The Sip with Ryland Adams & Lizze Gordon

Episode: Tasting VIRAL MCDONALDS Secret Menu!!!
Date: February 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively and irreverent episode, Ryland and Lizze dive into pop culture gossip, parenting woes, viral foods, and the everyday ups and downs of adulting. Centered around their mission to try a “viral” McDonald's secret menu item, the duo also discusses family dynamics, trust in social media trends, mental health, and the realities behind celebrity and parent life. Their characteristically candid banter serves laughs and relatable moments, often blurring the line between joke and genuine vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Manifesting ‘Greatness’ & Life Updates

• The hosts start off by joking about manifesting good energy, with Lizze proclaiming, "I'm never not manifesting greatness. I noticed 11:11. And I thought, health, wealth and prosperity for me, my loved ones, period.” (00:46)
• Ryland chats about a tough week, Lizze's parenting exhaustion, and how being a parent or a dog owner is "absolutely flows" but can easily fall apart.

2. Parenthood, Pet Chat & Medical Issues

• Lizze shares Billy (her child) has another ear infection and may need tubes:
  • “So this is the third and three and a half months, which means we're looking at tubes…Cause you know that boy loves to swim.” (05:39)
• The two joke about things their moms had to deal with as kids, laughing at the forgettable details of their own childhoods.

3. Clips, Chin Hairs & Going ‘Viral’

• Lizze gets jokes from family over a chin hair highlighted in one of the podcast clips, and Ryland reflects on the challenge of “going viral” versus just being the talk of private group chats:
  • “They're just like, I'm going viral within my own community.” (12:50)
  • On chin hairs: “I'll grow them out again and we can. I'll. I'll show you.” (13:01)

4. A Date Gone Sideways: High Tea at The Peninsula

• The pair recount a recent Beverly Hills high tea that went awry, feeling slighted by the staff and getting “stale sandwiches.”
  • “Honestly, we got treated like a couple of gay Latinos. Chris, it was crazy.” (14:14)
  • The comedy continues as they compare their tiny table to “a machete, like, literally just cutting into our shoes.” (15:08)

5. Modern Adulting: Toxins, Dish Soap, and the FDA

• Ryland and Lizze lament that every household product is said to be toxic now, discussing the impossibility of 21st century “safe” living.
  • Lizze: “We have literally an organization in place to protect us. But, like, they literally don't do anything to protect us because all they do is listen to the lobbyists and then they make all of us feel like monster…” (24:51)
  • Both confront the environmental guilt of using paper plates, laundry detergent, and even Ziploc bags.

6. Mental Health & Professional Efforts

• Ryland talks about a big audition: “For a big part. So it's very dialogue heavy. And because it's a part that could be right for me, I really did dedicate two entire days to this…” (31:10)
• The friends celebrate work for the sake of work rather than results, reflecting on ambition and the hustle mindsets of acting and writing.

7. Celebrity Gossip: Hilary Duff & America’s Next Top Model

• The release of Hilary Duff’s album—on her estranged sister's birthday—is discussed for its drama and pettiness:
  • “Hillary Duff dropped a new album on her estranged sister's birthday, which is a little petty.” (45:15)
• Lizze quips: "And then there's a song on the album that's low key about her sister." (45:41)
• They highlight a new docuseries on America’s Next Top Model, unpacking its problematic history:
  • “This explains why I hate myself.” (51:59)
  • On Tyra Banks: “Everyone's dragging Tyra to filth. And I understand. But there are a couple layers to this…” (52:02)

8. Viral McDonald’s Secret Menu Tasting (Primary Segment)

• Beginning at [66:08], the crew heads to McDonald's to attempt the “Big Mac Quesadilla” viral hack.
• They struggle to order (tortillas aren’t available), cobble DIY versions in the car, and joke about the whole process:
  • “I don't think I can execute. Even I have the self awareness to know that I can't accomplish what I'm setting out to do right now.” (66:08, Ryland)
  • “Can. Can I get the knife, please?” "Yes. Thank you. How did it get red? Did something spill here?" (85:03+)
  • On taste: “That is one of the better fast food items we've had in a very long time.” (78:31, Ryland)
  • But the viral menu item is underwhelming: “It's just—the burger is better.” (86:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family Virality

  • "I got a text from my aunt Patricia's sister in law…She said, thank you. I saw a clip of your chin hair." (12:05)

• Viral vs. Real

  • “If you clicked on this video to find a secret menu item, you got tricked your stupid ass. You idiots.” (70:20, Ryland)

• On Parenting vs. Celeb Moms

  • “She is a little bit better than us just because she's got billions of dollars. Okay? But no, she's also asap. Rocky on a red carpet where he's like, I didn't wait this long and work this hard to have kids where I then have help. And I just was like, you have help. Hear you. But there's just no way.” (60:25)

• On Social Media Double Standard

  • “Well, what's so funny is every person that you talk to for rep, they're like, well, what's your social media following?...But then you go in as a person with a social media following, they're like, oh, we just don't take you seriously in this realm. And it's like, well, what do you want?” (36:56, Lizze)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:46 Manifesting and affirmations
05:39 Ear infection/kid health chat
12:05 Family/clip going viral, chin hair story
14:14 High Tea at the Peninsula fails
26:40 Eco-anxiety, toxic household product discussion
31:10 Ryland’s audition and career hustle
45:15 Hilary Duff’s album drama
51:03 America’s Next Top Model docuseries critique
66:08 McDonald’s viral secret menu order attempt begins
78:31 First reactions to the food
85:03 The verdict on the Quesadilla hack
87:05 Brief K-pop tangent, wrap up of tasting
89:11 Observing TikTok teens at McDonald’s

Tone & Style

• The episode is fast-paced, comedic, notably self-deprecating, and unfiltered—with much of its appeal coming from the duo’s willingness to lean into cringe and chaos.
• They mix in vulnerability about their lives and parenting with lighthearted takes on pop culture and internet trends.

Final Takeaways

• The “viral” McDonald’s secret menu trend is more entertaining in theory than execution—the food was fine, but nothing beat a classic cheeseburger.
• Social pressures, both online and from celebrity culture, are impossible standards—whether it’s going “viral,” keeping a clean house, or parenting without help. The hosts encourage honesty and realism.
• Pop culture obsessions—from Hilary Duff’s family tea to reality TV’s problematic past—are dissected with humor but also a critical eye.
• Enjoying the process is more important than chasing results—whether in careers, family, or even just trying a viral food hack.

For listeners who missed the episode: This one is classic Sip—funny, self-aware, and lightly chaotic, it’s packed with real-life venting and pop-culture tangents. It delivers on the promise of tasting a viral menu hack but, as always, offers much more in the way of candid conversation and unfiltered friendship.

For best moments, check:

• Manifestation chat (00:46)
• High tea mishap (14:14)
• Family going viral (12:05)
• America’s Next Top Model docuseries discussion (51:03)
• McDonald’s viral hack attempt (66:08–86:00)
• Parenting vs. celeb help rant (60:01+)