Surprise!!
To be honest, we had debated whether or not we would actually visit any fast food joints on our Quest, but we discussed this (at length) and thought it would actually be hideously unfair of us to completely ignore the world's most famous name in burgers.
Here's a little secret, too. Hungry Hungry Hippo is possibly a little bit in love with McDonald's. Personally, I don't remember the last time I ate a Maccas burger sober. Chicken said she always looks forward to a Maccas burger.
I order the Grand Angus minus onion (I actually asked for it on a sesame seed bun, ala Quarter Pounder as opposed to the silly "wheatgerm" one they serve it on, but they wouldn't make that change) and Chicken and Hungry Hungry Hippo ordered some sort of Family Pack situation, which contained two Big Macs (both for HH Hippo), two cheeseburgers (one for each of them), some nuggets, four small fries and four drinks. The food totaled just under $27, which, considering how much we had, was ridiculously inexpensive.
We open our burgers and, look, let's face it, we all know by now that a Maccas burger doesn't actually look anything like it does in the photo. We just have to accept that. It's all pretty signage and marketing, but it is what it is. Chicken opens her cheeseburger and notes that while it doesn't LOOK super appetizing, she just KNOWS it's going to taste good and she can't wait to eat it. Hungry Hungry Hippo gets nostalgic unwrapping his fifty million burgers - McDonald's has been an integral part of his formative years and he knows it so well already.
Bun 3/10
I thought it was crappy, dry, fluffy bread that could have easily been sitting there for days. Chicken said it was stale and soft, yet it held everything together perfectly and didn't lose any body as the burger went on. Hungry Hungry Hippo said that it was unsubstantial and it was not "real" bread. Not an artisan bun, just a Maccas roll.
Patty 3/10
Mine, being an Angus patty, was the thickest of the lot, but it was dry and a bit gross. It was kinda gristly. Hungry Hungry Hippo said that his was thin and bland, but the patty neither added to nor distracted from the overall flavour of the burger. Chicken said hers was thin and cardboard-like, but it was still yum.
Value 8/10
For me, to get that huge amount of food, plus drinks, for under $10 per person is pretty great value. We were all happy and satisfied and full and everyone enjoyed the meal, so it rated highly in this regard. Chicken said that with McDonald's you never feel ripped off. There are lots of meal deals of which you can take advantage (like we did). Hungry Hungry Hippo said that it tasted amazing, filled him up, and despite knowing that the quality and nutritional value are low, you almost don't care because it's so cheap and it still tastes so good.
Balance & Composition 7/10
Chicken says that the only reason hers lost points was because of the "one stinkin pickle shoved off to the side." I would have to agree with that - both of ours had ONE slice of pickle, and in each it was hanging out the side so it could have easily fallen out!! She said that hers was otherwise exactly as she would expect, just as it always is. Hungry Hungry Hippo said that Bic Macs are always made pretty well. Good sauce, good fillings, but this particular one was assembled crooked, like poorly stacked jenga blocks. It was not put together well, but everything was there that he expected. They're on a winning formula with a Big Mac!
Flavour 7/10
Aside from the funny aftertaste and the lack of pickles, it was a pretty yummy burger. I'd probably fault it on not having any ketchup (which I did end up adding afterwards) and I did wish I'd had a sesame seed bun, but it really was tasty. Chicken said it was just so yum, because the sauce was sweet, the pickle was savoury and the whole thing was flavoursome. It was not of a high quality, but rather a "cheat meal" flavour, but itwas a satisfying flavour. Hungry Hungry Hippo said it was everything you would expect, but just because it's familiar doesn't mean it's amazing. It's an old faithful that's easy to go back to.
Overall 5.6/10
Look, when we set out tonight on our Maccas run, we weren't exactly convinced we would include it in the leaderboard. We were partly conflicted about potentially scoring too objectively and not remaining impartial, but in opposite directions - Hungry Hungry Hippo has a tender soft spot for Maccas, whereas I've only ever considered its rightful place to be as something greasy to absorb a belly full of booze after a night out. However, upon review, it became pretty clear that if you take away its notoriety and terribly unhealthy reputation, looking at the burger on the same criteria as we've used over the previous 11 weeks, it does really hold its own!! There's a reason McDonald's is the world's biggest name in burgers!! It sure beats Chuck Wagon!!
McDonald's can be found almost everywhere in the world.