This past April, members of the Herald had the opportunity to travel to Europe for spring break. It is no secret to anyone that Europeans live different lifestyles than Americans do and this does extend to the food served within the fast food industry. American McDonald’s are different than those in Europe – however how different are they? I made it my mission to find out.

Dublin, Ireland: 4 out of 5 stars

The first McDonald’s stop was Dublin, Ireland. Unlike American McDonald’s, most European ones have not just one floor, but multiple – especially if they are located in the inner areas of the cities. In Dublin, the McDonald’s we stopped at had three floors so finding an empty table to sit in was not a problem. Also, most European McDonalds are more modern and fancier than American ones. They have an air of sophistication that their American counterparts lack. If you walk by too fast, you’ll probably miss them as they do not resemble fast food restaurants at all.

The service is quicker than it is in America, as there are more cashiers. In Dublin there were around ten cashiers ready to serve the clients. Not only were there many cashiers, but there were also workers ready to take away plates when people finished eating and this doesn’t only happen in McDonalds but also in other fast food restaurants across Europe which does not happen in America.

The food, while named after similar McDonald food items found here, does not taste the same. According to Brianne Ramirez ‘17, “The sweet and sour was different. It didn’t taste ‘Americany’”. That is probably because it contains less chemicals and sugar than American food. They also offer different combo meals. Instead of selling a ten piece chicken nugget combo like they do in America and in other part of Europe, in Dublin the highest amount of chicken nuggets for purchase are nine.

Cup sizes are very different in Europe too. Large cups are what Americans consider Medium so buying drinks requires thinking about sizes and prices worth paying for before ordering.

Belfast, Northern Ireland: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The next McDonalds stop was in Belfast. This McDonald’s was located farther away from the inner city and resembled what a typical American McDonald’s restaurant does. Being less modern styled than the one in Dublin and more family and kid friendly, it is open twenty four hours too just like some McDonald’s here. Though unlike in Dublin, there were only two cashiers and they were not used to working with debit cards from foreign countries. Though it did resemble an American McDonalds, the food did not measure up to its expectations and similarity. The food was not salty but it wasn’t sweet either so it almost fell in between the two. Most of the students that went to eat there found it slightly disgusting or not appealing but it all came down to preferences. There no condiments around either. If you wanted something flavorful to put on your food like a sauce, you had to ask and pray they had it or had something similar otherwise you were out of luck.  The chicken seemed ‘real’, as in it didn’t taste like it had too many preserves and chemicals in it. “They have chicken selects!”  Aliya Pinkney ‘17 added, unlike in America where they were discontinued in many restaurants, and the chicken nuggets thankfully didn’t make anyone sick.

The famous McFlurry ice cream flavor and topping combinations were the same as in America but they also offered different options that can only be found in Europe. However, they did not blend the ice cream and toppings very well so it became a mission to do that job before eating it if you wanted a well-blended dessert.

In America, in order to have a chance to win in the Monopoly game McDonald annually hosts, large sized food items must be purchased. However in Europe, the size of the meal does not matter. Everyone wins.

Paris, France: 4.5 out of 5 stars Out of all the McDonalds visited, the one in Paris was the most similar to America’s. It was located in the Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world. Due to its location, it looked like an average food court McDonald’s that can be found at a mall or a bus stop.

The menu is in French so if you don’t know how to speak French, it can be confusing to choose what to eat. There are also no combos so the food all has to be ordered separately. Surprisingly, the food was pretty similar in taste to American McDonalds food. “The McChicken is better. It’s not flabby,” Will Diaz ‘17 commented after ordering his lunch. The food contained enough salt to make it enjoyable and not distasteful unlike in Belfast, and with every order, instead of receiving BBQ or Sweet and Sour sauce, you got Pommes Frites sauce which is a dipping sauce for French fries. In a way, it resembles mayonnaise because of its color and consistency not because of its taste.

Just like in Dublin, there were multiple workers ready to take orders making the serving process quick. Even though it was in Paris and the workers spoke mainly French, they did understand multiple languages so it wasn’t hard to communicate and order. There was also an option to order food even quicker. They had an area in where you could order the food in an electronic machine without having to make the long lines for a cashier to take your order, pay, and then walk to the counter where the food would be waiting for you in a matter of minutes. This service was offered in multiple McDonald’s across Paris and it came in handy for a lot of students who preferred to not order verbally.

So yes, European McDonalds are different than American ones but they do share similarities. Are they better though? It’s up to the person and what they prefer. McDonald’s was the first place I stopped after arriving back in America. I don’t miss European McDonalds at all. In fact, I wouldn’t trade American McDonald’s for anything in the world, as unhealthy as it sounds.