I know, I know ... I'm in one of Spain's food capitals, so what am I doing going to a McDonald's of all places? In a word: Localization. Menus at McDonald's around the world used to be perfectly synchronized to the United States, so I guess you could consider McDonald's the original Hard Rock Cafe! But, as time went on, countries started incorporating their own different menu ideas which has now bloomed into surprisingly unique offerings across the world (e.g., McDonald's Japan, which is known globally for their wildly varying offerings).
This McDonald's restaurant is located on a bustling street in Central Madrid, and looks pretty much like any modern McDonald's anywhere in the world. Ordering is done via touch-screens near the counter. Since I was visiting for the sole purpose of trying something way off the normal American menu, I tried my hand at the McExtreme Burger: two all-beef patties, onion, double smoked Gouda, crispy bacon, and bacon sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun. Basically a Big Bougie Mac minus the middle bun! :-D
Got that as a combo with fries, Diet Coke, and McFlurry. I have to say, that burger was definitely interesting. I must be used to the American textures, because I found the McExtreme to be notably more mushy and slimy than I would have liked. :-/ It took somewhat of an effort for me to wolf it down, thus the four stars instead of five.
Next time I'm in Madrid, I'm going to visit McDonald's to see what else they may have. I may actually go with a classic Big Mac to see what the difference is compared to The States. read more