McDonald's

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 28, 2015 10:45 am

McDonalds' chief executive Steve Easterbrook revealed at a conference on Wednesday that while the company will be restructuring in a bid to revive deteriorating sales, it will also be making changes to the menu and the way in which the food is prepared, according to BuzzFeed.

"At a more fundamental level we are recommitting to hotter, tastier food across the menu," Easterbrook said. McDonald's will sear the beef before grilling it in order to improve the quality of the patties. The fast food restaurant also plans to toast the burger buns for five additional seconds to increase the temperature by 15 degrees. "It's the little things that add up to a big difference for our customers," he added, Business Insider reported.

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Thu May 28, 2015 10:57 am

I haven't had a McDonald's burger in about 10 years, I wonder how much the taste has changed. My go to burger was the 1/4 pounder with cheese (no onions) and remembering how salty it was. I never was a Big Mac fan, and I tried the Fish Fillet once.

Vorret · Post by **Vorret** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:01 am

It's still salty ... I left the gym 2 days ago and wanted a burger, mcdonalds is like right there so I was about to go and decided to check their menu on my phone. Oh my god the salt. If you eat a bigmac and a medium fry you're over your daily intake by like 300% it's crazy. Then you have the calories, that's a 1200 calories meal.

I went home and had chicken instead.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:03 am

We went to McDonald's for lunch within the last month or so, and it reminded me why I don't go there. My fast food burger purchases have been stripped down to BK or Whataburger, with the occasional jr. bacon cheesebuger from Wendy's.

I'd rather go to Fuddruckers or someplace else a bit more upscale for burgers as a preference.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:11 am

I have 3 kids and they eat McD's way too much. I will occasionally order something there too. Honestly, if the food has just been prepared, I like it. It's not a burger in the same way that burgers on the bbq are burgers, or a shop specializing in burgers make burgers, but it's kinda food-like and it tastes pretty ok.

When the burgers have been sitting around for awhile, they lose any appeal they might have had.

If I think of them as burgers, they are terrible. If I think of them as fast food thingies, they aren't half-bad, when freshly prepared.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:13 am

I haven't eaten at a McD's in more years than I can remember.

Our current "go-to" for burgers is Larkburger. Pricier, but still fast enough to be able to get lunch without being late getting back to work.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:17 am

My personal go-to fast food burger is 5 guy, which is somewhat new in Ottawa.

I also eat A&W burgers occasionally. They are better than McD's, but not by too much.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:21 am

This thread is disgusting and making me lose my appetite for lunch.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:26 am

We know. It's #10 on the list, and it's not like the title wasn't adequate warning as to its contents.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:28 am

Jeff V wrote:This thread is disgusting and making me lose my appetite for lunch.

Really? Odd. It's actually making me want to head to Larkburger for lunch. Ahi tuna burger, with sushi grade tuna, warmed through, with wasabi ginger sauce (and some extra on the side for dipping fries in)... mmmmmmmmmm...

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:31 am

McDonald's hamburgers fall into the category I reserve for other foods in which they don't taste like what they are, they don't necessarily taste good, but I still enjoy them on some weird level. Like those little boxed frozen pizzas.

I've largely given up fast food, but on rare occasions I will grab a quarter pounder and fries to satisfy my nom-noms.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:35 am

I've never liked McDonald's. On the rare occasion I get chain fast food it's always been either BK or Taco Bell. Once every few years I destroy some Arby's. But with all the taco/gyro/hot dog/ethnic joints around here it's usually only on road trips that I get chain fast food.

I think the last time I've been to McDonald's that I can remember was about 4 years ago when I was hungover and had jury duty. There was a McDonald's on the way so I grabbed a breakfast burrito. It led to some therapeutic farts. So it's got that going on.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:40 am

Isgrimnur wrote:We know. It's #10 on the list, and it's not like the title wasn't adequate warning as to its contents.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:42 am

I don't like McDonald's burgers, but I love the chicken nuggets. At least when they are fresh - older ones are not very good. My burger of choice is probably Wendy's for fast food and Fuddruckers for a pricier meal. I hate Burger King.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:45 am

I haven't had McDonald's since Elise outgrew the play areas - probably 5 years now.

On the other hand I eat at Burgerville once a week or so.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:48 am

I have 5 and 9 year old's I eat at McDs way more than I should. Stupid happy meal toys. The Jalapeno Double isn't bad and it's dirt cheap.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:49 am

LawBeefaroni wrote:But with all the taco/gyro/hot dog/ethnic joints around here it's usually only on road trips that I get chain fast food.

That's when I do fast food, too. There's something to be said for knowing what you're going to get when you're pulling off the interstate in the middle of Indiana with a lot of miles left to go. The one possible exception might be breakfast at McDonald's, because I do enjoy an Egg McMuffin. That said, I don't think I've even had one of those in a few years (probably at least since Children's Memorial moved downtown and changed names - there was a McD's in the basement at the old hospital that was good for a quick breakfast).

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:54 am

If there were a more convenient McDonald's, I would hit them for breakfast. As it happens, Sonic is right across the street, and Whataburger is two blocks away. For the next two weeks, anyway.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 28, 2015 11:55 am

YellowKing wrote:McDonald's hamburgers fall into the category I reserve for other foods in which they don't taste like what they are, they don't necessarily taste good, but I still enjoy them on some weird level. Like those little boxed frozen pizzas.

I've largely given up fast food, but on rare occasions I will grab a quarter pounder and fries to satisfy my nom-noms.

Pretty much this-ish. I dig on McDonald's Coke and McDonald's fries as long as they don't screw up the coke mixture and and the fries are fresh and cooked enough. The fries don't really taste like potato product and the burgers don't really taste like ground beef on a bun but they are still weirdly not horrible and do for food when I am on the run... just like boxed pizza...

Beyond that I love me some McDonald's hashbrowns and some sort of biscuit. McDonald's afternoon menu is something you get because you need food and McDonald's is there. A McDonald's sausage biscuit, hashbrowns, and Coke is rare, on the run, breakfast treat.

I have unmasked and mastered making McD's quality, if not better, hashbrowns at home, though. Just buy Meijer Hashbrown patties and cook them in bacon grease. Oh my God, does bacon grease make all of your morning frying so much better. When I discovered that I can get bacon for $2.20 a pound at Costco, I started buying bacon again and I find that I now cook a slice of two of before I do any pan cooking and fry my food in bacon grease. Frying potatoes? Cook some bacon first. Making a grilled cheese. Cook some bacon first. Eggs in basket? Bacon First. I've become my parents and I leave a pan of bacon grease on the stove at all times.

Isgrimnur wrote:We know. It's #10 on the list, and it's not like the title wasn't adequate warning as to its contents.

Aye. The best way to attract the illusive JeffV is post about something he known to vocally dislike. Things JeffV loves #1. Threads about things JeffV hates.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:05 pm

If they deploy all-day breakfast nationwide, I will probably make more of an effort to go there.

McDonald's is going to expand its test of an all-day breakfast menu, which currently is available only in San Diego.
...
In the webcast, McDonald's executives provided a few more details around that initiative. To speed up drive-thru service, the company said it would advertise only top-selling items on outside menu boards, according to The Journal.

But the expansion of the all-day breakfast menu could complicate things in the kitchen.

McDonald's has previously said it doesn't serve 24-hour breakfast because its grills aren't big enough to handle both breakfast and lunch items.

"It comes down to the sheer size of kitchen grills," the company says on its website. "They simply don't have the room for all of our menu options at one time — especially considering we use our grill to prepare many items on our breakfast menu."

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:12 pm

Okay, I have a confession. I like McDonald's.
Do I get kicked out the club now?

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:12 pm

I stopped eating there about 20 years ago after multiple instances of chomping down on a burger, and feeling a hard CHUNK of bone - twice. Not back to back, because I figured the first time was a fluke, though it did freak me right out. When it happened the second time, I mentally put it on my shit list of "Places that must never again be frequented." And I didn't.

But yeah, the salt man...what are they hiding?!

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:18 pm

The fast food restaurant also plans to toast the burger buns for five additional seconds to increase the temperature by 15 degrees.

I'm guessing this seemingly minor change probably somehow adds up to millions of dollars of extra costs worldwide

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:18 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:I stopped eating there about 20 years ago after multiple instances of chomping down on a burger, and feeling a hard CHUNK of bone - twice. Not back to back, because I figured the first time was a fluke, though it did freak me right out. When it happened the second time, I mentally put it on my shit list of "Places that must never again be frequented." And I didn't.

But yeah, the salt man...what are they hiding?!

If I had to guess, I'd say bones.

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:22 pm

My dad is someone who always reaches for the salt when we go out to eat. I don't know if it's a habit of his or just everything tastes bland to him but I can't imagine salt is the cure-all to making food taste better.

I recall seeing those little iodized salt packages at McDonalds, the kind you snap in half. They still have those and people would actually pour salt on their burger? ** shudder**

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:22 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
Carpet_pissr wrote:I stopped eating there about 20 years ago after multiple instances of chomping down on a burger, and feeling a hard CHUNK of bone - twice. Not back to back, because I figured the first time was a fluke, though it did freak me right out. When it happened the second time, I mentally put it on my shit list of "Places that must never again be frequented." And I didn't.

But yeah, the salt man...what are they hiding?!
If I had to guess, I'd say bones.

To paraphrase The Simpsons:

McDonald's Spokesclown: "We had to redesign our hamburgers because the animal it's made from has gone extinct."
Reporter: "The cow?"
Spokesclown: "Way off...think much smaller, and a lot more legs!"

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:24 pm

In the winter of '92, I was freshly out of high school, not in college yet, and didn't have a job. I was living in a tiny, unheated cabin that a relative let me stay in for a few months.

My girlfriend (soon to be first wife), also just out of high school, worked at McDonald's. She would bring me the leftovers at night after they closed. From October until February (when I found work and we moved into a house together), I survived entirely on cold, day-old McDonald's.

For some reason, I haven't had a taste for their food since.

Except their chicken nuggets, prior to their 'update' a few years ago. I loved those suckers.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:25 pm

telcta wrote:They still have those and people would actually pour salt on their burger? ** shudder**

I've never seen that. I've seen them do it to the fries, which I don't get either. Those salt packs would destroy the greasy flavor over the sugar coasting flavor on the fries.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:38 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
Carpet_pissr wrote:I stopped eating there about 20 years ago after multiple instances of chomping down on a burger, and feeling a hard CHUNK of bone - twice. Not back to back, because I figured the first time was a fluke, though it did freak me right out. When it happened the second time, I mentally put it on my shit list of "Places that must never again be frequented." And I didn't.

But yeah, the salt man...what are they hiding?!
If I had to guess, I'd say bones.

Actually laughed out loud.

Now that I think back on those chunks o'bone, I'm a wee bit nauseous.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:42 pm

telcta wrote:My dad is someone who always reaches for the salt when we go out to eat. I don't know if it's a habit of his or just everything tastes bland to him but I can't imagine salt is the cure-all to making food taste better.

Apparently, people taste salt at MUCH different levels. I recently replaced a saltwater chlorine generator for my pool, and somewhere came across a note that said some people will taste salt at x PPM (parts per million - it's relatively low in saltwater pools, less than in a human tear), while others will not taste anything.

The spread was surprisingly large, between the levels at which some people taste it and others don't.

Kinda like a percentage of the population has a extremely high dislike of cilantro, which others adore and love. Something weird, biologically speaking, going on I guess.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu May 28, 2015 1:25 pm

I think of McD as garbage for parents to feed their kids. I used to love Big Macs when I was a teenager (and a stoner, which I'm sure is irrelevant); back then, it was considered a really huge sandwich. The Big Mac hasn't changed but the world of burgers has, and today the Big Mac is more like the Meh Mac. I went through a double quarter-pounder with cheese phase before I gave up on McD entirely. Partly because I got old enough for the calories to stick to my bones and partly because I'm not the stoner I used to be. If I'm going to eat that many calories I'd rather have real food.

I would try McD again, though, if they revamp their menu and operations. I've seen ads for some 1/3 lb burgers that look tempting. 1/4 lb isn't enough and 1/2 is too much. 1/3 lb is just right.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 28, 2015 1:50 pm

Kraken wrote:1/4 lb isn't enough

Yea, though it should be. All you really out to have is about 4 oz meat for a reasonable portion. Unless it's a splurging occasion, I always look for the 6 oz steak for dinner when I eat out and am usually disappointed that 10-12 is the smallest they serve.

Part of this probably comes from being in a family of 7, where steak was a rarity for dinner and mom bought one steak, probably about 18 ounces, to feed the entire family for dinner. The balance of dinner was every thing else. Some sort of green, a potato, corn, and salad with an oil dressing.

As awesome of a cook as my mom is, she could never cook meat and oil dressing for a salad sucks it. When I turned 14 and started going out to dinners on my own and truly discovered rare meat and ranch dressing, the whole world changed. This would eventually show in my belt size about ten years later.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu May 28, 2015 2:11 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:We know. It's #10 on the list, and it's not like the title wasn't adequate warning as to its contents.

What warning? You listed the name of the company -- I had hoped to find that in response to last week's protests, they decided to go out of business. Not only was the contents of the thread nauseous, but disappointing as well. I still can't believe anyone thinks they are in the business of selling food. (insert barfing smiley)

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Thu May 28, 2015 3:58 pm

Growing up in So Cal I had lots of options but only liked McDonalds as a kid. No internet back then meant I really only knew about food from where my parents took us. They took us to McD for probably the same reasons other parents take their kids there. So burgers meant McDonalds to me.

It wasn't until jr high/high school that I learned there were better places. Walking home from school with friends, they'd suggest occasionally stopping at a burger places near where they lived, and had grown up on. So I'd go to a mom and pop burger place and be astounded at what they served there compared to Mcds. So no more McDonalds for me, not because I dislike it so much as because I know of better alternatives.

I imagine that's what McDonalds is dealing with now, but on a much bigger scale. Information availability right in your pocket(mobile phone) means everyone from parents to kids know not only what's around but what is popular and what is considered out of fashion. If I was a kid in today's world I'd have a long list of places I want to eat and McDonalds would not be on it.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Thu May 28, 2015 4:56 pm

After a week of Russian food soon after the collapse of the USSR, a meal in the McD's in Mosow (the largest in the world at the time) was heaven on earth.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu May 28, 2015 5:08 pm

telcta wrote:...I can't imagine salt is the cure-all to making food taste better.

No, but salt is the cure-all to making food. Hahaha, I crack me up.

wonderpug · Post by **wonderpug** » Thu May 28, 2015 5:26 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:
telcta wrote:...I can't imagine salt is the cure-all to making food taste better.
No, but salt is the cure-all to making food. Hahaha, I crack me up.

Your hyperlink helped make the reference to salt crystal clear. SALT CRYSTAL GET IT

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Thu May 28, 2015 5:48 pm

I used to stop by McDonald's occasionally for breakfast (I like the McGriddle...) But I haven't done that in at least a year. Taco Bell has a much better breakfast anyway

I ate in a few McDonald's restaurants outside the U.S. over the years, the quality of food seemed much better. They also had stuff on the menu that you'd never see in the States (like in Hong Kong, they served some sort of curry rice with vegetables, I don't exactly remember what else was in it, but was pretty good and didn't taste like fast food).

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:20 pm

One in eight of us has likely worked there and they will feed 1% of the world population today and every day. Their balance sheet would make them bigger than Ecuador's GDP, and just to feed the US they need 5.5 million head of cattle yearly. To top it all off they are the world's largest toy distributor.

Like Grifman when I was in Hungary right after the collapse of communism, a stop by the Golden Arches was indeed a sort of respite for me as well (the one in Budapest is another of the largest in the world, it's located in an Eiffel Company-designed hall of Budapest's Grand Western Railway Station and is beyond very fancy). I also have some wonderful memories of visits with my mom after a day of flying kites together. I'll never forget the first time I was allowed to order an entire Big Mac all to myself, on that day I thought I truly had arrived to adulthood.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu May 28, 2015 7:29 pm

Enough wrote:One in eight of us has likely worked there and they will feed 1% of the world population today and every day. Their balance sheet would make them bigger than Ecuador's GDP, and just to feed the US they need 5.5 million head of cattle yearly. To top it all off they are the world's largest toy distributor.

Like Grifman when I was in Hungary right after the collapse of communism, a stop by the Golden Arches was indeed a sort of respite for me as well (the one in Budapest is another of the largest in the world, it's located in an Eiffel Company-designed hall of Budapest's Grand Western Railway Station and is beyond very fancy). I also have some wonderful memories of visits with my mom after a day of flying kites together. I'll never forget the first time I was allowed to order an entire Big Mac all to myself, on that day I thought I truly had arrived to adulthood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YDTfEhChgw