Richard R.
Yelp
Generally speaking, I don't waste time writing fast food reviews. What's the point? Employee turnover is high and chains are only as good as their crews. Some crews/management are great, others are not. This ebb and flow can go on not just from store to store, but from shift to shift.
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THE PRELUDE
Fast food chains have evolved into the exact opposite of their original intent. White Castle was the first model of mass production over multiple stores (1921). Their goal: To make a QUALITY experience the exact same for every customer over multiple locations. 34 years later in 1955, McDonald's took that concept and made massive success out of it for several decades up until the 80's.
Anyone like me who grew up in the 70's practically lost their mind when their parents said: "Let's go to McDonald's." In every household I knew, those words lead to thunderous cheers!!! Next to a trip to Disney, your local McDonald's just may have been the happiest place on earth! But this was a different era, when fries were cooked in lard and were the best tasting thing on the planet (to a 5 year old kid). I even think service was better back then because I truly don't remember people getting orders wrong or the food being inconsistent. Then again, I was young.
FAST FORWARD to 2020. McDonald's has tried to recapture its glory days by introducing the made-to-order, alway fresh, never frozen Quarter Pounders. This was designed to juicify the QP and make it something special once again, and for the locations that follow this new system, it works if followed.
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THE EXPERIENCE
My first time trying the revamped QP in April of 2018 had me in love with it all over again... but crews like the one at THIS McDonald's ruined it with bad habits. I've had a number of meals from this location and I've all but given up hope that I will ever have a proper meal. My most recent visit awarded me with three dry & lukewarm Quarter Pounders which are SUPPOSEDLY made to order. To top that off, the buns were a tad hard.
The fries often seem overcooked here (more brown than golden) and the Shamrock Shake was barely frozen. It was more liquid than solid and tasted nothing like the one I remember from my childhood in Chicago.
But that's not the worst of it. We had multiple issues not only this visit, but other visits to which I have tried to be patient and understanding:
1) We waited an unusually long time for our first order, which contained the lukewarm QP's.
2) The young lady mopping the floors behind the counters stopped to bag my fries. Nice gesture because she knew we waited a long time for our first order, but she didn't wash her hand or use gloves going from a mop handle to the fries.
3) I watched as one teenager handled the fries only using one glove, a glove that he put on only AFTER he noticed I was watching.
4) I was there long enough to see them run out of French fries multiple times. The last time the fries ran out, one employee lifted the holding racks where they keep the cooked french fries in containers and swept out old fries from underneath. This gave him just enough to make a single drive-thru order. Really? No telling how old some of those trapped fries were.
5) OFTEN the crew gathers behind the counter talking about whatever teenagers talk about. Not that talking is a problem, but when tables/floors/restrooms could use cleaning and orders are talking a long time to get, one might question why they have so much time to conversate. The evening crews are large, sometimes at least 9+ people are visible... but service is still slow as 5 or 6 of them gather to talk. It's a shame too, because they all seem like great teachable kids, just not properly managed.
I've got other examples from other visits, but I'll stop here.
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THE VERDICT
People mess everything up! It's the same old story at most every fast food chain with the exception of Chick-Fil-A. You just never know if your food is going to be like it should be or some other version that shows a massive lack of customer care. Why can't I just get what I paid for? A hot, fresh meal that tastes like it's supposed to taste. Is that really too much to ask for?
NOTE TO CORPORATE: Bring back the 1970's McDonaldland cookies with McDonald characters faces on them, and BEEF LARD for the french fries!!! That might make some of us who remember when McDonald's was good happy campers!
2020 / 5