I am not a McD’s fan, and In ordinary times, I can go years between McDonald’s visits. However, we have been traveling most weekends between the Boston area and central VT, and, due to COVID-19, have tended to want to stop (when we stop at all) at restaurants with drive-thrus. The McDonald’s in Warner, NH has been strangely better than any other I can remember going to. Things are perfectly cooked, the sauces and toppings are the right proportions, the buns even seem to hold their shape better. A Quarter Pounder there is still a McDonald’s burger, and I don’t want to oversell it, but it’s actually pretty good! Even the quality of the meat seems better, though it must be coming from the same supply chain as everywhere else (right?!) We have gone there three times now, to verify, and the results have been the same. Contrast this with the dreadful Chelmsford location (which is also along our route). I don’t know what to make of it, maybe the owner/managers just demand better attention to detail, but I thought it was worth a shout out. This location is just off of Rt 89, 20 miles north of the intersection with Rt 93.
That Mcdonald’s is an occasional stop for us as well on the way to northern VT. It’s the perfect halfway point pit stop to get the kids some food. I personally haven’t eaten a meal from McDonalds in years. I will say that the fries I crib from the crib are fine. I am less than impressed with the service though. We always special order because a) my kids are picky; and b) if you special order they have to make your order fresh rather than risk one off the warming rack. I’ve got to say they botch the order more often than not. I have learned not to get back on 89 until I’m sure my youngest isn’t going to cry because there are onions on his burger.
Hmm. Well, we had never gone there before about 6 weeks ago and are 3-for-3 since, with none of the problems you mentioned. Maybe lucky? Dunno. My wife was skeptical after hearing about this mythical McD’s twice, but is now a believer after experiencing in person the other day.
Funny you post this, about 3 years ago we were doing a weekend with another couple to Mohegan Sun in Wilkes Barre PA. (obviously not the same Mc D as the one you are posting). I rarely eat Mc D’s so I’m far from an expert on their burgers but my buddy who is more adept than I at Mc’ Donalds burgers was blown away by how good it was. So much so he literally asked for a manager on the way out to compliment them on how great the quarter pounder he had was. z
Of course I still mock him to this day but now that you are posting a similar experience maybe there is something to it.
When our son, an extremely picky eater, was into McDonald’s, and would not touch the cheeseburger if it has those tiny flecks of onion or a pickle, we learned this: order “cheeseburger, ketchup only.” Or, “hamburger, ketchup only.” That’s it. The cash register understands it and so do the food preparers. We used to say, no pickle, no onion, and most of the time it would have one or both. Try “ketchup only.” It has been years and things might have changed. We got to where we trusted it so much we didn’t even have to check the burger before handing it to him! 100% success rate.
Now he refuses McDonald’s entirely and has for years. Progress!
We recently drove from Cape Cod to Watkins Glen Raceway in NY. We stopped at the last rest stop on the Mass Turnpike before crossing into NY for gas, a bathroom break and lunch. Our only choice was McDonald’s. We each ordered Big Macs. Maybe a once in a year event. Waited a long time for them, paid a lot for them. Ate them in the truck - the cheese wasn’t even melted and they were barely warm. We were too hungry not to eat them but they were disgusting.
Visiting family in Florida a few years back. My DH and I left Punta Gorda around 8:00 am heading to Sarasota. Just out side of Port Charlotte we realized we were starved and pulled in a McD for 2 egg mcmuffins. Best egg sandwich ever! The muffin was really toasted, like twice down in the toaster toasted, the egg was just north of runny, cheese was melted. Everything was hot. Amazing.
Sadly-never to be found again.
One handy McDonalds tip is that when ordering breakfast sandwiches you can ask for a round or real egg. Your sandwich will be made with an actual real egg rather than the egg patty they’d normally use.
Speaking of MCD eggs, somehow we remember reading that when Amazon founder Mr. Bezos worked at McD, his favorite task was cracking eggs in the days before All-Day Breakfast made the menu.
Great tip for road trips when McD’s is the only realistic option. This can happen when the dog is with us.
There’s a McDonald’s within walking distance of us here in beautiful St Clair Shores, MI. It’s a franchisee. When it opened–and for years after, it threw out disgusting food. Not just disappointing, disgusting. The franchise owner finally woke, about 2005. For six or seven years after an “intervention” they served classic, tasty McDonald’s foods. Then about 2013, they fell into the abyss again. They haven’t corrected in that time. But… this store still attracts thousands of drive ups a day only interested in buying gut fillers.
Very weird take on “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
I think the quality of McDonald’s vary wildly like any chain restaurant.
The ones in SE Texas are terrible.
Having said that my last boss before I retired managed one in NYC and if I know her she turned out the best product possible. She is a stickler for customer service.
