Why do people eat out at McDonalds?

[gtmtnbiker]

I didn't factor croutons since I make them in large batches. Green beans were fresh. It takes two minutes to cut a large number of them and put them into a dish. I cut them in bunches of five or so. The fresh pasta makes it all very fast, since you don't have to boil the noodles first. It is definitely 15 minutes of prep time. I know because I choose a specific time for the food to be complete and begin preparing at the precise moment needed.

I guess you must be a better prep cook than me.

No, I don't cut beans, 5 at a time. Maybe 2-3 at a time. Sometimes my issue is that I make too elaborate of a meal that takes a lot of prep/cooking. Not too good for a weeknight meal. It comes out very good though.

[Zing]

My mind is geared towards puzzle solving and optimization, so my dinner preparations are usually finely tuned and it drives me crazy if one part of the meal is complete before another. I enjoy the challenge of getting them all complete simultaneously.

The main issue I have with eating out isn't the food quality, or health concerns, it's the fact that I can make better tasting food at home for equal or less money, have it cooked exactly how and when I wish. I love mexican food. I used to eat at Taco Bell daily. After moving to Canada 10 years ago and discovering that Taco Bell is essentially non-existant here (they are crammed into the corner of KFC restaurants; no joke), I moved on to eating at more expensive Mexican locations. Now, I don't even do that because I can make better Mexican dishes at home for half the cost.

And I get to watch TV or a movie while I eat!

[jfrost]

If any of you ever cross the Equator and come to my town, I'll take you to the best fast food chain ever, Laça Burguer. They use actual barbecue meat (not the ones you put BBQ sauce, but our meat cuts that are sauced with nothing but salt) instead of processed meat.

My favorite is Cheese Coração (Cheese Chicken Heart).

[Luke]

No, I don't cut beans, 5 at a time. Maybe 2-3 at a time. \

If I'm cooking fresh green beans for only my wife and I, I take a large handful, even them out, bite off the ends in one chomp, spit 'em out, turn them over and repeat.

I usually cook them in the pressure cooker, but Pepin has a great technique to cook green beans or broccoli. In a small saucepan over high heat add 1 shot of water and a shot of olive oil for each cup of veggies. Bring to a boil, cover, turn of the heat and wait five minutes.

@dsh:

Freshly cut french fries are a thing of beauty. Looks like you could make that sandwich at home (buy a french fry cutter, you'll be addicted to the sound it makes).

I remember in college that Wendy's had a double stack cheese burger for a buck. I'd ask them to add lettuce, tomato and onion, and it was close to getting a pretty damned good burger for $1.

I've heard that people also do something similar with the McDouble. Tell them to nix the ketchip an mustard, and add lettuce and special sauce. The result is a one dollar Big Mac minus the middle bun.

[fastbilly1]

As I understand it, In & Out Burger is all about their unpublished menu where you can get all kinds of crazy toppings. I went there when I was attending my college roommate's wedding and was unimpressed, but I don't like toppings on my burger (just cheese).

You must be getting it mixed up with somewhere else. I'm from California, born and raised. No crazy toppings. Maybe 5 Guys Burgers and Fries? They do that.

He was alluding to this secret menu:
http://badmouth.net/in-n-outs-secret-menu/

I will admit when I went to Hollywood a couple months ago I made sure to make a beeline to an InNOut as soon as we got settled. It is west coast with no thoughts about going east coast. But really it reminded me of Five Guys meets Checkers. It was good, and next time I am over there I am going again, and back to Musso and Franks.

As for McDonalds, it is my favorite fast food other than Waffle House. When traveling, McDonalds are typically open, clean, well lit, and have hot food/coffee. Thats always a plus to me - its the same reason I go to QuikTrip, Racetrac or a Loves for gas. Now some of the chain are going to be worse off than others, but ever since they have gone through the cafe update Ive not found a dirty one. Why do I like Mcdonalds? Well its just like Popo said:

McDonalds is a long running institution. Our grandparents ate their and gave their kids Happy Meals. Now our parents gave us Happy Meals. And now we give our kids Happy Meals. We get raised with it and it holds a special place in our hearts, heakening back to earlier times.

It has been around forever, and when I was a child, growing up with three brothers, we never really ate out. When we did it was a huge treat and it was a local Mexican chain or McDonalds. And because of that I love a simple cheeseburger from McDonalds - Id still love their nuggets if I could get honey with them. Could I make healthier at home for cheaper? Over time yes. But as you all know, that is not always the case.

I eat healthy most days - recently its been 1000-1200 calories and very little of it processed (I use Instant Oatmeal instead of rolled oats since I can cook it in the office easily). But every once and a while I need a grease bullet. Dont get me wrong, I love burgers, even more than steak (even filet mignon), and if I could eat them every day I would be very happy. But I am trying to lose weight right now - want to get down to 160 again, 14lbs to go.

As for the mysteries of what is in the fastfood meat. By FDA ruling, if they say it is USDA Prime Grade A, it has to be. If it is not they are fined a very heavy amount PER infraction. And if it is Grade E meat, that is fine, it just means the animal they killed was older so the meat is more coarse (which matters much less with hamburger meat than steak meat). And the only reason I know this is because I worked in a slaughter house for a while, followed by a short stint as a health inspector.

[StuntDouble]

After being fast food free for about 5 months, I honestly don't know why people still eat at McDonalds. Being cheap and easily available are probably the biggest reasons, because most of the stuff I've had there in the past couple of years has tasted like goat ass. I feel the same way about most fast food places, truthfully. I couldn't eat anything without feeling like I had a brick in my stomach, or like I was going to fall asleep standing up.

[Luke]

Hold up, wait a minute.

I want to put some cheese and chicken heart up in it.

Where can I get one?

[jfrost]

Can't you get chicken hearts at a nearby butcher shop or even at a supermarket?

[Luke]

Can't you get chicken hearts at a nearby butcher shop or even at a supermarket?

When I purchase a whole chicken I cook the liver and heart (toss the kidneys) but have no clue on how to prepare the sandwich.

[Forlorn Drifter]

My mind is geared towards puzzle solving and optimization, so my dinner preparations are usually finely tuned and it drives me crazy if one part of the meal is complete before another. I enjoy the challenge of getting them all complete simultaneously.

The main issue I have with eating out isn't the food quality, or health concerns, it's the fact that I can make better tasting food at home for equal or less money, have it cooked exactly how and when I wish. I love mexican food. I used to eat at Taco Bell daily. After moving to Canada 10 years ago and discovering that Taco Bell is essentially non-existant here (they are crammed into the corner of KFC restaurants; no joke), I moved on to eating at more expensive Mexican locations. Now, I don't even do that because I can make better Mexican dishes at home for half the cost.

And I get to watch TV or a movie while I eat!

... You consider Taco Bell mexican food? Wut.

I'm spoiled from living where I do, but I can get like twenty tacos and a large coke for around $10 at some places around where I live.