I haven’t eaten McDonalds, or fast food for that matter, much in the last several years. And, ever since Brian saw Super Size Me (great movie), he’s also had an aversion to the Golden Arches.
Well, it seems that there is a McDonalds on every block in Montevideo, Uruguay. Uruguayos eat it up even though it’s not considered a “cheap” meal here. It’s really quite difficult to walk anywhere in Montevideo without passing one (we actually live across the street from one and there’s another one about 5 blocks away).
Having experienced Uruguay’s wonderful grass-fed beef, we were curious if the hamburgers at McDonalds would be any different from in the States. Well, the curiosity finally caught up to us because we gave in and had lunch at McDonalds outside of Punta Carretas Shopping.
Picture of Brian sitting in the huge chairs outside of McDonalds at Punta Carretas Shopping
We ordered the Quarter Pounder combos and were served the Big Mac combos (we decided not to say anything). Let me say, we both felt the same way about those burgers that we did about McDonalds hamburgers in the US. Yuck.
If there’s one thing I can say for McDonalds, it’s that they’re consistent. I knew there was a reason we didn’t eat there! Oh well; another lesson learned.
But, there are some positive differences between McDonalds in Uruguay and McDonalds in the US. The McDonalds in Uruguay are clean, they’re nice (we’re talking café-style pleather couch seating) and they have good coffee.
McCafe is huge here. Several locals have told us that the coffee at McCafe is the best you’ll find in Montevideo. Starbucks hasn’t reached Uruguay yet, so there isn’t much competition, but we tried McCafe one night and were pleasantly surprised. They have good desserts and serve Hot Chocolate in a fun way. They bring out a glass of hot milk and a chocolate bar. You dissolve the chocolate in the hot milk and you get a tasty hot chocolate treat.
So, if you’re planning to visit Uruguay, we recommend staying away from the food at McDonalds, but think it’s worth checking out McCafe if you enjoy coffee and dessert.