The McDonald’s Texas Meal We’re Begging To Try

Okay, so it’s not like we don’t have our fair share of new McDonald’s treats elsewhere in the greater Fifty States. Most recently it’s all been liquid, from the forgettable, regrettable Caramel Apple Iced Coffee to the purple wizardry of the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer Drink.

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Maybe it’s just that we love seeing how other states and regions celebrate their relationship with a nationwide fast food chain? Because when we saw this Texas Meal, we found ourselves with a Lone Star State craving. 

Big Ol’ Bag of Texas Pride

That “Lone Star State” nickname is actually about fierce independence, so the chances that like, Texas would share its special McDonald’s meal with the rest of the national table are slim. Lucky for us, the contents of the so-called Texas Meal bundle are available pretty much everywhere: a 10 piece McNuggets (or Spicy McNuggets), a medium fries, and a medium drink.

Really, what differentiates the meal, which launches at participating locations all around Texas starting on September 1st, isn’t the food―it’s the swag. Besides the fun, Texas-themed bags, each medium drink comes in a custom-designed cup, depicting one of the seven “regions” of Texas. What’s very cool about the cups is it’s much more than just a movie collab, for instance―these are all custom paintings by Texas-based (NOLA native) artist and muralist Avery Orendorf. 

More Than Your Typical Movie Collab Cup

This isn’t your typical fast food/movie collab. When you buy the Texas Meal (you lucky Texans, you), you’re not just getting those limited-time Spicy McNuggets. You’re getting Ordenorf’s art and, if you like, a bit of her story―going from painting her friends’ nurseries as a side gig to professional artist to this collaboration with the biggest fast food chain (in the biggest state) in the nation. 

Orendorf describes her well-traveled artistic style as “clean, modern, illustrative”―but the cups look more lively than clean. Colorful, gently antic, a bit of comic book verve―each of the seven cups depicts the vibe of one region: Houston, “Space City’s innovation and energy,” Dallas/Fort Worth, “The Metroplex’s dynamic culture,” San Antonio, “The Alamo City’s rich heritage,” Austin/Central Texas, “The Capital region’s eclectic character,” West Texas, “The rugged beauty of the frontier,” East Texas, “The region’s natural charm,” and Rio Grande Valley/South Texas, “The border region’s vibrant culture.”

This being Texas―a big land of big opinions―commenters on IG have some reservations here and there with the designs and/or regions, but a lot of folks are appreciating the unique artistic love their region gets in something so humble-seeming as a McDonald’s beverage cup. While you may not be able to get your hands on one of these special cups, at least you can recreate the meal from home.