Big Macs are basic — this Midwest McDonald’s is serving up global eats with major street cred.
Tucked into Chicago’s bustling West Loop, beneath the golden arches of corporate HQ and its elite Hamburger University training ground, lies a Mickey D’s unlike another within the country.
This secret-ish spot, officially dubbed the McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant, has been slinging international fan-favorite items since 2018 — and straight away, it’s got something plant-based eaters have been craving.
Enter: the McAloo Tikki burger — a crispy, spicy potato-and-pea patty topped with tomato and a sweet-tangy tomato mayo.
Straight outta India, this veggie delight is offered at just the one US location, and only through June 23. Consider it a limited-time edible souvenir.
Tanmay Dhuri, visiting the Windy City joint from the Bay Area, made some extent to order the burger that took him back to his roots.
“It has nostalgic value to it. It’s not like something that’s unique like in a flavor way, however it’s just that everyone had it for thus long,” the eager eater told Axios.
For a lot of Indian customers, it’s a bite of home.
For vegetarians — and vegans who ditch the mayo — it’s a rare McDonald’s win that isn’t fries, ice cream or disappointment.
The West Loop restaurant is an experimental playground that’s open to the general public.
It rotates its global menu every 12 weeks, meaning one visit might land you a Chicken McSpicy from Singapore or a McFlurry Banana Tart from Japan — but good luck finding either again in case you blink.
In line with Food & Wine, this culinary unicorn shares space with McDonald’s high-tech test kitchens and the brand’s epicenter of burger research.
But you won’t need an invitation or a reputation tag — only a hunger for novelty and a couple of dollars in your wallet.
On a recent visit, Axios reporter Carrie Shepherd tried the McAloo herself: “The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I’d recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It’s all the time nice to have a veggie burger that’s actually vegetables and never heavy on the soy, which isn’t as tasty and gives you a tummyache”
Shepherd also grabbed a side of France’s crispy Deluxe Potatoes and washed all of it down with a Banana Tart McFlurry from Japan — a worldwide trip for under $13.
While the McAloo has popped up here before (in 2018 and 2023), it’s not a everlasting fixture — and its scarcity only adds to the hype.
One cashier told Shepherd that it’s the most-asked-about menu item and that customers have ordered as much as 30 directly.
McDonald’s has struggled to make a meatless burger follow the American crowd.
The McPlant, launched in test markets with a Beyond Meat patty, fizzled faster than a flat Sprite.
McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger told The Wall Street Journal last yr, “I don’t think the U.S. consumer is … on the lookout for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald’s now.”
Tell that to the purchasers in line on the W. Randolph St. store.
Either way, this stealthy international outpost is hiding in plain sight — and it’s serving up what could be probably the most unexpected burger on American soil.
So whether you’re homesick, veggie-curious, or simply bored of the Big Mac, you’d higher get to Chi-Town fast — before the McAloo packs its (veggie) bags.
Big Macs are basic — this Midwest McDonald’s is serving up global eats with major street cred.
Tucked into Chicago’s bustling West Loop, beneath the golden arches of corporate HQ and its elite Hamburger University training ground, lies a Mickey D’s unlike another within the country.
This secret-ish spot, officially dubbed the McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant, has been slinging international fan-favorite items since 2018 — and straight away, it’s got something plant-based eaters have been craving.
Enter: the McAloo Tikki burger — a crispy, spicy potato-and-pea patty topped with tomato and a sweet-tangy tomato mayo.
Straight outta India, this veggie delight is offered at just the one US location, and only through June 23. Consider it a limited-time edible souvenir.
Tanmay Dhuri, visiting the Windy City joint from the Bay Area, made some extent to order the burger that took him back to his roots.
“It has nostalgic value to it. It’s not like something that’s unique like in a flavor way, however it’s just that everyone had it for thus long,” the eager eater told Axios.
For a lot of Indian customers, it’s a bite of home.
For vegetarians — and vegans who ditch the mayo — it’s a rare McDonald’s win that isn’t fries, ice cream or disappointment.
The West Loop restaurant is an experimental playground that’s open to the general public.
It rotates its global menu every 12 weeks, meaning one visit might land you a Chicken McSpicy from Singapore or a McFlurry Banana Tart from Japan — but good luck finding either again in case you blink.
In line with Food & Wine, this culinary unicorn shares space with McDonald’s high-tech test kitchens and the brand’s epicenter of burger research.
But you won’t need an invitation or a reputation tag — only a hunger for novelty and a couple of dollars in your wallet.
On a recent visit, Axios reporter Carrie Shepherd tried the McAloo herself: “The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I’d recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It’s all the time nice to have a veggie burger that’s actually vegetables and never heavy on the soy, which isn’t as tasty and gives you a tummyache”
Shepherd also grabbed a side of France’s crispy Deluxe Potatoes and washed all of it down with a Banana Tart McFlurry from Japan — a worldwide trip for under $13.
While the McAloo has popped up here before (in 2018 and 2023), it’s not a everlasting fixture — and its scarcity only adds to the hype.
One cashier told Shepherd that it’s the most-asked-about menu item and that customers have ordered as much as 30 directly.
McDonald’s has struggled to make a meatless burger follow the American crowd.
The McPlant, launched in test markets with a Beyond Meat patty, fizzled faster than a flat Sprite.
McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger told The Wall Street Journal last yr, “I don’t think the U.S. consumer is … on the lookout for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald’s now.”
Tell that to the purchasers in line on the W. Randolph St. store.
Either way, this stealthy international outpost is hiding in plain sight — and it’s serving up what could be probably the most unexpected burger on American soil.
So whether you’re homesick, veggie-curious, or simply bored of the Big Mac, you’d higher get to Chi-Town fast — before the McAloo packs its (veggie) bags.
