NEW YORK — On July 3, McDonald's began selling a new line of bigger Angus burgers priced at about $4 each to bring in customers looking for a beefy alternative to pricier burgers at sit-down restaurants. The burgers will be sold in all U.S. locations for the next several months.

McDonald’s Angus burgers are made with one-third lb. of Angus beef and are available in three offerings: Mushroom Swiss, with sautéed mushrooms and thinly sliced Swiss cheese; Deluxe, which features red onions, dill pickles, lettuce and a thicker slice of tomato; and a Bacon Cheese Angus Burger, with a slice of cheddar cheese and three strips of bacon.

Angus burgers have been test marketed for several years in Columbus, Ohio; parts of New York; Los Angeles, and Albuquerque, N.M. McDonald’s decided against introducing it earlier to all U.S. consumers to focus on its core menu and lower-priced offerings.

"So far, consumer reaction has been very positive," McDonald’s spokesperson Danya Proud told MEATPOULTRY.com regarding the recent launch. "We knew from initial test results the feedback would be extremely positive."

McDonald’s has not made a decision yet to add this offering to its core menu. "But we will continue to evaluate it and it will play a future role on our menu. We just haven’t made the determination as of yet what role it will play," Ms. Proud said.

Should the new Angus burgers prove to be successful, will McDonald’s further diversify this line? "It’s too early to speculate," Ms. Proud answered. "These three products are the ones that have been in test. As always, we will pay close attention to what our customers are telling us as a way to keep our menu fresh and relevant. There are no plans at this immediate time to evolve the line. But who knows what the future may hold."