By: Dan I. Cook
On a very tight budget? Well step right up folks this is the place for you. McDonald’s, how I love and hate you all at the same time.
Like most high school kids, I worked at McDonald’s. It was almost a rite of passage working for Micky Ds. The pay wasn’t that great, but getting 50 percent off all food purchases was a gift from the Gods to a teenager. So in my mind McDonald’s in all its corporate glory holds a special place in my heart.
The Present
Seeing McDonald’s pump out premium burgers and fancy chicken sandwiches are foreign to me. I’ve never tried any of the new stuff. I’m a Big Mac and Sausage McMuffin sandwich guy through and through. Nothing beats a nice cup of coffee and a couple of sausage sandwiches. It’s such a simple creation and it hasn’t changed at all since I started eating them years ago. Nice toasted English muffin, nestled inside is a sausage patty with a slice of melted cheese. Hmmmm.
The Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, an early Ray Kroc franchisee, who was operating several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. What I didn’t know is the sandwich had two former names, the “Aristocrat” and the “Blue Ribbon Burger”. The third name, Big Mac, was created by Esther Glickstein Rose, a 21-year-old advertising secretary who worked at McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. The rest is history.
I’m not sure what it is with this sandwich and why I love it so much. Compared to the Whopper which I also love, and the Wendy’s Double, the Big Mac has less meat. I think the deal breaker for me is the nostalgia issue; the three buns and the special sauce. I hate mayo, but for some reason I can eat this special sauce all day long. I think the combination of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame bun really adds to the flavor of this thing and no I’m not kidding.
When the Big Mac was rolled out, how many places were putting Thousand Island dressing aka special sauce on a cheese burger. I would say none, It was either mayo, mustard, or ketchup. McDs really broke a paradigm when this sandwich was created.
Nowadays, every hamburger joint has a special sauce, and the fancy burger places have aioli dressing. It’s pretty common now so we don’t even think twice about it anymore.
Enough of that, in late 2002 my life changed when the Dollar Menu was born. Buying something for a buck was a thing of beauty. I always loved the cheeseburgers and to get a double for a buck was awesome. Now they cut costs by removing one piece of cheese and calling it the McDouble. Corporate businesses at their best. That where my love stops and my hate begins. But let’s not dwell on hate because it’s such a negative thing.
Here’s the dollar menu:
Sausage Biscuit
Premium Roast Coffee
Hash Browns
Sausage Burrito
Sausage McMuffin
McDouble
BBQ Ranch Burger
McChicken
Buffalo Ranch McChicken
Grilled onion cheddar burger
Side Salad
Apple Slices
Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait
Sweet Tea
Vanilla Cone
3 Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
Bottled Water
And let’s not forget 99 cent Chicken McNuggets on Mondays – love that hot mustard sauce, and special priced burgers and cheeseburgers on Wednesday and Sundays. Hooray!
Verdict
Nothing makes the McDonald’s on West Sample Road in Coral Springs any different then the one in your neighborhood. I know some have been remodeled and this one needs a facelift in a bad way. Service is good and yes, they have messed up my order before. Also I would avoid this place when Coral Springs High School students are getting out of school or have a home football game. I must have seen six cops in the parking lot after a football game. Other than that, it’s all about cheap food at cheap price.
Remember to tell them Dan and Coral Springs Talk sent you for the dollar menu and Stay Hungry!
Two Beers!
McDonald’s 7751 W Sample RdCoral Springs, FL 33065
Author Profile
- A native of Broward, Half-Samoan Half-Irish or Afa Tasi, Food Warrior, Beer Ninja, United States Marine, owner/talent of danicookeatdrink.com. Retired Oakland Park Police Department/BSO Sergeant, DLE.
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3 comments
With all the burger joints nowadays, I visit McD’ very infrequently. However, I always have service problems with the McD’s on Sample. Have to agree with you on the Big Mac, it’s always good. I remember when the first McD’s opened in DC.
BTW, do you know the celebrity who was one of the first if not the first Ronald McDonald clown? Those who are as old as I am (early 60’s) (hint 1) and grew up DC (hint 2) and chased electrons to and fro (hint 3) would know.
I won’t cheat by Googling it. My guess would be Willard Scott.
Nice. Glad I got that right.