Berkeley, CA

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As one meanders down Shattuck, leaving the melodious screech of that tone-deaf Asian grandpa violinist plopped in front of the Downtown BART, he/she will encounter the wondrous and familiar smell of cooking fry grease and meat patties fulminating to perfection under fluorescent lighting.

This is where the fantasy ends as the aroma of McDonald's fare fails to mask the stench of urine, cigarettes, and whiskey emanating from the many homeless that make this establishment their dining room, restroom, and even shower. If you enjoy listening to a crazed bearded hobo debating to himself the follies of letting unicorns draft the new health care bill or the imminent invasion of the U.S. by soulless Chinese robots powered by youTube- then by all means sit right down in the hard, uncomfortable booths where a runaway street urchin has probably made love on with his dog.

In terms of food, it is sub-par, even for McDonald's. Something is just completely off about the Big Mac. Everything is bloody soggy including the fries...and don't get me started on the lie that is the crispy chicken sandwich. I really don't understand how this occurs, but I suspect it is due to the staff having lost some of their functionary motor skills when their souls were sucked from their orifices. This tends to happen whilst working with patrons that are constantly trying to pay in bird seed, bubble gum, and empty aluminum cans.

TL;DR
Overall, 2 stars because man I still frickin love Mickey D's, but unless you want to vicariously experience rock-bottom destitution via the regulars here, stay clear.