# Has anyone here tasted an original McDonald's Hamburger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2014, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104 "2014-04-27T11:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/41 "2014-04-28T13:51:17Z")
My first McDs was maybe 1964 or so. There was one McDs in our city about 20 minutes away. We made a special trip a few times to get the new bugers everyone was talking about. 15 cent burger. They were super fast because they only had like three products and they were all ready and waiting when you walked up to the window. The burgers were OK. Kind like White Castle taste wise, only bigger. At the time, food like that was not available all the time like it is now, so fast food was a treat. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/42 "2014-04-28T14:25:18Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > In the 60’s, I worked for a McDonald’s competitor. It was called Carrol’s, a serving a second, Hamburgers. > Hamburgers 15 cents > Cheeseburgers 19 cents > Soft Drinks 10/15 cents > Milk shakes 19 cents > Fries 12 cents > > Meat patties were 10/lb. Diced onion was received dry and soaked in water overnight. Funnel-type guns would spray the ketchup/mustard on the toasted bun and one slice of pickle added. You could grill 36 patties/buns at a time. They would wait in a warmer until purchased. Sometimes they would wait for a long time and the bun would be hard and dry. Don’t remember the dry ones ever being thrown out or returned by customers. Special orders were frowned upon. > > Potatoes came in 100 lb sacks. You would put a quarter sack into a round bin, the sides and bottom were coated with a coarse sand. The bottom would spin and with water sprayed it would “peel” the potatoes. Then they were sliced with a wall mounted, hand lever operated device. Rinsed in water, then blanched for a few minutes, stored in their fryer baskets until the final cooking fry. Then bagged and stored under heat lamps > > A small amount of ice milk would be placed in a cup. Whipped for many minutes until it foamed to the top. Stored in a chest freezer awaiting sales. > > There were four customer windows. People would stand in lines outside under a roof. > > Huge parking lot and only one picnic table for those without cars. > > Starting wage was $1.00/hour, The manager would take hourly readings on the cash register. One day there was a parade on the street. We hit an all time high of $164.00/hour. Which is a lot fifteen cent items. The boss was very happy. > > When I started working there I was 13 years old. My friend’s dad was the manager. I memorized the multiples of 10/12/15/19 cents, and would total the orders in my head. The big boss came in from out of town and couldn’t believe it. He stood behind me for an hour trying to find an error. He couldn’t. > > All my co-workers were a lot older. It was quite an experience for a young kid. The boss was fond of saying, “Bend over and I’ll drive you home”. It wasn’t until much later that I understood what he meant. Ah, yes, I well remember Carroll’s. We still have a glass from there. They had stores in New Brunswick, NJ and on Route 18 in East Brunswick NJ, outside the Turnpike Drive In. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/43 "2014-04-28T14:38:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > :eek: > 🙂 nm ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/44 "2014-04-28T14:41:55Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > How much do they cost now? Over here a basic burger costs £135 (say - $2.25). Oh - they are probably even worse here. Think you left out a decimal point there, old chap! 😉 I ate at the McD’s on the Arbat in Moscow yesterday. Filet-O-Fish, Bic Mac Grande, large Cola, kiddie fries and ketchup, McFlurry deLuxe, and a large coffee. Set me back 496 rubles, or about $13.80, US. About what I’d pay in Canada, too. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/45 "2014-04-28T15:24:58Z")
Just for some background, the MacDonalds model was a refreshment stand at an athletic field in Riverside\* CA. The MacDonald brothers started a restaurant after seeing how easily large numbers of people were quickly fed at events there using a limited selection of food. The brothers were already in the restaurant business and saw that they could maximize profits from the assembly line production and simple take out system instead of offering a broader selection of food and carhop service. The assembly line procedure to increase volume was the major breakthrough over the earlier White Castle model which was based on single person prepping, cooking, and packing meals at much smaller outlets. It doesn’t seem to have been entirely unique, but the MacDonalds brothers introduced the new marketing aspects of neon colors and the golden arches to modernize the look of their restaurant. It was Ray Kroc who took over the company and put money into nationwide marketing that turned the chain into the modern giant. - I’m pretty sure it was Riverside, definitely somewhere in San Bernadino Cty. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/46 "2014-04-28T15:49:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > - I’m pretty sure it was Riverside, definitely somewhere in San Bernardino Cty. It can’t be both. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/47 "2014-04-28T15:55:07Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > It can’t be both. [You are correct](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside,_California#History). I was under the impression Riverside was a city in San Bernadino, but apparently it is it’s own county. My best recollection is that I read about the athletic field refreshement stand while staying in Riverside, but it’s been many years and I had stay-overs in many places in Southern California in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/48 "2014-04-28T16:11:05Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Can you think of anything else sold that hasn’t really changed in 60 years except price? Some books. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/49 "2014-04-28T16:20:40Z")
Off topic slightly but the Maharaja Burger sold in Indian branches of McDonalds is not worth buying. And of course it’s no cheaper than the wonderful street food. Their toilets however are very good by Indian standards. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/50 "2014-04-28T16:50:23Z")
Growing up in the 70’s my mom usually bought Wendys. I recall it being better tasting then. Wendys has changed since the 80’s. I rarely buy Wendys anymore. Mom did get breakfast at McDonalds. I think they started the Egg McMuffin when I was in elementary school. It was something new and really good. I still like their breakfast even after 40 years. I don’t really remember much difference in their burgers. I always preferred the 1/4 pounder. I’m pretty sure they had it in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/51 "2014-04-28T18:38:52Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Can you think of anything else sold that hasn’t really changed in 60 years except price? Sex…? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/52 "2014-04-28T18:51:22Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sex…? :dubious: We used to use condoms to prevent life, now we use them to preserve it.😃 Oh, and IME, since the early '70’s the burgers at McD’s were always bland, tasteless little things; but I do miss the old fries. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/53 "2014-04-28T19:02:33Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > In the 60’s, I worked for a McDonald’s competitor. It was called Carrol’s, a serving a second, Hamburgers. I remember Carroll’s! There was one about a mile from my house. It closed right around the time that McDonald’s moved into the region, probably '67 or '68. I have fond memories of Carroll’s burger and shakes. But then, I was about 7 at the time. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/54 "2014-04-28T19:30:53Z")
I got curious and looked this up. Quarter pounder and Egg McMuffin were introduced when I was in elementary school. 1972 seems to be a major transition year for their menu. > **[McMuffin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMuffin)** > > McMuffin is a family of breakfast sandwiches sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. The Egg McMuffin is the signature sandwich, which was invented in 1972 by Herb Peterson to resemble eggs benedict, a traditional American breakfast dish with English muffins, ham, eggs and hollandaise sauce. > In the US and Canada the standard McMuffin consists of a slice of Canadian bacon, a griddle-fried egg, and a slice of American cheese on a toasted and buttered English muffin. The... > **[Quarter Pounder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_Pounder)** > > The Quarter Pounder is a brand of hamburger introduced in 1971 by a Fremont, California franchisee of international fast food chain McDonald's and extended nationwide in 1973. Its name refers to the beef patty having a precooked weight of approximately one quarter of a pound, originally portioned as four ounces (113.4 g) but increased to 4.25 oz (120 g) in 2015. In some countries where the pound is not customarily used as a unit of weight, the hamburger's branding instead features the word Roy... > [@](#): > > The Quarter Pounder is a hamburger product sold by international fast food chain McDonald’s, so named for containing a patty with a precooked weight of a quarter of a pound (113.4 g) that was first introduced in 1972. > [@](#): > > Egg McMuffin is the signature breakfast sandwich; it was invented by the late McDonald’s franchisee Herb Peterson in the late 1960s and was introduced nationwide in 1972. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/55 "2014-04-28T20:05:00Z")
So, what were the McDonald’s burgers called before 1967? It’s Hard to imagine McDonalds without the Big Mac and Quarter pounder. I was too young to remember much before 1967. I vividly remember the Big Mac song. Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun > **[Big Mac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac)** > > The Big Mac is a brand of hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was introduced by a Greater Pittsburgh area franchisee in 1967 and expanded nationwide in 1968, and is widely regarded as the company's flagship product. > The hamburger features a three-slice sesame-seed bun containing two beef patties, one slice of cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, minced onions, and a Thousand Island-type dressing advertised as "special sauce." Seasonal and regional varia... > [@](#): > > The Big Mac (introduced in metro Pittsburgh in 1967 and nationwide in 1968) is a hamburger sold by McDonald’s, an international fast food restaurant chain. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/56 "2014-04-28T20:07:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > So, what were the McDonald’s burgers called before 1967? Hamburgers. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/57 "2014-04-28T21:56:33Z")
The burger options pre-Big Mac were: hamburger, cheeseburger, double hamburger (two patties, the rest the same), and double cheese burger. One size of fries and shakes. 3 sizes for sodas. Fish sandwich. Some stupid orange drink (wasn’t considered a soda) and maybe a fruit punch version. Not sure when the “apple pie” thing came along. People were constantly amazed at the time that McDs didn’t offer a hot dog. It was expected then that if you sold burgers you sold hot dogs. Now it’s taken for granted. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/58 "2014-04-29T05:15:45Z")
Filet-O-Fish must have come out around 1965; they were first offered for churchgoers who abstained from eating meat on Fridays. I remember Burger King came out with their rival Whaler about the same time (I was in fifth grade then), and man, were they good! :o ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/59 "2014-04-29T22:13:33Z")
McDonald’s was good in the 50s and 60s, but probably because my standards were so low back then. Actually, in the 50s, our burger of choice was a Manners Big Boy. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104/60 "2014-04-30T01:36:42Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > In the 60’s, I worked for a McDonald’s competitor. It was called Carrol’s, a serving a second, Hamburgers. > Hamburgers 15 cents > Cheeseburgers 19 cents > Soft Drinks 10/15 cents > Milk shakes 19 cents > Fries 12 cents > > Meat patties were 10/lb. Diced onion was received dry and soaked in water overnight. Funnel-type guns would spray the ketchup/mustard on the toasted bun and one slice of pickle added. You could grill 36 patties/buns at a time. They would wait in a warmer until purchased. Sometimes they would wait for a long time and the bun would be hard and dry. Don’t remember the dry ones ever being thrown out or returned by customers. Special orders were frowned upon. > > Potatoes came in 100 lb sacks. You would put a quarter sack into a round bin, the sides and bottom were coated with a coarse sand. The bottom would spin and with water sprayed it would “peel” the potatoes. Then they were sliced with a wall mounted, hand lever operated device. Rinsed in water, then blanched for a few minutes, stored in their fryer baskets until the final cooking fry. Then bagged and stored under heat lamps > > A small amount of ice milk would be placed in a cup. Whipped for many minutes until it foamed to the top. Stored in a chest freezer awaiting sales. > > There were four customer windows. People would stand in lines outside under a roof. > > Huge parking lot and only one picnic table for those without cars. > > Starting wage was $1.00/hour, The manager would take hourly readings on the cash register. One day there was a parade on the street. We hit an all time high of $164.00/hour. Which is a lot fifteen cent items. The boss was very happy. > > When I started working there I was 13 years old. My friend’s dad was the manager. I memorized the multiples of 10/12/15/19 cents, and would total the orders in my head. The big boss came in from out of town and couldn’t believe it. He stood behind me for an hour trying to find an error. He couldn’t. > > All my co-workers were a lot older. It was quite an experience for a young kid. The boss was fond of saying, “Bend over and I’ll drive you home”. It wasn’t until much later that I understood what he meant. Carrol’s! Our town only had Carrols (3 of them) until McDonald’s finally opened two stores in the early 1970s. Like Coors beer, Big Macs were only a rumour of my childhood. Worked at one Carrol’s for a couple of summers. One of my managers once sold a cold hamburger to Herbert Slotnick, president and owner. Slotnick gave him a list of 100 defects and one week to fix them, stuff like paint drops in the parking lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-tasted-an-original-mcdonalds-hamburger/687104.md?page=4)