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I’m still not sure if Grimace is a dinosaur tastebud or just a random purple blob, but his birthday — June 12 — has revealed one thing. He tastes like blueberry. Maybe.

@ugh_madison New mcdonalds grimace birthday meal and shake! grimace tastes so good 🥰 #mcdonalds #food ♬ birthday – multi

What Is the Grimace Birthday Meal?

The Grimace Birthday Meal is pretty familiar to McDonald’s fans. You can get a 10-piece Chicken McNugget or a Big Mac and a medium fry. Where it gets interesting is in the drink selection of this otherwise unremarkable combo meal: the Grimace Birthday Shake, available only in the meal (so any hopes of just trying the shake solo are dashed). 

A colorful ad featuring Grimace holding a tray with a birthday shake, fries, and a choice between a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets. Text promotes Grimace's Birthday Meal at McDonald's. Purple background with festive vibes.
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How Does the Grimace Birthday Shake Taste?

I had high hopes. It was for a birthday celebration, so maybe some sprinkles? Nope. And taking one sip, I suspected blueberry, or berry of some kind. That and sugar. A lot of sugar. Maybe that was supposed to seem festive, but it was just tooth-achingly sweet (I get it, Grimace is a big sweetie, but ugh). 

Mostly, this seemed to be a vanilla shake dyed with some berries. It wasn’t anything spectacular. I’m not sure what I was expecting from Grimace — I didn’t even know it was his birthday, or that big purple blobs even had birthdays — but it wasn’t cause for much celebration.

Of course, everyone in my family wanted (read: was forced) to take a sip. My older daughter thought it was blueberry and vanilla and kindly gave it a thumbs up, while the younger kid tasted marshmallow and deemed it too sweet (who even knew kids had a “too sweet” setting?). My husband also thought the shake was berry- and vanilla-flavroed and way, way too sweet.

Is the Grimace Birthday Meal Worth It?

Considering the Grimace Birthday Meal (with a small shake surcharge, if you can believe it) was $12.99, while a Big Mac Combo is $9.59, the answer is … not really. It was pretty similar to a vanilla shake, and it wasn’t much fun. I searched the bag for some sign of Grimace-y excitement, like a Grimace sticker or something, but other than the shake, it was a boring combo meal. Period. 

And I still don’t feel like I know anything more about the mystery that is Grimace.

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Meet the Writer

Liane Starr has contributed to outlets including the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, People, Budget Living, and more. She still clips coupons. You can reach her at [email protected].