McDonalds!

Ok so let me give you my reason first. I love to travel and I always make my boyfriend come with me. His main problem with foreign travel is that he is a man that LOVES his fast food, mainly McDonalds. He usually makes it his mission to find a McDonalds where ever we may be. Most places now have the usual McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Starbucks, but sometimes it is still interesting to taste the difference or find the McDonald in some of the smaller places. Does anyone have any fun McDonalds stories?

One of the best pieces of advice that my parents who have now been deceased for many years gave me was to avoid fast food places such as McDonald's. Initially, I chose to ignore that advice but about twenty years ago I took the advice and stopped eating Hamburgers, French Fries, Fried Chicken, at fast food places. And, likewise, I eliminated most fried foods from my diet. From a health standpoint it was one of the smartest decisions I ever made.

When we travel, while we realize tht some chains can be found around the world, we seek out cuisine that is truly representative of the country we are visiting.

Keith

They usually have nice clean toilets (but not always). Their food sucks.

Oh Keith, thats not the point.

And I was too.

Keith

I don't have a McDonald's story but I do have a Pizza Hut one.

We were flying out of Bonaire and had an EIGHT HOUR layover on Curacao. We met up with two other couples on the commuter flight in the same boat and we all pitched in to rent a van into town to kill time.

As luck would have it that day was some kind of holiday (Easter or Good Friday I think) and all the restaurants were closed except Pizza Hut. There was no way we wanted Pizza Hut because we wanted the "local" experience, etc, yada yada, ad nauseam, as Keith put it well (:D ). We searched far and wide but it was our only option.

IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. It was so good it made my knees go weak. It was called the Antillean Special. It had Gouda cheese, ham, pepperoni, green peppers and anchovies that were deep fried and crunchy. We ended up buying a second one to eat on our flight to Miami even though those were the days meals were served on airplanes. Even cold it was awesome. For years, when we made homemade pizza we used Gouda cheese.

I hate to admit it but in all the years we've been travelling we've never eaten at an American chain restaurant again. BUT... I wouldn't resist it if the opportunity was there.

We will be in Egypt next year and I know there is a Pizza Hut next to the Pyramids where we're staying. I'll at least take a look at the menu. ;)

(Note to Keith: I'm not ridiculing you because obviously we think the same way. :) )

My husband and I always go to the Hard Rock Cafe when we are travelling, so far we have visited 58 different HRC's :eek: . In fact now it's got to the stage where we are almost our planning trips around them. We buy a Hurricane glass and a pin in each Rock Shop. We have all the glasses on display and a pin display-case on the wall. It's kinda shows us where we have travelled.

We were in Morocco on a land tour during Ramadan. Since the Muslims do not eat from sunrise to sunset then, it was something of a problem to find a restaurant! In Casablanca we wound up at pretty much the only one open -- yep, McDonald's! It was an interesting cross of American and Moroccan decor, and also food. I had a MacArabia -- two spiced beef patties on flatbread. It was good. I think they should introduce it here!;)

Check out my pics at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/morocco10.html

The only place I was stopped from taking pictures in China was at the McDonalds in Wuhan. I started taking pictures of the menu and they came running over. It was one of two reasons.

1. I look like a spy for Wendy's

2. There was something on the menu that they didn't want reported(as if I would know- its greek to me)....

OMG, this thread is so sad :eek:. Sorry but if I travelled anywhere and the best thing I could think of doing was to go to a McDonalds, i think I'd shoot myself.

:) when we were in Egypt our tour guide referred to KFC as Kentucky Fried Camel...makes you think, I never did see a chicken in Egypt ,,ha ha

In Tangers, Morocco, on Friday nights, the McDonald's has belly dancing. In India, there is no beef, only lamb or chicken. In Rome, the Mcdonald's is more like a 4 story restuarant with a beautiful decor. Even though I don't usually eat at McDonald's (even in the US), I find the foreign ones to be an interesting insight into the culture and a clean place for a pit stop.

I so agree with Lahore. I can't believe a grown person needs to find a Macdonalds wherever he is. Think what his body is going through eating that garbage. I have never eaten a Mcdonalds in my life and I'm very pleased to say that.

Ok so let me give you my reason first. I love to travel and I always make my boyfriend come with me. His main problem with foreign travel is that he is a man that LOVES his fast food, mainly McDonalds. He usually makes it his mission to find a McDonalds where ever we may be. Most places now have the usual McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Starbucks, but sometimes it is still interesting to taste the difference or find the McDonald in some of the smaller places. Does anyone have any fun McDonalds stories?

Not really a story...but notwithstanding some of the replies here, we have eaten at McDonalds in Japan, Korea, and China. When you don't know the language and barely know the rate of exchange, it's nice to be able to point at a menu and order.

The taste of everything we've ordered (burgers, fries, soda) is pretty much the same as in the US. The toilets are all over the place (terrible to nice), so you takes a seat you takes your chances. :D

It is more interesting to people watch there than to eat there, but as I said earlier it's nice to eat something semi-familiar (we don't visit there when we're at home).

On one of the other CC boards, a few months ago, someone complained that the cruise line did not have a fastfood restuarant like McDonalds or KFC. His comments were not well received.

But most of the cruise lines I've been on, including the upscale like Oceania, do have a poolside restaurant that has burgers, pizza, salads, icecream etc., only they are infinitely better quality than Maccas. So, when you can get that sort of food ad infinitum at home and on the ship, can somebody tell me why anyone would be desperate to get it when they have, generally, only one day in a foreign country :confused: . For me, I like to try the local food. But, each to their own I guess (scratching head in disbelief).

To each their own. My stops in McDonalds overseas have never been while I was on a cruise. The One in McDonalds in Wuhan was after a week in China and before we started a cruise. This was only one of 4 meals the entire trip that wasn't included(all the other three non included were not at a fast food place as we know it). They dropped us off in a shopping center like Costco and it was McDonalds or nothing(after buying soda for the ship). In England we ate at one because it was convenient and wanted to see how it compared to McD's in the US. At the Trevi fountain in Rome it was convenient and fast but I haven't eaten at a McD's in the US in six months and if I do its for salads-which they actually have decent ones.

I have also tasted a starbucks in China but I draw the line at KFC anywhere but there are times that comfort food of a familiar place is wholly appropriate.

Starbucks I can understand. McDonals is not 'comfort food of a familiar place' to me...but as you say, each to their own. I confess to using any toilet that is available, anywhere, any time and that has occasionally included such places. The only time in my life I ever ate KFC I vomited, within an hour, absolutely truthful. Not something that invites a return visit.

We stopped at the McDonald's last time we were in Puerto Vallarta, only because we had been walking all day in the heat with the kids. It was familar, figured it would be a safe bet for the kids. I was disappointed that the town was "Americanized" though - Sam's Club, McDonalds, Baskin Robbins, Hard Rock, etc., etc......The kids enjoyed their happy meals and we were on our way. The kids did think it was pretty cool that there was a McDonalds there - but we wouldn't have stopped there if it had just been the adults. It was clean though. :)

Starbucks I can understand. McDonals is not 'comfort food of a familiar place' to me...but as you say, each to their own. I confess to using any toilet that is available, anywhere, any time and that has occasionally included such places. The only time in my life I ever ate KFC I vomited, within an hour, absolutely truthful. Not something that invites a return visit.

Thats ok I really dislike Starbucks its over priced and the coffee is way too strong.

I'm leaving for 15 day tour of Egypt on Feb. 6th -- and no, I probably won't be stopping at KFC there, but the word association made me laugh out loud, so Thanks! :D

Maybe if they have McDonald's I'll look on the menu for a McMummy Sandwich! :eek:

Oh I quite agreee, I don't drink coffee at all anyway. But green tea frappucino's I quite like :) .

Maybe if they have McDonald's I'll look on the menu for a McMummy Sandwich! :eek:

Be careful what you wish for!! Ground up mummies were widely used as medicine in Europe for 500 years from the 12th century onwards, so their consumption is not new. Originally, they were genuine Egyptian human mummies, but as demand exceeded supply, other sources were used, including animals, and possibly people who had passed on rather more recently than the Ancient Egyptians.

EWWWWW!!!!! :eek:

Before becoming a naysayer, think about this as a cultural experience rather than a dining experience.

I'm not a McDonald's customer, but I could definitely muster up some interest in seeing what a McDonald's is like in a very exotic land. Seeing how the menu differs based on local custom, what the workers are like, how the store is fashioned inside and out, how the promotional materials are displayed and moreover, what the customer base is like.

This seems to me an interesting study--to take one element that is present in most every society in the world--and examine the differences.