This McDonald's is located in the food court of the Alameda Shopping Centre, on R. dos Campeões Europeus, the location makes it useful for those looking to grab a quick bite to eat while shopping in the mall or attending an event at the Estádio do Dragão stadium across the way, which is home to FC Porto.
The menu is pretty much the same as any McDonald's within Portugal - they even serve gluten-free buns and beer! For gluten-free, you are unable to order at the kiosk and must order at the manned checkout, I used a translation app on my phone and was able to order with ease. I went for the Gluten-Free McRoyale meal with fries and an iced tea.
I noticed how drinks were being served without lids - I'm not sure if it was a stock issue or perhaps for the environment, but I would have much preferred a lid and struggled to request one due to the language barrier.
As far as McDonald's goes, my food was pretty good, it was served hot and was made fresh to order. The gluten-free bun seemed to slide a lot due to the meat patty being much larger and the sauce making it slippery, but they had put it together well. The fries were also hot, but they were slightly underseasoned. They had forgotten the ketchup sachet, which should have come with the fries.
The seating area could be cleaner, but with most of it being shared by the other outlets of the Food Court, I understand it isn't their full responsibility.
McDonald's is far from the best food in the world, but it was just a refreshing and exciting change for me to be able to order a gluten-free bun, and it's certainly one of the best options nearby for food without getting the metro into the city centre, especially for those who are gluten-free. Burger King across the way, for example, does not offer gluten-free at that location. 4* read more