Burger King, Edinburgh

...and generally comparing McDonald's and Burger King to decide who really is the best. I can say now that I have come to a conclusion, but that comes later!

I must say here that neither of them were too bad, but somehow they both seemed to lack on some of my criteria, but it's time to get to work and decide who really is the champion of the fast-food restaurants according to my tough judgement!

On Entry...

...
...and bins...

Burger King has some toilets which look reasonable, but the sinks are far too small - you can't get your hands in! However, the store is generally pretty dirty, with plenty of chewing gum underneath tables and mess on the floor. And there seems to be a bin shortage, too.

McDs is at a serious disadvantage - thay have no toilet! However, there are plenty of bins and you'll also find the store is significantly ... more

I have spent a week researching this opinion, trying out burgers and chips, seeing what the service is like and generally comparing McDonald's and Burger King to decide who really is the best. I can say now that I have come to a conclusion, but that comes later!

I must say here that neither of them were too bad, but somehow they both seemed to lack on some of my criteria, but it's time to get to work and decide who really is the champion of the fast-food restaurants according to my tough judgement!

On Entry...

As you enter my local BK, you are greeted by a menu and a huge sign that tells you how much better they are than McDs. It is in a good location, and easy to find, but it doesn't smell fantastic and the tables are laid out in an almost impossible way!

At McDs, you also get a menu as you walk through the door, but before that, just to invite you in, they've got bins either side of the entrance. Lovely to see when you're about to have a meal. It is harder to get to but is well laid out and does not smell bad.

One point to McDonald's.

Cleanliness, toilets and bins...

Burger King has some toilets which look reasonable, but the sinks are far too small - you can't get your hands in! However, the store is generally pretty dirty, with plenty of chewing gum underneath tables and mess on the floor. And there seems to be a bin shortage, too.

McDs is at a serious disadvantage - thay have no toilet! However, there are plenty of bins and you'll also find the store is significantly cleaner, with people always around washing the floor and with their cloths on the tables.

[Fact... Burger King at Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport was shut by Health & Safety inspectors for a week to clean up as it was so dirty]

One point, out of a possible two to McDonald's.

You make your way towards the service counter and you take a look at the menu. This is where your meal properly begins, when you're standing in the queue gazing at the menu to see what's available and how much cash you'll have to part with for it.

Selection...

At Burger King, there is a good range of things to eat for your main course - Whopper, Whopper with Cheese, Big King... the list goes on. However they seem to lack in the pudding department. But the prices are fine - nothing that will leave the bank manager moaning.

McDs has a massive selection of everything, and everything is listed very clearly on the menu boards, with all the different sizes, which is something BK have failed to address. The prices are OK, a bit steeper, but you can get your apple pie here!

Four points out of five for McDs and three for BK.

Service...

At Burger King, I has served by what looked like a 17-year-old girl. There was a guy behing me complaining, whom she ignored, and she was generally rather miserable and rude. And holy cow - she was so stingy with the chips - gave us about three!

McDs had a guy who was friendly, attentive and listened to any criticism we had. He made sure everything was OK, and when we ordered something that they needed to cook, he even gave us some table service, bringing us the burger once it had been cooked.

Three out of three for McDs, but BK get nothing.

Burgers...

This is where McDs could lose some points. Their burgers are often dry or soggy, with too much filling and not enough burger, and if you get a takeaway they're usually cold before you even walk out the door. And the fillings aren't the best, although their cheese is good.

Burger King, on the other hand, has outstanding burgers with a very distinct taste, great filling with plenty of fresh tomato and lettuce. My only concern is that they overfill their burgers, but certainly a unique taste and definitely not a bad one.

Three points for McDs but nine for BK out of a possible ten.

Chips...

McDs now have a selection of fries - either the normal ones, which taste fine although rather salty, or the special coated ones which come in a nice little bucket, which I personally prefer. Both are very good although are often cold. And there are lots of sizes of pack available.

Burger King have turned round everything and no only serve the special King Fries, which is great. They are nice and crispy, and the coating keeps in the heat. But they lose marks for not having a selection available, but their chips do keep warm.

So four out of five for McDs and four for BK too.

Puddings...

McDonald's has all sorts of pies, ice creams, doughnuts - everything you could ever want. It all tastes pretty good and is very satisfying and reasonably priced. I have yet to find something to criticise in the McDonald's puddings.

The puddings that BK do serve are very good, but I personally find they have a very limited selection, so wave goodbye to a mark there. But they do come nicely wrapped in packaging that helps keep your order warm so you don't end up with soggy apple pie!

So five out of five for McDonald's and three out of five for BK.

Drinks...

McDs has all sorts of drinks... Coke, Sprite, Fanta - you name it. As a standard with your meal, you get a huge drink, with not too much ice - just enough to keep it at an enjoyable temperature. Milkshake is also available, but I dread to think what goes in it...

Burger King are pretty similar on the drink front, although I have been watching carefully. If you order a meal in Burger King you will actually get a smaller drink in a smaller cup, but with at least half the cup full of ice. Oh dear...

Four out of five for McDs, but three for BurgerK.

Kid's Meals...

McDs have the famous Happy Meal with it's 'free' toy included in the price of the meal. However, you get practically no food - just a flimsy burger and a measly bag of fries. But you do get the toy, so nobody can complain about that!

The BK meal is generally better, with more fries and a better quality burger, so the stuff is better there. I think the prices are the same, but I'm afraid that better burger means a worse toy. The toys at BK aren't really as good as at McDs.

One point to McDs but four go to BK.

And I'm going to award a special bonus point to Burger King for their fantastic website which enables you to design your own burger and then submit in to a competition. Go to www.burgerking.co.uk and then click on 'burger heaven.' What a great idea!

And the final result... Burger King 27 - 26 McDonald's

BK just won it there - top performance. So it's Burger King for some fantastic chips and a great range of fantastic tasting burgers, but not really the place for you if you're hygeine concious, but great for vegetarians.

McDonald's is for those of you who don't really care about the food, and are just worried about cleanliness and service. But it really is up to you to decide. Although if you don't eat meat then avoid McDonald's at all costs! 

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