What's The Difference Between A McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder In The US And Canada's Big Arch Burger?

When you think of McDonald's (home of Reddit's least favorite burger), you may automatically think of the Big Mac, its iconic leading lady. But its undeniable supporting star – deuteragonist, if we're being technical — is the Double Quarter Pounder (With Cheese, obviously), a truly hefty burger. Unless, of course, you happen to be Canadian. Our Northern Neighbors have a burger called the Big Arch, and it's just as legendary — definitely not one of McDonald's menu item fails.

At first glance, the two look similar: They both feature two quarter-pound patties of pure beef, pickles, sliced onions, a delicious sauce, and some melty cheese. However, the Big Arch's cheese is white, not that goldenrod yellow we're used to in the States — and the Canadian burger has some extras that our Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese (Double QPC for those in the know) is, frankly, really missing out on. Heck, even the sauce that comes on each is slightly different. Either way, if you pair it with McDonald's best-selling item (french fries), you're bound to have one delicious meal on your hands.

The year was 1993 when the world, or rather, the USA, was taken by storm, and McDonald's introduced the Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese. It was part of a new value meal, which included the Double QPC, a large order of fries, and a medium Coke. During the many years since (we won't count how many — for personal reasons), the recipe hasn't changed much.

When you order a Double QPC, you get two four-ounce patties (weighed before cooking, of course), deliciously piquant pickles, onions, melted cheese so yellow that you might question its composition (but so delicious that you quickly decide you don't care — though McD's says there are no artificial colors in the whole thing). The real pièce de résistance is the sauce: a squirt of both ketchup and yellow mustard. No, it doesn't even receive the glorious Big Mac sauce on its sesame seed bun. 

One of our McDonald's hacks that will change how you order is to take your Double QPC and ask for cheese deluxe. Doing so will add shredded lettuce, slices of tomato, and mayonnaise, bringing a certain brightness it's otherwise missing. However tasty it may be, it isn't Canada's Big Arch.

While the Big Arch looks somewhat like a Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese, it's so much more. Not only is the cheese white, but you get three slices (not two as with the Double QPC). Then, sure, you get pickles and sliced onions, but shredded lettuce is already included — plus crispy onions, a sesame bun that also has poppy seeds, and the real show stopper: Big Arch sauce.

Now, you might look at that sauce and say to yourself, "Gee, that sure looks an awful lot like Big Mac Sauce but without, you know, the sweet pickle relish." And you'd be right! If you compare the list of ingredients, they're quite similar. Other than the missing relish, the biggest difference lies in the fact that Big Mac sauce gets its pink hue from paprika, while the Big Arch gets its gentle blush from tomato concentrate. That's right, Big Arch sauce is fancy ketchup — jazzed up with spices like mustard seed, onion powder, turmeric, garlic, and more. 

Zhuzhed up ketchup aside, we're definitely envious of Canucks up north. Until it heads down to the States, we'll be busy applying for a passport to make a pitstop in the Great White North.