McDonald's — Restaurant in Newcastle-under-Lyme

It actually pains me to have to leave 1 star on this absolute shambles of a McDonalds.

This is the closest McDonalds to home, and was convienient for when I want a quick bite or when cooking tea is a daunting task. The prime word being 'was'. Now, I would rather hand rear a cow and fully process it myself for a burger than to ever frequent this establishment again.

Multiple times I have had issues with this place, and each time I have given them the benefit of the doubt, but today was the final straw. I have ordered via justeat, ubereats, aswell as going through the drive thru. It had become a running joke with the wife that "I wonder what they're going to get wrong this time".. sadly, this is usually the case.

On one occasion, I ordered on ubereats one morning. The order arrived promptly and I discovered that the food was stone cold and was missing 20 nuggets. I contacted ubereats, who informed me that I have to 'deal with the restaurant'.. reluctantly I dragged myself to my car and drove there. I entered the store and spoke to someone who informed me that I have to deal with ubereats, not the store. I debated that the delivery was prompt and the food could not be cold in a 4 minute journey, also the bags had arrived sealed, therefore my order hadn't been packed correctly. This fell of deaf ears and I ended up having to fight with ubereats for a partial refund.

Today, the straw that broke the camels back. I had a long day at work and I couldn't be bothered to cook. I ordered myself and the wife some food on the app, drove to this forsaken place, parked up and entered my click and serve number in the app. As the minutes passed, I noticed food courier services coming and going, drive thru cars leaving with food and others using the click and serve drive off with fries stuffed into their eager mouths. After 20 minutes, I caught the attention of an employee and politely asked how long my food would be as I'd been waiting 20 minutes. He answered 'err, I don't know, I'll find out'. 5 minutes later he hadn't returned. The wife went inside and eventually, 5 minutes later, emerged with our order (30 minutes after arriving and confirming). Eagerly, we drove home excited (eventually) to eat.

It didn't end there.

One final hurrah, after sitting down and distributing the food, my Big Mac, in a Big Mac box, turned out to actually be a Chicken Big Mac. Call me petty, call me what you want, but by this time, after being awake since 6am without a morsel to eat and looking forward tremendously to a beefy snack, I was greeted by dry and unappetising chicken. At this, I returned to the restaurant, who after hesitation, provided me with the Big Mac that I ordered.

This is only a snapshot of a myriad of issues with this McDonalds. I personally will never darken the door of this place again, categorically. I would rather drive an extra 5 minutes and go to festival park.

Take heed...

A Most Unsavoury Encounter at McDonald’s: The Ketchup Debacle

Dearest, most discerning readers, it is with a heavy heart—and a slightly baffled brow—that this author recounts an afternoon which, though initially promising, devolved into a farce of the highest order. For I, in my eternal search for sustenance and the simplest of pleasures, found myself at a McDonald’s. Yes, you read that correctly— McDonald’s —a place once known for its quick, no-nonsense service and delightful morsels, only to discover that what it now offers in abundance is rudeness... and a shocking new policy on ketchup.

I had asked, as one might expect, for a humble sachet of ketchup to accompany my fries, an entirely reasonable request in a world not yet overtaken by absurdity. But alas, the fates were cruel that day. The shift manager, a woman whose icy demeanour could send even the most hardened of aristocrats into a polite retreat, informed me— and I quote —that ketchup could no longer be dispensed as freely as air, but instead must be obtained by paying at the cashier, or, in a most backward twist, via cash at the window itself. One would have thought I had requested the crown jewels.

And as though this were not enough to send the average mortal into a state of mild existential despair, the manager herself greeted me with the warmth of a snowbank and the charm of a rusty nail. Indeed, her response was so curt, I almost wondered if she had confused me for a rival fast-food critic—one who had dared to write an unfavourable review.

But fear not, dear readers, for the true tragedy lay not in the scarcity of ketchup, but in the sheer audacity of the service. For it is in moments like these that one realises that the only thing more abundant than the price of ketchup is the rudeness you are expected to endure without question. How delightful, indeed, that in this particular establishment, civility is not included in the meal deal—though, dare I say, attitude comes at no extra charge.

In conclusion, my dear friends, let this be a cautionary tale: If you seek nourishment for both body and soul, one must look elsewhere. But if you desire a lesson in how not to run a fast-food empire—or if you fancy paying for the most luxurious condiment known to man—then by all means, proceed.

Until next time, I remain your ever-watchful and slightly perturbed...

I love a maccies however I would rather eat my own shoes than return to this particular establishment. I took my daughter and grandson for a 'quick lunch' as it was a Sunday and we had much to do before the shops shut. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I honestly thought there was a clue in the term 'fast food'. Apparently so as I waited at least 20 minutes, probably more like 30 at the counter for my order. I didn't time it but I saw much while waiting so 20 minutes is seriously conservative. The preparing staff seemed extremely busy, after all there were so many delivery drivers for ubereats, justeat and the like for them to satisfy. It appears that if you take the trouble to actually go to the restaurant then you are expected to wait as long for your order as the folks enjoying a boxset in the comfort of their own homes! Anyway, back to the staff. Apart from one delightful young lady, I have no complaint with them personally. It will be a cold day in Hades before this particular girl will be earning her employee of the month star I can assure you. On at least half a dozen occasions I was shocked to see that customers were obliged to return to the counter due to incorrect orders. Without exception all the customers were polite and patient about the error. Whoever had decided to put Miss Personality on the counter was seriously mistaken! Even without sorting mistakes she was surly, sloppy and rude. She served like she was dragging herself through molasses. She sooooo did not want to be there. Anyway, to cut a long story short my order, when eventually received was, yes you guessed it, wrong. Maybe it was my frustration getting the better of me but I decided I would not be joining the ranks of the lovely folks full of patience and understanding. I politely but firmly complained. I told her I'd observed her attitude, the number of previous errors and that I found it wholly unacceptable. She corrected the error but with no change of appalling attitude. I thought I did catch her telling me what their beef burgers were made from, but when I turned back to ask her to repeat what she had said, I had apparently misheard. Maybe I need a hearing test? You have...