# Was there ever a time when McDonald's food was markedly better? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 7, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843 "2023-03-07T18:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/121 "2023-03-09T20:46:16Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > … almost as well as a couple of the “tacos” they sell at Jack In the Box. Those things are an abomination. A greasy, yet somehow tasty abomination. They are so wrong and yet so delicious. If I am getting a meal at Jack in the Box, I always include 2 tacos. So delicious and pretty cheap. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/122 "2023-03-09T21:14:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Speaking of tweaks for religious reasons: I’ve never been to Israel - do they have McDonald’s there, and if so do they even offer burgers with cheese? McDonald’s exists in Israel. Most of the branches are not kosher, and serve cheeseburgers. To help consumers know the difference, the branches which are kosher display their name on a sign with a different color pattern—using blue instead of the standard red background. [![](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver5/crop_images/2020/03/23/Hy3oesIL8/Hy3oesIL8_0_0_1280_960_x-large.jpg) ](https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver5/crop_images/2020/03/23/Hy3oesIL8/Hy3oesIL8_0_0_1280_960_x-large.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/123 "2023-03-09T21:17:27Z")
Nice! Thank you for the information. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/124 "2023-03-09T21:41:41Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > … almost as well as a couple of the “tacos” they sell at Jack In the Box. Yeah, I had a boyfriend who swore by Jack in the Box tacos for his munchies fix. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/125 "2023-03-09T23:56:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > In the New York market mustard is not a standard condiment on McD’s burgers. The alleged reason is that New Yorkers only use mustard for hot dogs. Wait, so in other cities you _do_ get mustard on a McDonald’s burger!? That’s so weird. Mustard on burgers. I thought I’d only seen that in England. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/126 "2023-03-09T23:59:26Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Wait, so in other cities you _do_ get mustard on a McDonald’s burger!? I thought that was only a British thing! Yeah, normal ingredients on the basic McDonalds cheeseburger is ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/127 "2023-03-09T23:59:46Z")
Mustard and ketchup is standard for US McDonalds regular hamburgers. That’s where the colors for their signage and branding originated. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/128 "2023-03-10T00:01:59Z")
😮 The yellow/red makes sense but I never thought about that. Wow I had no idea. I’ve lived my whole life in the NY area and that sounds so strange. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/129 "2023-03-10T00:04:00Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I’ve lived my whole life in the NY area and that sounds so strange. Yeah, this is the first I’ve heard that NY McD’s hamburgers _don’t_ come with mustard. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/130 "2023-03-10T00:04:31Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Yeah, this is the first I’ve heard that NY McD’s hamburgers _don’t_ come with mustard. Same here. I learned something today! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/131 "2023-03-10T00:57:05Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Mustard and ketchup is standard for US McDonalds regular hamburgers. That’s where the colors for their signage and branding originated. For real? I thought it was because they were easiest to see in the dark/in the rain/from a distance. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/132 "2023-03-10T01:01:06Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > > > I’ve lived my whole life in the NY area and that sounds so strange. > > Yeah, this is the first I’ve heard that NY McD’s hamburgers _don’t_ come with mustard. Ditto. So, maybe if I’d grown up in NY, i wouldn’t have refused to eat McDonald’s as a kid. I’m pretty sure the major issue was the mustard. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/133 "2023-03-10T01:02:55Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There may be other regional differences. Those are minor differences though. When I eat McDonald’s food it’s because of the convenience and the consistency. For the record, at least as of 10ish years ago (last time I ate at a McD I think), all the Albuquerque and Las Cruces (NM) McDonald’s offered green chile for cheeseburgers. Probably because they’d loose a few too many customers without. So I can confirm that as a regional variation. 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 10, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/134 "2023-03-10T01:27:38Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Mustard and ketchup is standard for US McDonalds regular hamburgers. That’s where the colors for their signage and branding originated. I don’t know exactly how those colors were chosen, however the consensus of the internet doesn’t agree with you. [So this is why the McDonald’s sign is red and yellow](https://www.her.ie/food/mcdonalds-sign-red-yellow-364359) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/135 "2023-03-10T01:50:34Z")
McDonald’s colors have always been red and yellow. Did they know about the psychological effects of those colors back then? Or did it just look striking? Clearly, red/yellow/orange have become the go to burder joint colors though: MCDONALDS: Red and yellow BURGER KING: Red and orange-yellow WENDY’S: Red IN 'N OUT: Red and yellow WHITE CASTLE: Yellow and blue JACK IN THE BOX: Red HARVEY’S: Orange and blue FIVE GUYS: Red SONIC: Red and baby blue HARDEE’S: Yellow and red A&W: Orange and brown WHATABURGER: Orange CARL’S JR: Orange and red I’m sure I’m forgetting some but it’s like everyone copied McDonald’s to some extent, except White Castle, who are older. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/136 "2023-03-10T02:15:16Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > A place near us makes their roast beef sandwiches on pretzel rolls. Awesome! Wendy’s usually offers a pretzel bun. I just checked Door dash and my local Wendys offers a cheeseburger and a chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun. I tried one a few years ago. It was good. I normally go to Rallys for burgers. I like the seasoning. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/137 "2023-03-10T12:51:23Z")
You forgot the grand-daddy of colorful restaurants, the late lamented Howard Johnson’s with their iconic orange roof. I’m sure by the 50s they were aware of the associations of colors with human feelings, maybe so even back in1925 when HoJos started. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/138 "2023-03-10T16:35:02Z")
I haven’t noticed any difference in the taste or quality of McDonald’s over the last, say, 30 years. Like others have noted, I think quality is ‘different’ (usually better in my experience) in other countries. I legitimately enjoyed a McDonald’s meal when we were in Singapore… Other fast food joints have become much worse over time IMO (think Taco Bell) ---
**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:** [March 10, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/139 "2023-03-10T17:13:08Z")
I first had a McDonald’s hamburger the winter of 1960–61, IIRC. That’s when they opened in Minneapolis, and it was a big deal. So far as I can tell, the burgers taste the same now as they did then. I was a graduate student in Moscow when they opened there in January 1990. Everything was basically the same. To ensure quality, McDonald’s Canada opened their own farming operations in the area. The only thing that was noticeably different was the cheese, which had to be imported from Germany. It tasted like the “Government Cheese” made available in the US back in the '80s. Most notably, coffee was not on the menu. It wouldn’t be until they opened their second restaurant on the Arbat in February 1994, and I believe it came from Jacobs in Austria. I last ate at a Moscow McDonald’s about 18 months ago, and it was fine. The operation they have now is called “Tasty, period!” and it’s crap, from what I’ve heard. I too miss the beef tallow French fries. It used to be you could tell a sack of McDonald’s food immediately by the way the grease smelled. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843/140 "2023-03-10T18:47:08Z")
I got mustard once in a McDonald’s in Queens - they changed back to no mustard pretty quickly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-ever-a-time-when-mcdonalds-food-was-markedly-better/980843.md?page=8)