McDonald's — Restaurant in Thornton Township

This notification has been sitting on my Google phone for two weeks. I've been thinking about what to say. Normally I would write a funny, theatrical or interesting anecdote or if I had an especially negative experience I'd rip them a new one but there's something a bit more serious that needs to be said about McDonald's - an elephant in the room.

The western world is stuck in a very real, very dangerous obesity epidemic. I think the latest number I saw was like 1 or 2 in 3?! It's killing people, it's causing massive harm to both individuals and societies. And its not going away easily. It's extremely complicated and involves economics, politics, science, culture and technology.

I think it's a silent killer where the complexity and consequences of the obesity epidemic are closer to big news topics like cancer, health care, the dangers of technology, poverty, climate change, war, etc but it's not talked about in an actionable way. We aren't making progress on the problem despite DECADES of attempts. That concerns me. I feel like other things are at least actionable. Climate change is huge and will take a long time and might not ever be completely fixed but it feels more actionable like there are steps humanity can take if/when we reach a consensus.

Sorry I know this is wordy but it's because I don't have the words for it even though I know it's real.

I needed to bring all that up in order for the next part to make sense. None of this obesity epidemic is McDonald's fault. McDonalds was just a restaurant started by a dude. They do not control politics, economics or technology. They cannot cause the obesity epidemic nor fix it. If they quit tomorrow, nothing would change. They are in the middle of this problem just like me and the other 2/3rds of people.

Anyway, now that I got the elephant out of the room, McDonald's makes a good quality hamburger at a price that is a good value. Nothing more could be expected from a...

I do not recommend visiting this McDonald’s location during evening hours due to a troubling and unprofessional experience I encountered.

On this occasion, I placed and paid for a delivery order through the McDonald’s app. Upon arriving at the drive-thru around 10:15 PM, a crew member acknowledged that my order had been paid for. However, the manager refused to provide my food, claiming there was no record of payment. I showed the manager my McDonald’s app and account information with proof of the order and transaction. Despite this, she insisted I call my bank.

I contacted my bank while still at the window, and a representative confirmed that the payment was processed. I offered to let the manager speak directly to the bank representative, but she refused.

As the situation escalated, the manager allowed another car to cut in front of me and directed cars behind me to do the same. This maneuver blocked my ability to move aside and wait, as I informed her that I would be contacting the police. She then stated she would call the police as well.

Once the police arrived, I was still on the phone with my bank. The representative again confirmed the charge, apologized for the inconvenience, and informed me that they would dispute the transaction. The manager then suddenly stated to the police she see my order but it’s unpaid and presented a screen showing that she could no longer see my order — further confirming her lack of cooperation from the start.

I ultimately left without receiving my food or a refund, despite providing proof of payment and making every reasonable effort to resolve the issue calmly and...

Visiting this location is like playing Russian roulette with service & sometimes accuracy. So, you know if you chance it, that was your decision to do so lol. Today was the first time I actually sat inside to eat with my boys, mostly to take advantage of their open Playland. Bring your own sanitizer, they're out. And maybe even your own lysol wipes - the ones they have are almost entirely dry. Also, bring your own napkins. Lol Double check your order, missed a few things, but they fixed it quick. Service. I usually hit the drive through so can't usually see what's going on behind the scenes but today I did. They are working, and quickly at that. They're also communicating, though it seems difficult between the front and back teams (i.e. fillers vs makers). Often heard the fillers asking for the same thing several times. The one maker I could see from their team looked confused, but not sure what their area is.

Anyway, I think both sides could use some team building which would overall enhance service. There may be a bit of care needed top, but I've been there and know how easy it is not to with a gig like this so....🤷‍♀️

Overall, I can't say my experience differs from most other McDonald's I've experienced. Seems to be the norm with this chain now and little to no desire to change it from the top. 3 stars for having a decent Playland (or even having...