r/interestingasfuck • u/Charming_History7423 • 11d ago

/r/all McDonald's in the 80s compared to today

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u/Wookie301 11d ago

The burgers tasted better back then too

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u/JorisGeorge 11d ago

Prices were also more Fastfood Chain worthy.

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u/247Brett 11d ago

For real. Paying restaurant prices for stuff that tastes like it was microwaved inside a wet bag. Much rather go to an actual restaurant at that point.

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u/Leading_Study_876 11d ago edited 11d ago

Burger King is often actually worth it though. Here in Scotland anyway.

I always just order the burger and take it home to have with a healthier side option.

This week I've had a peppercorn Angus which was pretty good, and yesterday a Bacon Double Cheese XL which was almost transcendental. Ordered in the drive-thru but had to wait five minutes in the car park, so I guess it was cooked from scratch.

Anyone from Glasgow area reading this - these were both from the Kingsgate Burger King in East Kilbride.

Even after taking it home and reheating it in the oven it was so fresh, tasty and juicy.

Some of my family now live in the states, and when they come home for a visit always go for Burger King (as well as the obvious fish & chips) as they say the burgers in Scotland are way better than those at Burger King in the US. Anyone got their own opinions on this?

McDonald's actual burgers have always been the poorest of all the big chains in my experience.

I quite like their breakfasts though. Good coffee for a burger joint too.

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u/abarthsimpson 11d ago

Fast food in other countries is much better than the US.

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u/Fragholio 11d ago edited 11d ago

It's the lack of corporate regulation in food ingredients and quality. I mean we have some but there's so many compromises that are so clearly for corporate profits that they basically come down to "make sure what you put in there for consumers can't be traced back to you if it shows up in a police report". Every time I hear "new recipe" touted for something I think "what slightly healthy ingredient did they switch out for a cheaper processed one this time?"

And even those dubious rules and guidelines are being sledgehammered away thanks to the current "administration".

Edit: typo

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u/evilmonkey853 11d ago

The difference between US and EU regulations is subtle.

In the US, manufacturers are prohibited from using anything proven to hurt you. So, if there was a study that using bleach in hamburgers was dangerous, you can’t do that.

In the EU, manufacturers are prohibited from using anything that has not been proven to not hurt you. So, if there was no study either way that bleach in hamburgers was dangerous, they can’t use it. But if there was a study that confirmed garlic is okay and safe to eat, then that’s fine.

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u/defjs 11d ago

Most things are better in other countries than the US. Some days I believe the Government is actively trying to kill us

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u/chrisberman410 11d ago

Apple has legit said to other countries "no, no, no, we don't sell YOU guys that stuff. We sell it to the dumbass Americans."

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u/Hoshyro 11d ago

EU forces Apple to not use anti-consumer and unfair techniques so they hate selling on the market.

Skill issue, Apple is terrible anyway.

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u/DetachedRedditor 11d ago

The worst offenders I think are websites blocking access for the EU due to the GDPR. But then wrapping that message in some corporate lies like "we value your privacy..." if you valued privacy truly, the GDPR wouldn't be an issue.

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u/Hoshyro 11d ago

I like to open an incognito page just for those so they don't get anything

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u/Strength-Speed 11d ago edited 11d ago

I kind of wanna give you an award for this. The food that our own country produces and exports is worse here than abroad. Our pharmaceutical products that we make are sold to us for triple what they charge elsewhere. I think they are trying to kill us. Our technology companies have better personal data protections for overseas countries than our own. We are just a piggy bank to be mined and exploited. All you do need to do buy off some legislators and they'll let you do whatever you want.

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u/mrmaestoso 11d ago

Some days I believe the Government corporations are actively trying to kill us

Ftfy

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u/GoodGuyDrew 11d ago

Time the flip the script.

Here we gooooooo!

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u/Entire_Tap_6376 11d ago

It's the lack thereof - you've been lowballed on everything, yet you absolutely refuse to use any tools which could give the little guy a little leverage.

It's absolutely crazy, yet it also appears to be your choice, so who am I to judge.

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u/nonnemat 11d ago

And yet Reddit hates RDK Jr

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u/RespectTheH 11d ago

Because we have brains, not brain worms.

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u/nonnemat 11d ago

Umm, not

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u/RespectTheH 11d ago

Stop eating bear meat pal, it's not doing the mush between your ears any favours. 

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u/SafeOdd1736 11d ago

Probably because those governments make them use actual ingredients like hamburger meat, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce etc for their food instead of processed chemicals like the US allows. Remember Ireland wouldn’t even allow Subway to call their rolls “bread” because subway put way too much sugar in them?

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u/nono3722 11d ago

Cakeway just doesnt have the same ring to it....

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u/devAcc123 11d ago

Ah yes, hamburger meat

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u/SafeOdd1736 11d ago

You wouldn’t think it’s all that important in a hamburger but turns out, it is.

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u/transmogrified 11d ago

A&W in Canada vs the US was like day and night.

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u/JesusDiedforChipotle 11d ago

I don’t care how much better it is in other countries, calling a burger from Burger King “transcendental” is fuckin crazy lol

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u/jollyreaper2112 11d ago

Italian food was amazing but I got a single cheeseburger from McDonald's to test. It was exactly like American versions, serviceable but not exciting. No idea how they slipped up.

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u/lumpboysupreme 11d ago

Burger King is much better than McDonald’s even in the US, besides maybe the fries.

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u/makesagoodpoint 11d ago

Again, this is a bullshit popular delusion.

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u/Manos-32 11d ago

The major chains are awful in the US. you need to go to a place like inn n out at least to get a decent burger.

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u/bythog 11d ago

In the US Burger King is highly dependent on location. Many of them will produce the worst service and burger of your life. Some of them are outstanding and serve delicious meals.

I'm lucky that the I've i live near us a good one. Very busy but the wait is seldom long and the food they put out is great (for fast food).

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u/The_wolf2014 11d ago

Reading this as I sit in the burger king just at Polmadie. I rarely come as it is much more expensive but the food is definitely better than McDonald's, infact it's not even a contest. McDonald's these days is just not great at all.

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u/BasilBernstein 11d ago

From Glasgow which is definitely not East Kilbride lol (EK is made of roundabouts) but agree BK is a cut above

Their coffee is disastrous though - I'd give Tim Hortons the win on that, especially as they'll fill my reusable, but their burgers are made of cardboard unfortunately

Can't beat a fish burger from McDonald's though, and yes their coffee is OK although sometimes you get two thirds of a cup with an aftertaste of matte paint

Five Guys are the overpriced winners for chain burgers imho. They slap any shape of buttcheek

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u/Leading_Study_876 11d ago edited 11d ago

I did say "Glasgow area"... it's only 30 minutes from Sauchiehall street on a good day.

Way quicker than getting to Shawlands - almost always.

It's a shame that BK can't do decent chips though ☹️

You really need to buy a burger from BK and swing by McD's for the fries (and an apple pie) on the way home.

It's a bit like supermarket shopping. Some are great at one thing (Morrisons - fresh butcher meat) but fail elsewhere.

Our typical weekly food shop involves visits to ASDA, M&S, Morrisons & Sainsbury's as a core. Plus occasional excursions to the end of the spectrum at Waitrose or Lidl and Aldi for one obscure reason or another.

Incidentally, ASDA have frozen Wagyu burgers that are bloody great. Don't think they're own-brand. Of course as usual nowadays, they're way too thick. So you have to defrost them and squish them onto the pan or grill like a smash burger. And pour off some fat - obv. But bloody tasty. As loads of freshly ground black pepper, of course.

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u/BasilBernstein 11d ago

I admire your commitment

Best to die on your hill than a South Lanarkshire roundabout

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u/Irn_Bru_Stu 11d ago

Kingsgate Burger King in East Kilbride.

lmfao i used to work there years ago. reddit always surprises me how local it can be at times.

Was the early 00's I worked up there. think its still the same with the big sainsbury's and that. was a nice wee place then.

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u/Leading_Study_876 11d ago

Still one of the best. And the KFC nearby is (usually) really good. Always risky recommending restaurants, I have found.

I used to cringe after recommending a place to someone, then going back only to find it had really gone downhill. And just imagining them sitting there and cussing me.

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u/Irn_Bru_Stu 11d ago

Still one of the best. And the KFC nearby is (usually) really good.

That KFC used to be a big pizza hut on that site, which was amazing back in the day, the buffet at least. I remember going there for birthday parties and stuff. thats another chain thats objectively went downhill. I like KFC too, avoid the one one the queensway though.

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u/HerrBerg 11d ago

I'm pretty positive your fast food is just better than US fast food because the food is just required to be.

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u/Serkuuu 11d ago

Its still trash food lol

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u/Narcissista 10d ago

I have unfortunately never been to Scotland but I do know this: every single fast food joint has gone down so much in quality since I was a kid that I don't even bother anymore.

Burger King used to be my absolute favorite, but there's a seriously substantial difference between the past and the present.

It's not just food either, but I won't get into that here.

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u/nabrok 10d ago

Even in the US I'll take Burger King burgers over McDonald's, but McDonald's does have the better fries.

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u/Itchy_Influence5737 11d ago

Nobody's asking the real questions here: if I go into McDonald's in Glasgow... can I order IRN BRU?

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u/Irn_Bru_Stu 11d ago

Yes, of course. I used to get it in my happy meals so it's definitely been available since at least the 90s

look at my app choices

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u/Cuddols 11d ago edited 11d ago

Yes Irn Bru is pretty much everywhere - it is the number 1 consumed soft drink in Scotland ahead of Coca Cola. It is even in Scottish Jollibee. Only the occasional English/American headquartered fast casual chain restaurants tend not to have it (e.g. Wagamama)

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u/Gwinjey 11d ago

Car park is my favorite perfectly normal American English words used in an explicitly non-American way. Is that the place where you can take your car off its leash and let it run around with other cars? 

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u/willcheat 11d ago

I can guarantee you that's not the case elsewhere in the world. Which is a shame, as older days BK was pretty great :(.

Enjoy your good BK you lucky Scot!

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u/JokerVictor 11d ago edited 11d ago

Been a long time since I lived in the UK, but I remember Burger King being the superior choice there myself. It's quite the opposite here in western Pennsylvania. Burger King serves up bland nondescript burger like substances that taste like dog food, and McDonalds is generally pretty good.

No fast food joint beats the McDonalds in Japan though, those are god-tier.

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u/Leading_Study_876 11d ago

Lived in Singapore for several years. The KFC was something else. So many (really) spicy options. And the food and drink at the Ponderosa restaurant in the Widjojo centre in Jakarta was way better than the same chain back in the US! And much cheaper.

Have a look at the UK Burger King menu:

Main menu

The Bacon Double Cheese XL is my go-to. Sometimes I'll take it home and add sliced tomato and pickle or whatever. But the basic burger is great.

I do miss the Mushroom Double Swiss though. Not been available for years. That mushroom sauce really made it so moist and lovely.

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u/Bulk_Cut 11d ago

Yea parents can’t afford McDonalds as a lunch time treat any more so no love lost.

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u/Highway_Bitter 11d ago

At least here in Sweden many restaurants caught up and are now more expensive :):):):). But like a decent lunch at a pizzeria is about the same price. A decent non-kebab/pizza lunch is probably 10-50% more

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u/Celestial_Surfing 11d ago

Strange. I can get 2 double cheeseburgers (buy one get one $1) and a large fry (any size fry with purchase for $1) for $5. I’m not aware of any restaurant that would match those prices.

Microwaved inside a wet bag. Now that’s undeniable. But any decent quality place is like $15-20 here to compare.

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u/247Brett 11d ago

Probably depends on cost of living of where you are. It’s definitely more than that where I live.

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u/Celestial_Surfing 11d ago

Interesting. I live in DC. Food is generally expensive, but McDonald’s is not. Ends up being my work lunch more often than it should.

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u/Sauerkrauttme 11d ago

Restauant quality burgers are $20 now. Buy a cast iron and you can make restaurants quality burgers at home pretty easy

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u/gordonv 11d ago

microwaved inside a wet bag

Don't know if you were being sarcastic or not. This is literally how Olive Garden prepares a lot of it's sides. It's engineered as "microwave, set, serve." It's identical to how you see Taco Bell employees working at their food stations processing orders.

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u/Dorkamundo 11d ago

I mean, they have their $5 meals which are completely reasonable.

McDouble, 4 piece nugget, small fry, small drink.

Not my favorite choices, but for $5 I'm not complaining.

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u/ExternalSelf1337 11d ago

I say this too, but then I'm still suckered in by the convenience factor. Ready nearly immediately, don't have to get out of the car... I really thought when fast food got to be approximately as expensive as real restaurants that I would be done going to them but I have been surprised by the power of my own laziness.

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u/247Brett 11d ago

If Mickey don’t got me, I know Culver got me.

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u/Low_Average_4125 11d ago

💯💯💯 and the stuff knowingly give us cancer & diseases. I’m happy the prices are up so people stop buying that shit, the people have made that corporation billions for them to only lower the quality & charge more.

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u/Beginning_Cream498 11d ago

Yes McDonalds and all fast food are way over priced, but they are still delicious as fuck. 

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u/GanondalfTheWhite 11d ago

Mcdonalds is actually one I wouldn't even say is delicious.

Their bread is too weird and chewy and spongy now. Doesn't even seem like real bread, feels more like eating a lump of latex foam.

Their fries and nuggets are still tasty. But the weird bread ruins every sandwich for me.

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u/Goldfish-Bowl 11d ago

The nuggets are gross and I love them

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u/[deleted] 11d ago edited 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/GanondalfTheWhite 11d ago

Yeah, McDonalds and White Castle are two that I always regret afterwards.

Burger King is 50/50 regret. Wendys is almost never a regret. 

Taco Bell is something I'm always happy I did.

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u/Goldfish-Bowl 11d ago

I will talk shit about how awful white castle is between every bite as I plow my way through a crave case, and regret my life the entire next day. Then do it again later.

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u/nikolapc 11d ago

Yeah people make your own burgers, freeze them and buy like frozen fries. It's like a 20 min cook time from frozen to ready. For the fries air fryer set it and forget it, for the burger cast iron pan, 20 min is for me cause I have 150 gr or more burgers. Which is about 3rd of a pound or more. They're made by my local butcher and they're prob better than anything you can buy at a burger joint unless it's a $50 joint. Don't make the dried smash burger patties, make a fat one it's always better.

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u/worksafe_Joe 11d ago

Or just don't buy the expensive shit. I get two sandwiches and a coke for less than $7. My go to if I'm only going to have time to eat while on the way to the next spot.

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u/Impastato 11d ago

I hear this sentiment a lot and I don’t understand it, unless you haven’t been to a restaurant in the last 10 years and still think that’s what the prices are.

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u/No-Neat2520 11d ago

? Adjusted for inflation, a burger in 1985 would have been $2.03. Right now that same burger is $2.99. Even with the global pandemic a couple years ago, this is only an increase of .93 cents over 20 years. Nothing crazy. The issue, is your pay hasn't increased like it should have. So even though the prices have barely increased , it's a much larger portion of your pay.

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u/beepbeepbubblegum 11d ago

All these companies are just ripping us off. There was a Taco Bell post about 89 cent beefy 5 layer burrito which according to inflation should be around $2 now but they are selling it for $4.