nobody ever went to mcdonald’s because it’s “good” but because it was cheap and fast
now it’s none of those 3 things. no reason to go there at all. that applies to most other fast food shit too.
Only reason to go there now is because they’ve tricked my kids into being addicted to it.
glad they’re raising you right
You know it, savages.
Only thing i noticed it’s bland. Saving on salt?
When big mac is made right, and the ingredients haven’t been sitting around all day, it’s pretty dang good. Even their basic hamburgers.
Trusting that the underpaid and overworked employee is going to deliver a “pretty good” burger from a fast food joint isn’t a gamble many people are willing to make anymore. And I don’t blame those employees at all.
made right
haven’t been sitting around all day
LOL
Have you ever had a cheeseburger at a real restaurant in your life? This is a serious question.
Depends where you are from. Food standards are higher in Europe, McDonalds can’t use cardboard for their burgers. Has to be actual beef.
McDonalds isn’t as hated in the UK or Europe as it is in America.
I’m from Europe, and this doesn’t match my experience. McDonald’s is bottom tier fast food. Probably KFC is worse, but that’s about it.
In general, to me it always seemed like Americans value fast food and chain restaurants way higher than Europeans.
Mcdonald’s food in Europe is at least edible though. It’s not necessarily high quality but it’s not as bad as American to seem to make out.
Not that I really eat there very often because to be honest there are better places, but the existence of better places does not necessarily mean they’re terrible. Just not as good as the better places.
They may very well be bottom tier but the whole ladder is higher up in Europe.
I think there’s some wiggle room on “bottom tier,” but yeah, it’s down there somewhere. I dont think KFC is worse, not in my experience. but regardless of this, the meat is real in the UK (at least) and across Europe (at most).
Your individual tastes are subjective. I was arguing that the quality difference of a mcdonalds burger and a restaurant burger is not as big a chasm as OP made out. I’ve worked in plenty of restaurants, and many buy their burgers from the same suppliers that fast food places buy from. It’s the same meat in a different setting. In fact, I used to order food for a whitbread chain restaurant and a greene king chain restaurant, and a lot of it came from the same manufacturers. But people would swear by the quality of the more upmarket whitbread restaurant over the cheaper greene king one.
Doesn’t help that the meat is real when the patty is 2mm thick. McD is so shit it’s ridiculous.
Your individual tastes are subjective. I was arguing that the quality difference of a mcdonalds burger and a restaurant burger is not as big a chasm as OP made out.
I agree that they are basically the same meat from the same cows, but in my opinion there is still a big quality difference due mainly to preparation. A McDonald’s beef patty is too thin, too homogeneous, and overcooked. The lack of flavour is the result of optimizing for cooking speed.
If you are willing to wait 5-15 minutes for your burger to be cooked you can achieve dramatically better results from the same cow.
If every business has to keep to certain food standards, then McDonalds will still be bottom tier as they are in every other region. But the quality is still higher because every other business is too.
Where I’m from in NorthEast US
- Taco Bell is absolute bottom, is not food
- KFC is mostly chicken skin and fat
- McDonalds is bottom tier that’s actual food
I don’t go to any of them willingly.
Minimum acceptable fast food
- Chipotle
- Five Guys
- Panera
Then again, on road trips, I generally stick with whatever swill paid to be in rest areas, so I don’t have to get off the highway
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So, basically, it’s never good.
I won’t go back until hash browns are 2 for $1.
Fuck outta here with this $2.00 hash brown bullshit.
You can get a pack of frozen hash browns for cheaper than that. Saves time, money, and tastier imo.
And crunchy af in the air fryer.
Takes forever though
10 min? Vs like 3-5 min in the drive through, but I can do other shit while the air fryer’s going.
Oh, I’m not advocating McDonalds breakfast, but I remember them taking like 20 minutes in the oven. I’m not a morning person, so I do not plan my breakfast 20 minutes ahead, lol.
Air fryer is not the oven.
I’m using the tools I have. 🤷
Air fryer cuts it in half.
Can I shit on air fryers for a second though.
How did everyone just accept this horrible example of marketing and branding nonsense? I literally had relatives explaining it to me like it was a magical new way of cooking just invented.
Its a fucking tiny convection oven.
Its a fucking tiny convection oven.
It’s marketing. They know Americans won’t buy an oven, but we love frying things.
- Doesn’t have to be tiny - there are go full sized
- More convection than convection. While there’s not a clear definition of either, companies that do both distinguish them by windiness
- Many countertop models don’t need pre-heating!
- More automated, no need to think. Just press a few buttons and wait for the ding, like a microwave.
people downvoting the shit out of you for speaking truth to Big Homemade Hasbrown
shit takes a minute guys, its ok that not every feature of a home made thing is superior to McDonalds
Yeah, I’m not sure why I struck such a nerve, lol. I just got frustrated because I’m not a morning person, and hashbrowns eggs and bacon take forever! And I can’t get the timing lined up, since I’m half awake, so screw it. Bagel and coffee.
That’s when you throw it on the oven and then take a shower. Just gotta time it with what you normally do half awake in the morning.
Takes about 10 minutes in mine, full power and flip once.
I do them on a tray in the oven and I don’t even bother with flipping. They still come out great.
Thats the best thing about them, still great the lazy way.
If I’m feeling extra though, I’ll brush some oil on it and salt it, maybe some other random seasonings.
I almost had them tasting like dunkin hashbrowns once, was very nice.
Forever? I think an extra 5 minutes is worth the wait for anything better than McDonald’s.
Shout-out to Trader Joes’ hash brown patties.
Wanna say they’re $2.79 where I’m at. I know for sure they were just under $3
Yep fuck that.
2 for $1.
And egg McMuffins and sausage muffins should be <$3.00.
And the sausage burritos should be 2 for $1.
McDonald’s trying to act like they’re a restaurant and not a fucking logistics company. The market rate of a potato doesn’t affect the price of French fries at McDonald’s when they legitimately own the rights to the only brand of potato that is used to make McDonald’s French fries.
Any company that is known by all doesn’t do what the average person thinks they do.
McDonalds? Logistics company
CocaCola? Logistics company
Ups? Logistics company
Starbucks? Logistics company
Miller/Coors? Logistics company
Shaw’s? Logistics company
W.B mason? Logistics company
Exxon Mobile? Logistics company
Amazon? Logistics company
The price of sugar doesn’t affect Coca-Cola. The price of wheat doesn’t affect millercoors. The price of lumber doesn’t affect wb mason. The price of gasoline doesn’t affect ups. The price of coffee doesn’t affect Starbucks. The price of beef, potatoes, and dairy doesn’t affect McDonald’s. The price of oil (barely) doesn’t affect Exxon Mobile.
These are the fucks that pull the levers. Not the farmers. Not the lumberjacks. Not the oil refiners.
I keep hearing that McDonald’s is actually a real estate company
That’s Sears.
The market rate of a potato doesn’t affect the price of French fries at McDonald’s when they legitimately own the rights to the only brand of potato that is used to make McDonald’s French fries.
McDonald’s certainly has enormous buying power. I do imagine widespread drought or something would impact their bottom line by some pennies if it were severe enough. Anyway, I read:
The Dakota Russet is one of eight varieties accepted [by McDonald’s] in North America. The most recent additions to the McDonald’s North American varieties were in 2016.
Don’t see that one online but other varieties appear popular.
Now, enjoy
PROCESS FOR PREPARING FROZEN FRENCH FRY POTATO SEGMENTS
(Other patents: methods of preparing / cooking food; packaging; equipment used in cooking food.)
$2.79, before taxes. Don’t forget these are US companies. And any charges outside the US have likely already been taxed locally, before international tax was applied.
Don’t ever assume the US gov is paying you fairly. Taxes are only an excuse for them to make even more money by manipulating the rules.
$2.50 Cones were my breaking point. The tourist trap general store next to me does a decent waffle cone for $4.
Jesus, I can’t find a cone near me for less than $6.
It’s worse here in Canada.
3 USD
Notice they are too embarrassed to post their prices online. To see the price, you have to put the item in the cart then use some bs 3rd party app. WTF McDs?
“If you have to ask the price, then you can’t afford it” happening in a McDonald’s, while people are out here financing a pizza from Dominos. It’s like we lost the Cold War.
That’s too insanely dystopian for anybody in sci-fi to have predicted it.
The closest would be Demolition Man having Taco Bell (or Pizza Hut) as fancy dining. But they imagined the chain upping its game when it gained monopoly. How naive.
That’s how they charge different prices based on region.
Taco Bell does this too, because their prices are so ridiculous now.
Warning! This definitely reads like a taco bell add but I just really appreciate taco bell for having food for vegans and not price gouging like the rest did.
Hard disagree, if you learn what to order and how to customize your food.
Fat ass burritos for 3.50 are not a bad deal imo, and I regularly make my own burritos at home.
They have some trap items to avoid for sure, but the staples are still cheap. Hard shell and soft shell, rice and bean burritos, nacho fries are sort of in the middle price wise, etc.
They are the easiest place for me to make a vegan order from hands down, they actually label shit on their order tablets. They have some freebies that are totally worth it some people never find out about because they order at the speaker exclusively. Fresco replaces cheese and dairy with a pico de gallo, you can toast most regular burritos, and even though its extra you can add nearly anything into anything for super cheap.
Im actually not sure if I’m scamming them somehow because choosing their cheapest items and modifying is always cheaper than buying the same thing but premade. Not in any rush to ask about it either.
No, they absolutely price gouge. A 7-layer burrito here is 8 bucks before tax, just the burrito alone. They don’t have anything that’s actually cheap here in Canada, and I can get much better for the same price. Their “vegan” options here are also basically just their regular burritos with beans, and are just as ridiculously overpriced. It’s bottom-tier garbage food at way-too-high prices for what you get.
What is Canada doing to make taco bell so expensive. I’ll have to check next time I go, I know some of their menu items are poorly priced for sure but I just avoid them. 8$ for a burrito I’d be shocked to see at my local one though.
I wish I had a better answer than just “pure and unchecked greed”, but that’s what’s most likely. They can’t even be considered the “cheap” option anymore and the quality isn’t any better to make up for the increased prices.
Well at least burritos and tacos are stupid easy to make. I make a bean and rice and tomatoes mix in rice cooker all together. But yeah thats a bummer taco bell is awful near you, they’ve been great for me especially with the vegan friendly menu. Is it possible its only cheap if you avoid meat and dairy? Maybe thats the trick.
The vegan friendly stuff is the same price as their beef equivalents here. Taco Bell in Canada is obnoxious.
Honestly, I’m amazed people still go there to eat. The food was never really good, but at least it used to be fast and cheap. But these days, it’s neither anymore. McDonald’s is now more expensive than the gourmet burger places in my city; that feels insane.
It always takes a year or two for the business to really feel it. First, it takes consumers awhile to visit and realize the prices are so high. Most people aren’t going to McDonald’s every week. And sometimes it takes a few visits before they really notice the sting.
Eventually, the place just gets a reputation for being pricey, and people slowly stop going. But it’s a frog in a boiling pot thing, and of course the executives search for any other reason besides their own pricing decisions from 18 months ago.
Have you ever noticed in those surveys they always ask “what can we do better?” And the answers usually don’t include “be cheaper”.
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Another reason it “can’t be pricing”. Look, these locations are doing fine. What’s wrong with yours? Clearly the problem lies with local management and, clearly, vitally, not with executive decisions.
Four McDoubles for 20 bucks. Fuck off!
I remember them being $1 each and it was the fastest/easiest way for me to get some protein in a pinch.
Then they were like 2 for $3, which was still OK.
But $5 is insane.
They were literally a dollar in 2013. Used to get em all the time
“Dollar Menu”, feels like a long lost dream
Is that person rounding or are mcdoubles really 5$ a piece now?
$4.69 where I am. I had to look it up.
Absurd. Reminds me of checking cigarette prices after quitting back in 2014.
At that price, Five Guys.
from where im at, five guys is an easy $20-25/meal, burgers starting around $10-12 before fries & drink. rather find a bbq place and get pulled pork and mashed potatoes.
Didnt five guys double their prices? I understand they CAN make good burgers, although they won’t cook them to the right temperature for me (back when I did eat meat) for safety reasons, but is it worth it?
I’m so glad that I live in a big city, where there are hundreds of awesome small burger joints that sell better quality burgers at a much lower price.
Must be nice…
I wish this was a thing. There’s maybe one place but it’s not even in the same ballpark.
Yeah where I live there’s a burger urge. Sells shitty burgers for like 30 dollars AUD
My nearest burger joint is locally owned and charges $11.75 for a single burger and $12.75 for a double. The fries are $3.50.
Bullshit on the “much lower price”. Give some examples.
I’d argue people don’t buy at McDonalds because their burgers are awesome. Their burgers are average at best. You can definitely get a much better meal with the price of a McD meal.
McDonald’s whole niche is “cheap but edible”, the second you remove cheap from that equation the value proposition is gone.
They saw what Pepsi was doing with Frito-lay and figured why not?
$11 for a 12 pack of sprite where I live. No. Fucking. Thanks.
Damn, they charging that much for future diabetes these days??
Right?
Europe cuts back on sweets because of a sugar tax.
America cuts back on sweets because of corporate greed.
We are not the same.
Oh wow… Increased prices resulted in people going else where… Who would have seen that coming 🤔
I mean, you’re half right. Yeah, it’s gotten expensive, but it’s now expensive for McDonald’s-quality food. It’s not the worst of the worst, but you can easily find better quality food cheaper.
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Last month, the head of its US operations formally responded to the complaints with an open letter to customers, saying social media was painting an inaccurate picture. He said the average price of a Big Mac in the US, which is now $5.29 (£4.11), was up 21% since 2019 - roughly in line with the pace of inflation - and many items had risen by less.
Sure, place the blame on anyone but themselves.
$5.29 is ridiculous for a Big Mac, which is super tiny.
roughly in line with the pace of inflation
Roughly in line with the terrible inflation of the past 5 years which has been primarily driven by corporate price gouging.
I think you hit the nail on the head there. Even if they were to lower the prices, they’ll just make the fucking burgers even smaller.
Does anyone remember how much bigger the Big Mac was in the 90’s? Shrinkflation is everywhere.
They could always try to lower the quality standards to lower the price. Lmao! Quality standards! As if!
Can’t wait for the McSawdust in 2026!
I think we have two classes of “fast food” now. The higher class places like Five Guys, Poke Bros, Panera are going to cost you more, and you’re not going to go there every day (or even every week), but they’re pretty damned good.
The OG fast food places - McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr., Arby’s, Taco Bell - they’re just not good enough to command the higher prices that the new class of fast food can. Not to mention that the quality of all of those chains has declined dramatically in the last decade. Obvious drop in quality plus increase in price, people notice that.
… They have always been. There is fast food and fast casual.
Fast food would love to be fast casual, they sell the idea to seem like fancy fast food. Like McDonald’s having table service through the kiosk, etc.
But this isnt new. It’s literally the business plan of the places you mentioned to not be fast food.
Except you can get a Duo meal for $7 at Panera that’s soup sandwhich and chips and that’s 3$ cheaper than McDonald’s
I’ve never met an Panera that has everything in stock, so you’re going to be making a second or third line choice. One of your items is guaranteed to be out. Regular sandwiches, god knows why, are $14.
I used to love Panera back in high school, which was early 2000’s. As someone who hung out with friends at a movie theater on weekends it was the best place to eat at in the same strip mall. I still remember getting sandwiches for $4 or $5 at the time. If I was in high school today there is no way I could eat there, and if I could I also couldn’t justify spending that much. I feel like they are scrambling as well, changing a lot, making products worse, adding items nobody wants, just trying to hit big with one of them. My wife really wanted to try the new caprese sandwich they have, we were dying when she got it and all you saw was bread… when she opened it up there was like 1 slice of tomato and 1 slice of mozzarella and it was the saddest sandwich I’ve ever seen. I thought it was hilarious until I realized we paid over $10 for that joke…
Sharing the pic so everyone else can join in on the laugh.
My biggest gripe with them is they always add one hipster element that totally ruins the sandwich. Oh you want a high end grilled cheese? How about we put a blackberry reduction in that bitch? Grilled chicken sandwich? Why not try one with our new habanero peach marmalade?
Lol no you can’t. I didn’t believe you, so I checked. $11.79, and that’s for mostly cheaper options of the pick 2 (broccoli cheddar + frontega chicken). And I live in Missouri, where shit’s cheap.
Sorry, they are called Duets, not duos. They still come with apple/bread/chips. You cant sub anything out, but it’s still a good portion for healthier fast food option.
Whoopsie doodle. Well $8 ain’t $7 either.
But yea I’m shocked there’s anything reasonably priced @ Panera.
They must have gone up in the past few months. It was 6.99 last I got them I thought. Oh well! Still cheaper than a big mac or whopper
Last time I tried to get fast food was like 2 or 3 months ago. I went to Taco Bell, saw that the beefy 5 layer burrito was like $4.50, and just left the drive through. Fuck all that
Taco Bell is my go to - I am vegetarian so my opinions are slim. But for $7 I can’t get a crunch wrap with black beans, a cheesey bean and rice burrito, and a fiesta potato and a drink with thier app combo. Then after every other meal (like every to weeks) I get a bonus something. So. Yeah, I only mess with the build your own cravings box… 9 dollars for 3 tacos and a drink is ridiculous.
And I live in Missouri, where shit’s cheap.
Also “The show me State” and you got shownnnn awwwwwwshit boyeee
;D
Lol
Sadly the Panera here has become garbage. The staff were seemingly wholly replaced, they look unhappy all the time, the food and ingredients have shrunk, and now you have to hope you hear them call your name so you can go pick up your food from a completely different counter (they used to bring it to your table which was a nice perk of going there), or stand around like an idiot for 10 minutes while your kid or significant other holds a table for you. And to top it off, the cinnamon roll changed again.
I don’t mind not having the food brought to me, but they could at least give us the hockey pucks again to alert us when the food is ready. Perhaps that’s just this specific store.
I used to love Panera. Maybe somewhere it’s still good.
Definitely don’t work to make the “food” better, yeah, just price gouge like every other company now.
No loss for me since I don’t go there anyway. But my childhood weeps a little for the good ole days.
McDonald’s may be shit but at least they’re generally consistent. I know what I’m getting when I go there. And (for me at least) it’s a quick fix if I end up coming home late and don’t feel like cooking. The issue is cheap shit is supposed to be cheap. 5 years ago I could get a burger and fries and water for 4-5 bucks. Now it’s almost 9.
Aren’t they coming out with that $5 meal deal?
I got the $5 meal deal the other night. Dr Pepper for my drink was an upcharge. I’m not sure what drink is supposed to come with it then.
Water
Water is a chemical. It is composed DihydrogenOxyde, which is a very polar molecule, allowing it to dissolve a huge number of other chemicals. Anyway, I’m sure it’s dangerous and they can only add soda flavoring to it in order to reduce its effects on thirst.
It is well documented that every person alive today will die just hours from drinking this chemical. And as you know, everyone who has ever lived died hours or days after the consumption of water. There are only few chemicals more potent that can claim such numbers. One of them is Argon.
Studies show that 100% of serial killers have Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) in their bodies while committing murder!
Don’t you find it weird looking at all the moms at the park, with their kids, all of them consuming DHMO? Yeah. In plain light of day. And the police don’t care, they drink it too!
Their consistency is sadly what made me buy McD at every country I was in Europe last year. At some point I got tired of.the food I could find there, and just gave up and bought a Big Mac meal at least once per country.
You couldn’t find decent food in Europe so had to resort to McDonald’s?
When you are tired of life, there is always McDonald’s…
I was backpacking, so my budget was right. McD was a way to treat myself without regretting spending too much money on something disappointing, and I did find disappointing food in Europe. Mainly in Germany, and the UK.
Convenience store food was great in Switzerland, though.
Maybe I should congratulate you on being there long enough for that to happen.
A few years back I had a work trip to Singapore. It was a great experience and memorable in many ways. However the worst part is the client decided to “treat” me to familiar food and bought Pizza Hut. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I didn’t go halfway around the world to visit a different culture to experience my own country’s fast food
I’m from Mexico. The difference with the US is that in Mexico we actually season our food ( :P ).
But yes, I believe the difference was that I was actually expecting something more than just “edible” in Europe. I bought a beelinese in fucking Berlin, for God sake, and it was the most boring piece of bread I’ve tasted, and I got it in Berlin! Where the bread is from! And it taste like cardboard. I found a nice beelinese in Switzerland, though, and the best part is that I bought it at a convenience store lol.
I tried Currywurst as well, and it was just a sausage with ketchup and curry powder?!? WTF it reminded me to the cheap food I had to eat while being a broke college student. How in the hell is Currywurst something people want to eat?!? There was a queue and the place was a well-known venue… For a freaking sausage with ketchup!
I also had the worst pasta I’ve ever had in Europe. I can’t believe that being so close to Italy their pasta is so bland. I tried a local Italian “restaurant” to treat my and my SO, and lol the food was bad. It was ok for us, though. It was a hot meal for once, and the portions were great, but by no means I could call it “Italian food”.
At some point we got tired of wasting our money on “eating local” and opted for what we knew for a fast meal…
McDonald’s is not consistent though. A hamburger can often be flimsy thin. I don’t get why you’d go there. There are enough fast food options with lower prices. McDonald’s is often really terrible.
Their small burgers are always thin. It’s not worth getting anything other than a double.
I always had a close restaurant nearby. I did try KFC in London, and boy was that a terrible experience! Food was too salty and the place I bought it from was so freaking dirty. It was close to Waterloo station.
It’s fucking ridiculous that you’re downvoted for this. Consistency is why so many of these businesses succeed!
You can go to McDonald’s practically anywhere in the world and not be surprised by what you get. That’s a really fucking hard problem to solve, especially when suppliers aren’t obviously the same worldwide.
It’s why people go to Starbucks. You can go anywhere and get a coffee that isn’t the best, but is consistent and somewhat enjoyable, over trying the local barista that might use some fancy coffee you might not like, or charge a ton for a thimble of coffee that barely wakes you up/is like liquid crack.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting something that is familiar.
I can understand if other people had different experiences with McD: in the same trip I tried to buy KFC: in London to be precise, and it was the worst experience ever. The food was salty, and the place was so freaking dirty, loud and unpleasant. Still I find McD the most consistent fast food choice. That, and maybe Burger King.
I’ll be visiting Japan next year. My opinion may change after that.
I feel like lately fast food has lost its appeal.
It isn’t that fast any more, the service has gone done hill (habbitually checking orders now, because they’re often wrong) and the prices are a joke.
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The One True BK. Nice.
Having to stand there waiting ages while a bunch of delivery guys turn up and grab orders off the counter is a piss-take.
What happened to “grab it off the rack behind them”?
My McDonald’s boycott is in it’s 24th year. There is nothing to miss.
they jacked prices as much as they could, had record profits, now they will have to pull back because people don’t have money.
It’s almost like they were warned several times that “No wage, only spend” would result in consumers who can’t afford to consume.
I really hope McDonalds and like-minded companies become a case study on why you shouldn’t inflate prices for short term profit. It’d be great to see them hemorrhage customers and sales.
Nobody who needs to will learn anything from this.
