This One-of-a-Kind Chicago McDonald’s Lets You Sample Global Favorites

I’m not much of a McDonald’s fan and to this day, have never had a Big Mac. Before I had kids, I would rarely eat McDonald’s … except maybe in an airport when I needed something quick and cheap. RELATED: 5 Reasons People Eat at McDonald’s When They Travel

On a trip to Japan around 20 years ago, someone in my group spotted a Mickey D’s on our drive and wanted to get French fries for a taste of home. I thought she was crazy but I went in and discovered they not only serve the fries just like we have here at home but also offered dishes unique to Japan like the Teriyaki Chicken Filet-O.

The same thing happened when I went to Thailand. While walking down the streets of Bangkok, my then-girlfriend, now-wife and I passed a McDonald’s with a Ronald McDonald statue doing a Sawasdee Ka greeting outside.

I popped in to take a photo of the menu for the Big Mac Index, which is defined as “a price index published since 1986 by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity between two currencies.” I noticed they were also serving unique items like the Samurai Pork Burger and Spicy Namtok Kurobuta Burger. The photo above is from November 2024 when I popped into the McDonald’s in Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia.

In Toronto, my Canadian wife wanted a McDonald’s soft ice cream but when I saw they served poutine (French fries with cheese curds and savory gravy), I had to order one just for the novelty of it.

So when I found out McDonald’s has its global headquarters in Chicago and serves international dishes from around the world, I had to visit.

McDonald’s Global Headquarters

This unique McDonald’s is located at 1043 W Randolph Street in the West Loop. It’s open from 5am to 10pm, seven days a week. It’s in the same building as their Hamburger University. According to Wikipedia, Hamburger University is a training facility that “instructs high-potential restaurant managers, mid-managers, and owner-operators in restaurant management.”

I had no idea what to expect but when I walked into the more than 6,000-square-foot restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by its bright, clean and modern decor, and the army of friendly workers offering table service.

The restaurant also features outdoor seating but it was way too hot when we were there; it was in the 90s so we opted for the cool indoors.

I immediately went to one of the many self-service kiosks and ordered. I was so excited and my kids (ages 5 and 8) were so hungry that I could barely go fast enough. First things first: Order them Happy Meals. Check.

Then I went to grab something for myself. I was hoping for something spicy from Southeast Asia but they only offer five or six options every 6 to 8 weeks. My options were:

International Menu Items:

🇨🇭 McRaclette (Switzerland)

A beef patty, raclette cheese, and other Swiss-inspired ingredients like arugula, onions, and pickles. According to McDonald’s, the burger is a modern twist on the classic Swiss dish raclette, traditionally made by melting cheese and serving it over various foods.
$6.99 | 650 Calories

🇨🇦 Bacon Hot Honey McCrispy (Canada)

A crispy chicken sandwich featuring tender, juicy 100% Canadian-raised seasoned chicken, topped with sweet and spicy hot honey sauce and a mayo-style spread. It’s layered with hickory-smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, and crispy jalapeños, all served on a soft potato bun.
$6.99 | 780 Calories

🇮🇳 McAloo Tikki (India)

A golden fried vegetarian patty made with peas and potatoes and infused with aromatic spices. Topped with sliced tomatoes, shredded red onion, and tangy tomato mayonnaise. Served in a warm toasted bun.
$5.99 | 360 Calories

🇲🇾 Twister Fries (Malaysia)

A curly version of the classic McDonald’s fries, seasoned with a signature spice mix.
$3.99 | 470 Calories

🇬🇹 Chips Ahoy McFlurry (Guatemala)

Vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, caramel topping, and Chips Ahoy cookie pieces.
$3.99 | 610 Calories

🇨🇭Berry McPops (Switzerland)

Three mini powdered donuts with red berry filling.
$3.99 | 390 Calories

🇪🇸 Biscoff McPops (Spain)

Three mini powdered donuts filled with rich creamy Biscoff cookie spread.
$3.99 | 390 Calories

FYI: According to a press release, the restaurant always “offers delicious Latin American-style desserts including crunchy sugar cones topped with creamy soft serve available in vanilla, chocolate or twist varieties, as well as other sweet treats from around the world.”

They didn’t have the actual ingredients listed on the menu (I could have asked at the counter), otherwise I would have chosen the McAloo Tikki. Instead, I went with the McRaclette and Twister Fries. I thought Natalie, my wife, would be a good Canadian and choose the Bacon Hot Honey McCrispy but she went with a classic instead. She did get the Chips Ahoy McFlurry. We also ordered the Berry McPops … for research, obviously!

I input our table number and within minutes, our food was hand-delivered to our table. I was surprised how quick it was because it was busy when we first arrived at 1pm. It was pretty quiet when we left an hour later.

I ended up moving tables when I noticed the long table next to us had built-in phone chargers, which I desperately needed since my phone battery was low and I’d forgotten to bring my portable charger.

Before we left, I asked the friendly greeter at the door if I could ask her a few questions on camera and she said sure. I learned a lot, including much of what I wrote above, as well as a fun fact about the world map behind the kiosks.

When an item from a specific country is featured on the menu, its location lights up with the Golden Arches. Since the menu rotates every six weeks and includes only five to seven items, the best thing to do is check their app before visiting. Just enter the restaurant’s address as your location to see what’s available.

I later read that there’s an Australian McCafé area serving expertly brewed coffee crafted by McDonald’s trained baristas.

Overall, this was a super fun experience, especially for our kids. Next time I visit, I hope they have the McSpicy Paneer from India, McCurrywurst from Germany or the Manhattan Salad from France.

What’s your favorite international McDonald’s menu item?

KEEP READING:

–Your Guide to Tipping in the 25 Most Popular Countries in the World
–Should You Tip on Takeout?
–How Much I Tip Hotel Housekeepers and My Trick For Making Sure They Get It
–Pay it Forward: The Trick to Ensuring the Next Guest Gets Clean Sheets at a Hotel or Vacation Rental
–Has Tipping in the United States Gotten Out of Control?

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