In this photo illustration, a McDonald’s McPlant Beyond Meat burger is displayed with french fries at a McDonald’s restaurant on Feb. 14, 2022, in San Rafael, Calif.

Last week, McDonald’s confirmed to CNBC that its U.S. test of the McPlant burger has ended. Yes, that means the fast food corporation’s first ever meatless burger is no more, absent any announcement of a nationwide launch.

This news may be disappointing news to some fans of the burger, but as a mostly vegetarian, I say good riddance.

When I tried the McPlant burger back in February, when it first launched in Bay Area restaurants, I declared it a McNope. The Beyond Meat patty made with peas, rice and potatoes were lacking in flavor, and its presentation conjured the words “floppy,” “soggy” and “gloopy.” I concluded that I would only eat it under dire circumstances. So I can’t say I’m too sad to see it go. But it is a little disappointing to see how little interest Americans seem to have in eating plant-based burgers.

J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman told CNBC that McDonald’s employees claimed the burger wasn’t selling very well. According to an analysis from BTIG, restaurants in the Bay Area were only selling 20 McPlant sandwiches per day, and stores in more rural areas of the country were only selling three to five burgers per day. That’s a far cry from their expectation of 40 to 60.

Bon Appetit had all sorts of compelling theories as to why the McPlant failed, including that vegans and vegetarians are too environmentally conscious to spend their money at a morally bereft corporation like McDonald’s. The McPlant also was cooked on the same grill as regular beef patties, making it not technically vegetarian, and with cheese and mayonnaise, it definitely wasn’t vegan.

And finally, there’s some indication that carnivores are more likely to dismiss fake meat burgers as gross and “woke” than to be converted to the plant-based side.

While all of this sounds plausible, my theory is this: No vegetarian in their right mind would choose McDonald’s over Taco Bell, the plant-based haven where beans can be substituted in any item. I don’t eat fast food often, but when I do, it’s the best bet.

If you were to give me a choice between a floppy McDonald’s fake meat patty that imitates beef, a thing that I have never eaten in my whole life and grosses me out, and a cheesy Crunchwrap Supreme with beans, a protein I know and love, I’ll choose the Crunchwrap every time. – Source: SFGATE.