McDonald’s worker here! Ask me any of your burning questions and I’ll answer with 100% truth about the quality of your food!

Is it true that asking for fries without salt means you get fresh fries since they have to cook a separate batch?

Indeed!

What if you just ask for fresh fries?

You will get a fresh batch of fries dropped.

On the floor?

I think he means you will get the last dropped fries in the container. Even if that means it was dropped 10min ago.

No no, when i say freshly dropped, I’ll take out a fresh batch of uncooked fries and drop em in the fryer.

I use this one alot, whilst most workers will just empty the freshly cooked fries into the trays and just fill your cup, the great employees will place burger sheets down on the metal empty the fries and load your cup, either way its fresh

Do you add salt afterwards or something?

Yes.

Ex McDonald's manager here 16 years ago. Why are employees so stingy about giving out sauces for nuggets and salsa for burritoes? Is it because they don't want to have to restock the bins?

Edit: they should also bring back big and tastys for a dollar.

I work in Australia, so we don’t have burritos, unless that’s ur fancy way of saying wraps. regardless it all depends on the employees attitude - a good talk to the manager should help, but the amount we get paid doesn’t help us adjust or moods.

You mean your mcmoods

Our McAttitude

We have breakfast burritos

Nice

It’s Spanish for wraps

Thanks, I wasn’t aware!

Fun fact: the direct translation of “burrito” is “little donkey”.

Nice

Are the ice cream machines REALLY down when you say they are?

Kinda~ish they usually have scheduled maintenance, otherwise we’ve probably just ran out sundae (ice cream)

Pro-Tip aswell, order without ice because you get more ;)

what should we stay away from? And what is your favorite menu item?

Ice for your drinks, order a water with ice and look into ur cup. And you’ll get a feel for what I mean - also thanks for asking. I asked for a personalised meal which is a Big Mac, but I get it all put in a wrap.

Could you maybe just tell us what us wrong with the ice? I'm not planning on going to McDonald's any time soon.

I used to manage a Subway and I've worked in many restaurants in my life. If you don't clean the ice machine every other day ( which will never happen it is time consuming and when you do it it takes hours for the ice machine to replenish the ice you had to throw away in order to clean it) ice machines will build up all manner of mold and slimy gunk very quickly. I always request no ice from anywhere I go. Unfortunately, I also have to suggest staying away from drinks in restaurants and other fountains in general including tea and unsweet tea. The nozzles on Fountain machines or supposed to be cleaned regularly, but most places do not and you would not believe the disgusting slimy Gunk inside of those nozzles, nor the types of mold and stuff that will grow inside of the nozzle for a tea dispenser.

I can ensure my restaurant gets the hoses and nozzles cleaner every Sunday.

I don't doubt it, there's always going to be exceptions to the rule but my experience and everyone I nose experiences that they don't get cleaned in the vast majority of restaurants

Thanks for your comment!

Most restaurants don't clean the ice machine very often, if at all. This isn't limited to McDonalds either.

That’s very true.

There isn’t much cleaning or filtering, so it’s dirty water that gets frozen.

Mold

Oldmay

thx, dude. I know it's a hard job and people treat you like shit. appreciate your service.

your very welcome!

Then I get the "you're a cheap fuck!" look when I do that. I AM cheap, but I order no ice for a practical reason. So I don't have watered down soda by the time I get home. I don't drink in my vehicle.

I’m sorry to hear the rude attitude being presentes by front counter.

Do you guys get sick of the food? Do you not want to eat there because you’ve worked there?

Depends on how you feel about seeing uncooked raw meat and what not. for me, I’m fine with eating the food, but god help you all if you drink your drinks with ice, those Ice machines are cleaned on a rare basis, and the amount of floaties you’ll get in ur water cups is atrocious.

Honestly I get it, but I don't think its going to get you sick. Ive eaten ice in many places that are just as bad.

but you see a trillion dollar industry could afford some filters for an ice machine

In reality, you probably wouldn’t get sick, also I should point out how undercooked the meat can be, without us even noticing before it gets served.

You wouldn't say that if you've seen the mold that grows in ice machines that aren't regularly cleaned.

I’m confused at ur point?

Fair point.

Favorite Nickelback song?

Africa by Toto

Great song, they named a whole continent after it

Indeed!

What's the most interesting thing that has happened while you worked there?

A coworker got accused of blowing on eggs.

Not his load, I hope.

Grow up silly.

care to elaborate?

He jokingly blew a kiss to a manager.

Does blowing on eggs mean blowing a kiss in slang?

No he literally got accused of blowing on an egg, by a lady who ordered a bacon and egg muffin, when in reality he blew a kiss to a manager as a joke.

Thank you for doing this! Very interesting and eye opening. What is the grossest thing you’ve seen regarding the food? Thanks!

You’re very welcome! I’m happy to answer all the questions I can!

You forgot to answer his question.

Oh yeah, I cooked meat that we find thawed under the freezers when we drop them.

Who would win in a fight between the Hamburglar and Grimace?

Ronald

What’s the most annoying thing customers do without knowing it?

Order with a steamer bun. It’s very inconvenient - yous don’t even understand.

McChicken's are pure disappointment without a steamed bun.

No.

How do employees feel about working Christmas Day and other big public holidays? Is it worth the pay?

Most of us have matured and have gotten over the enjoyment of things like Christmas and what not, so it’s no biggy.

Would you genuinely recommend someone the food there?

It’s probably better to eat at more smaller businesses as they don’t buy in bulk and usually there food is local.

How do I ask a worker to fill my drink or Mc Flurry up to the top the way it’s meant to be served without feeling guilt?

This one time I got a McFlurry that was literally less than half way filled up

We have to say yes too you, it’s a policy.

Who created the policy where you do the drinks first and let them sit in the counter while the food gets made? My frozen coke always turns to shit or the ice cream melts. I wish you did drinks and frozen stuff after the food.

You really have to look through the eyes of the employees and put urself in their shoes. Their one goal is to construct YOUR order, and to prepare what drinks you have while they're waiting for the grills (or microwave ;) will always be an efficient move in their minds. I don't know how long your drink would be sitting at the counter for, but it can't be for so long that it melts and becomes diluted. And you might as well read other comments pertaining to the quality of McDonald's ice in the first place, anyway

Edit: Typos

Thanks for your input, this is a good way for customers to view this.

How good/clean are the milkshake machines? I’ve heard a few rumors that they are barely clean and have been recommended to not have the shakes. Is this true?

I can guarantee at our restaurant it gets maintenance every Saturday.

Whats the number one thing you would never eat at mcdonalds because of how gross it is?

Ice - but if you wondering about actual food, probably a filet. That’s just a gross burger.

When I tell them I'm allergic to eggs, are they making a good faith effort to prepare my food without cross-contamination?

No, we use the same tongs to pick up the eggs and the meat, although we are provided with a seperate egg tong. No one really is bothered.

Well shit thanks for being honest

I’m sorry, but it’s brutal honesty and it’s not meant to sound rude to you.

How’s School?

I’m on school break.

It’s more convenient for us.

Same

Yes

I have allergies to dairy, nuts, and seafood. How worried should I be about cross contamination?

if your ordering a burger you should be fine, maybe don’t have any filet burgers and stay away from ice creams and sundaes.

What's your favorite fast food restaurant?

probably KFC

Can. You give us a range of the pay?

15 year olds get roughly $11.80 AUD 16 year olds get $13.30 AUD

Do you or anyone you work with do nasty stuff to the food of rude customers? 😏

We don’t really know who ordered what, because we don’t always look at the front counter.

Can McD's rename & bring back the Third Pounder burger? I liked them, but refused to put anything in my mouth that rhymed with turd pounder.

If your name suggests you hate being sober, shouldn’t you stop drinking beer since it rhyme with rear? jokes aside - a piece of Angus meat alone is a quarter of a pound, so a Classic Angus should do the job.

Yeah, but a third of a pound is more than a quarter pound, which I think is the point of their question.

oh I mean a piece of Angus is a third, my apologies for the miscommunication.

Hey, I also work at an Aussie Maccas. Do you work front, drive or kitchen?

back area (kitchen)

Why is the ice cream machine always down?

Maintenance.

Do you get used to the smell? I'm not a big fan of McDonald's for starters, but that smell in the restaurants is really off-putting.

When I get sick the smell makes me wanna vomit. But no it doesn’t bother me other than that.

How come my McDonalds always gets orders wrong? I understand it once in a while but it’s every single time for me. I ask for a burger without cheese but they always put it on there. Somehow they also forgot an entire milkshake? (and still charged for it)

That’s usually lazy working.

Has there ever been talk about sweet potato fries?

McDonald's in Israel has sweet potato fries!

That’s great to hear!

nope, not that I have heard of.. but McDonald’s is very spontaneous with there choice of specialty items. so don’t get ur hopes down.

What's the best thing (personal opinion) to order from McDonalds? Oh, also when you work there, do you get free/discounted food? My friend said he gets to bring home food after he has a shift from (insert time) to closing (they aren't a 24 hrs)

50% Discount - and Big Mac on a wrap, we aren’t allowed any more free food due to how much money the store lost.

WTF happened to the fries? They used to be delicious. I always assumed they cut the salt for health reasons, but that should be an option, not default. And they cant even make them right if you ask.

There’s no wrong and right with out cooking - the we place the food and it is set on a timer, once the timer is up we have the cooked food ready to serve, it isn’t the employee’s fault for bad quality food. Thanks for your response.

I don’t know if this is true for my restaurant.

It’s all room temperature.

Indeed, but it’s not an ethnically divided word in Australia.

Where do you work?

Not telling due to the risk of me getting fired.

Any rumours about McDonald’s anybody would like me to elaborate on?

Is it really possible to win anything substantial from the monopoly promos?

Yes, but you can’t have any relevance to the McDonalds franchise - for example, you cannot be friends or related to a McDonald’s worker.

Is this because there’s any way for employees to potentially rig the system, or to avoid the implication altogether?

Yes, I won’t lie - I’ve stolen hand fulls of hash brown packets with monopoly stickers

I used to work at McDonald’s. Can you describe the craziest middle aged white man customer you had to deal with?

Crackhead at the front asking for free food, he left after two hours of begging. He came back later with a bible. Dunno where he got it from.

It’ll be clear I promise