Eating fast food can be a bit of a gamble, but you can usually rely on McDonald’s to be tasty no matter where you are or what you’re getting. Yeah, you could make or buy something a lot healthier, but sometimes you just need to grab something quick and easy — and so you turn to Micky D’s.
It’s a classic, and it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. But have you ever wondered exactly what goes on behind closed arches? Do you ever get curious about how long your food has been sitting out under the heat lamps or what the employees really think of your order?
If so, you need to check some of the McDonald’s secrets that employees from all over the place have shared online.
That can mean anything from delicious “secret menu” items to confirming some of your worst fears about exactly what it is you’re eating (do remember that all locations are different, so these “secrets” certainly don’t apply to all franchises).
Employees have also shared tips on how to get fresher food, how to save money, and what you should be avoiding completely.
We’ve rounded up the best McDonald’s employee secrets all in one place, so that you can be in-the-know about what’s going on there:
While you might love to pile onions on your burger, just know that they’re not really real onions. In a Quora thread on McDonald’s, one woman who claimed to be a Produce Manager said, “Those wonderfully tiny diced onions on your burger? They aren’t exactly 100% real onions.”
“They come in these bags where they’re dumped into a five gallon bucket, then water is poured in and there’s a huge spoon that’s used to stir it.”
“It’s then put into the back of the walk-in fridge, then glops of it is removed and put into just a normal, average sized container where it is placed at the front of the fridge where workers load up the prep table.”
In case you didn’t already know, most fast food places don’t use real eggs in their breakfast items. Instead, they use an egg product made with… well, I’m not exactly sure.
On a Quora thread, a girl who says she worked at McDonald’s said, “When ordering breakfast, try a round egg on your sandwich. It’s the best egg we have (and definitely real!).”
Consider yourself warned if you’re not a fan of rare red meat. According to Reddit user rzreeves, the small patties, which are used on double cheeseburgers and the Big Mac, are regularly under-cooked.
Um… maybe we’ll stick to the chicken nuggets?
Fresh McDonald’s obviously tastes 10 times better than McDonald’s that has been sitting around under a heat lamp… but you don’t always get it. In a Quora thread, one former employee said,
“The times are generally rush hours such as breakfast between 7-9, lunch between 11-2, and then dinner between 4-6.”
The Independent reports the same, saying one former employee said,
“This then goes to the overall store rating and every store manager will do everything to ensure this rating is as positive as possible.”
If you’re eating something that tastes like it’s been sitting there for a very long time, that could very possibly be true. On a Quora thread, one former employee explained:
“We only used those timers if a health inspector showed up, or the ‘big boss’ was there. Other than that, we just ignored the timers and kept everything in the warming bins until sold.” Of course, every McDonald’s is different, but… yikes.
Cross-contamination might be running amok. This one has us feeling pretty grossed out. According to Reddit user McDonaldsIAma, some McDonald’s employees feel like they can skip the whole “food hygiene” thing.
But while they are there, “they think it’s OK [to] touch every item with the same pair of gloves (raw chicken, meat, etc. Then the food) it normally doesn’t go out but I’ve seen it happen a few times where the mistake isn’t caught.
Fresh fries are obviously the best fries, but they can be tough to come by.
Just be aware that this takes them longer to do, and so they’re not going to be thrilled about it — and you can expect a wait.
If you’re debating between waiting in the drive-through or heading inside to order, you might want to just stay in your car.
One employee explains why, saying, “Drive-through is the priority. If you’re already in the store, chances are you’re not going to leave.”
“Meaning we have to focus much more on getting [the customers] in and out quickly.”
Lately, it seems like most chain restaurants have “secret menus,” which basically consist of odd combinations of things already on the menu that aren’t official.
They said, “I hate when I see sh*t about a ‘secret menu’ at McDonald’s. There’s no such thing! We can make any combination of food we have.”
So, note to self: McDonald’s will basically do whatever you want them to do with their food. Good to know!
Employees call it the “Mc10:35.” What is this mysterious sandwich known as the Mc10:35, you ask?
If you’re lucky, there are leftover eggs from all the McMuffins, and you can have them insert one between the patties of a McDouble.
You might want to rethink that McFlurry, because according to employees, the ice cream machines aren’t super clean. Reddit user plaid-pancake said in a thread,
Other threads included comments about how the ice cream machine isn’t cleaned regularly because it’s so annoying to do so.
The employees might think you’re a secret shopper. One former employee of McDonalds said that the secret to getting amazing service is to ask for a receipt. Why?
One of the things secret shoppers do is ask for receipts — if you do the same, they will treat you well in hopes of earning a high score.
Don’t want to shell out a few extra dollars for a Big Mac?
In one Quora thread, an employee said, “Ask for a McDouble (or two on the 2 for $2 menu) dressed like a Big Mac — hold the ketchup and mustard, add lettuce and Mac sauce.”
It’s not even a big secret at the restaurant — in one Reddit thread, user fromhades said, “There is actually a button for ‘as a mac.’ All you have to do is ask for your McDouble to be dressed as a Mac.”
There might not be a secret menu, but there is a popular sandwich item that isn’t official that you can order — it just has a horrible name. User BoxMacLeod on Reddit said,
“You order a McChicken and a McDouble from McDonald’s and basically smash them together.”
Would you like your pie a la mode? Although the menu doesn’t say so, you can order that heated up McDonald’s apple pie a la mode.
You can even add some hot fudge, if you’re feeling fancy.
If you really want to ensure that your food is fresh, you can do the most simple thing you can think of: Ask! In a Quora thread, a former employee said, “Simply asking for a burger ‘fresh,’ they will make a fresh one.”
“The workers don’t mind much because that means they can take their time making your food and not be as rushed. Just don’t complain when it’s busy and it takes 10-15 minutes to make your order. But if you ask for it, they will make it.”
If you’re a particularly rude customer, chances are the McDonald’s employees are complaining about you on their headsets.
“We put on a headset just to do such and it’s a lot of fun to talk about customers,” Redditor kem896 explained. “But 90 percent of the time [we talk] to let others know about the cute dog that just pulled up in the drive-thru.”
We totally understand.
Or do anything else gross or unsanitary, even if you are rude or annoy the heck out of the McDonald’s employee.
Like when it comes to condiment proportions. One Redditor explained, “However, if you’re a [jerk], chances are, you’ll have a burger drowning in mustard, with barely any ketchup, and more onions than meat.”
“You’re just training a new kid and he messed the proportions up a little. And since the manager made it because, you know, training new kid, they won’t let the customer return it.”
If you’ve ever ordered ice cream at McDonald’s, you might notice that it seems like they skimp out a bit. That’s because, uh, they do. Reddit user Estelwen394 said,
“When we mix it all up there’s less ice cream than you think.”
If you’ve ever felt frustrated standing at the counter, waiting for your food as the cashier in front of you does nothing, try to be more understanding. In a Quora thread, one user said,
“Most people are taught grill or service. Unless you’re a manager, a lot of people don’t know both. I’ve been there a year and I still don’t know grill.”
Ever wondered what the most annoying order is? Reddit user GameMisconduct63 said,
That’s because they have to go through so many steps to fill it.
If you have intentions of being healthier and ordering grilled chicken, you might want to just say forget it and get something else.
The user said, “The steamer is set on high for our grilled chicken, but yes, it doesn’t sell too well, and it can remain there for a decent amount of time. Grilled chicken average life span where I work, they can [get] it [after] two hours [of] waiting.” Yikes!
Who doesn’t love coupons? Redditor MyNikesAreBlue said while you may not get free food from McDonald’s, you can make your order a lot easier with the app — and sometimes there’s coupons.
“Also, you can sub any sauce on burgers (honey mustard, mac sauce, ranch, BBQ, etc.) and even change the bun (sesame seed buns on a a McDouble, for instance.)”
Want to get more soda for your money? Reddit user goken04 says, “My favorite hack is simple: no ice.”
“I find the dollar menu drink to be enough with most meals if there’s no ice in it.”
There were definitely quite a few — like the whole “not real onions” thing — that has us shocked.
See which ones you remember, like the pineapple burger.
Our editors handpicked the items in this article. Affiliate links may give us a small share of the revenue to support our creative team.
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