McDonald’s

couple of weeks ago I gave Burger King a shot for breakfast and was so wildly disappointed that I will never have BK breakfast again. Since there was no Wendy’s nearby, my wife and I decided to give McDonald’s a shot for lunch on a recent trip to the area. The in-​laws were preparing a delicious New Year’s Day dinner, and forgot all about lunch. So instead of scavenging through their fridge, we decided to just get some fast food.
Food: The food was exactly what was expected. The fries were cooked recently enough to be adequate, the chicken nuggets tasted like McDonald’s nuggets, and the soft drinks were soft drinks. Nothing exciting to report on this front.
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: This is the shining star moment. We decided to dine-​in, and the transaction progressed as one would assume it would all the way until we went to the drink machine. After filling up my cup, I noticed the lady on the other side of the counter giving my 4 year old a Happy Meal toy — completely unprompted, and we did not order a Happy Meal. My daughter and I usually split a regular meal. What a great way to start the New Year … a very simple act of kindness.
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Atmosphere: I am not particularly a fan of McDonald’s. It is never all that comfortable, it is always a little chilly, and the cleanliness is always suspect. Every McDonald’s I have ever been in matches the aforementioned criteria. Not sure if that is on purpose, or just bad luck (the 500 times I’ve been to a McDonald’s in my life). Regardless though, this McDonald’s was in-​line with all of the others.
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅
Price: When you buy fast food, you are not buying value as much as you are buying convenience. I don’t feel as if the price of meals at fast food spots is equal to the quality that you get. This is almost across the board though. The only place this has ever been an exception though, is at Wendy’s. I feel as if I am always fairly compensated for the money I spend at Wendy’s. McDonald’s? Not so much…
Price: ²⁄₅
Final Thoughts: I really hate spending my money on fast food; but sometimes the situation necessitates it. This was one of those situations. I will always remember the kind McDonald’s worker who brightened-​up my daughter’s day with an unprompted act of kindness. Great way to start out the new year.

Overall the friendliness of this place outweighs other McDonald’s in the area. This store in particular can be busy during different hours of the day, but most of the time the staff manages to solve the problem of long waits pretty smoothly. The interactions I’ve had with the managers have been pleasant and not at all frustrating. I’d rate this McDonald’s higher than some of the others I’ve been to, but I’m sure they too have their days.

Did not listen to my own review, (12/​16/​2011) gave in to a lack of time and a temptation for FAT. $ 1 sweet tea was not terrible, southern style chicken sandwich was fair, not fatal.