Fast food advertising tricks make burgers look good
What you see is not necessarily what you get these days, especially when it comes to food. How many of you have gone to a MacDonalds, Burger King, Southern Fried Chicken, or whatever fast food joint takes your fancy and been more than a little disappointed with what you got for your money?
On the sides of leading fast food retailers delivery trucks are pictures of the juiciest, fattest and good looking burgers? They really do make me want to go out and buy one.
It looks absolutely nothing like the picture...
But every time I fall into this marketing void and purchase one of these burgers, more often than not it turns out to be some shrunken, flat, half cold pathetic looking thing with a wilting piece of lettuce stuck on top. It looks absolutely NOTHING like the picture the advertising guys used! Any chance the photographer could take a couple of pictures of my wife for me?
Surely I would have learnt my lesson by now? Apparently I havent though, because the pictures always draw me back in the vain hope that one day, just maybe if I am really lucky, I might find that perfect fresh juicy burger just like the one I saw on the bill board!
There ought to be a law against these kinds of advertising tricks, or at the very least they should compensate you with a couple of free burgers!
Comments from visitors
Unfortunately,medium rare burgers are hard to find nowadays,now that they have been outlawed by petty bureaucrats,elf'n safety officials and restaurant owners in case the customer falls ill and sues.The future must not fall into the hands of these idiots.The future must belong to Common Sense.
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Mike P, I believe that what anon says is the usual advice but I don't think medium rare burgers have been outlawed by 'elf & safety yet.
Many good restaurants still sell steak tartare and I know places in London such as Guerilla Burgers who will make you a medium rare burger if you ask. I think many places don't want to do it in case people fall ill and then sue them so they say that they can't rather than that would rather not.
Many good restaurants still sell steak tartare and I know places in London such as Guerilla Burgers who will make you a medium rare burger if you ask. I think many places don't want to do it in case people fall ill and then sue them so they say that they can't rather than that would rather not.
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I'm curious to know if it's true that Health and effing Safety uuankers have got their pathetic rules into the restaurant trade so that it is now 'illegal' to have a burger done 'medium rare'. A couple of weeks ago I was in a restaurant (and I mean a proper restaurant, not a cheap nasty grimy greasy fast food pit) and the friend I was with ordered a burger 'medium rare'. The waitress said that due to H&S they have to be well done. I wasn't able to kick up too much of a fuss as it's a family owned concern and they are friends of ours and I simply won't eat there again, but does anyone know if this is true?
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oh and another thing my boyfriend really made me laugh once by dubbing burger bars and kebab shops grease pits lol!
-11
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Make your own burgers, cheap, easy and gives the kids something to do at the weekend. That way you know exactly what your family are eating, they taste better, far more filling than mcdonalds food becuase lets face it, you burp after mcdonalds and your hungry again. And if you make them yourself you can be creative with fillings and they can be searved hot not luke warm like burger chains.
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You do realise that it takes them hours to make the burgers look like that for the photos - trust me I used to work for McDonalds.
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Moaning Minnie - 14-Jun-09 02:13
This gripe could have been written by an ex of mine. He actually sent back a Big Mac in our local Macky D's because it didn't look like the picture. I was so embarrassed!
To my mind, you buy cheap, you get cheap. McDonalds and the like are known for their relatively low prices, not the aesthetic value of their food. Yes the food itself isn't fantastic quality, but it's hot (usually) and filling (for the most part). If you want a burger which looks like its picture, eat paper.
To my mind, you buy cheap, you get cheap. McDonalds and the like are known for their relatively low prices, not the aesthetic value of their food. Yes the food itself isn't fantastic quality, but it's hot (usually) and filling (for the most part). If you want a burger which looks like its picture, eat paper.
+3
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Go and have a proper pub burger - none of that McDonald's trash. Go into any good pub chain and get yourself a good burger and beer meal deal for about the same price and much more pleasant surroundings too!!!
Go pleasant, not peasant!
Go pleasant, not peasant!
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Guerbberchille - 19-Feb-09 23:33
I think they are dry looking and tasting because they grill them and dont fry them :(
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burger_taster - 23-Sep-08 16:14
Ive got a snack van next to Braehead shopping centre in Renfrew and I sell the best burgers for miles! If you dont enjoy I will give you your money back.
Hope to see you soon
Hope to see you soon
+9
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It's fast food. Honestly, why does everyone expect so much from these dingy, flea ridden fast food chains? It's always the same - you walk in, wait in a queue for 20 minutes, are served by some teenager who is more interested in what her mate got up to the night before and then after getting the wrong order a few times, you suddenly don't feel very hungry anymore.
Nothing ever looks as good as it does in the pictures. They have food artists to make it look that way but who can blame the staff for not making the effort to make it look pretty? They are low paid and poorly treated. We, the customers, choose to eat at these places. I can't remember of anyone forcing it upon us.
Nothing ever looks as good as it does in the pictures. They have food artists to make it look that way but who can blame the staff for not making the effort to make it look pretty? They are low paid and poorly treated. We, the customers, choose to eat at these places. I can't remember of anyone forcing it upon us.
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I love Burger King and I think it is great and the food also. They do a really tasty burger.
Why go to a butcher? By the time you are done collecting the ingredients and travelling for them you could have bought a 22 acre plot of land for less.
Nikki you are the one that is daft. So, if you venture to the cinema, evening out of whatever you would rather go home and make yourself a 'Houseburger'?
Why go to a butcher? By the time you are done collecting the ingredients and travelling for them you could have bought a 22 acre plot of land for less.
Nikki you are the one that is daft. So, if you venture to the cinema, evening out of whatever you would rather go home and make yourself a 'Houseburger'?
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Nikki is right. I only eat decent meat, sadly it's a rarity in Europe (I'm with you there, Saffa girl - give me a good Spur Burger or a rack of ribs any time). There is a chain in UK that makes decent burgers though, and that's GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen) outstanding! I'd rather starve than go to MuckDonalds or its ilk.
That scene from the Michael Douglas film Falling Down is one of my favourite pieces of cinematography.
That scene from the Michael Douglas film Falling Down is one of my favourite pieces of cinematography.
-7
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come to South Africa, our fast food chains make delicious burgers
+11
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well if you make your own food you will appreciate it more because you know WHAT is in them, and obviously it will be as THICK as you want and you can put your OWN choice of REAL CHEESE and not the plastic toy cheese you get from mcdonalds taht tastes of nothing
-3
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Anon, you sound just like my brother he is a jamie oliver fanatic aswell. Did you get the new cook book off the net for free, it's great.
-4
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mc donalds connissour Mmmm - 1-Nov-06 20:27
DON'T eat them they are rubbish, learn how to make yoru own buger like jamie oliver.
+6
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Well, IMO anyone daft enough to eat in McDonalds, Burger King etc. deserves all they get. You know damn well that at these prices the animals involved have lived a grotty life, suffered an horrific death and the resultant meat is tough and tasteless. This food is just pure garbage, and not fit for human consumption.
Much better is to go to your local butcher, buy some Aberdeen Angus minced steak, and make your own. Yes, I know AA beef is expensive, but because it is pure a little goes a very long way. You can bulk the meat out with lots of yummy onions and any other type of veg that takes your fancy.
By supporting chains like McDonald, you are contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, vast chunks of which every day are destroyed to make way for grazing cattle which ultimately end up as disgusting beef burgers in places like McDonalds.
I personally would rather starve than eat in McDonalds. I am an inveterate meat eater, I am not a bunny hugger. I just believe in eating good food.
Much better is to go to your local butcher, buy some Aberdeen Angus minced steak, and make your own. Yes, I know AA beef is expensive, but because it is pure a little goes a very long way. You can bulk the meat out with lots of yummy onions and any other type of veg that takes your fancy.
By supporting chains like McDonald, you are contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, vast chunks of which every day are destroyed to make way for grazing cattle which ultimately end up as disgusting beef burgers in places like McDonalds.
I personally would rather starve than eat in McDonalds. I am an inveterate meat eater, I am not a bunny hugger. I just believe in eating good food.
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I'd think something fishy was going on if I was handed a perfectly proportioned symetrical burger in McDonalds.
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A sad slapper - 19-Jul-06 00:48
Beef Burger + Cheese! How disgusting, Urghh!!
Why are they always sold with the cheese?
Why am I never given a discount when I refuse the cheese?
And never, never buy one of these at a motorway service station! You are ripped-off doubly.
Oh! by the way the one in the picture is made of plastic.
Why are they always sold with the cheese?
Why am I never given a discount when I refuse the cheese?
And never, never buy one of these at a motorway service station! You are ripped-off doubly.
Oh! by the way the one in the picture is made of plastic.
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