Season 3 of Emily in Paris recently dropped on Netflix and with it came the all-consuming drama, fashion and romance that we can’t help but love. However, aside from the eye-catching fashion, a certain fast food menu item also caught the attention of many viewers’ eyes this season: the McBaguette. While Paris is known for its delicious food, such as macarons, croissants, crepes, and creme brulee, McDonald’s McBaguette was something that never crossed any of our minds as a delicious Parisian treat, leading many to wonder if the McBaguette was something that the creators of the show made up to enhance Emily’s storyline in Paris, or if it was something that can actually be found in the city.
In the show, Emily must figure out how to market McDonald’s new sandwich, the McBaguette after her ex-boyfriend, Doug, asks her to. When Gabriel takes her to McDonald’s, he describes the restaurant as “a little treat.” Those words stayed with Emily and she described the McBaguette as “a little luxury.” I mean, that marketing would work for me.
As it turns out, the McBaguette actually does exist and can be found in French McDonald’s locations which are quite different from the idea of burgers and fries that comes to mind when you think of the fast-food franchise. The sandwich made its first appearance in 2012 — yes, it has been out for a decade and we’re just now finding out about it — for a limited time. You can either order the McBaguette with beef or chicken and it is jam-packed with lettuce, swiss cheese, and mustard. Finally, everything is baked to a crisp in a stone oven. It’s sold at 1,228 restaurants across France, it can be found anywhere in France even if you’re not in Paris specifically. Though the sandwich is typically only sold a few weeks throughout the year, the popularity of Emily in Paris could be enough to convince the business to keep it on the menu.
This isn’t the first time, though, that McDonald’s has put a French exclusive sandwich on their menu. In 2011, McDonald’s brought a Croque Mcdo, the Mcdonald’s spin on the croque monsieur. For those that don’t know, a Croque monsieur is ham and gooey swiss cheese on two slices of bread. Another difference between French and American McDonald’s is their French fries: While American French fries are shoestring, the fries in France are potato wedges. Despite that McDonald’s originated in the United States, there are plenty of different options on the French menu (and some that I’m jealous of).
This season of Emily in Paris brought back the desire to book a trip to Paris and live out a life that Emily Cooper would be proud of. While you may have a list of all the sights and restaurants you want to visit while you’re there, if you ever find yourself in Paris, consider going to McDonald’s to try a McBaguette to see if it’s really as good as Emily’s marketing made it out to be.