While reviewing a McDonald's may seem like an exercise in futility, the recent Petaluma McDonald's ad makes it only all-too-tempting to point out the things that the advertisement did not mention about Petaluma's most esteemed eatery (at least according to said ad). Therefore, I wish to clarify a few points about this McDonald's.
First, I must assume that in the ad, given the rolling hills and shots of downtown Petaluma, that they are referring to the McDonald's on Lakeville and not the McDonald's over by the E. Washington Freeway Exit since this McDonald's is proximally closer. Thus said, let me assure you that both absolutely suck.
This one, however, sucks the most. I worked nearby here for several years and, as a parent, occasionally succumb to the purchasing of McNuggets for my child. We keep it to the drive through because the inside appears to be some filthy outpost near basically the Petaluma-equivalent of Tatooine which smells like fecal matter. No, really. Fecal matter. Twice when we've been here, it had this horrific smell which, when combined with the savory smells of Big Macs and Fries, does not do much for ones' appetite. Ergo, we stick to the drive through.
It may be hard to conceive of how one might give a McDonald's a "good" rating, however, I've had the occasion to visit very nice McDonald's in the state of California while on various road trips. There's on in Sacramento that absolutely stands out, and one somewhere in the South Bay where I was very pleasantly surprised; these were proper fast food restaurants. This McDonald's, which the national chain obviously never visited before deciding to represent it in their nationwide campaign, is what is commonly referred to as "a pit."
Also, how hard is it really to put six frozen chicken nuggets into a box along with two packets of sauce? I suppose if your life has been whittled down to the existential absurdity and malaise of working at a filthy and depressing hole-in-the-wall for minimum wage, it's possible that this could prove to be difficult (not to mention, I imagine the smell might get to you after a while).
Let's face it, the advertisement also went a wee bit overboard when it showed a kind of hunky guy happily chowing down his burger in a vast, sunlit space which seemed to be filmed at Dempsey's or something. It sure as heck wasn't filmed in that McDonald's, where you never really see anyone go in or out.
So, I cannot recommend it, sorry. I also cannot recommend the one across town. Petaluma is filled with many good restaurants. Actually, in the late 80's, it was nicknamed the apt moniker "The restaurant capital of California" due to the proliferation of restaurants this town has. There are so many cheap eats around that are quite, quite delicious. Within view of said McDonald's is an In and Out Burger, for example, as well as a screaming Taqueria and a good Chinese restaurant. Down the road, if it's fast food that you're after, is a perfectly fine Taco Bell. In the actual and real town of Petaluma, and not the part that is the equivalent of Tattooine, you can find dozens and dozens of real and fantastic quick bites on the cheap in the charming and beautiful downtown where the advertisement for McDonald's tries to claim for themselves with stunning levels of fail. Don't fall for false advertising. This McDonald's, national-advertisement or no, absolutely sucks.
Good luck next year with the floating kale salad idea though. It seems like McDonald's, in an attempt to save themselves through rebranding instead of like actually just making better restaurants, is scouring Pinterest avidly for ideas about stuff to put on the menu. Pin away and pin faster. Please just don't put Petaluma and McDonald's together. Petaluma is specifically known for its very good foods and wines (butternut squash, olives, eggs, brie, artisanal bread, poultry, dairy, beef, apples, pinot noir, outstanding local seafood, goat cheese, and pretty much every other vegetable) while McDonald's is known for being robbed, smelling of sewage, limp fries, shrieking babies, a creepy clown who claims to be a philanthropist, and burgers-that-will-give-you-cardiovascular-disease-if-you-eat-them. Don't get the two confused now! read more