Fine Dining - McDonald's PlayPlace & the McGriddle feat. Chad Damiani [Part Two]

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

They thought I was sent from corporate! McDonald's Breakfast is arguably the most desirable form of McDonald's, and my Ronald McDonald-looking-ass got to chow down on it with the king of the clowns, Clown Boss Chad Damiani! The Good: I got treated like a king for coming in dressed as Ronald (and I don't think they knew I wasn't sent from the higher-ups), the McGriddle hits (for me), the hash browns hit (for Chad), and they made no stink about me playing in the PlayPlace The Not Good: The Chicken Biscuit is the drier than heck, and the ordering kiosk gave Chad a difficult time The Just There: The Egg McMuffin What We Ate: Sausage McGriddle, Egg McMuffin, Hash Browns, Deluxe Pancake Breakfast with Bacon, & the Chicken Biscuit Chad made the mistake of romanticizing a diner that did NOT live up to any expectations of decency in this week's Calibration Station "Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to watch this episode! Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe) Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose "Fine" Dining is on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month (In just a couple days, my January Patreon exclusive episode drops, and I get to cover my all-time favorite burger chain, Dan's Hamburgers out of Austin, TX with my friend Gabe Alvarez), extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas   Get the 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Join the show's Discord server: https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4   Send in your McDonald's stories at [e-mail].   Follow the show on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast Follow Chad on Instagram @thechaddamiani   Let me know where I should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I read every one!   Next week on "Fine" Dining: The Third & Final Hooter-Bowl [Part One]! I drive all the way to Las Vegas to stay at the Hooters Hotel & Casino (now branded as the OYO) to eat at the only Hooters in the country to serve breakfast with my good friend Alexander Poncio. Ever work at Hooters? Send your stories to [e-mail].

McDonald's is breakfast. The McGriddle still holds up after all these years, but the ordering kiosk machine was kind of a nightmare. We were treated like McDonald's corporate royalty, but the food did taste like science. They let me have my run of the play place, but the chicken biscuit is one of the driest sandwiches I've ever eaten. We woke up early to beat the 1030 a.m. cutoff time to eat the most important meal of the day at the most prevalent restaurant in the world.

But does popularity equal high quality, or will Mickey D's find itself with the positives and the negatives perfectly balanced on the scale of mediocrity? I put my face on for this, so we're going to give you the skinny on what it's like to eat breakfast in a McDonald's. This is the Fine Dining Podcast. It'll be the perfect five. Fine dining. Better than you thought. Worse than you hoped. Fine dining.

We don't treat mediocre as a joke. Breaking every single place we've been. Looking for the perfect five out of ten. Hello and welcome back to the Fine Dining Podcast, the search for the most mediocre restaurant in America. I'm your host Michael Ornelas, and this is the show where I'm looking for the precisely in the middle dining experience, the perfect five point double zero out of 10, because only once you know what's directly in the center, can you tell what's good or not good

by comparison? In trying to impress my master, I'm fully Ronald McDonald-ed up, and I dined on McDonald's breakfast with my guest this week. He hosts the clowning podcast, Stand Up and Clown, as well as the live show of the same name, the last Monday of every month at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. He's a regular member of Stamptown, and is on the road this year teaching and performing clown. He puts the wow in clow, wow, wow, wow, wow. It's Chad Demiani.

So angry. About what? About what part? That was the last, that was going great. It was going great. I thought it ended strongest. Oh wow. Of all the elements.

Well, clow, wow, wow to that. Thank you. Well, thanks for having me. Thanks for having me. Well, this is part two, correct? This is part two. So they know that I don't have to pretend that this is the beginning.

Yeah, you can drop the act. We know you're not a nice guy. Okay. Oh, thank God. When you take any clowning classes from him, you will have all of your insecurities just pinpoint-focused in on. That's what people tell me.

They say it's like a really, it's an unburdening. That's what people say. Not how I would phrase it. I do not feel free. I feel... You're welcome. Step down. What you've done to yourself is worse than anything

I could ever do to you in class. This is because, what you've done to yourself is worse than anything I could ever do to you in class. This is because of everything you've done to me in class. When I saw you, so I don't know what the order of things is, but I was, I was there a few minutes early. Yeah. Because it also struck me as very funny as I knew, like how much planning you put into this.

Yeah. And I was just like, I'm going to get there early because there's got to be just a part of Michael's brain that's like, what'm gonna get there early because there's gotta be just a part of Michael's brain that's like, what if he doesn't show up? Like just because there's so much work put into these things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That I was just like, I want him to see me there when he gets there. Sure.

But then when I saw you pull up in this. You're like, I should have not come. I should have not come. I was like, I had every right. What I was reading from his, you know, very responsible professional emails was him setting up this very moment of disappointment for me.

It was so rich because like, I didn't plan on particularly parking next to you. I didn't know that would be the spot I would pull into. And I look over and I'm like, of course, of course that's Chad. And you just had a look of... Yep. Just, yep. Well, right from the jump, you noticed I was just sick.

And I get out of the car and I'm like very much judging you. And I don't know that I have like a huge wad of phlegm on my shirt because I coughed it up on the way there. So I'm also like, we look like we should be traveling together. But you don't know it. I don't know it. So like there's a, you have the confidence

of a guy who didn't loogie on himself. Yeah, who didn't have like what was probably a tablespoon of dark phlegm on his turtleneck. I thought it was a bit. I don't know what the bit was. I was like, I couldn't even believe that I didn't know it was there. Yeah.

I tried to spit it out the window on the way, and I was on the phone with my parents. I think I was trying to do it quietly, and I probably just flew right back under my shirt. I had no idea. Oh, so you do think it made it out the window, and it wasn't just a, your aim is terrible. I don't do think it made it out the window and it wasn't just a, your aim is terrible? I don't think it necessarily made it out the window.

Okay. I think, but I think I was trying to do it quiet because I'm telling them, because I was sick a week ago. Yeah. So I've been telling them how much better I am. So I think I didn't want to sound- You're like, I don't want to sound like I'm not better so I'm going to hide this loogie.

I'm going to be like, this very like light sound. And so then I was like, I think that brought us back to center. When you pointed that out, I'm like better, so I'm gonna hide this loogie. Yeah. I'm gonna... This very light sound. And so then I was like, I think that brought us back to center. When you pointed that out, I'm like, all right. We've all made choices that we regret. It's funny because when you talk about clowning and how you will berate us to assert the status difference so that people get sympathetic to us,

you took all of that status away with that loogie. Oh, for sure. If I'd ever done one of my shows and came out with a phlegm loogie on my show, I would be like, everyone go home. The moment I saw you, I was just like, oh, we're peers. Yeah, yeah. Definitely was all, I would rather have been the emperor with no clothes

than the emperor with phlegm on clothes. Yeah. But I was saying, so that moment happens. And then as soon as we turn around, immediately we are accosted, politely, by someone who loves what Michael's done. Yes. Loves it. And not an employee, just someone there.

And I'm taking their phone, I'm snapping photos. Before you go into this detail. I'm just going to throw us to because this totally qualifies. We're going to talk about all the things that are good. So play the jingle for all the good the land, and this is good. I knew that you could. This is good. OK, I would say this is firmly a positive experience for both of us.

One of my top experiences. So until I indicate otherwise, we're only talking about the things we liked. OK, great. Yeah. And so this guy keeps saying to you, why aren't you here when my kids are here? Like I'm a deadbeat dad. Yeah. Like it was kind of, like he was definitely wanted,

like he was being positive, but also a little accusatory. Yeah, yeah. He's like, I could bring my kids here all the time. And why aren't you here? Why are you here now? Like you're Santa. Like you're Santa in school. And I mean, again, it is a Friday at 9.45

is when we met up in the morning. For those of you who are only interested in the pod component, you have to see how badly this makeup looks. I don't know what you're talking about other than the fact that I didn't use a professional makeup artist, I just had a friend do it. We can run it from head to toe.

I mean, run. That is good. In the category we're talking about, you like how bad this looks. This was the summer that Ronald got a perm, I guess. Ronald was feeling a little, you know, he'd just seen Annie. So, I mean, the hair doesn't match.

No powder, just white makeup. And also I could just see that your friend who helped you, who did a good job with the eyebrows, but also probably struggled to maybe outline your eyes, like you didn't like that part, where the black, because like you look terrifying. And the outfit, I don't even know how to describe. I got this on Amazon, It was like 50 bucks.

I know. But it is brimming. Yeah, it's it's just not it's not even that. It's not even you. It's just it's like a it's like a sleeve, like a Pringles sleeve. Like I couldn't I would rip that thing in into bits. I am stuck in this. Yeah, you are done for sure. This is your week. I have popped and I cannot stop. But yeah, that guy was amazing.

I ended up taking a bunch of pictures with you and that changed, what I expected. Was to be asked to leave. To be asked to leave or to sort of, there to be a general sense of them being hostile, but not throwing us out, but them being like, but not throwing us out, but them being like, come on, come on, we're at work. With your influencer stunts.

And boy, could we have not been more wrong. Yeah, they right off the bat, as soon as we come in, another table says, we want to get a photo. Dibs. I will say that table was funny too, because then you went over and I heard the woman go, we don't want to get a photo dibs. I will say that table is funny too, because then you went over and I heard the woman go, we don't want to get up, which I thought was so funny to say, because I'm doing them a favor. Exactly like they asked you with them.

You didn't go over and say, do you want a photo? They said, we want photos. You go over kindly. And then this woman immediately is just almost like with a handout goes, we don't wanna get up. I was like, but in a way, like that was the best thing. That made me laugh. By the way, it's kind of like my parents a little bit to where like my dad will always say the rude thing,

and then the rest of the family is like walking it back to the person. The amount of like valets that I have had to apologize to after we roll up with my dad and I'm just like, I'm sorry. He just doesn't know how to talk to people. And like, I have to, I'm always trying to smooth things over because like the man that was with the group was basically like, oh no, no, no.

Like I'll take the picture of y'all. You don't have to get up or like he was trying to make it like both okay for me and for her. Yeah, she was definitely running stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But he was the smoother. Like I have to be with my father. And I was going to the bathroom, so I didn't catch a bunch of that stuff. But like already I was like, this is so fun.

And then when I came back, the employees are asking for photos. They're thanking me for coming in. That was the great one. They were like, thank you for coming. And then you said to me, you go, I think they think I'm from corporate. They think and I think they have no communication with management or corporate in any meaningful way that they just when Ronald McDonald comes in, the boss is here. It really, but like. That's so crazy. But like. Listen to, like that's like, such a crazy concept. But it's like, it's to the point where, is there.

And this look too, like this. Do I not answer to anyone at my carte blanche as soon as I step in there? Well, I said to you, I was like, you should go back in the kitchen. Just start asking questions. You said I probably could get away with it, no question. Yeah, just like, just was like, you should go back in the kitchen. Just start asking questions. You said I probably could get away with it. No question.

Just like, just saying like, oh yeah, everything's working. And they'd be like, yes, sir. Yeah. They were so nice. They were. They were very pleasant. It's weird. Well, it's not weird, but like, so I've dressed up crazy three times for the podcast.

I went as Shrek to the original Pancake House and had Shrek Fist and employees were like fighting over who got to serve me. That's so cool. And like they sit me down and like my server comes over. She's like, I got the celebrity. And I was like, you know, Shrek isn't real, right? What?

And then there was like a table of like five, like kind of like tough looking guys, like biker vibes that were like, hey, can you come over and like just take a picture with us and stuff? Which is amazing. And then another time I went as Freddy Krueger to wing street. I did nightmare on wing street for my Halloween episode last year. And, uh, I, knowing how crazy Freddy Krueger was going to look, went the night before in normal clothes

to just like tell a manager like, hey, can you give your employees tomorrow a heads up that someone looking like Freddy Krueger is coming in tomorrow and I'm not there to make a nuisance, I'm just ordering food and eating and that's it. And the employees had fun with me. Some kids came in from the Popeyes across the parking lot because they noticed me and they were like threatening to kill me in my dreams.

They just like open the door like, hey Freddy I'm gonna kill you in your dreams. But in a fun way. I don't know. You're still processing that one. I thought I was gonna die. They were like really? Yeah. But like I've gotten no negativity.

It's not like... I think it's taken me now three times to realize this just brings joy. Yeah, but also, you're going out there to be fun. Because certainly... I'm not there to make a scene. I'm not there to make any employee's life difficult. Right, and I mean, I can imagine someone coming in dressed like this also, like, would wrestle grimace and knock over tables.

Right. Like and. But you didn't want to dress up in purple. So I think I helped a little bit today because I think once we clean my shirt off, you look like a like a theater tech producer. Yeah, I look like, oh, this is a serious person you're with. Yeah. So this must be something. Yeah. But they were so sweet. And like I took a bunch of pictures of you with a bunch of the employees.

They were all these sweet older ladies who, I don't know, they just had great energy. It was just such an easy and very clean because I don't know much of McDonald's or what to expect. I was like, very clean, well-kept. Everyone was nice inside. The people who worked there, they all seemed to like each other and they were like kind of just getting, like I was just like,

there was no like- Much more comfortable. There was no inter workplace drama that we were picking up vibes of. The last time I was in a McDonald's that I remember was when UCB Sunset was open. Was still around. And they had this really pretty awful McDonald's across the street.

And I went in there, I was just desperate and hungry. And you know, McDonald's can hit. Like when you're really hungry, boy, like at least initially and then maybe later just sadness and despair. But an unhoused guy came in and he was just filling endless cups of ketchup. And he got to about 12. I was going to say, what's endless? 12 is a crazy amount.

And finally, there was this major confrontation. And it was just so disheartening. And like, it was just like, I'm like, I feel bad for everybody. I feel bad for this man. I feel bad for this employee. I feel bad for all of us to witness this. And so to be in one where it was like, oh, all these people are enjoying their day.

And it was nice. Yeah. What's something else you enjoyed? That those hash browns are as good as I remember. I feel like they took a step down. I don't think they were like bad, but I thought they took a step down. But yeah, the floor is yours to rave about them if you're still.

I haven't had one in a long time. And that's like my favorite type of hash brown is just that that sort of like the paddy almost card. Yeah, the paddy playing card. Yeah. I always as a kid, I remember kind of like, I remember like liking to hold it, holding it in its sleeve and its paper sleeve and just kind of nibbling on it. Like a pez dispenser.

You're kind of like just pushing it from the device. And that's how I would eat the McDonald's apple pies. Oh, interesting. Because they'd be like scalding and like the cinnamon is like, it gets on your fingers and I don't want that. Yeah, and then, because that's distracting. Right, so like the things that are always good about that thing I thought were good, which is,

you know, it has that pillowy inside and then like, like a, like a, not an over crunch. Cause I think that's a thing that happens a lot now is sometimes when things are crunchy, it's like so absurdly crunchy. It's just like, you just want to feel that you have to break through something and then it has a texture and then you get to the pillowy inside. And yeah, with a little ketchup, I was like, yeah. I was like, I would still absolutely, I'd probably eat several of these. Like I thought it was good.

I thought it was good. Can you score that out of 10? I would give, and when you say this, just to remind me, when you're saying scoring out of 10, of all hash browns ever? Of all food you've ever had. Oh, interesting. Where does this fall?

That would probably be a 5.31. Okay. Yeah. It's a little above average. Yeah, but it's just like, oh, solid. I guess I think, you know what's so interesting when you talk about a spectrum of zero to 10? Because zero is vomit, right? And then 10 is, I don't know, miso-baked cod from Nobu.

It's like this thing where you're like, I would eat this every day, but I can only afford it every 10 years kind of situation. And yeah, I mean, it definitely falls to me like, boy, this is really solid. It's not the best potato I could get, but boy, this is really solid. It's not the best potato I could get, but boy, like this is something I can rely on. For me, the best bit of food that I had was the sausage McGriddle. I mean, to me, it's a shameless food item. It's the bread is pancakes.

And that's just culinarily an abomination. It should not exist. It should not have happened. But since it did, let's embrace it. And it's got a flavor that, you know, you get the little like syrup soaked flavor of the bun. You put some strawberry jam on it. I think that's the... So you like even more sweet. You like to add a little more sweet. I think it's less that I want more sweet and more that I think the fruitness of it adds an interesting dynamic to the flavor. Okay. So, you know,

if it was a more tart fruit, I'd be fine with that too. Um, but yeah, I mean, for the sausage McGriddle, I'm going seven out of 10. Oh, wow. Yeah. I, maybe I've underscored my hash brown a little bit. Yeah here I'll put it in different terms for you four to six is the spectrum of average to me Okay, six to seven and a half is something you'd call good Seven and a half to eight and a half you'd call great Eight and a half to like nine and a half you'd call excellent and like nine and a half and above is like This is some of the best things I've ever had my so I'll go back on that hash brown and give it about a 7.2 one. Okay. Yeah, yeah was like, really, like I am enjoying this.

Okay. I think it's interesting the McGriddle, the McGriddle has like huge diminishing returns for me. That first bite feels like they've cracked a code. Like when you get that first bite and then you get, especially with the sausage specifically, because I don't think the bacon, it's the same effect. But when you get the sausage, the egg, and the sweet together, by the third bite, I'm starting to sort of feel

how it's manipulating my taste buds a little bit in a way that I'm not usually so present with thinking about food. But I didn't really enjoy like, cause I had, so you had one without cheese. Correct. And I had one with. And yours also had egg, mine didn't have egg. You didn't have egg either. So I really like that first bite was like,

I was like, we're in business, you know, like I was like, and then. Yours sounds like too many things. I think simplicity when you have something as already creative as like, because the McGriddle bun in and of itself is the creation of it. So I think just like one protein is enough.

I don't think it needs much more. Yeah, and you know, I'm kind of like trained. You know, it's funny, I actually like manufactured what is my favorite order there, which I didn't do today because I was like, I just wanna try stuff, which is the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. Like to me, the biscuit on its own doesn't stand up to almost any of the biscuits that you could find

like at Popeyes or KFC or churches. But the biscuit in relation to breakfast for McDonald's, I think is a really solid foundational part of a sandwich for them. I'm like, this really works. I manufactured a little bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit because I also had a deluxe breakfast. Right, which comes with the English muffin, right? But then I used some of my biscuit from,

I had a chicken and biscuit. And I just put that all together and I was like, if I had ordered this, this would have like, this probably would have gotten into the seven and a halfs. Okay. Like I was like, this is like this and a hash brown and a diet Coke on the road. Yeah.

It's like, all right, I can drive for another five hours. I didn't order that. But I will say also in this category of things that I would give positive reviews for And it's a tough one because It's not all positive is the chicken Biscuit which I know is not one of your favorites. We are different on that. Yeah It's just a lot of nostalgia for me, and I understand that. From McDonald's?

Yeah, because- Do they always have the chicken? They used to have a chicken sandwich. I was kind of telling you- I'm talking the breakfast. No, no, no. Okay, okay. It's whatever this patty they use for the chicken.

Was like the classic taste of McDonald's? Was the old classic taste of like, what I remember a chicken sandwich being. I'm talking like 40 years ago. And I feel like it's, was the old classic taste of like what I remember a chicken sandwich being. I'm talking like 40 years ago. And I feel like it's, cause what I was expecting a little bit was almost what they use in their,

what I imagine they use in that chicken Big Mac just from watching videos, which is more that tempura style chicken nugget kind of pet, like a larger chicken nugget. That's not the chicken biscuit. Like whatever that thing is, that's another thing. And I think in a room, I was like, as soon as I bit it, I'm like, this is what chicken.

So because it hit a nostalgic note, it's gonna get that bump. It got that bump. But then just to your point, eventually I broke it, like didn't eat it, took the biscuit, like, you know what I mean? So I had two bites where I'm like, I scavenged it into another thing,

but that first bite was, and I think that's McDonald's, probably 70% of its appeal. Oh, this tastes like a thing I've had before. Yeah. And I'm trying to think, if there was anything else in terms of food. That was good? Yeah.

No. I can't think of anything. But I do gotta say, going into that play space. That was pretty fun. So I just went in because. There was a guy, so we should mention there was a guy in there who looked like he was being very serious about something

and there was discussion of like, is he with a child that we don't see? That he's clearly not watching. That he's clearly not watching and That he's clearly not watching, and is bringing this adult terror, this scare clown. And so I was pretty, like we really did debate it because it was like, there's a good chance there's a child being unsafe in this space.

And that's why he's so- Which I would have exited immediately. But we go in and it's completely fine. Yeah. And then, yeah, so then I'm, you decide to go through this thing. Yes. And immediately, I realize I can go up some steps, which feels cumbersome because, like we said,

I am like a Pringles can, I am bursting out of my... It's very, it's tight and it's like oddly shaped, like there's just things pulling at places that shouldn't. Look, it's accentuating all of my insecurities. And so I'm like, okay, I can take stairs is a generous word, but you know, I can ascend or I can, you know, test the waters, go to the right and they have those. I always find it funny.

The like types of things that they like gamify for children are kind of like labor jobs. And this one was like, turn a valve. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, so there's just like this circular, rotating thing on the ceiling that kind of looks like a valve that you would like if you want to make a fire hydrant, spurt water, whatever. And I'm just like going in circles and I'm just like, yeah, I guess I'll just do this for a while because it's kind of silly. And then I was like, all right, this I'm done with this.

Really? Yeah. There was no end game. Yeah. It was just, okay, I've done a few circles now done. And I go back, I start going up and I go up to one level and there's a slide, but the slide goes up. And I was like, what is this? How is this? Yeah. slide goes up and ask what is this? How is this? Yeah. They have a slide that's like a curly queue that goes from the highest layer of the play space

to the middle area of the play place. And to me at my weight, I'm not getting in that slide. I'm not chancing that. Was there a way to get up to the top part and slide down or you have to? Yes, yes, yes. I just stopped short of it because I was like, I'm knowing that I'm like elevated

and the end game isn't the ground. I didn't feel comfortable. It felt like there was, cause that plastic piece could dislodge with my weight and just plummet. I don't think it would, but it should be mentioned too. You went up two flights of stairs, were pretty firmly out of breath.

It's mostly this suit. I'm not making an accusation. You're acting like I'm accusing you of something. Oh, I was- I'm documenting. I was letting, I was making it known to you as well. I was verbalizing it. I mean, I could hear it holding the camera.

Eh, eh. And that was- It sounded like Patty and Selma from The Simpsons. It really did. And it was, it sounded like Patty and Selma. It really did. And it was sort of like to watch Ronald or this Ronald type ghoul slightly wheezing as he sort of navigated this thing

that he didn't fit into, it was really interesting. I would call that a positive for sure. There were some Winnie the Pooh vibes there for sure. And then I get to the top level. And yeah, I see that slide and I see... I have no idea what, again, what the end game of this contraption is, but they have what looks like a big ring, but it's kind of got like square edges

with like an elliptical circle through the middle of it, and then like elastic on all sides. So it's like, I think you like sit in the middle of it and then you can kind of be like jostled around maybe. I don't know, it looked like a saw trap almost. Yeah, I mean, it definitely, as you started to go through it, it didn't seem like a place where people would have any fun.

Yeah. It looked more fun from a distance. Yeah. That's accurate. I did, but looked more fun from a distance. Yeah. That's accurate. I did. But it was fun watching you navigate. Like that was a positive experience.

Yes. And then on my way back down, I noticed written in like white, almost like white out, graffiti above like the back part of the first level steps. It just says F the rules, which sounds like something a fourth grader did to be edgy. Yeah. It doesn't sound like an 18 year old went in there and was like-

And spray paint you think? It looked like whiteout. Whiteout. It was like, yeah, or like a white jelly pen or something. Interesting. And it had like good handwriting. It was almost like, yeah, or like a white jelly pen or something. Interesting. And it had like good handwriting. It was almost like comic book-y. So not totally F the rules.

I mean... They stayed within the lines. They stayed within the lines. But of all the things, F the rules. I was like, that's silly. I will say watching the guy who was in there... Did you talk to him at all? I didn't talk to him at all.

He was very much into whatever was happening on his phone. He would look up once in a while to see what was happening, but did not seem annoyed by us, but also did not seem to care. How could he be? We were fine. He would just want to have it to himself, but he actually was like, I don't give a shit,

as long as I can look at my phone. Yeah, you speculated maybe he just wanted like that outdoor sunlight and that may have been what it was. Yeah. I mean, once I was out there, I was like, Oh, I think we should have eaten out here. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely nicer. I did have their like their diet lemonade and it was also

nostalgically like, Oh, this is what my parents still drink. This sort of like powdered weird thing that is kind of sour, but really just tastes like a, you know, if a battery in a lemon had a baby. But I actually, like again, like I was like, oh, and I would say no. But it scratched a niche. It scratched a niche.

And I'll say as maybe my final positive, I don't feel sick. That doesn't feel like a positive. Well, in this world. I do have a segment for what's just there. And to me- You think I don't feel sick. That doesn't feel like a positive. Well, in this world. I do have a segment for what's just there. And to me, I'm not feeling sick is the epitome of what's just there. Well, I'm glad your life is so fucking good.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha. That waking up feeling healthy is something you take for granted. You didn't say, you don't feel healthy after this meal. This is why you failed as a clown in class. This is why you're failing as an entertainer. No, this is just showing the sweetness I bring to a class environment. But again, he's hitting on truths. So, uh, alright.

Well, that's everything that's good. Now we can dunk on McDonald's. Let's talk about everything that was not good. This is not so good. I'm not quite sure about it. Could have done without it. The stuff that brings down the mood. This is just not very good. This chicken biscuits sucked to me.

Ultimately it was terrible. I it was so dry like I know you said it was reminiscent of a quality of chicken, but to me, that quality is low quality. Oh, for sure. This is something they have worked out. I thought they had moved past. Yeah. This is like casting Kevin Spacey in a movie in 2025, where it's just like, oh, I just thought we were done with that.

As a gym teacher. Yeah. Exactly. So it's just like, yeah, I thought we all agreed this is behind us. I was, like I said, when I had that first bite, I did have that immediately like, oh. It's like when I have a drumstick, those ice cream drumsticks,

when I, like if I see one, once in a while I'll have one and I'll be like, oh my God, this is, and it's like the second bite. It's like, oh, this is just a chemical nightmare. I was surprised that they didn't have like a better version of chicken in there. Yeah. Because I think the biscuit is like I said, it's a delivery system that works for them is not something I'd ever order on its own. It's very dry.

It's so skinny. So skinny. Like the chicken patty itself. It's very dry. It's so skinny. So skinny. Like the chicken patty itself, it's just like, this is a lot of not meat. Yeah. This is a lot of fried not chicken. Yeah, it has that sort of, I won't call it rubbery, because it's, it wasn't, yeah, texture didn't bother me.

But it, but it does kind of tear away in a way that doesn't feel like it's to get, it's like particle board. It's like it's already chewed for you. It's what shop master fell through. Yeah, literally that. It was bad. So I went three out of ten on that. I ended up putting ketchup on it and that helped it a little bit, but it was still pretty dry with that. But I was kind of able to emulate like a, like a chicken sandwich.

I'd probably give it a 4.25 only because that first bite was good. Yeah. I'd actually, if I had something that I was going to really rain shit upon, it was the Egg McMuffin. I just felt like in a way when I first bit it, like what I wanted to think was like, oh, this was a time for a lighter easier breakfast and there wasn't like a second because I I bit it after a McGriddle bite where I was like this is kind of a relief because the McGriddle is so intense. Yes. But

then as I started to like chew it I was like this egg is egg is unseasoned. This ham is uninspired. It's literally just the most processed piece of flimsy ham. Yeah, Canadian bacon, technically. Which is ham. Which is ham, yeah. And I also say that there's just no love in the English muffins anymore.

Yeah. I just feel like it's barely toasted. I can remember loving English muffins as a kid. I love them now, but I buy them and make them at home. Getting them from McDonald's is not gonna do them justice. Yeah, they're just like, yeah. They're just, they were barely toasted. I mean, barely.

And for an English muffin, That's its whole thing. Its whole thing muffin, like that's its whole thing. It's whole thing. Yeah. That's like taking away its whole thing. And I was just like, this is such a nothing burger. This, this, this like, it's not doing any damage, but it's so like, just underwhelming.

Do you have a score for it? Yeah, that I would go, uh, I'll go with a, a 2.43. 2.43. 2.43, okay. Yeah, the only other thing that I have is like a negative with a bullet, but it was funny to me because the only thing that I have status on with you is youth. And so to see you struggle with the-

The kiosk. The... The kiosk. The electronic ordering kiosk. Just getting past the first thing. To be fair, the first one I went to was... No. It wasn't broken. No. There was a button that said...

So it's like... The buttons were confused. Proceed and then it's like skip logging in. I guess you can log in. Like if you're a McDonald's regular, you can have a login. That's sad. And you just stared at the skip login button and it was like, I don't know what to do. But also it should be like, skip logging in, it's like...

I agree, it's a crazy option. Well, it's something that they've designed clearly because they want you to be like, asking the question, what's a login? As opposed to just being like, guest. Yeah. Like that's what a normal thing would be like. Guest. Proceed as guests.

Yeah. Or, or VI or like VIP pass card or whatever the. Yeah. They call it, but like to say skip lot, like that's such a weird reverse way. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. I agree.

But I did struggle mightily. I just, I always find it funny looking at a person looking at one of those things and going like, what is this? But it also makes me laugh because I do. I mean, McDonald's really does cover a spectrum and like, I just imagine there's a whole massive part of their like long time base. That's just like, what are these wizard screens? You know, well, and three times one, I mean, we ordered a lot of food.

Three times employees came over and were like, do you need help with this? They also wanted to talk to Ronald. I do think they wanted to talk to Ronald. But like, they're used to this. They know people need help. They are like, at some point it's just like, well, can we ditch the kiosks in order

from the register again? Because if you need to come over and help, what are we really saving? Right, right. And you know, it's funny, because there's things like when you go to a grocery store, how self-checkout has been amazing, right? Like when you can go in

and you can just take care of it on your own. But that is all done very intuitively, but recently, and it's a very similar problem that this kiosk has, which is that they want you on the app. They want you on the app. They want you thinking on screen.

They want you ordering on screens. Is now they, especially like places like Ralph's, they have stuff that if you have a membership that you get a discount, but then there's a digital coupon. So sometimes you'll grab something and then you'll go in and they'll be like, no, you have to now scan the coupon on your phone. And they all want to scrape and sell your data. That's what it is.

It's just sign up for our app so that we can sell your data and your purchasing patterns to advertising companies. Yeah. And that's all it is. It's so frustrating. And every single one does it and they incentivize it. It's also why I never make donations when

it's like, do you want to round up to the nearest dollar to support this? The only reason the stores are doing that is because it becomes a charity. The entire amount of money you spend on the order plus that donation is a charitable write-off now. So they- For them.

For them. Yeah. So it's a tax write-off for them. They don't care about the charity. No, no, they're just trying not to pay as few taxes as possible. But it bothers me that we're taking away the human element of ordering and of interacting at, and you know, I get it, a sit down chain restaurant is going to be a different experience from a fast food.

But I like the person to person interaction anywhere because I like to be able to ask clarifying questions. I like just the warmth of a, hey, how's it going? And maybe I can make a stupid joke that makes the monotony of their day feel less. So I was, I would have liked to have interacted more with those employees. They were all very sweet. Yeah. Like I would have liked this static place, especially. Yeah.

I would have been like, oh, this is nice. Yeah. Yeah. Do you know Dave's hot chicken? Yeah, of course. I tried to call there the other night to like place a phone order. And their automated message is just 100% like, don't, why are you calling? It's like, if you really want to place an order, the best place to do that is on the app.

If you still want to talk to employee, just know our kitchens are pretty busy and they may not answer like they're making the excuses for them and kind of encouraging. And then of course, after like a two minute menu, it finally goes to one ring and it's picked up and hung up immediately. And I'm just like, right. They don't want to bother with it. I just want to ask, hey, are you guys still open? Because Google shows that you are, but Yelp shows that you're not like,

that's the thing too. It's always like, it's more efficient, and it's like, but it's not. Because what it is, is it's streamlining, but streamlining isn't efficient. Oh, you mean the automation is efficient, quote unquote. Yeah, the automation is efficient. It's like, no, it's actually narrowing

the amount of information we can get. Things are moving faster. But you're also losing all these little services on the sides. Yeah. Yeah. And for something that's like, hey, I have a 10 second question and you can give a two second answer,

why am I spending five minutes on the phone? Why am I hitting nine prompt buttons? Yeah. Ah, it bothers me. Anyways, that's a tangent. That wasn't the case with this McDonald's. 0.04 for that McDonald's. Yeah. It bothers me. Anyways, that's a tangent. That wasn't the case with this McDonald's. 0.04 for that McDonald's. Yeah. But as far as not good goes,

oh, you didn't get to try the breakfast because I made a big mess of it. We should mention that. Because I got so disgusted with it. What was it called? I got the deluxe breakfast. The deluxe breakfast, that's the one that comes with pancakes, eggs, sausage English English muffin you didn't

get to try that because what happened was I tried a little of it and was very dissatisfied through trash on it and through like did that thing you do and cardboard container entombed it send it to its grave and then you wanted to try it and it was like oh is there still a pancake in there? And you're like, oh, yeah. And then I opened it up. And then you took the top off, and it was like, might as well have been cigarette butts. It literally felt like the loogie on your shirt all over again.

Yeah. But that was, I did use the eggs and the sausage to build that like fake. Breakfast sandwich. Breakfast sandwich. But God, I remember those pancakes being much better. Yeah. I guess I've just had a bunch of pancakes since I was a kid.

Yeah. And they were science. These pancakes were like, there's nothing in here, but just like pancake flavor. Right. And there's syrup too. Same thing. It's like, this is sweet enough to be syrup.

Like, daddy, am I sweet enough? Am I syrup yet? That would probably be like a, again, like a like, this is sweet enough to be syrup. Like, daddy, am I sweet enough? Am I syrup yet? That'll probably be like a, again, like a two, one, four. Like it's just not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I remember too thinking, what I did was, what I would always do is pancake, a little bit of egg, a little bit of sausage,

and then you just put a little syrup in it and you make a little pancake taco. You make a McGriddle before the McGriddle. Pre-McGriddle. Yeah. And now, the McGriddle was so much better than my pre-McGriddle. Yeah.

But I will say the egg, if I was gonna give it credit for anything, the eggs are pretty, their eggs are pretty good. Like when they- I didn't have them. I mean, I had them in one of the sandwiches. But then I made that trash fire. Yeah.

Yeah, sorry about that. Let's talk about in one of the sandwiches. But then I made that trash fire. Yeah. Sorry about that. Let's talk about the atmosphere of the place. I mean, I know we've kind of vaguely cleaned bathroom. They had a play place, and people were kind of like psyched to see Ronald, and that's part of it. But as far as like the decor, this is a very... The only thing I noticed that like really stood out as quote unquote decoration was a map of South America that was like McCafe. And it showed where like all the beans came from.

I didn't even see that. Yeah. It was like kind of, uh, in an, in an area of the store we didn't really go to, but it was visible if you kind of looked toward the front. Um, but there was like nothing on the walls, make this place homey. It's very clear that they're like, we don't really want you to stay here. We want you to take the food and go.

That's what they've realized. Yeah. Is that they, and I think this is fast food chains almost in general. Right. Everything's been done to be like, we don't want you sitting in these chairs too long. We don't want you hanging out using our wifi too long.

Yeah. We're not trying to compete with Starbucks. Get your food. Get going. Get going. And it'll be clean here. We'll be nice to you. But there's more money when more people are coming in, not when people are staying. So for that, despite the positive attention

that I also chalk up to the atmosphere of this experience, I am going to give the atmosphere one thumb down. Not two. Not going to be the worst. I am gonna give the atmosphere one thumb down, not two, not gonna be the worst, but. Yeah. I would say it was disheartening. Because obviously, I mean, who knows if you'll ever get this outfit off. Honestly, you are sewn into that thing.

I wonder if I can, you should definitely try to, try to hulk out of it. But like, but just with like breathing heavily, I don't wanna actually pull on it. Yeah. And it's weird. I only have one food item that I call not good, but I'm still going to give one thumb down overall to the food.

Just like as a blanket statement, the food at McDonald's, it's not even average. It is less than average to me. Yeah. I, I mean, I'm not a fast food person, but my feeling was the same way where, so I haven't had this in years and there was no part of me that's like, I need to go back. Well, this'll be a tradition now.

Yeah. Like there are definitely, usually I stay in LA for the holidays because flying back to Jersey is really difficult and I still go to Sharkey's all the time and get nachos on Christmas Eve. Yeah. Because I hadn't experienced once,

I don't really go, but I was like, that was so fun and those nachos taste great. But this was one of those things where I was like, well, I haven't really been missing anything. You're like, I'm not going to make a tradition of eating with Michael. Yeah. Where Michael dresses garishly, I throw up on myself. Whatever the mascot of the place. I'm gonna dress up as Yeah, though that Hooters trip. I'm still into that

Or something where I can go is the original hamburger Alright As far as the negative goes though, that is everything most of the stuff is gonna be in this last category Pretty middling. yeah in my opinion so let's play the jingle for all the stuff that was just there yeah this is a lot of it so hash browns for me I know you liked them to me This is for the stuff that is killer-spin. Yeah, this is a lot of it. So, hash browns for me, I know you liked them.

To me, they were like a five and a half out of 10. They were fine. I thought they were good. Was it the best one I've ever had? I still think the formula works. My memory of it made me expect better. Like to me, like past versions of this hash brown hit harder for me, but for you,

it literally, it did live up to that expectation. I was like, Oh, this is what I remember. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe it's just a store to store quality thing or whatever. Uh, it still wasn't bad that it was just there. Uh, the egg McMuffin while you thought it was not good. I thought it was the epitome of just like, Oh, this is there. This is fine.

This is average. So I had it at a perfect five out of 10 for the Egg McMuffin. I think it's just Canadian bacon is such an uninspired meat that it's just like, yeah, you throw Canadian bacon on anything and yeah, it's okay. Maybe with cheese, I would have felt differently, but I think in general, just like the English muffin for me was what really sunk it. Yeah. They did forget one of our items.

We got two McGriddles. I got one that didn't have cheese. You got one that had egg and cheese. Uh, they forgot yours. I went up, they fixed it quickly. There was no hassle. There was no like, prove it to me, show me the receipt. There's no attitude, anything like that.

So to me, a little service mishap, but it is just there. It's not bad. Anything like that. Yeah. I mean, this whole experience was overwhelmingly. It was like a fever dream of mediocrity is kind of the way I would I would advertise what this meal was, where it was all very mediocre, nothing bad happened.

But also, I mean, just putting myself through waking up extra early to have my face painted like Ronald McDonald, squeezing myself into a costume that does not fit me. I look like Raggedy Ann. I know, I saw the looks of all the other drivers on the road on the commute to and from. And-

Not as excited as the people at the McDonald's. There was an unhoused guy standing outside of the Burbank Library that just saw me. He was walking and he just stopped and stared and like may as well have pointed. It was like that direct of like, I am looking at you right now. Uh, and I felt judged. How dare they, how dare they they but I did like Being in the restaurant as far as like the intention and all that and the other yeah other patrons were nice So I I mean I don't have there really isn't that much to talk about with this restaurant

As far as like everything that was just there. I'd say the service team I'll even go as far as to give them one thumb up. I give them a thumb up for sure. I thought, I didn't feel like at any point that they were, like if we needed anything, I think we'd have been fine. They checked on us at the kiosks. I feel like I could have pulled, like I could have called in some favors. I think you could have got some free stuff. I had authority in that moment. We could definitely got some desserts if we wanted.

Yeah. Yeah, I think that, is there anything else you can think of to talk about? Not really. I mean, to me, the experience trumped the food. It was good for laughs just because of this idea of, again, we can talk conceptually about the idea of Ronald McDonald showing up and everyone being like, oh, Ronald's here. But that just makes me laugh so hard that just the idea that the mascot can show up and everyone's like, I guess the boss is here.

Taken charge. Taken charge. Just making a random visit, this is what he must do. That's so funny to me. I also think it must have been confounding to them that I was in and out in 35 minutes. This wasn't like I did a shift there. Well, also it was like you were there and we did do some filming eventually. In the place. In the

place. But we weren't like making a big show of like I'm Ronald Me. Like we were just like we're just gonna order. Yeah. We're gonna eat our food and I think that gave us legitimacy. I do think if this was a bigger McDonald's, if this was like a Times Square McDonald's, I probably would have. Because they've got a line to corporate. I would have milked it a little bit more. Oh, I thought they would kick you out. I think it was Times Square.

Oh, that's very possible. Times Square, I think you had pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground. I think in Burbank, they're like, oh, this is something special for them. Yeah, but I would have been like, I'll get your badge number, not to the cops, but to like the employees. Oh, sure. While the cops are pinning you down. Turn in your gun and your badge,

you're fired from this McDonald's. Yeah. Okay, well, we have to score this whole thing, but Chad, it's your first time here on the Fine Dining Podcast. You haven't gone to the almost 100 restaurants that I have. So we need to calibrate your scale. We're going to stop real quickly at the calibration station.

Okay, Chad, the calibration station is where we define both ends of your spectrum. The worst restaurant experience you've ever had, the best restaurant experience you've ever had, so that McDonald's can fall somewhere in between. Tell me about them. Well, my best experience when it came to... I would say experience, by the way, is an important word. Yes. Because I think as time passes, how food tastes and like how food tasted that day,

sort of kind of just- Fleeting. Fleeting. And the best time I ever had at a restaurant was when I was, I think, seven or eight years old, and my family went down to Disney World. And we were staying at one of the hotels within the park that you could take the monorail to,

so you didn't even have to drive, you were just part of it. And one of the mornings we were there, we took the monorail to the fanciest of these hotels, and it was the first time I ever had a breakfast buffet. And that was like the most, it was like magical. And I can just remember walking in and just seeing like, I could eat, little fat kid,

I could eat as much as I wanted from any single place. I used to literally, every time we'd go to like a breakfast brunch or a buffet or something, just a full plate of bacon. Oh just because you could. Because I could and because I loved bacon like I'm talking nine ten pieces. For me there was two things that always stood out which is the you could get an eggs Benedict and you're gonna get like as many as you want like you know you go to a restaurant you get two but there you could have six.

Yeah. But this particular day, everything was good by the way. And, you know, say what you want about Disneyland or Disney World. I mean, they do know how to like kind of pull you in. That was a place where I had deep fried French toast at this buffet. Deep fried French toast sounds so good.

And it was like my meal, but it was the dessert. And I just remember being like, it can't get better than this. This same trip, by the way, I also had fried shrimp for the first time and also was like... Mind blown. Mind blown.

In fact, my parents were like, where are the tails? I just ate every... I was just like, they're so good. They're so... But that was the best experience. And then, you know, I've had a... In fact, my parents were like, where are the tails? I just ate everything. I was just like, they're so good. They're so, yeah. But that was the best experience. And then, you know, I've had so many lousy meals.

And to me, service tends to be the thing that really puts something into the really bad. And that's exactly what came to mind. I live in a studio city. Yeah. And when I moved there, it was already a very stressful time. Cause I, I'd just been widowed, right?

Not to bring things down. And I was like, I gotta find a place. I've got to start over this net. And I found this neighborhood. And one of the things that really caught my eye was there was this diner called Twain's and it had been there forever. This is maybe 15 years ago. Okay. called Twain's and it had been there forever. This is maybe 15 years ago.

And one of the things that stood out, it was on like the corner of Ventura and Coldwater, is there was a sign that it spun, like old school, like they'd spent money and it said Twain's. And as soon as I saw it, I'm like, oh my God, this is like a real deal old school diner. The vibes of a place. I love diners.

Of the past. And so I just, I obviously wasn't the only reason I moved there, there was a bunch of stuff, but in my mind I'm like, God, it would be cool to find something in this neighborhood. And then the place I did move was there. And I would, I started walking my dog and people would be like, I'd be talking to people

and some people would say to me like, oh, you know what you gotta do? You gotta go to breakfast at Twain's. And every time someone would say it, I'd be talking to people and some people would say to me like, oh, you know what you gotta do? You gotta go to breakfast at Twain's. And every time someone would say it, I'd get so excited. I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna write there. Like, you know, around nine in the morning, go there, hang out for a couple hours. Yeah.

Well, about two months into staying there, I finally go and I walk in and it's like a scene from some movie where there's like six or seven people strewn about, but everyone's just kind of sitting there. No one's got any food in front of them. And I'm like, oh, what's going on here? And I go sit at the counter. No one talks to me for like 10 minutes. I'm like, this is like a horror movie. What is this? And finally, this very like over it waitress who's been working there for 30 years. She comes out and I go, hey, can I put my order in? And she's like, we're not taking orders till the chef arrives.

It's nine in the morning. So everyone around is just like, we're waiting. Right. So I said, oh, I thought you guys opened at 730. And she's like, we do. And but like not like, I know this, it's not like I'm so sorry. No acknowledging. And then just on that cue, this guy rushes in hung over,

like you've never seen in your life. Yeah. And she starts screaming at him. And he's like, I know, I know, I know. And then she's like, well, I'm going to take the orders. And so I'm like, oh my God, this is so ridiculous. But still, okay, there's only to take the orders. And so I'm like, oh my God, this is so ridiculous,

but still, okay, there's only like seven of us. And he goes, he goes, you know, I'm not going to serve any food until I prep the flat iron. So then he starts just laying bacon on the grill because he's going to cook all this bacon just to prep the flat top to cook food. But that bake, I was like... No one's eating that bacon.

Like, let us have that bake. And I just left. And it was like the death of a dream. The place you kind of romanticize. Because I also romanticized it because it did look like no one gave a shit. Like, you know what I mean? But then you find out, oh, no one gives a shit.

And I was like, I don't want that. I want them to actually like, and so yeah. So like, I just, it just became this, like every time I'd walk by it, just this like place where I was like. Trauma flashback. Screw yourself, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

It did close eventually, now it's a Sharky's. Which I do frequent. For nachos on Christmas Eve. Yeah, for nachos, so it's all tied together. Yeah. All right, well, you are calibrated. Somewhere between Twain's and Disney World breakfast buffet is McDonald's for breakfast.

So we are going to get our final scores. Final is the moment we've been waiting for. It is time to reveal the final score. Chad, you have to put a number between zero and ten if five is perfect mediocrity, considering all the aspects, the Ronald McDonald of it all,

the play place of it all, the kiosk of it all. How are you scoring this experience at McDonald's for breakfast? I think it comes down to experience again. And this is a meal I'll never think about again. I will never consider this meal again. But I will remember just feeling like Ronald McDonald Land royalty for sure. Which is a once in a lifetime opportunity unless you choose to dress up like this sometime. Yeah. I mean, so then as you said, it'll only happen now. Right. So weighing the food, which like I said, is nothing that I care to have again, against

this sort of like really fun surprise that like we were big shots in this one weird moment. I'm going to, it's definitely better than an average experience. Yeah. It's still not epic. So I'm going to go with a 6.25. 6.25. Chad, I am so much below you on this. You mean as an artist? I mean, I didn't mean it that way, but I mean, yeah, for calling a spade a spade.

I mean, yeah, if we're calling a spade a spade. No, I'm just kidding. I... I think the experience of dressing up is something that every time I do it, it's funnier in concept, and it kind of just weighs down on me when I go to these restaurants and I'm dressed cumbersomely, and it... it hinders it. And I did like the attention, but also I didn't like the entitlement. The employees didn't have entitlement, but all the

customers kind of were like, you owe us this. And the food was nothing to write home about, you know, the service, they were friendly, but I mean, at the end of the day, they were there. Uh, and there's nothing sexy about the end of the day, they were there. And there's nothing sexy about the inside of a McDonald's. Decor-wise, they do nothing to make you feel welcome. So I'm going 3.18. Wow.

I would call this not good. Doesn't mean I hated it. It's not like the ones and twos. I'm not gonna shit talk. Not a White Castle situation. This is not a White Castle situation. This is not a White Castle situation. This is not a Shoney's situation. But I think a 3.18 is fair and what it deserves,

which means when we put your score with my score, McDonald's breakfast goes up on the Chachki of mediocrity at a 4.72. Curious to see what that looks like. at a 4.72. Curious to see what that looks like. Oh, so kind of fairly in a wild cluster. Just below Perkins and Margaritaville. Oh wow. Just above Sarku, Japan, which is like a food court,

teriyaki chicken place that I love, or grew up loving. Yeah, I don't know, that feels all right. Cause I've done the McDonald's from the Grimish Shake and it was a 4.28. Okay. So this is, you know, half a point above it. Okay, it's not the worst. Yeah, it's a marked improvement. And I and I do think that the breakfast is better at McDonald's personally. Like I would rather go for breakfast than for a lunch or a dinner.

Oh, interesting. Personally. Yeah. Yeah. I used to think breakfast was my favorite thing to get at fast food. But then after today, I'm like, maybe that's just an old version of me. No, I think that was I mean, that that might be true, but it, to me, it also kind of felt like the bar has dropped a little bit. Well, or the offerings. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, so it's under a five. This means that McDonald's breakfast is officially less than mediocre. Chad, because it wasn't the perfect 5.00 out of 10, my search does need to keep going. Usually I reach over and I have a bowl that I pull my next restaurant out of. The You Must Bowl, where I must go. But I'm going to do something a little bit special.

And this one actually kind of ties into you. So for my next restaurant, you did a commercial for Monday Night Football. Was it a commercial or it was a commercial parody? It was like a sketch, right? Yeah. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. No, thank you. Was it just a, was it a one thing? Yeah, it's this thing they do,

a guy named Norm Souza and another guy named Jason Palmer who are comedy folks that work with Fox. Yeah. They do them almost every week. There's short form and long form, but they do these things just mostly in the pregame shows. Yeah, yeah. Well, the Super Bowl is the Sunday after my next episode.

And for the past two Super Bowls, I've done Hooters. Year one, I did just regular Hooters. I went to the one at the Long Beach Pike. Year two, I did Hoots Wings by Hooters, I went to the one at the Long Beach Pike year two. I did Hoots Wings by Hooters, which is the fast casual concept that basically is Hooters without the Hooters girls to go. Huh. Essentially. And I want to do a third annual Hooter Bowl. I don't know what other Hooters that I can try. There aren't that many more variants.

Right. So I'm going to declare this the third and final Hooter Bowl. I'm going to go to Las Vegas and stay at and review the Oyo Hotel and Casino, formerly the Hooters Hotel and Casino. They have the only Hooters in the country that serves breakfast. I have heard it's one of the lowest reviewed hotels on the Vegas strip. So from check-in to check out, I'm going to stay inside of that building and review that for next two weeks. Episodes Hooter bowl three.

Yeah. So, uh, I don't know. That feels like a way to top it. And I'll, I'll, I'll see one of the shows at the hotel and I'll eat dinner and breakfast at that Hooters, you know, be brave is if every day you brought back one of these beloved characters. So you're Shrek one day. I'm only saying one day. What do you mean every day? Do you think I'm doing a five day trip? You do a morning, maybe for breakfast, your Shrek.

Then for lunch, your Grimace. Then you bring this Abomination back. And Freddy Krueger. Freddy Krueger. Oh God. I won't be doing any of that because that sounds like I'm already going to be miserable being inside one of the worst reviewed casinos in Vegas.

Yeah, yeah. And by the way, to be the worst in Vegas, a place I've spent much time. Yeah. It's like, you have to work pretty hard. I remember going years ago to a place that had dime roulette. Yeah. That was like watching people play roulette with dimes. Yeah. Is, it makes you realize like that there's further to fall always every time I play roulette it is a dime playing roulette are you saying you're a

guy like you're a ten yeah anyways that'll do it for this week's episode of the fine dining podcast you can follow Chad on social media if you want to tell people where Chad Demiani on Instagram. All my information is there. I have a link tree that has shows, classes, et cetera. Also my podcast, Stand Up and Clown. You can find it on Apple or Spotify. It's not as funny as this. It actually has value.

Jesus Christ. When I say that you have honed in on all my biggest insecurities, you just hit on one that you didn't even know I had. I'm just like, I'm not adding anything to the world with this. Yeah. I mean, but by the way, you know, look, not everyone can sort of push civilization forward. You can follow me on social media at Fine Dining Podcast on Instagram and TikTok. You can check out my Patreon.

That's patreon.com slash fine dining podcast for the extended Yelp from Strangers segment and an exclusive episode every single month. We didn't find the most mediocre restaurant in America. The search does in fact continue. We'll see you next time. Have a fine day. and subscribe the search continues our journey did not conclude mother and search continues write us an iTunes review and hey while you're at it why don't you go ahead and make it five stars

Follow us on TikTok, the same on Instagram, all the socials, at FindDiningPodcast, we have a website, finddiningpodcast.com, buy our t-shirts, then put them on. And don't forget, you can always suggest where we go next. Okay! We're going to find it. Mediocrity, the search continues See you next week! Cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough