Porto Imperial McDonalds - not so good anymore

I went for an early morning run in Porto during our September trip and visited "the world's most beautiful McDonald's". The brother of one of our group attended Hamburger University is an exec with McDonald's Canada. I thought it was worth a first time visit and took lots of photos. Like any attraction, if you go first thing in the morning, just as it opens, there are no crowds.

It's not like McDonalds has ever been more than a cheap fast food chain restaurant, even the "nicer" ones, but in recent years the overall restaurant experience has declined, if that were possible. Those self-serve machines in all of their restaurants make the place seem like little more than a vending machine with indoor seating.

McD's fries are still my favourite. But with a limited number of meal opportunities, I will eat elsewhere during a vacation.

I was also disappointed with this McDonalds. If you visit Porto, see the Cafe Majestic instead. It's kept the same decor for 100 years--and the food is much better.

I was there last week and didn't realize it only because our US fast-food obsessed colleague had to stop there. Why anyone visiting Porto wants to go to a McDonalds is beyond me. Needed a code from a receipt to use the bathroom. And… we had to stop at the Hard Rock Café too. So many other great local choices for food, coffee etc. New Metro/subway construction in front of it and around it currently too. I was told by a guide that there was once such a thing as a McBifana, but nothing like the real deal you can get at almost any local Pasteiaria or Café.

Cafe Majestic was nice, but be advised that it is pricey. I doubt a local has stepped into it in years. It thrives on visiting tourists. There’s always a line of people waiting to get in. The interior reminded me of a place in Prague I visited and also Cafe Tortoni in Buenos Aires.

I’m not sure I really agree with RS’s assessment that this McDonald’s is the worlds fanciest. I believe he also said (or some other guidebook said) this is the only McDonald to serve soup. All is really not true. If you have been to East Asia, McDonald’s there do serve soup and a lot of other things that are not common in the typical American McD.

What I think I have realized is that McD (and probably other American fast food chain) are not really considered cheap eats in Portugal. Food in McD in Portugal is expensive, comparable to what you could pay in other local sit-down-restaurants, and why would I do that? I can get much much better lanche for a much much cheaper price. For example, a vegetarian lanche (I understand lanche could be translated as snack, but the only things labelled lanche that I saw were sandwiches) is only about 2.50 Euros. The same goes for meat versions of lanche; these are nicely sized sandwiches for only 2.50 Euros. Can we actually get sandwiches at that price for that size in the U.S.? NO WAY!

I’m not sure exactly how locals view McD in Portugal. Maybe to them McD is an international/American experience to try once in a while. Of course, that’s not how McD in the US is categorized. It’s cheap food.

Why would anyone in their right mind eat McD's on a trip to Europe? Other than the occasional Egg McMuffin on a road trip in the States I would never eat that crap even at home. I don't get it.

loving the McD haters and detractors.

When I visit western Europe (a lot) and want to stop at a McDs I enjoy the local twist in things. But what I like best are the self-order screens all lined up. Why? Because in one to three clicks I can choose and order, and get descriptions, in any of a half dozen languages, and always one of the choices is English. Call me self centred but to be able to go up to one and get exactly what I want and know exactly what's on it (you can hit the customise button and see exactly what's on it) - that means a lot to me.

In Belgium the local chain Quick has similar screens with similar help.

Getting the toilet code on the receipt keeps the riff raff out. The French chain Paul does the same thing at London's Tower of London and some other places. I appreciate it.

We normally don’t frequent fast food chains in Europe, but on our September trip to Spain and Portugal we ate at a Burger King to celebrate our anniversary. Why, because back in 1978 when there were only two Burgers Kings in Spain my wife and I celebrated our first anniversary at one at the Puerta Del Sol. That location closed sometime after 2014, so we just picked one that was nearby. The photos in the link were taken in 1978 and 2014.

Why would anyone in their right mind eat McD's on a trip to Europe?

Me, but I guess some have questioned my sanity. I rarely eat at McDonald's in the US, but have thoroughly enjoyed eating my hamburger, salty fries and coke when traveling in Europe. Had my Christmas dinner in Rome at McDonald's listening to the chatter of Italian families and their children which I very much enjoyed. Felt like a local.

I'm bummed about missing the Porto Imperial McDonalds. I ate at the Ribeira McDonalds, sitting at a table outside, watching the boats go by at night on the Douro River. Next time I'll have to visit the other one.

And since I am on a roll confessing my "sins" or my lack of "sanity", I even got coffee at a Starbucks in Italy, gasp. I do have to say, the Milano Roastery is fancy.

We never frequent fast food restaurants in the US either so we usually don’t on our trips except if there’s something rather novel to us about it. For example, years ago, I think it was McD in Beijing that offered Peking duck on a bun. That’s unusual so gotta try that.

Another reason, I guess, to buy from places like McD is really to use the toilet when nothing else is easily accessible or one must go.

I went inside a Burger King in Lisbon (I think this was around the Rossio area?) to use their toilet only to find out I needed a code which I could get from purchasing something. I decided no to since items offered were super expensive for what they are. Ridiculous prices to pay for yucky fast food, IMHO. LOL. I guess I wasn’t so desperate to use the bathroom.

I eat a McD in Europe, cause I like to go where the locals go and get away from tourists. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/beautiful-mcdonalds-locations

McD's fries are still my favourite

Read about the ecological disaster xaused by the McD French fry.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/mcdonalds-french-fries-truth/

I like McDonald's! I like the hamburguers! McRoyal bacon is really good, also McRoyal cheese, and what to say about McRoyal deluxe! Delicious! I don't like Big Mac that much, but I remember the times when Big Mac prices in different countries were almost as important as the official exchange rates (this was before Euro). So I go to MacDonald's, let's say, 6 times a year, more or less.

All my friends and family (all portuguese living in Portugal) like McDonalds. We don't compare. We have other sandwiches, that are good, McDo is different, and sometimes we just go there. The fries are also very good!

I never had a soup at McDo, neither a dessert, but a friend of mine likes to combine the ice-cream (the name is sundae, I think) with the apple pie. I just go there for the sandwich and fries, with a beer. Not coke. I don't like coke. In some countries I believe you cannot drink alchool at McDo.

The thing is that the flavour is completely different from portuguese sandwiches (lanches, bifanas, pregos, whatever).

Concerning McDo Imperial, people go there to see the stain glass, not exactly to eat. And concerning the McDo at Ribeira, well... in my opinion the building is just beautifull with those red tiles.

I'm more concerned about McD's, in some countries, serving Foie Gras burgers.

As a matter of fact, I am currently in Porto. And having seen the reference to this Mickey D in the Old City walk, and since it was feet from where we were, we checked it out.

I think something has gotten lost here. This is not about how wonderful the food is at the McDonald’s, it is about the structure itself. I went in to see a beautiful and otherwise atypical McDonald’s of an architectural and decorative style that is not seen stateside. For that matter I have also viewed atypical McDonald’s restaurants that were amazing to look at in Krakow, Budapest, and Bruges. Did I eat I at one? No. Did I eyeball the menu as a comparison point for what local food prices are like given the same item can be compared? Yes. Did I use a restroom? Probably.

I'm more concerned about McD's, in some countries, serving Foie Gras burgers.

I get into a French MaccieD from time to time and have never seen that. Ever. Nor in any other country. Is this a wind-up or is there a particular store of McDo you are complaining about?

I can remember when McDonalds was really fast food. Only Hamburgers (15 cents) Cheeseburgers (17 cents) Fries (cooked in beef fat 15 cents) Shakes and Colas. There was a dress code for the mostly young men that worked there then (clean cut) and they wore paper hats. They took your order on a paper tablet with a pencil. There was no place to eat inside. You ate in your car (American car culture). The real lighted Golden Arches. In the late 80s we went out of our way for a McDs in Giessen, DE. I always thought the quality of McDs was better outside the USA (at least in Germany). The stuff upsets my stomach nowadays, but I had to try the new Big Mac. As an older teen I was a shift manager at a US McDs in the late 70s (button down shirt and McDs tie). When I visit another Country, I try to make it a point to eat their food. Hence the Bifana in Lisbon and Porto. Maybe my McDs history has jaded me a little. I can remember Manners Big Boy and A & W Root Beer too (along with others), but that's another story.

Yes, it's about the particular structure that houses the Mcdonalds in Porto, not the food.

As I mentioned, IMO, Mc Donalds has ruined this lovey structure. It's no longer worth going out of your way to see. Poke your head into it if you happen to be passing it by. FWIW, they are ripping up the square to build the new Metro line, so that's another reason to not go there. The place is not very interesting due to construction.

Why would I eat at McDonald's in Florence? Because the hotel breakfast was very expensive and it was Sunday morning when bakeries are closed. It occurred to me that there would probably be a McDonald's within walking distance and it was a good and affordable breakfast.