All going a bit stale? (McDonald's)

Member Name: stickywicket

Product:	McDonald's
Date:	18/05/01 (117 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good parties for kids, restaurants with play areas are an excellent idea

Disadvantages: Gimmicks sell the 'food', those happy meal boxes that are just thrown away.

My first time? I was about 9 or 10, lived in Dorset and had never seen one of these wonderful fast food restaurant places emblazoned with the big yellow arches symbol all over the place. The nearest experience I had ever had was my birthday party at Wimpy, and to my mind nothing could beat the Knicker Bocker Glory they had served up. But a visit to London with my Dad and there I was in a MacDonalds - Wow! I loved it the hamburger and chips (oh alright - French Fries) the thick milkshakes in polystyrene buckets, deep fried apple pie, the smell, the seats grouped together and some guy called Ronald had his picture all over the place. I was in kid heaven, wait til I tell the kids at school, I thought.

About 8 years later living in bedsitland in London, MacDonalds was part of the Friday night 'after the pub' rituals - (and also because the Kentucky Fried Rat story had broken) - and also not a novelty anymore, it was just there, like Sainsburys and Cashpoints, there when you need them. One of my flatmates became an assistant manager, and she revealed a few facts; she implied that the 'French Fries' are actually reconstitued potatoes, (I'm not sure about that one) and that there is a secret recipe for Mac sauce - the yellow cheesy gunge in a Big Mac I believe, also the food timing/queing seems to be somewhat dubious... anyway, she didn't really put me off in anyway.

So here I am 15 years later two children that are growing up with McDonalds as part of their social calender, yes hardly a month goes by without a party invite with the big M involved, or a shopping trip where we may just have to go in because the Happy Meal has the latest Disney movie characters in the wasteful cardboard box presentation. (I really wish they would come up with some alternative packaging for this particular product.) Having said the party set up has it's real advantages, and I highly recommend it for the under 6's. The Thornton Heath restaura
nt has a reasonably sized play area, including ballpits, twisty slides, spaceships and an under 3 area, with plenty of seating - although food and drink are not allowed . This area is available for anyone, with no stipulations about purchasing customers or time limits, there is a height restriction though. If you book a party you have supervised play for around 20 minutes, well organised party games, where everyone gets a prize and a of course a choice of the kids menu. I believe it is around £5 per head, but don't quote me on that.

Now personally, I now find the basic hamburger/cheeseburger they serve a bit limp, no taste, the burger as thick as a wafer and a scraping of onion aswell as too much salt on the 'chips' . My eldest - approaching 7 - is now turning to the quarterponder, and my youngest - at 4 with appetite of an 8 year old - considers a Happy Meal a starter! Burger King seems to have a little more oomph, and Wendy's too. At least there is evidence of lettuce, tomato and onion in their products. However Kentucky, is the value fast food stop for us. Yes I know there is very little fresh salad in the Colnels Bargain Buckets, but a family of four get change from £12 at Kentucky.

The breakfasts however are something that I have had to recreate at home, with the McMuffins definetly being a hot favouite with both of my children, and reasonably priced instore, but better home cooked!

To be honest I think McDonalds is a very successful business, but I'm sure that if you had to rate them on the food alone they come quite far down the list, their gimmicks and advertising sell the pretty pathetic products. They are just lucky they hit the big time first.

Finally although Wimpy is stuck in the 70's, you can't beat that Knicker Bocker Glory!

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