I went to little-known McDonald’s headquarters with a global menu – here are the best countries for burgers

EVER wondered what burgers you might find at a McDonald’s in Brazil? Or what passes for dessert in Japan?

At one special branch, you don’t have to wonder – you can eat your way around the world without having to fly all that way.

It is also attached to the Hamburger University where staff are trained but this is sadly closed to the public[/caption]

The McDonald’s global headquarters is in Chicago’s West Loop (also home to Google‘s headquarters) and attached to Hamburger University which is McDonald’s training centre for restaurant managers.

While the university isn’t open to visitors, thankfully the headquarters are.

Until recently, it was the only McDonald’s to offer a global menu which is a selection of the most popular items from around the world.

It’s certainly a fancier McDonald’s – guests scan a QR code on the table and get food brought delivered, for example, and there’s a patio outside where you can dine al fresco.

On my first visit, there were items from seven different countries on the global menu – so I ordered everything.

I kicked things off with the McAloo Tikki from India – a veggie burger made with potatoes and peas.

I was expecting something mildly curry-flavoured, but instead got a slightly spicy patty overloaded with raw onion. Not a great start.

Next came the McCrispy Bacon and Cheese Melt from Brazil, a twist on the version you can get in the UK and an immediate improvement.

Sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun was a perfectly fried chicken breast, topped with crispy bacon and a cheese sauce that oozed with every bite.

This was more of a success – it was messy but deeply satisfying.

The menu often changes – so I tried everything on the list[/caption]

My favourite was the Triple Onion Burger from South Korea, a brilliant take on the classic Big Mac that I would 100 per cent order again.

You’ve got the beef patty, the cheese slice and the lettuce in a brioche bun, but instead of the pickles you got thinly sliced red onion, caramelised white onion and crispy fried onion adding layers of flavour and texture. Delicious. 

For the side, I got a portion of Deluxe Potatoes from France – potato wedges that were decent, although sadly didn’t live up to the fancy name.

Then came the desserts – which turned out to be the biggest let-down.

The Banana Tart McFlurry from Japan – a blend of banana puree, graham cracker crumbs and vanilla ice cream – melted so fast it ended up being more like a McMilkshake.

The flavour wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t like the McFlurry you get in the UK.

I also tried McPops, McDonald’s take on sugar-coated mini doughnuts.

There were two flavours: white chocolate from Spain and berry from Switzerland.

Both were fine, but the jam-filled doughnuts from your average supermarket is probably better.

The global menu changes every couple of months, and as I was still in town when the new menu came in, I went back for round two.

The McAloo Tikki stayed put and the McPops just got a new filling – this time a Biscoff version from Spain that was too doughy.

But I was excited to see two new burgers.

One was the McRaclette from Switzerland, a beef patty in a square ciabatta-style bun with a peppery cheese sauce, raw onions and pickles.

It didn’t taste much like the classic cheese dish at all. Instead, it’s more like the Big Mac with a white sauce – but was still pretty good. 

The McFlurry options melted way too quickly to be enjoyed[/caption]

The other burger was the bacon hot honey McCrispy from Canada.

Like the McCrispy from Brazil, this one came with crispy bacon, but instead of cheese it had lettuce and a sweet chilli sauce.

The tastiest bit was the deep fried jalapeño peppers sandwiched in the middle that added extra crunch and oomph.

For the sides, the Deluxe Potatoes from France were replaced by Twister Fries from Malaysia – these spiced curly fries were a nice alternative but were by no means a must-order item.

And finally, for dessert, it’s another McFlurry. 

This time it’s the Chips Ahoy! version from Guatemala that came with crumbled chocolate chip cookies and caramel sauce swirled through vanilla ice cream.

Like the last one, it melted way too fast, but I didn’t mind the equivalent of a chocolate chip cookie milkshake.

After tasting through the entire McDonald’s global menu twice, I can honestly say it’s been a real mixed bag.

The desserts were mostly disappointing, and the sides didn’t stand out much, so I’d definitely order those from the main menu next time.

The real game changers were the burgers.

They’re mostly twists on the classics that swap out buns, sauces and fillings, but they’re different enough to be new and exciting.

And some were absolute gems that made the Big Mac look boring.

So if you’re ever in Chicago and want to try the global menu, head to the branch at 1035 W Randolph – or look it up on UberEats as they even do deliveries.