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Original poster

What the hell happened to McDonald’s ?

217 replies

Painrelief · 12/07/2025 00:12

Last night on the way home we popped into a Maccies drive thru . I haven’t been for months due to the Monday app deals being rubbish anyway the food was disgusting . The worst I’ve ever had from a McDonald’s , The filet o fish had blatantly been recooked as the fish had fries attached to the chewy as a boot batter and the cheese burger was from dinner time I think judging by how stale it was . My mate said hers the night before from her local one had been warmed up aswell …

But seriously the prices ?!! How can they justify it ! £2.19 for a mayo chicken or a cheese burger now (used to be 99p!) and the arch meal starts from £10.99 !!!
even the slush I had from a different maccies earlier in the day was just liquid and £3.19 !

McDonalds used to be a cheap and quick treat . How have the prices gone up so much and so quickly !!!

Do you still go to McDonald’s ? Has the standards dropped or something because I’ve never experienced such awful food .

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Bertiebiscuit · 05/02/2026 16:19

And lots of veggie and vegan options in Wetherspoons plus comfortable chairs , real knives and forks, and nice clean toilets. I'm always a bit puzzled by adults who like Macdonalds, i will eat a "filet" of fish if there is literally nowhere better and I'm starving, maybe twice in a decade, but even then i can't eat inside, their "restaurants" are so horrible and uncomfortable.

Lopteluga · 23/01/2026 22:53

I don’t think the quality has declined, it is what it is. However, I agree about the prices - they’re completely nuts.

JohnTheRevelator · 23/01/2026 22:49

floppybit · 12/07/2025 00:21

Milkshake machine is never working either

It is working. They've just cleaned it and can't be arsed to have to clean it again so they just tell people it's out of order.

Lollapalo · 14/07/2025 14:40

Poonu · 12/07/2025 16:11

Do your research friend.
Or watch Morgan Spurlocks documentary
You wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

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Morgan Spurlock was an alcoholic fraud.

Sundaymorningcalla · 14/07/2025 10:55

PIayer456 · 13/07/2025 14:24

Do people really think a cheeseburger should be 99p? Do you not seriously look at a 99p piece of meat (plus bread etc) and ask what’s in it that it can be sold that cheaply?

It's sold at a loss because not many folk go in and just order a cheeseburger, most will get a drink too, where the profit margin is huge.

FixTheBone · 13/07/2025 15:42

wheresmymojo · 12/07/2025 00:34

I don’t think it’s gone up that much….I had 2 cheeseburgers, fries and a milkshake for about £6 in London the other day.

For £2.19 I expect you were looking at either a double cheeseburger or a quarter pounder. The ‘normal’ cheeseburger that was 99p is now about £1.10-£1.20

Hamburger £1.29
Cheeseburger £1. 49

Nugget meal with a milkshake was £7.19 today.

Ours is a cheap branch, some are more expensive. Check the reddit threads.

cheesycheesy · 13/07/2025 15:30

No one wants warm, soggy chicken sandwiches on a road trip.

Stardust127 · 13/07/2025 15:27

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 15:24

Quite. And the thing is... it's easy with the first child but with subsequent DC you can't really take them out with their older siblings and pull out a cous cous salad while OS are enjoying fries and ice cream.

Toddlers aren't dense. They know when they're being had and they know that the older ones know which stuff is the "good stuff" 😂.

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Oh yeah, he definitely knows 😂 the way he peers at and into the bags when they get delivered is funny. He loves a little McDonald’s treat.

An absolute savior when you’re feeling weak and mowed down from early pregnancy 😅

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 15:24

Stardust127 · 13/07/2025 15:18

I find it hilarious when strangers think they can tell other people what to do 😂 I don’t need to, nor will I , justify myself here. Can just imagine the gasp on your face (and perhaps others’) when you read my comment and it genuinely amuses me how worked you are about this.

Edited
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Quite. And the thing is... it's easy with the first child but with subsequent DC you can't really take them out with their older siblings and pull out a cous cous salad while OS are enjoying fries and ice cream.

Toddlers aren't dense. They know when they're being had and they know that the older ones know which stuff is the "good stuff" 😂.

Stardust127 · 13/07/2025 15:18

anterenea · 13/07/2025 03:40

Alternatively stop ordering rubbish food and takeaways, particulalrly for,your baby/toddler, that's insane

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I find it hilarious when strangers think they can tell other people what to do 😂 I don’t need to, nor will I , justify myself here. Can just imagine the gasp on your face (and perhaps others’) when you read my comment and it genuinely amuses me how worked you are about this.

PIayer456 · 13/07/2025 14:24

Do people really think a cheeseburger should be 99p? Do you not seriously look at a 99p piece of meat (plus bread etc) and ask what’s in it that it can be sold that cheaply?

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 12:43

Thisismetooaswell · 13/07/2025 10:33

No but you can pack a picnic beforehand

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I've packed the bags, packed the car, got the kids ready, got everything sorted, arranged for someone to water the plants and feed the cats, arranged to have a shop delivered to the grandparents for while we're staying, got everyone breakfasted and into the car at a decent time for leaving...

I will not accept the label of "failed parent" because my kids are happily shoving a few fish fingers and fries into their mouths rather than turning their little noses up at the limp chicken sandwiches and bruised fruit which are all I've managed to chuck into a lunch box before we've left 😂.

We'd still have to stop for food and we'd reach our destination with a lot of mouldy food to chunk away and a lot of washing out of lunchboxes for the grandparents to do. Probably deposited on the car floor and rubbed into the seats as well.

vjg13 · 13/07/2025 12:18

minnienono · 12/07/2025 07:07

@Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice

my dd got 2 uniforms and one apron provided free when she started, she did have to buy safety shoes but they were given a link to a catering specialist that was cheap and you got 25% off on top with free delivery for being an employee. She got free food for each 6 hours she worked (so 2 meals for 8 hour shift) and they could have whatever they wanted even breakfast stuff out of hours, being veggie they would knock her up an egg for lunch. Pay was above minimum and higher than some other branches too, the franchise owner was quite hands on and pretty nice. Lots of perks including a discount card valid in many other businesses.

as a job for a youngster it was actually good, taught so many skills about the workplace and crucially they were fairly treated whereas independent hospitality can be like the wildwest for youngsters. They offered her an advanced apprenticeship including university funding but she turned it down (I know privileged kid didn’t realise she wouldn’t have had debt!)

McDonald’s paid more than minimum wage when my daughter worked there. Uniform was free apart from shoes. It was an excellent job for a 16 year old and her experience there is always commented on during interviews.

Caspianberg · 13/07/2025 10:44

@Thisismetooaswell - we do picnic 90% times. But the other 10 it’s not convenient due to work schedule/ return trip form hotel with no facilities/ overtime stop with no fridge so picnic fine day one but not day 2 etc..

We often stop at bakery or similar. But if a mac Donald’s is on route with fast car charger, clean toilets and a play area for Ds at stop then it’s handy and a change. It’s fine for a few times a year travel.

Thisismetooaswell · 13/07/2025 10:33

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 07:44

There's a place and a time for food like this. I can't cook 3 organic chickens in a car on the motorway during a 6 hour drive to the grandparents.

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No but you can pack a picnic beforehand

babasaclover · 13/07/2025 09:17

Badbadbunny · 13/07/2025 07:42

That’s life! Everyone does it, ie shops, cafes, pubs, even hairdressers- when costs are very different between locations, I.e.rents etc, and customer demographics are very different, you can’t have fixed prices across the entire country.

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I understand individual cafes and one off hairdressers but not a big chain like McDonald’s.

Badbadbunny · 13/07/2025 07:46

happinessischocolate · 12/07/2025 11:50

Yeah it’s not broken, they just don’t want to clean it apparently - or dont have time to

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Milkshakes and ice creams are first to be abandoned when there are staff shortages as they are the most time consuming, not in terms of cleaning as such but also the making.

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 07:44

AnOlderGranny · 13/07/2025 07:21

I cannot believe anyone would feed a baby with a takeaway from McD.
But then I can't believe anyone eats this crap anyway.
Ultra processed white bread, fatty meat, etc etc.

You're going to say this is typical MN comment but I'd use £42 to buy 3 organic chickens and get proper meals from them.

Show quote history

There's a place and a time for food like this. I can't cook 3 organic chickens in a car on the motorway during a 6 hour drive to the grandparents.

Badbadbunny · 13/07/2025 07:42

babasaclover · 12/07/2025 14:15

This is news to me, actually it’s so bad. Putting prices up in a more affluent area blatantly ripping people off cause they can?!? It’s not like they’ll be paying their staff more. Greed to the extreme

Show quote history

That’s life! Everyone does it, ie shops, cafes, pubs, even hairdressers- when costs are very different between locations, I.e.rents etc, and customer demographics are very different, you can’t have fixed prices across the entire country.

Badbadbunny · 13/07/2025 07:38

Sleepybear1234 · 12/07/2025 09:41

Our local maccies is awful now due to the sheer volume of uber eats and deliveroo orders any one who actually orders in the restaurant part or drive through has to wait ages and the food is always badly cooked soggy chips etc x

Yup, we have the same, so go rarely now. The deliveries get the priority and fresher food etc.

HerNeighbourTotoro · 13/07/2025 07:31

AnOlderGranny · 13/07/2025 07:21

I cannot believe anyone would feed a baby with a takeaway from McD.
But then I can't believe anyone eats this crap anyway.
Ultra processed white bread, fatty meat, etc etc.

You're going to say this is typical MN comment but I'd use £42 to buy 3 organic chickens and get proper meals from them.

Show quote history

There is a gold medal for first place in this morning's race on a high horse.

🏅

PreciousMomentsHun · 13/07/2025 07:29

Oh god, fancy feeding kid's food to children, consider me pearls fucking clutched

AnOlderGranny · 13/07/2025 07:21

anterenea · 13/07/2025 03:40

Alternatively stop ordering rubbish food and takeaways, particulalrly for,your baby/toddler, that's insane

Show quote history

I cannot believe anyone would feed a baby with a takeaway from McD.
But then I can't believe anyone eats this crap anyway.
Ultra processed white bread, fatty meat, etc etc.

You're going to say this is typical MN comment but I'd use £42 to buy 3 organic chickens and get proper meals from them.

anterenea · 13/07/2025 03:40

Stardust127 · 12/07/2025 10:07

It’s crazy, I ordered McDonald’s for my family of 4 the other night (2 adults, one preteen who eats like an adult and a baby who eats a happy meal)

3 main meals, one side, one McFlurry, a happy meal. £42 incl delivery. Couldn’t believe it.

for comparison we got a Chinese takeout last night from one of the best local takeouts and it was £36 for us all (with a 40% discount on just eat ) but regardless of the discount, that’s how much we paid. And got so much more food.

Alternatively stop ordering rubbish food and takeaways, particulalrly for,your baby/toddler, that's insane

cheesycheesy · 13/07/2025 01:35

PassOnThat · 13/07/2025 01:20

A Happy Meal costs roughly the same as a cappuccino from Starbucks so no, I don't think it's bad value. I find their food bland but my kids will eat it and tbh the ingredients really aren't that bad. It's definitely our motorway service station meal of choice for the kids over Burger King (tastes much saltier and more expensive), noodles (which they won't eat) and overpriced limp sandwiches (which will be nibbled and rejected). We go for the fish fingers or chicken nuggets for the kids and then they have the milk or water to drink.

Yeah I don’t get the hype with Burger King. It’s no better for you and it’s much more expensive.