Is the $12 McDonald's burger for real?

You probably never thought you'd sink your teeth into a $12 burger at McDonald's.

But you can — if you head to Switzerland. That's where the fast-food giant just rolled out The Prime, a 6.3 ounce Swiss beef patty topped with "rustic mountain cheese," bacon, coleslaw, arugula and a special sauce.

The new burger, part of the fast-food giant's upscale "Signature" lineup in Switzerland, has some Swiss — well-accustomed to overpaying for everything — grumbling on the chain's Facebook page.

"Twelve dollars is enough to even get Swiss consumers asking: How the devil can we pay $12 for a burger?" says Scott Hume, editor of the BurgerBusiness.com blog, which first posted the story.

The Prime burger and other items in the Swiss Signature Line were developed in conjunction with local TV cooking show host Rene Schudel, who appears in the TV ads. The ads boast that the burger's got it all: "character, taste and size."

But, amazingly, it's also got company. At least in the casual dining sector. With the economy getting a bit a of lift for the well-to-do sector, restaurants are vying for their business with pricier burgers, says Hume. Red Robin, for example, is now promoting a line of "Finest" gourmet burgers, which cost up to $12, with an image of a woman holding one while wearing white gloves, pearl bracelet and a diamond ring.

Even McDonald's, in the U.S., just rolled out a Bacon Clubhouse burger for just under $5.

"Posh is OK, again," says Hume.

But could the $12 burger show up at your corner McDonald's?

In a word, no, says Becca Hary, a McDonald's spokeswoman. "There are no plans to bring this to the U.S."