat and vinegar acidity can be an overwhelming flavor combo. All the same, this is the Snack Wrap that I can see myself ordering on a regular basis. I like the McDonald's Hot and Spicy McChicken, so any time the restaurant adds something with a bit of heat to the menu, I'm usually on board. This is also the Snack Wrap option that wouldn't necessarily taste better with a grilled chicken option, so that's also worth considering.

As a fan of the original Snack Wrap, I think the re-release is a success. The Ranch Snack Wrap recreates the same flavors that made it a hit the first time around, and it's a welcome sight on a menu full of burgers. The Spicy Snack Wrap is also a solid addition to the menu as McDonald's doesn't have a whole lot of spicy options to work with, and I would love to see more hot stuff make its way to the menu.

I do think the lack of a grilled option is a bit of a misstep because fried chicken tends to make the whole thing heavier, however. That, coupled with the repurposing of an existing seasonal menu item, make this re-release feel less like the welcoming of an old favorite and more like a bid to make use of surplus ingredients. All the same, the McDonald's Snack Wrap became popular because it was a tasty, simple way to break free of McDonald's burger menu, and fans will be happy they're back.