McShudder

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:05 pm

My biggest irritation with the fast "food" places is that more often than not, the order you get is not what you ORDERED.

It's bad enough that I eat this crap, but when I do, why is it too much to ask to actually get what I ordered?

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:23 pm

I stop at McDonalds on my road trips quite frequently. Their senior coffee for 42 cents is a good value. I also like the McChicken sandwich for 99 cents. I tell them to hold the mayo and add pickle and onion. And the side salad with the Paul Newman salad dressing choices is also a good value for 99 cents.

One of the McDonalds that I often stop at has a little lounge area with a fireplace and two stuffed lounge chairs. I am not sure what it is for. Sometimes I sit in one of the chairs and ask one of the staff to send me the cocktail waitress. You know, I have always been there at the wrong time, because the cocktail waitress is always on break.

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:30 pm

-Nobody wants to admit to a MacD meal like nobody wanted to admit to voting for Richard Nixon. The beef tallow in the fry oil should have caused a much bigger scandal IMO as many Hindus and others violated dietary convictions unintentionally due to MacD's practice. -Not that there's not plenty of other reasons to avoid most fast food, but this was bad, an unethical & cynical practice if intentional, and plain stupid if unintentional.

I loved the taste of Big Macs but have avoided them for years.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:53 pm

Well, I'm not fond of their burgers, but I don't see McD's as the Evil Empire either.

I don't believe I've ever gotten sick from anything I ordered there, though I can't say that of little mom-and-pop places, as I have gotten quite ill from eating at a couple of those.

I do think if you have religious convictions that lead you to avoid beef products, you shouldn't eat there (or even walk in the door, really). Kind of like, if you don't care to be around guns, don't go in a gun shop.

--James

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 12:26 am

Haven't eaten at McDonalds in about 20 years though I drove through to get beanie babies back in the early 90s for the kids Slaphappy Meals. I thought BK was better in principle because of the open grill until I found out that they probably add flamebroil flavor from the flavor factory in NJ (see Eric Schlosser Fast Food Nation) BK fries used to cut my tongue, and I still don't know why... Never go to any of the rest of em. I tried Pollo Loco a year ago but it wasn't any good. Taco Bell could be good but they use cheap oil to make their chips....and they have the blandest beans on the planet. They probably sprinkle preservative stuff on the lettuce too...

THe only really good corporate fast food joint that I have experienced in recent years is Sonic and that was in Tennessee. We don't have em here yet. Big menu, good milkshakes. Plenty of snacky stuff. Oh yeah, we have InNOut but I just didn't think it was as good as the hype. I tried it once.

I just don't think a corporate franchise can make a decent burger anymore because it's too controlled and weird. Joe's Cable Car Burger in SFO is good, the guy sits in a little kitchen and grinds the beef fresh but they charge like $5 a piece for 'em. In the old days of burger franchises, I think they always had a grinder onsite. Makes a huge difference. When I was a kid, I ate at A&W because I liked the rootbeer, but I didn't have enough appetite to eat a PapaBurger, Baby Burger was too small, Teen BUrger had bacon (which I have never understood, mixing meats) so I settled for a MamaBurger but was embarrassed to admit it...Bringin' home a quart or halfgallon of their tap rootbeer made the day complete.

Charlene · Post by **Charlene** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:09 am

Oh, I'm so glad somebody else was the first to admit to liking some of McDonald's food! I like the McChicken but never have cared for their hamburgers. The salads are ok. And they actually sell hot tea so I don't have to get my caffiene from coffee or pop.

I don't like Burger King. I do like Wendy's hamburgers and potatoes and the frosty. Not real fond of tacos either from a restaurant or at home. Had KFC recently for the first time in a long time and their chicken seemed spicier than I remember. I don't like seafood so I don't eat at Ivar's or Skippers. Not crazy about A&W or Carl's Jr. Like Arby's roast beef and their curly fries.

Just ate at Dairy Queen today and their food tasted better than it used to.

Let's see, have I managed to offend everyone? The health food people, the vegetarians, the advertising executives - yup, think I covered it all!

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:33 am

Lambchop wrote:I agree wholeheartedly.

The breakfast special one day . . . I am not making this up . . . was pan-fried potatoes and onions, biscuit (scone dripping with margarine) and gravy (white gravy with chunks of sausage), two fried runny eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links or patties, two rather large slices of ham and red-eye gravy, and two smothered chicken breasts. If you wanted pancakes (extremely greasy), they'd toss on two of those for an extra 50 cents. With melted butter and syrup.

I remember this clearly because it was so astounding. They had trouble getting the lid closed on the container. People were actually eating all of it.

The total cost of this affair was $2.50.

Where is this place? Hold the chicken breasts.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:09 am

Flyingcursor wrote:
Lambchop wrote:I agree wholeheartedly.

The breakfast special one day . . . I am not making this up . . . was pan-fried potatoes and onions, biscuit (scone dripping with margarine) and gravy (white gravy with chunks of sausage), two fried runny eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links or patties, two rather large slices of ham and red-eye gravy, and two smothered chicken breasts. If you wanted pancakes (extremely greasy), they'd toss on two of those for an extra 50 cents. With melted butter and syrup.

I remember this clearly because it was so astounding. They had trouble getting the lid closed on the container. People were actually eating all of it.

The total cost of this affair was $2.50.
Where is this place? Hold the chicken breasts.

Heh. They haven't repeated that special. I think the traffic flow in the dining area was hampered by the EMS crews responding to the coronary events . . .

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:23 am

When I need to eat in a hurry in Hammersmith, I basically have a choice of Subway, McD's, or a take-away pizza, fish & chips or fake KFC (same style, different name).

Of these, Subway is the hangout of hoodies who look like they carry knives, and the latter three have nowhere comfy to sit while I eat, so I usually end up at McD's. I always regret having to eat there, as I usually get chronic gutache later in the evening, but sadly it's the least of five evils.

When I had more time for a Monday evening class, I used to have a pub meal and a pint. More expensive, it would set me back £12 or so, but more civilised. Then, having to hop on my bike and cycle to and from the class, I still got a gutache.

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:25 am

MickeyD's new fruit and walnut salads are great! Apples, grapes, a little bit of yogurt, and walnuts. I'm so glad they have something pretty healthy on the menu!

I eat their food occasionally - I try not to very often - but I do like some of their food, even the bad for you stuff, and it is fast. I probably eat something bad there about 1 time a month, maybe not even that.

You know, we just got a Panera Bread in our little town, and I went on line and looked at the nutrition information for them - you'd think they'd be better than McD's since their stuff is all fresh, not fried, etc, etc. Some of the fat content of their sandwiches is AWFUL. One sandwich there has over 800 calories. Just goes to show if you want to eat healthy you have to be really careful.

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:09 am

Martin's post reminded me that while I can sometimes tolerate a McDonald's meal if the other choice is going hungry, I have never eaten at KFC without coming away with indigestion.

Now that I'm over the age of *mumble*, I just can't eat as I could in my active youth without piling on pounds. Much as I love Panera, about all I can have to stay in my self-imposed calorie limits are a cup of vegetable soup and the sourdough bread that comes with everything.

Many chains have their menu's nutritional information on the Internet and often that's enough to keep me outside their doors.

In the meantime, I'm shopping for a good used treadmill.

(No sidewalks out where I live. It feels a bit silly to drive off somewhere to take a walk...)

M

PS--my sister is a devotee of Burger King and McDonald's, but largely because they often have playgrounds where her two high-energy kids can buzz around, especially between legs of a long car trip.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 7:45 am

I eat at McD's once every 1-2 weeks...but I only get their newer "healthier" items like the fruit/walnut salad, grilled chicken salad with low-fat dressing (I get that a lot), or the grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun. Their salads beat Wendy's salads hands down. Wendy's has (or tried to have) a fruit dish but charged so much for a dinky bit of fruit (I believe it was either $3.99 or $4.99) that moving to McD's fruit/walnut salad (a better deal at $2.99 or even $1.99 with a coupon) wasn't a hard choice.

I don't know much about McD's corporate issues...I imagine if you scratch the surface of any large corp in the U.S., you'll find the same problems. I still can't make myself buy a pair of Nike shoes, even though they supposedly have their sweatshop issues worked out.

Susan

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:25 am

Martin Milner wrote:
Of these, Subway is the hangout of hoodies who look like they carry knives, and the latter three have nowhere comfy to sit while I eat, so I usually end up at McD's.

I thought knives were illegal in GB.

rodfish · Post by **rodfish** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:15 am

I must be the odd one, blessed with what my mom used to call an "iron" stomach, cause I like just about everything McD's makes and have never even felt the slightest bit sick after partaking of their fare.

I like their burgers, their chicken, their salads and yes, even the mystery meat they call "nuggets." I love their shakes, even though I would sometimes prefer a malt.

And IMHO their fries are far better than BK or Wendy's. Probably not too healthy, but these days, unless you grow it yourself, you really don't know what you're getting.

All in all, someone besides me, must eat there every so often cause they seem to be making a bit of money.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:01 am

The Weekenders wrote:I thought knives were illegal in GB.

How do they cut their steaks?