You said that McDonald's "isn’t nearly as expensive as you think it is.". I know exactly how expensive they are and I know exactly how expensive my other options are. I can get ready to heat up beef goulash for less money then a meal from McDonalds. McDonald's only advantage is their hours at this point.
Your arguing that McDonalds isn't expensive is just you humblebragging. You tell people to touch grass as if it's hard to find a McDonalds and people are only hating on them for the memes.
I very much doubt that's actually the case if you look at prices closely. Prices went up, but not as much as the Internet would have you believe, and certainly not that much higher than other restaurants. Feel free to provide examples from your region but the US examples are cherry picked stores and are not representative of average prices.
I mean I’m “cherry picking” where I fucking live. A Big Mac meal is over $10 in CA. An in-n-out equivalent meal (double double + fries + soda), a chain that was paying well above minimum wage for decades, is $9. And you get way more food from In-N-Out for that price. McDonald’s even has gotten rid of cashiers (unlike in-n-out) and they still can’t compete on price. I’m sorry but McDonald’s is just fucking greedy.
It's not a flex, it's actual evidence to ops statement. McDonald's isn't more expensive than nice fast food, it's not that much more than the real cheap fast food, and it ain't even close to mid tier sit down much less a gourmet/Michelin star at $175/head.
One of the best parts of living in the SF bay area is literally anywhere you go isn't particularly expensive per what you are used to. My wife and I went out to a particularly fancy restaurant on Santorini and the bill was less than we've often paid in Berkeley.
I'm in SF right now recovering from medical stuff. Food prices here shocked me how relatively cheap it is compared to where I live in Seattle. Had Yamo the other day, best fried rice I've had since visiting Taiwan, only $30 to feed three people. That meal would have been like $60-80 in Seattle
Judging by your instance that's wishful thinking... Not saying maccas isnt garbage but it certainly isnt exotic or unusual here in Germany. I give you the overpriced part though, they went right along with the covid greed pricing.
I didn't mean weird in sense of exotic, more weird as in the atmosphere in there is kinda weird. To be fair, Burger King has a kind of similar weird atmosphere.
But yeah, it is expensive af. It was even before Covid.
McDonald's seemed way different to me while I was in England. The burger's actually seemed to have seasoning on them (despite being in England), they had rotating 'Taste's of America' (called something like that) menus that featured interesting variants that I never saw over here. I think there was a really good one with a sour dough bun.
Totally agree in some way, I also try to eat the best food I can when I'm visiting a place, but price is definitely a factor here. You can find fucking amazing food in many places for very cheap.
Agreed. I travel to see things and experience life in another area. I want to go where a local would go after a long day at work or when a college student is homesick for home cooking, not where a local would go to propose marriage.
If I want super fancy food, I have options near home. I want "authentic" food to truly experience the culture.
I've done this. When traveling for a 3 week study abroad in college I got tired of the local food eventually and got burger king one night, dominos pizza another night. Some of my peers got American food every night though, I held out as long as I could
It's not the food or the price, it's just that I don't want to waste my holiday in these hour long waiting rituals that a typical restaurant experience is.
Restaurant fatigue is a thing for sure. I think most people who are experienced travellers know this. That's where grocery stores and supermarkets help but also global fast food chains. You know what you're going to get and you'll get it fast.
I don't know about McDonald's abroad, as I've never had it out of country, but here state side McDonald's isn't even fast anymore. It used to be fast, cheap, and acceptable, but they've given up fast and cheap and it's really only acceptable now.
Still faster than most sit down restaurants, but nowhere near what it was in terms of speed ten years ago.
One argument I read about eating popular fastfood when traveling is that for people who might not have iron stomachs to eat unfamiliar food in foreign places, getting fastfood at mcdonalds for example allows a reasonable expectation of standard food quality and hygiene. That and since it’s familiar food, the risk of getting an upset stomach is lower.
At a global chain, you can expect some sort of standard protocols that they try to at least be consistent with wherever you go. Not saying they are the cleanest, just that you can expect the same or at least similar quality wherever in the world you eat.
Just the quality in general, the food tasted good, the buns weren't flat and deflated. My only problem was that they used light mayo, so it was a little off tasting. I got over that pretty fast though
The Killer (2023). The scene on the picture is at the beginning, on France. Iirc, he eats at McDonald's because he can calculate the time going in for the burger and then back and minimize the risk of missing the target.
I honestly like it way better than well-regarded food cultures like Italian and French food. I also really like German food, which has a lot of similarities.
My favorite food culture is probably Indian, but british is pretty high on my list as far as european food goes.
The context kind of makes sense here. The image is from The Killer, about a supposed top-tier hit man who gets in over his head. But it turns out he’s a huge try-hard who kinda sucks at getting the job done and makes noob mistakes at every turn. Trying to blend in on a European street with a bag of McDonald’s breakfast on a park bench is perfect.
I did this exact thing when visiting Europe on a $50 a day budget (early 90's). I'm admittedly a coward when it comes to trying new foods and didn't want to pay for something I didn't like. Rarely do I eat McDonald's here in the US
I don't recognize this, but it looks like the dude is "working" something shady.
I wouldn't wanna risk being stuck in a bathroom because I ate something local and don't have the antibodies to deal with it.
McDs is processed crap, shipped globally, with local favorites mostly avoidable. Its a safe bet. Plus, you can eat once and have your 2000 calories met for the day in 10 minutes.
Joke probably worked better 10 years ago when McDonald's wasn't priced like gourmet dining.
That's what I was thinking reading this
You people need to touch grass. McDonald's isn't nearly as expensive as you think it is.
It's overpriced for what it is. I can get a better meal for less money, faster from a deli or grocery store.
All of that debatable and not what oc said 🤷♂️.
I'm responding to you. Not OP.
You said that McDonald's "isn’t nearly as expensive as you think it is.". I know exactly how expensive they are and I know exactly how expensive my other options are. I can get ready to heat up beef goulash for less money then a meal from McDonalds. McDonald's only advantage is their hours at this point.
Context matters as much as you just want to argue against the man.
If you can find better options, fantastic. It ain't gourmet or even mid sit down prices.
Your arguing that McDonalds isn't expensive is just you humblebragging. You tell people to touch grass as if it's hard to find a McDonalds and people are only hating on them for the memes.
👌👍
Where I live it has gotten pretty expensive compared to other (non-chain) fast food options and even cheap restaurants.
I very much doubt that's actually the case if you look at prices closely. Prices went up, but not as much as the Internet would have you believe, and certainly not that much higher than other restaurants. Feel free to provide examples from your region but the US examples are cherry picked stores and are not representative of average prices.
$20 will get you more than 2k calories.
I mean I’m “cherry picking” where I fucking live. A Big Mac meal is over $10 in CA. An in-n-out equivalent meal (double double + fries + soda), a chain that was paying well above minimum wage for decades, is $9. And you get way more food from In-N-Out for that price. McDonald’s even has gotten rid of cashiers (unlike in-n-out) and they still can’t compete on price. I’m sorry but McDonald’s is just fucking greedy.
That's not the flex you think it is.
It's not a flex, it's actual evidence to ops statement. McDonald's isn't more expensive than nice fast food, it's not that much more than the real cheap fast food, and it ain't even close to mid tier sit down much less a gourmet/Michelin star at $175/head.
Y'all just pissed off I called out the hyperbole.
You only care for calories? Get a small soda with unlimited refills. Easy.
Depends on where you live, I'd imagine. Where I am, it is, or at least on par. And why would I choose the pricier (or same) crappier version?
Except that's its bracket. McDonald's is supposed to be crappy (it is), cheap (it isn't) fast food.
If you go to a foreign country and think every local restaurant is overpriced then the problem may actually be you.
One of the best parts of living in the SF bay area is literally anywhere you go isn't particularly expensive per what you are used to. My wife and I went out to a particularly fancy restaurant on Santorini and the bill was less than we've often paid in Berkeley.
I'm in SF right now recovering from medical stuff. Food prices here shocked me how relatively cheap it is compared to where I live in Seattle. Had Yamo the other day, best fried rice I've had since visiting Taiwan, only $30 to feed three people. That meal would have been like $60-80 in Seattle
Must’ve forgotten to add the Healthy Santorini surcharge
That entirely depends on where you live and where you go.
"Wanting affordable meals? How dare I!"
That's why you think other countries are overpriced, they're paying their staff
A decent wage, what a concept! Ring ring USA ($7.25 an hour, I ask you…).
Would be interesting to see grocery store/wholesale pricing too as that should be a factor too.
Would you believe groceries are hugely more expensive in the US?
Do you tip the self service checkouts or something? 😂
Make your own food then
Well, here where I live, McDonalds IS the weird overpriced restaurant.
Judging by your instance that's wishful thinking... Not saying maccas isnt garbage but it certainly isnt exotic or unusual here in Germany. I give you the overpriced part though, they went right along with the covid greed pricing.
I didn't mean weird in sense of exotic, more weird as in the atmosphere in there is kinda weird. To be fair, Burger King has a kind of similar weird atmosphere.
But yeah, it is expensive af. It was even before Covid.
McDoof!
I knew they call McDonald's "Maccas" in Australia, but I didn't know they did so in Germany too.
Actually we call it Mecces, Mäckie or McDoof (like McDumb).
Yeah i translated it for the monolingually handicapped (see the other commenter)
Is not McDonald weird overpriced restaurant?
The overpriced part is a (relatively) recent development, but point taken
I feel like charging for the garbage McDonald's produced even before the price gouging was overpriced.
McDonalds is a real estate company not a burger joint. Their burgers are good enough only to maintain the value of the brand and the land
McDonalds is public toilets chain
I'd go to the local places and mcdonalds. I want to know what they taste like in a country with actual food standards.
Survey says: the same.
McDonalds tastes the same everywhere. Which is why it's the go to home food for people who travel.
Just like Panda Garden is for Asian people at airports lol. It's American food that's close enough to what they'd actually prefer.
Yes McDonald's tastes the same but the menu can change wildly, with a definite sway towards local tastes for menu item variations.
Oh absolutely. McDonalds and most other conventional American fast food joints can have crazy menus in some countries.
Japanese KFC and McDonalds look particularly fun.
My day is ruined.
McDonald's seemed way different to me while I was in England. The burger's actually seemed to have seasoning on them (despite being in England), they had rotating 'Taste's of America' (called something like that) menus that featured interesting variants that I never saw over here. I think there was a really good one with a sour dough bun.
McDonald's here is charging the price of a local gourmet hamburguer for their trash, it's insane.
Maybe anon is from a country with a shitty currency and the only affordable food he found is McDonald's garbage.
Or maybe anon is not used to fine dining at 3* Michelin restaurants.
Right because local restaurants are all fine dining
Why would you eat anything else on your holidays? You can eat comfy food at home all year long in your local restaurants.
Because comfy, everyday food is different from one country to another?
Totally agree in some way, I also try to eat the best food I can when I'm visiting a place, but price is definitely a factor here. You can find fucking amazing food in many places for very cheap.
We must travel differently and with a different sort of budget
Agreed. I travel to see things and experience life in another area. I want to go where a local would go after a long day at work or when a college student is homesick for home cooking, not where a local would go to propose marriage.
If I want super fancy food, I have options near home. I want "authentic" food to truly experience the culture.
I've done this. When traveling for a 3 week study abroad in college I got tired of the local food eventually and got burger king one night, dominos pizza another night. Some of my peers got American food every night though, I held out as long as I could
Local foods are part of the trip if you ask me.
Go to a grocery store. There's more interesting and authentic stuff there anyway. And you're guaranteed not to pay a tourist tax.
I often get restaurant fatigue when on holiday.
It's not the food or the price, it's just that I don't want to waste my holiday in these hour long waiting rituals that a typical restaurant experience is.
Restaurant fatigue is a thing for sure. I think most people who are experienced travellers know this. That's where grocery stores and supermarkets help but also global fast food chains. You know what you're going to get and you'll get it fast.
I don't know about McDonald's abroad, as I've never had it out of country, but here state side McDonald's isn't even fast anymore. It used to be fast, cheap, and acceptable, but they've given up fast and cheap and it's really only acceptable now.
Still faster than most sit down restaurants, but nowhere near what it was in terms of speed ten years ago.
One argument I read about eating popular fastfood when traveling is that for people who might not have iron stomachs to eat unfamiliar food in foreign places, getting fastfood at mcdonalds for example allows a reasonable expectation of standard food quality and hygiene. That and since it’s familiar food, the risk of getting an upset stomach is lower.
Hygiene? At McDonald's?
At a global chain, you can expect some sort of standard protocols that they try to at least be consistent with wherever you go. Not saying they are the cleanest, just that you can expect the same or at least similar quality wherever in the world you eat.
aah going to a conference in Switzerland as a PhD student, wish I could afford a McDonalds. It was mostly migros bread, cheese and pasta
I did extensive traveling in 2018. I would be in a different country for a week or 2 at a time.
I would check out McDonald’s once per country just to see or try unique things on their menu.
There are so many meals to eat each day, so a single McDonald’s meal is no big deal.
When I was visiting Scotland one of the first things I did was go to McDonald's, and I gotta say, it's orders of magnitudes better than in the US
What was better about it?
They replaced the Coca-cola with Guinness
It was amazing, every soda was Guinness!
Edit: except Irn-Bru, that was still a soda
Just the quality in general, the food tasted good, the buns weren't flat and deflated. My only problem was that they used light mayo, so it was a little off tasting. I got over that pretty fast though
I don't know the movie, but it depends on the country. I mean I wouldn't eat British "cuisine" if I could help it.
Through the wonder of colonialism the British do have good food. Just not their own.
All those countries they wrecked to get spices, yet they eat beans on toast.
The Killer (2023). The scene on the picture is at the beginning, on France. Iirc, he eats at McDonald's because he can calculate the time going in for the burger and then back and minimize the risk of missing the target.
Idk, I genuinely like british food:
I honestly like it way better than well-regarded food cultures like Italian and French food. I also really like German food, which has a lot of similarities.
My favorite food culture is probably Indian, but british is pretty high on my list as far as european food goes.
The context kind of makes sense here. The image is from The Killer, about a supposed top-tier hit man who gets in over his head. But it turns out he’s a huge try-hard who kinda sucks at getting the job done and makes noob mistakes at every turn. Trying to blend in on a European street with a bag of McDonald’s breakfast on a park bench is perfect.
I did this exact thing when visiting Europe on a $50 a day budget (early 90's). I'm admittedly a coward when it comes to trying new foods and didn't want to pay for something I didn't like. Rarely do I eat McDonald's here in the US
When I visit places, tasting the food is a big part of the interesting experience to me.
Just be careful about food safety. I also like to try local food >.<
Americans really worry too much about food safety.
Source: Work in food service in the EU.
I'm from Germany though. Look at my instance URL.
Edit: And as I implied I've experienced the aftermath of not being careful :(
i know its not brazil cause the cheapest mcdonalds burger is already wat too expansive
I don't recognize this, but it looks like the dude is "working" something shady.
I wouldn't wanna risk being stuck in a bathroom because I ate something local and don't have the antibodies to deal with it.
McDs is processed crap, shipped globally, with local favorites mostly avoidable. Its a safe bet. Plus, you can eat once and have your 2000 calories met for the day in 10 minutes.
It's a scene from the movie The Killer. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1136617/?ref_=nm_flmg_c_3_act
IIRC he even states a specific reason why he's going with McDonald's that has to do with known price and consistency.