Reminisce with me about McDonald’s

I saw a post regarding apple pies and turnovers and I immediately thought of the McDonald’s of my youth.

Anyone remember their apple pie?
For those that are too young, let me tell you!

Back in the day McDonald’s apple pies were the absolute BEST.
They were filled with real apples, then they had a pie crust that was DEEP Fried in lard or tallow.
I’m not sure what it was but it made the crust super crispy, almost like an egg roll shell and it had tons of bubble and the inside
Was hot as lava. It was seasoned with cinnamon and was quite possibly one of the most delicious little treats one could have.
You would crunch into that delicious pie shell, and then burn your mouth on the filing every single time. When I say every single time, I mean once every six months because that is about how often parents let their kids eat fast food back then!

Of course they had to change it to be “healthy”or some other nonsense!
The last apple pie I got from there was absolutely disgusting, it was a pale mushy crust with something that resembled apple pie on the inside. Don’t know if it has changed since then.

I told my kids that McDonalds, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut used to actually be really good. They don’t believe me.
Taco Bell used to sell real fajitas with actual steak! Remember when pizza hut had those little checkered table cloths and real candles in that little red votive. Us kids thought it was so romantic!

Yes, the lard came in large 5 gallon tubes at the time. They were much larger then todays crap and the apples were crip also.
The crust back then was crispy. Todays crust is crispy but has a weird oily taste to it. If you order one, have them cook it fresh, you don't want one that is heated for 7 minutes or longer. Horrible. Like eating bacon fat.

originally posted by: musicismagic
Yes, the lard came in large 5 gallon tubes at the time. They were much larger then todays crap and the apples were crip also.
The crust back then was crispy. Todays crust is crispy but has a weird oily taste to it. If you order one, have them cook it fresh, you don't want one that is heated for 7 minutes or longer. Horrible. Like eating bacon fat.

I don’t do Mcdonalds anymore. Starting a few years back, a little before covid I just can’t get past the taste.
(Im a super smeller/taster)
I had the hash brown in the breakfast and it tasted like 100% chemicals to me. The burgers….oh my goodness, is that even meat anymore? I just can’t. Don’t even start me on the “chicken” nuggets.

During the plandemic, I couldn't sit home so I managed a McDonald's.

The pies come frozen and are put in a blast oven for 12 minutes. After that, they end up sitting on the counter in the kitchen until they are boxed and sold.

The sitting out is not supposed to happen, but every one I have been in, that is what happens. I worked in 8 different locations. I spoke to the owners about it. They said they didn't care.

I will never step foot in a McDonald's again, even to use the bathroom.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I notice the taste big time in almost all fast/processed foods. I tried some KFC bites a family member brought over a few weeks ago and there was something "not right" about them. Then I tried some of KFC's mashed potatoes, which were good at first, then the after taste hit. Blergh.
I don't eat that stuff but I figured I'd try it (curiosity eh). Apparently my taste buds are not conditioned to the weird stuff, so I notice it more than those who eat it all the time.
Haven't had McD's in a while, either. I'm a little squeamish about fast food. I remember as a kid though, when we got McD's it was a treat, it was actually decent food back then. Healthy? No. But it was good.

The LAST time I ate there I took a bite, then pulled a 3 ft long hair out of my mouth like slurping up spaghetti, but in reverse.

Bah da bop bop dop
Not "lovin' it!"

originally posted by: Mandroid7
The LAST time I ate there I took a bite, then pulled a 3 ft long hair out of my mouth like slurping up spaghetti, but in reverse.

Bah da bop bop dop
Not "lovin' it!"

Sad to say but a 3ft long hair was probably the most natural thing in your meal!

I hate people that one up a story, but I’m going to do it to you.
I found a press on nail in my food one time (not mcdonalds)
My husband found a shard of broken tile in his! (Not mcdonalds)

Do they still have the apple pies? But boy oh boy back in the day they were hot. I remember the little stamped metal ashtrays on some tables... Yes you could smoke in McDonalds. Don't eat much of any of that anymore. We have an older gentleman that comes into our metal fab shop periodically for some trinket or part repaired, he owns some Burger Kings and always leaves a coupon for a free whopper, they float around awhile before being thrown away.

I also remember Ponderosa, having very long picnic like tables, a gun fight mural on the wall and getting your food on a sizzling platter set upon a wooden tray.

originally posted by: franklen
Do they still have the apple pies? But boy oh boy back in the day they were hot. I remember the little stamped metal ashtrays on some tables... Yes you could smoke in McDonalds. Don't eat much of any of that anymore. We have an older gentleman that comes into our metal fab shop periodically for some trinket or part repaired, he owns some Burger Kings and always leaves a coupon for a free whopper, they float around awhile before being thrown away.

I also remember Ponderosa, having very long picnic like tables, a gun fight mural on the wall and getting your food on a sizzling platter set upon a wooden tray.

I had Burger King 26 years ago while visiting relatives. I got the worst of the worst food poisoning.
They say everyone always knows where they get food poisoning from and I sure did.
When I got the burger I told my mom it was soooo dry. I suspect now it had been really old, possibly left out for days.
I was so sick and weak and had to literally lay in the bathtub for a day.
After that I didn’t eat Burger King for years and years and years. Then one of my kids wanted to try it and we went, and I realized not much had changed. I didn’t get sick, but the food was subpar to me.

The first McDonalds in our area opened in 1965. We would grab a bag of 15 cent burgers and head to the drive-in movie theater.

When McD's went 'healthy' and changed their grease they lost the flavor. I can't stand their French fries now; it's like the after-taste you get from artificial sweeteners.

Whatever 'fillers' they began adding to their ground beef really messed with my metabolism; I had to give them up, too.

There's nothing like 'improvements' to ruin a good thing.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It is all horrible now. Although I do crave the french fries now and then. The prices are ridiculous, back in the day Arbys had the 5 for $5, driving up too a buddies house I stopped and picked up $20 worth lol.... now they are lie 2 for $7 or some crap lol.

I used to love the McDonalds steak bagel. It went away for a bit and just came back, I got one before work one morning, what a disappointment.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
The LAST time I ate there I took a bite, then pulled a 3 ft long hair out of my mouth like slurping up spaghetti, but in reverse.

Bah da bop bop dop
Not "lovin' it!"

Delectable! haha

I guess if we're all "reminiscing", who here got irritated when they came out with the bah da bop bop dop jingle? I remember when they first came out with "We Love To See You Smile" and that creeped me out too, but the babadop thing just hit me like nails on a chalkboard haha

originally posted by: nugget1
The first McDonalds in our area opened in 1965. We would grab a bag of 15 cent burgers and head to the drive-in movie theater.

When McD's went 'healthy' and changed their grease they lost the flavor. I can't stand their French fries now; it's like the after-taste you get from artificial sweeteners.

Whatever 'fillers' they began adding to their ground beef really messed with my metabolism; I had to give them up, too.

There's nothing like 'improvements' to ruin a good thing.

McDonald's used to fry their fries in sheep lard. I got this information directly from Love's corporate biography of McDonald's, Behind the Arches.

They did a lot of R&D on potatoes, temperatures and oils and lards to get the perfect fry.

Their R&D program was intense in all areas. They ended up revolutionizing the dairy, beef, potato and bakery industries.

It's too bad they decided to compromise on ingredients. They'd have a better product now if they hadn't gotten greedy.

a reply to: Creep Thumper

It's too bad they decided to compromise on ingredients. They'd have a better product now if they hadn't gotten greedy.

They got greedy and then wanted to compete with Starbucks, just like Dunkin Donuts, or DD now.
Remember when Dunkin Donuts was about selling donuts!

I am so grateful I kicked the fast food habit, I don't think I had McDonald's at all till I was 12 or so.

But as a traveling salesperson driving across the southeast Mcdonald's used to be all a lot of small towns had so yes Id ate there plenty in the 80s through the 2010s.

That said I'm convinced what they cooked in the 80s isn't what they have been cooking since 2000 or so.

For dessert sometimes I'd get an apple pie and a vanilla ice cream and they tasted so good together. The last time I tried that the apple pie looked like it was fried earlier and then microwaved I don't know what they have done to the milkshakes and ice cream but it was disgusting too.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Those were about the only thing worthwhile at McD's.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Creep Thumper

It's too bad they decided to compromise on ingredients. They'd have a better product now if they hadn't gotten greedy.

They got greedy and then wanted to compete with Starbucks, just like Dunkin Donuts, or DD now.
Remember when Dunkin Donuts was about selling donuts!

Now you've got me craving jelly doughnuts. REAL jelly doughnuts!

a reply to: JAGStorm

Haven't been to Mickey D's in years...but those apple pie things used to burn the roof of my mouth.
It was still worth it, though.

a reply to: putnam6

I don't know what they have done to the milkshakes and ice cream but it was disgusting too.

I don’t think it’s dairy. I remember one of my kids getting one and it melting into an oil substance. Gross!

originally posted by: putnam6
I am so grateful I kicked the fast food habit, I don't think I had McDonald's at all till I was 12 or so.

But as a traveling salesperson driving across the southeast Mcdonald's used to be all a lot of small towns had so yes Id ate there plenty in the 80s through the 2010s.

That said I'm convinced what they cooked in the 80s isn't what they have been cooking since 2000 or so.

For dessert sometimes I'd get an apple pie and a vanilla ice cream and they tasted so good together. The last time I tried that the apple pie looked like it was fried earlier and then microwaved I don't know what they have done to the milkshakes and ice cream but it was disgusting too.

Re: the shakes and ice cream, they stepped away from using pure dairy. Now they're using a soft serve concoction that has non-dairy ingredients.