There’s a McDifference #5

There’s a McDifference!

3810 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh (just off I-440)

Our senior McDonald’s beat writer Dave Foley is back with his oft-debated hypothesis that if you look closely enough, each Mickey D’s is different from the next. Here’s installment #5 of “There’s a McDifference.”

The Lake Boone Trail McDonald’s sits in a very crowded strip mall. It is a well-maintained building with that quintessential McDonald’s look. The only thing missing was the “Over 10 Trillion Served” sign under the golden arches.

Atmosphere: The inside has granite on all surfaces (including the planters), tile on the walls, and stainless steel equipment. It looks like my ideal kitchen. The place is extremely clean, though I didn’t see any hand sanitizers. There is also no playground, so I guess those two things go hand in hand. There is lots of seating, including outside tables under a nice veranda. I counted five big-screen TVs.

Quarter Pounder: The patty is so compressed that it actually sticks out about a quarter inch on all sides of the bun. The flavor is still pretty good, but they have completely pressed every ounce of moisture out of the meat, so it is a bit dry. The bun is very soft, and they use fresh onions with good coverage.

Fries: I’ve been here many times, and every single time the fries are burnt. One time might be an anomaly, twice a coincidence, but half a dozen times in a row and I’m sensing a pattern. Instead of golden brown, they are just…brown. They were so completely burnt on my latest visit that I almost took them back.

Burger rating: 3 out of 5 Grimaces