I was curious if any of the more senior posters here ever tasted a McDonald’s hamburger back when the chain was in its roaring heydays, the 1950s and 60s (I know that’s not when it was founded but hey), and if so, how does it compare with the current burgers? Were they once actually good and then quality was sacrificed for global domination, or has the company always had that tacky, cheap association?
Just a curious chap, me 
Yeah, I did, here. They were good. A burger and a shake were < $1.00 . Not the evil empire they are 2-day.
Pretty much the same crap.
The classic burger was (is?): Toasted bun, one small patty, one squirt each of mustard and ketchup, two dill pickle slices. Dried onions and salt were sprinkled on the burger during frying. The patty tended to be a bit dry, chewy and flavorless.
I had a McD basic burger 3 weeks ago. Not sure of its official name. It was just as bland as the old ones. Gave me gas that lasted all night.
McD’s never got the hang of making good burgers. The original fries and shakes were good though.
A lot less than a dollar. 45 cents for burger, shake & fries.
Exactly. But, to an eleven year old kid, it was good. Looking back, it was just like today’s quality.
When I first had a Swanson’s tv dinner, it was novel. I was a kid and thought it nice.
And the quality of that dinner was much below what you get in a frozen meal today.
Had plenty of those. I don’t recall any significant difference between the basic burger now and then except the price.
I worked in one in the late 50s. The standard, and only, burger cost $0.15. As some above said, one thin paddy, a squirt of red stuff, a squirt of yellow stuff and a couple pickle slices on grilled bun. The rest of the menu was fries, milk shakes and pop.
As a highschooler, they were too small, so we ended up getting 2 or 3 plus 2 fries each. The doubles and super-sizers came along just in time.
I ate my fair share of McDonald’s hamburgers in the 60’s and I don’t remember then looking or tasting very different to what you can get today. Of course the choices were much more limited back then, they were a lot cheaper, and they used a different oil to fry things than they use today.
Can you think of anything else sold that hasn’t really changed in 60 years except price?
I was around back then, but must have been the only kid to refuse to patronize McDonald’s. They were responsible for the demise of mom & pop burger places in my home town that I remember fondly. Even as a young adult, when I ate fast food burgers, I refused to eat at McDonald’s. I don’t think I tried one until I was in my 30s.
What was your initial impression?
Burgers haven’t changed much, near as I can tell. The fries are not nearly as good now as they were to my 8 year old palate. And they have changed the recipe, so that may even be true. The shakes were awesome, although to go back to your “tacky, cheap” question, there was a rumor amongst us kids that they made them out of fiberglass. So even back then, McD’s didn’t have the most sterling of reputations.
Total $0.45
How much do they cost now? Over here a basic burger costs £135 (say - $2.25). Oh - they are probably even worse here.
When McDonald’s burgers were 15 cents, Mom & Pop places were 30 cents, and you had to wait for them to grill 'em. 30 cents doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was significant when you could buy a gallon of gas for less. And why would a kid want to wait for the slow fry cook if McDonald’s had them ready for you?
McDonald’s had a better idea, and it showed in their expansion and profits.
I don’t think the burgers have changed significantly.
The fries are now longer fried in Beef tallow, and they suffer for it.
The shakes used to be awesome - real ice cream and everything! Now they just taste like the same prepackaged shake stuff all the chains use.
We had a classic MacDonald’s nearby – white finish, real golden arches, and all. The only seating was a couple of hard metal discs, almost an afterthought – you were expected to take the stuff back and eat it in your car. I recall the burgers being pretty good, and not different from today’s. They served those shoestring fries, sodas, and shakes. Not much else – one of the strengths of MacDonald’s in the old days was a simple but consistent menu, with fries made in dedicated oil.
In the 1970s, sadly, they tore it down and replaced it with a bigger, “modern” MacDonald’s, with indoor seating and a brick facing and no arches. It lost a lot of grace and soul.
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Since this is food related and asks for opinions on taste, it is better suited to Cafe Society.
Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society.
Seeing as how I was raised in San Bernardino, yes. At the original stand at 14th and E.
Nothing tacky/cheap about the place. They serve a good, known product fast and consistently. My big bitch is that the Quarter Pounder doesn’t default to plain rather than w/cheese.
I was 11 when I had my first one, and I would pretty much eat anything. I hated it. I love a good burger and always have. That thing was not a good burger.