McDonalds!

[daiB]

Well, we go into MacDonalds but only in the USA, as that is why we are there, to experience the culture of the country. In the same way that we love to look for original Diners. Having said that the experience in the latter is far superior to the former.

 

We found a Diner Just off the I91 traveling south through Vermont. It may have been in a town called Charlestown. The food was great as was the atmosphere.

 

When we go abroad we would never think of eating anything British. We would never go to one of the Costas with is mass of British pubs and cafes.

 

We never drink tea outside the UK only coffee.

 

Now I know the cruise ship gives a very British experience, but there are other reasons for us cruising so often.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[Host Karen]

egads!!! I would not describe food from McDonald's or any US fast food chain as being "good old American food." It's definitely American junk food, and I hope those Big Macs and Quarter Pounders with Cheese don't define US food quality. Yuck.

 

I think the thrill of seeing a McDonald's in Europe lends itself more to the familiarity issue than a quality of food issue. I personally find it sad that the worst of our food is spreading its way across the planet, but if people in other countries wouldn't frequent these places, they would go out of business. Just some food for thought...

 

Karen

[lovinbuzz]

I agree, we have sent the curse of fast food across the world. Bottom line, McDonalds sucks, period. When abroad I never have eaten fast food. When we were in London we ate curry on Brick Lane. Quite possibly some of the best food Ive ever had.

[agabbymama]

As I stated before, I like McDonalds. I sometimes go through the drive-thru and order a Childs Happy Meal hamburger and fries. I don't care for the big fancy hamburgers. I like the thin patty with mustard and catsup (like the kids like them).

 

In Greece, after 4 weeks of what I consider awful food, the Golden Arches looked like heaven and the place was packed with Greeks not just tourists. In Budapest, my friend took me to McDonalds to see the architecture, but we ate there too. When my husband and I went to Rome in '98, we didn't see any McDonald's, but would love to have found one, with the price of food in Italy to go into a sit down restaurant was prohibitive. We did a lot of stopping in grocers and having roadside picnics.

 

Sorry everyone thinks McDonald's so derogatory. Nobody is breaking your arms to go there. Those of us that like it, can go, those that don't, can eat elsewhere. Thankfully there are lots of choices.

[browneyes7]

Macdonalds ANYWHERE in the world is to be avoided at all costs.

 

I agree with the Mutineer!;) :) :D

 

browneyes7

[Yet]

Also, are restaurants in the UK sensitive and accommodating to customers who have food allergies (eggs, nuts, fish, soy, etc.)?

 

Does anyone have an answer to the above?

[The Monocled Mutineer]

The answer to the question is yes. The UK is not quite the 3rd world, (yet).

[NancyIL]

I agree with agabbymama: if you don't like McDonald's - no one is forcing you to eat there. My family of 5 stayed at the Marriott County Hall in London for a week in 2000. There was a McDonald's elsewhere in the building, and that is where our breakfast came from the entire week. I could feed my whole family for the price of one continental breakfast at the hotel! We've also eaten at McDonald's elsewhere in London, in Copenhagen, and I know there was one in Talinn, Estonia - but I think we skipped that one. ;)

[Kesaelcele's gramma]

On our first ever trip out of the country(1984), we took a tour to Israel, with a four day stop in London on the way home. The joke of the trip (and the day!) was "Where's the beef??" After two weeks of nothing but lamb and gefelte fish (and other things I was never quite sure of!) all I wanted was a hamburger and a milkshake!!!

We went to a Mc D's in London, and boy was I disappointed!! Milkshake doesn't mean the same thing in Britain, and the burger tasted a bit "different".

Needless to say, I never tried THAT again on a trip out of the country- and since I now don't eat it at home either.... they don't really draw me anymore!

But when we took our boys on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago, they were QUITE thrilled to spot the "Golden Arches" in a few ports! A little bit of "home" I guess!

[Amlee]

Nadi, Fiji and I was never so happy to see non-curry food in my life! Others in our group went shopping for suvvies, I made a be line for those golden arches!

 

I had spent 9 days eating local food and found it good. But everything was covered in curry. My system could only take so much of it, before it started to scream no more!

 

I don't label it as honest American Food. Now my dads good Southern home cooked meals. That is a whole different story! But McDonalds sure did tide me over.

[Johanna7]

We have eaten at McDonald's all over the place when there was nothing suitable and you do pay for ketchup in many places in Europe and also for cream unless you take the powdered stuff.

 

We have also found pay toilets in a Rotten Ronnie's (McDonald's nickname, for Ronald McDonald) in Antwerp. I did find that odd.

 

We do prefer subway if we can find them and when we were on our Australian New Zealand cruise we were pleased to find them for lunch and they were every bit as good as here in Canada. Besides, they were a lot less money than their other offerings.

 

Still, I would eat at them again in a pinch, the McDonald's as they now have healthy type sandwiches as well.

[keltic]

I like hamburgers but I don´t particularly enjoy McDonalds. The quality is really low. I try to do what locals do when I go abroad, but I fully respect all people who don´t want to eat local stuff.

 

Anyway, I thought american hamburgers were all like McDonalds or Burger King (the two only chains we have in my place), and when I went to the states, I was really surprised about how good, natural, healthy and delicious that a good quality hamburger could be, and proper restaurants.

 

I wouldn´t call McDonalds as real american food. But it doesn´t mean that I never go here. Never abroad, seldon here, but nothing wrong with it. I do love salads with crispy chicken on top. We don´t pay for sauces, or cream over here.

[Longtonian]

Does anyone have an answer to the above?

I would hope that many restaurants would be accommodating - many menus say "may contains nuts" "gluten free" etc. It's likely to vary from place to place though, but at least there's no language barrier in explaining your needs, well, not much of one anyway....

[browneyes7]

It's amazing isn't it.with all the rubbish food served up in the US,you would think that most people would be slim. ;)

 

Unfortunately, too many of us eat the rubbish food! I'm not one of them. I only eat at McDonald's if I have no other choice!!!:o :)

 

browneyes7

[sewingmolly]

I'm going with my 12 yo niece on a trip to Paris this summer. She announced that she would be eating escargot and frog legs, because that's what french people eat. But she also wants to have lunch at a foreign McDonald's. She's hoping for something really different on the menu, like a lamb Big Mac, so she can tell all her friends about it. If it's just like the US, she'll be disappointed.

[nolaAlive]

In 1975 my late father was Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Greenwich (having been Mayor the previous year). One of his duties was to open the very first McD's in the UK in Powis Street, Woolwich. Apart from being presented with an engraved silver salver to mark the occasion, he was also offered a 'Big Mac'. He took one bite...and never touched another burger in his life. Smart man my Dad!!

 

Simon

 

Small world. I was living in London when that McDonald's opened and made the pilgrimage via train. Turned out to be a pricey lunch, but it sure beat the burgers at Wimpy's. ;)

[belle907]

...but it sure beat the burgers at Wimpy's. ;)

Now that's some nasty food!!! :eek:

[SelectSys]

Marriott County Hall in London for a week in 2000. There was a McDonald's elsewhere in the building, and that is where our breakfast came from the entire week. I could feed my whole family for the price of one continental breakfast at the hotel! ;)

 

It does deliver value regardless of location. I would expect breakfast in the County Hall would be around 20 GBP or more. For a family of 5 that would be 700 GBP for the week or about $1400 for another form of corporate managed cuisine. Uhhh, on second thought that's 5 egg mcmuffin deals for here please!

 

...I wouldn´t call McDonalds as real american food. But it doesn´t mean that I never go here...

 

Exactly, McDonalds leverages the local food tradition to create something "unique". This is true in the US and Canada as much as in other countries.

 

I agree with you Keltic and some others on this thread, while McDonalds isn't my favorite there are times when I also eat their food. This seems true pretty much around the world as it can't be the US tourists keeping all these McDonalds open.

 

Bottom line -

 

"Let he who has not eaten at McDonalds throw the first Quarter Pounder with Cheese!"

[Globaliser]

But she also wants to have lunch at a foreign McDonald's. She's hoping for something really different on the menu, like a lamb Big Mac, so she can tell all her friends about it.

Jules: Well, if you like burgers give 'em a try sometime. I can't usually get 'em myself because my girlfriend's a vegetarian which pretty much makes me a vegetarian. But I do love the taste of a good burger. Mm-mm-mm. You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France?

Brett: No.

Jules: Tell 'em, Vincent.

Vincent: A Royale with cheese.

Jules: A Royale with cheese! You know why they call it that?

Brett: Because of the metric system?

Jules: Check out the big brain on Brett! You're a smart mother****er. That's right. The metric system.

From Pulp Fiction (1994). Those who've seen it will remember this as one of the more surreal leitmotifs in the movie.

 

Couldn't resist! :D

[sddsddean]

..... but it sure beat the burgers at Wimpy's. ;)

 

I'd forgotten about Wimpys. Frothy coffee and an 'American' burger! Boy, were we sophisticated in the 70's!!!

 

Simon

[Amlee]

Small world. I was living in London when that McDonald's opened and made the pilgrimage via train. Turned out to be a pricey lunch, but it sure beat the burgers at Wimpy's. ;)

 

Now that's some nasty food!!! :eek:

 

I'd forgotten about Wimpys. Frothy coffee and an 'American' burger! Boy, were we sophisticated in the 70's!!!

 

Simon

 

 

I did a bus tour of Ireland last year. We stopped at a Wimpy's for lunch. I spotted a Irish pub across the road. Out of 12 people, only 3 of us went to the pub. The rest couldn't wait to get a burger. Sorry, but I know fast food, and that stuff was gross looking!!

[sustyse]

I did a bus tour of Ireland last year. We stopped at Wimpy's for lunch. I spotted a Irish pub across the road. Out of 12 people, only 3 of us went to the pub. The rest couldn't wait to get a burger. Sorry, but I know fast food, and that stuff was gross looking!!

 

 

Didn't know they still had Wimpys in Ireland. Out of curiosity, just wondering what part of Ireland were you in when you went there?

 

Had a look at some of your photos, loved the ones of the Ring of Kerry, I am from Kerry originally.:)

[Amlee]

Didn't know they still had Wimpys in Ireland. Out of curiosity, just wondering what part of Ireland were you in when you went there?

 

Had a look at some of your photos, loved the ones of the Ring of Kerry, I am from Kerry originally.:)

 

 

Most likely I wouldn't have remembered it, but I first thought it was a Wendy's and then I read it again. I wasn't impressed as I didn't come to Ireland to eat fast food.

 

We had left Cork and was on our way to Dublin. It was a little truck stop place on the left side of the road. But we weren't on the big highway yet. It was a 2 lane road.

 

Glad you like the pictures. I won't be getting back that way this year. I decided to do the Med this year. Maybe next year. I would love to spend about a month and do all of Ireland and Britain.

[floridatexan]

my wife always finds Mcd's in europe to meet her daily ice quota.:)

[SaylorGirl]

I am not a McDonalds lover nor do I ever go to McDonalds that said there have been times in Europe late at night wanting a clean restroom and craving french fries that we have stopped in. Sometimes after being in Europe for a month it is a reminder of home.