Here's How A Former McDonald's Chef Judges The Quality Of A Location

As one of the most popular fast-food restaurants in America, McDonald's has gone through plenty of changes since its opening in 1940. Throughout the years, the fast food chain has been continuously introducing new items, some of which become super successful and others that turn out to be food fails (like the McCrab). Over the last few years, one of McDonald's major changes has been the introduction of new cooking methods to make certain items fresher. This is especially true of the quarter pounder burgers, which are made with fresh, never-frozen beef and cooked to order. This means that quarter pounders take more time to make than other burgers — and it's for this reason that, according to ex-corporate McDonald's chef Mike Haracz, quarter pounders can be a good test of the quality of a McDonald's restaurant.

@chefmikeharacz

I have a fool proof test to determine if your #McDonalds is a good one. #mcdonaldschallenge #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldslife #QuarterPounder #QuarterPounders #quarterpounderwithcheese #quarterpounderwithbacon #QPC #mcdonaldsquarterpounder #FYP

♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

In fact, according to Haracz who spoke about the topic in a now-viral TikTok, a great way to test your local McDonald's is to go there during a busy period (lunch or dinner) and place an order for 10 quarter pounders with cheese with a few special requests — like no mustard on one but extra ketchup on another. Haracz explained that if the restaurant can complete the order correctly and within five minutes, it's a sign that they are well-run and a "good" McDonald's.

While a restaurant being able to successfully pass the test is probably a sign that they are well organized, failing the test might come down to a few different factors. In an interview with the New York Post, Haracz elaborated that there are many reasons a specific location may fail the test. One of these reasons is the labor shortage, as McDonald's restaurants that are understaffed will likely struggle to keep up with large orders during peak hours. It's also important to recognize that, according to CNBC, fast food wait times across the country are getting slower for many reasons, including the introduction of new premium items (like quarter pounders) that take longer to cook.

So, if your local franchise fails the test, that doesn't make it automatically a bad McDonald's, however, it can be a sign that things aren't running perfectly. Haracz also explained to the New York Post that the five-minute limit is based on corporate standards, and failing may come down to other less-than-desirable reasons such as "management, crew training, cleanliness, recent restaurant updates and crew morale."

While this test is one option, Haracz himself admits that it will probably be a little expensive. Plus, placing a large order at a time when a restaurant is known to be busy and when the workers will likely already be overwhelmed seems a bit mean, or as one commenter on TikTok put it, like "actual villain behavior."

Luckily, there are a few other ways to make sure you have a good experience at McDonald's every time. Firstly, if you are worried about the freshness of the food, according to another McDonald's employee on Reddit, you can always just ask the staff to make your food fresh, and they will happily do so. There are also specific items on the menu that are listed as being made fresh, so you can opt for these and avoid the items that are not made fresh to order.

If you are worried about long wait times, then you can make sure you order foods that are made quickly and avoid premium menu items that tend to take longer. You can also stop at McDonald's during the off-hours (in between meal times or before lunch) to avoid the crowd and ensure you get through the line quickly.