Nick:
Today, we're gonna be tasting 100 years of
McDonald's,
00:00
including some crazy menu items that you've
probably never even heard of.
00:02
I've also brought along my friend, Max to help
me eat.
00:06
And we're gonna start in 1940, when
McDonald's was founded.
00:08
McDonald's was originally named McDonald's
Famous Barbecue,
00:11
where they served classic barbecue items as
well as milkshakes.
00:14
It started out as a drive in restaurant, where
guests were served right in their cars by
00:17
people called "Carhops".
00:21
In every decade, I'm gonna dress Max up as
something from that decade.
00:22
Nick: And in the 1940s...Max,
you're gonna be a "Carhop".
Max: Dude!
00:25
What?
00:28
Nick:
Let me see that!
00:29
Max: How do I look?
Nick: You look
00:30
good. So Max! I have a menu here from
McDonald's in 1940.
00:31
McDonald's in the 1940s wasn't even close to
what it's like today.
00:35
They had things like ribs,
pulled pork, baked beans,
00:37
and even root beer floats, that they would
literally bring to your car in this actual
00:40
glass. And just look at the prices on the
menu!
00:44
Max:
$0.10 for a root beer...
Peanut Butter, Jelly and French Fries for
00:46
$0.20.
00:49
Nick:
And their most famous item,
the Barbecued Beef
00:50
Ham or Pork.
Max: $0.35.
00:52
Mind blowing.
00:55
Nick:
Let's pretend it's 1940!
00:55
I've just pulled into McDonald's in my
vehicle.
00:57
I've parked in the parking lot.
00:59
I've ordered my food and now...
01:00
Max:
I got the ribs and pork.
01:02
Nick:
In comes the "Carhop", right into my window.
01:03
I've got this actual glass of a root beer
float and some classic McDonald's barbecue.
01:06
Do you wanna eat with me?
01:11
Max:
Uh...I'd love to. I've never had a customer
offer.
01:12
Nick:
This is the classic tray that you would have
gotten in your car at McDonald's in 1940.
01:14
Max:
This is all I could ever want in a plate of
food.
01:18
Nick: Oh!
Max: This is fantastic.
01:21
Nick: Oh, man!
Max: There's nothing like it.
01:23
Nick:
Let's move on to the barbecue!
01:25
Max:
Do we have to? It's so good.
01:26
Nick:
You're The Meat Guy. Why don't you explain
it?
01:27
Max:
We got a few beautiful, saucy ribs.
01:29
Nice pile of pulled pork.
01:31
We got the chili on the side.
01:33
A cute little burger, even though that wasn't
their focus at the time. And some chips.
01:34
Nick:
McDonald's didn't actually really start out
serving fries. Instead, they served potato
01:38
chips, because that was just easier.
01:41
Max:
I gotta start on one of those ribs.
01:43
Nick:
You want a
01:44
glove?
Max: I'm getting handsy with this. I wanna
feel what they had to offer back in the
01:45
'40s. This looks so good.
01:48
Nick:
And remember! In this video,
we have all the original packaging that you
01:50
would have had at McDonald's. And we use the
original recipes to make all the food.
01:53
The pulled pork is really nice.
01:58
Max:
Why did they ever discontinue this?
02:00
Nick:
Imagine this! In your car,
having the best barbecue of your life.
02:01
Max:
It's unbelievable.
02:04
Nick:
Should we drive into the 1950s?
02:05
Max:
Let's do it!
02:07
Nick:
Moving to the 1950s, McDonald's was renamed
to McDonald's Famous Hamburgers,
02:08
and they created an entirely new menu, where
they focused on just 9 core items.
02:12
In this decade, a hamburger cost just $0.15,
and if you ordered one of everything on the
02:16
menu, it cost just $1.16.
02:21
Max:
The entire menu?
02:24
What?
02:25
Max:
It smells good.
We have a classic looking McDonald's burger,
02:26
the OG French fries, and an absolutely
perfect looking chocolate milkshake.
02:29
Nick:
And as you can see, Max is once again dressed
up as an employee, with the actual original
02:34
uniform from the 1950s.
02:38
This guy right here...we can also see him on
the bags.
02:40
That's the McDonald's Speedee Logo that was
introduced in the 1950s.
02:42
We also got Speedee up here.
02:46
He's got a literal hamburger as a head.
02:47
He's a smiling cartoon chef that held up this
sign that said I'm "Speedee",
02:49
and it showed the fact that fast food was
getting faster.
02:53
If you look carefully,
it also says "Coast To Coast".
02:56
That was to show that they were expanding
across the United States. And remember! These
02:58
are original bags. This is all original
packaging.
03:02
This is the original container that they put
the fries in.
03:04
Max:
This is so crazy. They're truly one of a kind.
03:07
This might be the only original McDonald's
bag from the '50s left.
03:09
Nick:
I think we, in this room right now, have the
most original McDonald's packaging out of
03:13
anybody on the planet.
03:16
It's not disintegrating in any way,
but it's getting kind of brown by the edges
03:17
there. But it's in really good shape.
03:22
Max:
You can tell it's old.
03:23
Like you said, it is great condition.
03:25
How does it smell? It smells like paper.
03:26
Nick:
Here you go, Max. This is what a burger would
have looked like back in the day.
03:31
As you can see, it's much higher stacked and
much more "burgery" than one of those thin
03:34
patties that we'll see later in this video.
03:40
Max:
Way thicker, way more substantial.
03:41
I don't have any condiments on mine. It's
just cheese and burger.
03:43
That's probably how it's supposed to be.
03:46
Nick:
I got the classic pickles, onions, mustard...
03:47
Max:
My mouth is like watering tremendously.
03:50
It's so juicy.
03:55
Nick:
It's like a real burger.
03:56
Max:
Mhm!
03:57
Nick:
What's crazy is that mine's cooked to a nice
medium...and you'd never see that nowadays.
03:58
It's well done.
04:02
Max:
Never see that in any fast food restaurant
for that matter.
04:03
Nick:
But back in the day you did.
04:05
And remember! It only cost $0.15.
04:07
Max:
I'd buy like 100 of those.
04:09
Well, this is the real test. The French fries.
04:10
Nick:
Remember! This is the first time McDonald's
ever offered French fries. Before this...
04:12
Like we saw, it was potato chips.
04:15
Max:
The taste is pretty similar to the fries
nowadays.
04:17
Nick:
I think they're slightly different. They
taste a little bit less artificial.
04:19
Max:
Mhm! You can tell it's from a potato.
04:22
Nick:
But...fries are fries. And then of course,
milkshakes.
04:24
Having it in this cup.
04:27
Max:
It's crazy. It tastes like real chocolate.
04:28
Nick:
That's so true.
04:31
Max:
It's like a craft milkshake.
04:31
Nick: Now the machines are just broken every time.
Max: Right.
04:33
Things have changed.
04:35
Nick:
I wish I could have lived in the 1950s and
just gone to McDonald's once.
04:36
Max:
Well, here we are. You're doing it now.
04:39
Nick:
You ready to go to the 1960s?
04:40
Max:
Let's do
04:42
it!
Nick: Moving to the 1960s,
McDonald's started to get creative with some
04:42
of its new menu items. And even made the first
ever version of the Golden Arches Logo that
04:46
they still have today.
04:50
During this decade, a hamburger cost $0.20.
04:51
Max, you're dressed up again.
04:54
Max:
I am. And it's...it's tight.
04:55
Nick:
This is a real shirt for an employee from the
1960s.
04:57
You can see how tattered that logo on the
side is here.
05:00
And that right there is that Golden Arches
Logo. That is the first of its kind.
05:03
Max:
Right. It's the first time we've seen that
today.
05:06
Nick:
Before we eat anything...
05:08
This is a real order slip from the 1960s.
05:09
Max:
All right. Let me take your order here! What
can I get for you?
05:11
Nick:
Can I please do one Hula Burger?
05:13
Max:
One Hula...
05:15
Nick:
2 Iced Milks...
05:16
Max:
Come right up.
05:17
Nick:
A couple Shamrock Shakes...
05:18
Max:
Medium? Large?
05:19
Nick:
I'll go medium. And then one Filet-O-Fish.
05:20
Oh, 2 water cups.
05:22
Max:
2 water cups?
05:23
Nick:
Yeah. Perfect.
05:24
Max:
That's free.
05:25
Nick:
Oh, good.
05:25
Max:
Yeah. Be right back with your order.
05:26
Nick:
It's already here. Let's start with this!
05:28
Max:
What is this?
05:32
Nick:
Inside this bag is what we call the "Hula
Burger".
05:33
Max:
What?
05:36
What is that? Pineapple?
05:36
Nick:
This is a real burger that McDonald's
introduced in the 1960s as a meatless
05:38
alternative for people who didn't eat beef.
05:42
Max:
Nick! I really enjoyed my time on this video,
05:44
but this is enough.
05:48
Nick:
Come on, smell it! Come in!
05:49
Come on! Don't be shy!
05:50
Come on!
05:52
Max:
It smells like a pineapple. Okay?
I'm not okay with it.
05:53
Nick:
We'll try it at the end of this decade,
05:55
before the 1970s. And what we'll do for now
is: move on to the Fish Filet.
05:57
Which happened, because the Hula Burger was
such a massive failure.
06:01
Max:
As it should be.
06:04
Nick:
Can we just also appreciate that I'm wiping
my fingers with a napkin from 1960?
06:05
Max:
I feel like I need to save this,
though. I mean...how much do these things
06:09
cost?
06:11
Nick:
Each one of these napkins costs about 20
bucks.
06:12
Max:
Really? All right, I'm not wiping my hands
with this.
06:14
We are saving this right here.
06:16
Dude, Nick! That's...
06:18
Nick:
Before we eat the Filet-O-Fish,
let's use a coupon!
06:19
These are real coupons.
06:22
This is a coupon for a free Fish Filet.
06:23
And look how good it looks!
06:25
Max:
I mean, this looks like a postcard. They do
not make coupons like this anymore.
06:26
Nick:
No, they really don't. And look!
We have the address of who they actually sent
06:29
it to. This one was just an advertisement,
talked about how it was only $0.24.
06:32
Max:
It's a good price. $0.25 would have been too
much. $0.24 is...
06:36
That's good.
06:39
Nick:
We also have a couple other coupons.
06:39
Max:
We got a cheeseburger,
double cheeseburger, double hamburger and the
06:41
Triple Thick Shake. Are these still valid
today?
06:44
Nick: Let's see when it expired! October 1968.
Max: Ah!
06:47
Barely missed it.
06:51
Nick:
The Filet-O-Fish sandwich from the 1960s...
06:52
A beautiful, soft, fluffy bun,
some nice tartar sauce,
06:54
and of course, some golden brown fried fish.
06:58
Nick: Should we just take a bite out of...out of
either side?
Max: Yeah.
07:00
Wow! Because it's real fish.
07:04
Nick:
That feels like my grandmother made a really
nice fish sandwich for me.
07:06
Max: I don't think my grandmother's ever made me a
fish sandwich.
Nick: Mine has. Max: Really?
07:10
Nick:
Yeah. She's cool. Let's wash that down with
these original 1960s cups of Ice Milk!
07:13
Max:
What is Ice Milk?
07:17
Nick:
It's milk with ice. It's literally...
07:18
That's it. You have to imagine that these
cups started out as white.
07:20
Max: Right.
Nick: Is it safe to drink out of these?
07:24
I love the original Golden Arches Logo.
07:26
Notice how it has a little bit of a spear on
the end?
07:28
Max:
Isn't that a French fry?
07:30
Nick: I don't think...
Max: A speared French fry?
07:31
That is real milk from a cow.
07:35
Nick: Yeah.
Max: They don't make it like this anymore.
07:37
Nick:
Before we move to the Golden Ticket item of
the day...
07:39
Water cups. Look how nice the water cups
were!
07:41
Max:
Did they provide these in restaurants back in
the day?
07:43
Nick:
They provided them in restaurants back in the
day. They made them look really cool and
07:46
nice. They weren't clear. You know why they
turned them clear now, right?
07:49
Max:
Cheap?
07:52
Nick:
No. So you can't try to put coke in there and
say that it was water.
07:52
Max:
Ah! See. I...I would do that.
07:55
Max: But I do like every single type of soda.
Nick: You do that?
07:57
Max:
Well...shh!
07:59
Nick:
And what does shake make you think of when
you think about McDonald's?
08:00
Max:
There's of course the broken machines...
There's that green shake...
08:03
Nick:
Shamrock Shake.
08:06
Max:
The Shamrock Shake. That is a blast from the
past.
08:06
Nick:
Shamrock Shake was introduced in the 1960s.
08:10
These were the original cups that they would
have come in. This somehow stuck it all the
08:12
way out for over 60 years.
08:15
Max:
That is an iconic shake.
08:17
Nick:
How does it feel to have the opportunity to
drink this out of an original Shamrock Shake
08:18
cup?
08:22
Max:
I feel like I've actually transported back in
time.
08:22
My mind's playing tricks on myself. This is
so crazy to look at.
08:25
Nick: Minty...creamy...
Max: Like a real mint flavor.
08:29
Nick:
Yeah. Max! There's one last thing that you know we
need to do to move on.
08:32
Max:
When you say "we"...are you referring to you?
08:35
Nick:
Look at that! It's golden pineapple.
08:38
Nice thick slice. You got your cheese...
08:40
You got your buns...
What could you not like about it?
08:42
Max:
Did they actually try to sell that?
08:44
Nick:
They did sell it...and it failed horribly.
08:45
Nick: I'll make you a deal. Since you're wearing
all the silly clothing...
Max: Yeah. Nick: I will bite it.
08:47
Max:
Okay. Oh, my God! Okay. I feel bad for you right
now.
08:51
I feel your pain.
08:56
Nick:
I'm gonna try to distract myself with this
trash bag, that they would have given you for
08:57
your car. It's even got a little piece of
tape on the back that you can peel.
09:00
Max:
What is this?
09:04
Nick: Oh, yeah. It's not sticky anymore.
Max: Oh!
Nick: Yeah.
09:05
Max: Is this, like a...like a...
Nick: Like 60
09:07
something years old. Moving to the 1970s,
McDonald's focused on family values,
09:08
which led to the first ever drive thru,
as well as the fun McDonald Land characters,
09:13
that we still have today. During this decade,
09:16
a hamburger cost $0.30. Max!
09:18
Again, you find yourself in a McDonald's
workers outfit.
09:20
Max:
This might be the most stylish one of the
day.
09:23
Nick:
You can see that there are pops of color
happening now.
09:25
That's kind of what was happening around this
time, anyways. You moved a little bit more
09:27
from black and white television screens to
color TVs.
09:31
Max! Can you guess why the first ever drive
thru opened?
09:33
Max:
Uh...convenience cars? I don't know.
09:36
Nick:
The first ever drive thru was invented to
serve soldiers, who weren't allowed to leave
09:40
their car, while in uniform.
09:44
Max:
The more you know.
09:45
Nick:
Where do you wanna start?
09:46
Max:
There's a lot here. Is this the first time
we've seen a Happy Meal?
09:47
Nick:
Yeah. Because of the big family push by
McDonald's, they created the Happy Meal.
09:50
Max:
It's also the first time we're seeing Ronald,
09:53
I believe.
Nick: The McDonald Land characters. That's
the first time they came in. Max: Oh!
09:54
Nick:
Why don't we start with some popcorn? Since
I've already been snacking on that. This is
09:58
the real sleeve that they first sold popcorn
in.
10:01
Would you ever have even known that
McDonald's made popcorn?
10:03
Max:
Never. And this is some good stuff.
10:06
Nick:
Nice. I wanna save the Happy Meals for last,
because there are some great surprises on the
10:09
inside. Remember! Toys started coming out
with Happy Meals,
10:13
so we'll move on now to the Big Mac.
10:15
Max:
It might be the most iconic burger of all
time.
10:17
Nick:
I love Big Macs. I love them so much that I
even put the bumper sticker they made during
10:19
this decade on the back of my car.
10:23
Max:
Did it come like that?
10:24
Nick:
It came like that. Yeah. This is the original
sleeve that they put around the Big Mac.
10:25
Max:
Kind of...stained.
10:29
Nick:
It's used.
10:30
Max:
It's like very well used.
10:31
Nick:
Well...I mean...I don't know...it's from 1970.
10:32
Max:
I'm still gonna eat it,
10:34
but...
Nick: What do you notice right away about this
Big Mac?
10:34
Max:
I mean...this is substantial.
10:37
Nick:
Heavy.
10:39
Max:
It's a big boy.
10:40
Nick:
I think if you ordered it back during that
time, you might have a problem finishing it.
10:40
You're Max, The Meat Guy. This is 100% beef.
10:44
I'm gonna let you do the honors.
10:46
Max:
Yeah. It's reminiscent of a Big Mac from
today,
10:49
but way stronger.
Nick: Heartier.
10:52
Max: Heartier. Yes.
Nick: Yeah.
10:54
Nick: Should we move on to the Happy Meals?
Max: Please!
10:55
Nick:
Each of our Happy Meals is gonna be a
little bit different. I don't know what's
10:57
inside them, you don't know what's inside
them. Why don't we open them one at a time?
11:00
Max:
Look at the detail on this Happy Meal!
11:03
There's, like, jokes written all over it.
11:06
Nick:
This is original Happy Meal packaging. That's
why it's all scratched up on the sides. You
11:07
can probably find a date somewhere.
11:11
Oh, yep. 1979, right there.
11:13
Max:
What have we got here? It's not gonna,
like, jump out at me, is it?
11:15
Nick:
Big moment.
11:17
Max:
Okay. Oh, man!
11:18
Nick:
It's disintegrating in front of our eyes.
11:20
Max:
Okay. Oops! Is this who I think it is?
11:22
Nick:
Who is
11:24
it?
Max: Is this the Hamburglar?
11:24
Nick:
It's the Hamburglar.
11:25
Max:
Oh, my gosh!
11:26
Max: Oh, my God! Dude!
Nick: Max! He's eating your burger.
11:27
He's eating your burger. Max!
Get the burger back!
11:33
We need that. We need that. To everyone
11:36
watching right now, that's a well-known
YouTuber.
11:38
See if you can guess in the comments who it
is!
11:41
Max:
Dude! That
11:42
was
11:43
terrifying.
11:43
Oh, God!
11:45
Nick:
Open the rest of your...uh...
11:45
I'm just
11:49
kidding.
11:50
Nick:
Yeah, we got some French fries...
11:50
Is that it? Where's my burger?
11:52
Where's my main course?
11:53
I think I might have,
like, lost it.
11:55
Nick:
Oh, he ate it.
11:57
Max:
He ate
11:58
it?
11:58
He actually stole my burger?
11:59
That is unbelievable. The Hamburglar actually
burglarized my burger.
12:01
Nick:
That's so funny.
12:05
There's your kiddie fries.
12:06
Enjoy those! Let's open my Happy Meal!
12:07
I, too, have some fries.
12:09
Max:
They're really crispy.
12:13
Nick:
This is how they would have wrapped a burger
back in the day in one of these little Happy
12:14
Meal boxes. While I'm eating my burger,
take a guess how much a Happy Meal cost back
12:16
in 1970!
12:20
Max:
Based on all the other prices...
12:21
What? Like $0.50?
12:22
Nick:
This whole Happy Meal with the fries,
the toy, the drink and the burger...
12:24
Just $1.10.
12:27
Max:
$1.10.
12:28
Nick:
And still...you can see that these burgers are
substantial.
12:29
Even if it's just a patty and 2 buns,
12:32
it's heavy. One thing I feel like my burger
is missing: a little bit of salt and pepper.
12:33
When you buy crazy vintage items like this,
and when you pay $15 for a little thing of
12:37
salt and pepper, this is how they're packed
up.
12:42
Max:
Is this the original salt and pepper?
12:44
Nick:
Original 1970s salt and pepper from
McDonald's.
12:45
Max:
This is the first food item from the time
period that we could theoretically actually
12:48
taste.
12:52
Nick:
You're right. You could probably eat the
salt.
12:53
Max:
This is probably the coolest one for me.
12:55
Nick:
You think
12:56
so?
Max: Yes. It's the actual food.
12:56
Nick:
Totally real, original food.
12:58
Max:
This is really freaking cool.
12:59
Nick:
Yeah. There's also a spout on the back in the
corner. They're where the salt and pepper can
13:01
pour out of. So basically,
you tear it right here, and then you just
13:05
open it up and pour it on whatever you want.
Oh, my gosh!
13:08
It cracks right open. Try that one!
13:10
Max:
Wait! You just bend it back?
13:12
Nick:
Yeah. Just crack it back.
13:12
Max: Oh! Wow!
Nick: That's amazing.
13:13
You can just pour it right onto the fries.
50+ year old salt.
13:15
Max:
No way! Can I get a little bit?
13:18
Nick:
Yeah. You wanna try it?
13:19
Max:
Yeah. It tastes exactly like...salt.
13:20
Nick:
Put some
13:24
pepper!
Max: You think it's still gonna taste peppery?
13:25
Nick:
Yeah.
13:26
Nothing?
13:28
Max: Nothing.
Nick: At
13:28
all.
Max: Yes, yes. The flavor had to come out.
13:29
Nick:
I wanna continue moving on to the next few
decades, because there is some mind blowing
13:32
food coming. But first,
I wanna have a little dessert. We've got
13:35
cookies and we've got apple pie.
13:38
Max:
Those apple pies have a special place in my
heart.
13:39
Nick:
So try an original recipe apple pie!
13:42
Nick: This is also the original container that you
would have gotten your apple pie in.
Max: Really?
13:44
Nick:
I love that it has this pure giant apple on
there.
13:47
It also says that back in the day they were
cooked in 100% vegetable shortening.
13:50
This is the little advertisement slip that
would have come with the cookies back in the
13:53
day. Wait, what? This is so cool.
13:56
This is the cookie
13:58
box, and you can make a walkie talkie out of
it.
13:59
Inside this container,
Max, should be an original bag of the
14:01
McDonald Land cookies. This is 50+ year
old cookies.
14:04
Max:
1975 McDonald Corporation.
14:07
Nick:
So these cookies are exactly 50 years old.
14:10
Max:
Can we eat this?
14:12
Nick:
It smells like dust.
14:16
Max:
Ooh!
14:18
Nick:
It used to be one cookie.
14:20
We could put the puzzle back together.
14:21
Max:
Yeah. We're gonna figure out something.
What's this thing?
14:22
Nick:
Is it Ronald McDonald?
14:25
Max:
It looks like it might be his face.
14:26
Nick: That's his head.
Max: Oh, that's his hair. Yeah.
Nick: That's his head.
14:27
Max:
I think just to say I did it...
14:29
I need to taste the 50 year old cookie.
14:30
Tastes like a 50 year old cookie.
14:34
Nick:
We even have this original Birthday Book that
you would have gotten as a kid.
14:35
This is a ridiculous McDonald's collector's
item.
14:39
Whoa! You can make a Ronald McDonald figure.
14:41
You punch out the pieces and you make a
Ronald McDonald.
14:44
Max:
Great condition.
14:47
Nick:
I don't think I could punch the things out of
there without feeling bad.
14:48
Max:
Yeah, I don't think you should.
14:50
Nick:
Last thing before the 1980s...
2 original McDonald's moist towelettes.
14:51
Max:
No way!
14:56
Nick:
See if they're still wet!
I'm guessing "Yes".
14:57
Max:
There's no way! After 50 years?
14:59
Nick:
Okay. Let's see! Mine's soaked.
15:01
Max:
No way!
15:04
Nick: Mine's soaked.
Max: Really?
15:05
Nick: Yeah, yeah.
Max: Mine's dry as the fricking Sahara.
15:05
Nick:
Seriously?
15:08
Max:
Bone dry. Oh! It's soaked.
15:09
Wow! You feel mine!
15:11
Nick:
How does
15:12
that...how does that...
Listen to Max's!
15:12
Max:
But this one's perfect.
15:16
Brand spanking new.
15:18
Nick:
Let's wipe our way to 1980!
15:19
Moving to the 1980s, McDonald's focused on
breakfast.
15:21
Since lots of people wanted to pick it up on
their way to work, due to the success of the
15:25
drive thru. During this decade,
a hamburger cost $0.50. And Max!
15:28
You have upgraded to assistant manager.
15:32
Max:
It's tight,
15:35
Nick.
Nick: I love that this just says
15:36
"How may I help you?".
15:37
Max:
How may I help you, Nick?
15:38
Nick:
You'll also notice that Max is wearing a
visor that says "Try the McD LT".
15:39
So why don't we start with that? Any guess
what the McD LT is?
15:43
Max:
A BLT, but with...the
15:46
D?
15:50
Nick:
The McD LT stood for the McDonald's Lettuce
and Tomato.
15:50
Max:
Is there meat?
15:54
Nick:
Yeah. If you take a look at the packaging,
it was a novel invention of its time, because
15:54
on this side we have all the cold items, and
on this side we have the hot items.
15:58
Max:
That's genius.
16:03
Nick:
If you look at the container,
you'll see that the lettuce and tomato on
16:04
this side stay cool. And if you flip it over,
16:07
the quarter pound beef patty on this side
stays hot.
16:09
Max:
Oh, and you just kind of fold it together to
assemble your sandwich.
16:12
Max: Very smart.
Nick: People ended up getting this
beautiful burger that really contrasts in
16:15
temperature. It's crisp. And you know that
none of that lettuce has been cooked by the
16:19
beef.
Max: Right.
Nick: The McD LT.
16:22
I do notice a substantial difference with the
fact that the beef is really warm and hot and
16:24
juicy on the bottom...and then the veggies are
extra crispy.
16:30
Any guesses as to what's in here?
16:32
Max:
I hope it's the pancakes,
because that was by far my favorite
16:33
McDonald's breakfast growing up.
16:37
Nick:
This is game used.
16:39
Max:
Thoroughly used.
16:40
Nick:
This is the original packaging in the 1980s
that you would have gotten your hotcakes and
16:41
sausage.
16:46
Max:
Let's go! Look how perfect they
16:47
are!
Nick: Again, we are making sure to use the
original recipes.
16:49
If you look up what McDonald's pancakes
looked like in 1980,
16:52
this is gonna be what they looked like.
We're eating the real stuff here. Same thing
16:55
with the sausage. This is exactly what
sausage looked like at McDonald's in the
16:58
1980s.
17:01
Max:
So do you think somebody just ordered the
pancakes, ate their meal, and then saved the
17:02
packaging, and was like:
"I'm gonna save this for the next 40 years"?
17:05
Nick:
I have no idea. But they made a huge profit
on it.
17:07
Max:
What you can do is: you get your pancake,
get your sausage...
17:09
Typically, I'd use maple syrup.
17:12
Another pancake. Boom!
17:13
You have a delicious pancake sausage
sandwich.
17:15
Nick:
Maybe people started doing this in the 1980s.
17:17
And then that's what led to the McGriddle.
Isn't that a pancake?
17:20
Max:
Right.
17:22
Max: Essentially.
Nick: While you have that,
I'm gonna have one of my favorites: the
17:23
iconic Hash Browns. This is the exact shape
and recipe they used for Hash Browns back in
17:25
that time.
17:29
Max:
Mhm!
17:30
Nick:
You hear that crunch?
17:31
Max:
Mhm! This is legit.
17:32
Nick:
This is my tea cup right here with these cute
little sleeves on the side that my fingers
17:33
can go in. I have actually conveniently
bought a sugar cube from 1985.
17:36
Max:
Dang!
17:40
Nick:
That might be my favorite item.
17:41
Max:
Very well packaged.
17:42
Nick:
I'm gonna put it in my hot water.
17:43
Max:
Oh, my God!
17:45
Nick:
And then, of course, tea.
17:46
I love tea. What I love is that that little
piece that stays on the top is attached to
17:48
the packaging. It's part of the package.
17:52
Max:
Wow!
17:54
Wait! So this is...what? 40 year old tea?
17:55
Nick:
Yeah.
17:57
Max:
Can I smell it? It still smells like black tea.
17:58
It's like aged. Oh! Look at that color!
18:01
Nick:
It's legit. I don't think I should drink
this, right? Isn't this dangerous?
18:04
Max:
I'll drink it.
18:06
Nick:
No way this is safe. What?
18:07
Max: I can drink it.
Nick: Really?
18:08
Max:
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
18:09
Nick:
This can't be
18:11
safe.
Max: It doesn't smell very good.
18:11
Ah!
18:14
I mean, it tastes like tea.
18:15
Nick:
It smells like dust.
18:17
Max:
The raw version smelled a lot better.
18:18
In hindsight, I probably should have thought
that one over more.
18:20
Nick:
I'm not gonna have any tea. What I am gonna
have: these chicken nuggets.
18:22
Chicken nuggets were introduced in the 1980s.
To whoever thought of this idea...
18:25
Thank you!
18:29
Max:
Did they invent chicken nuggets?
18:30
Nick:
Probably not. To this day,
they're still one of my favorites. But what
18:31
I'm most excited for is the fact that they
looked a little different, and they also
18:34
supposedly tasted a lot different.
18:37
Don't they smell different?
18:39
Max:
Yeah.
18:40
Nick:
More homemade.
18:41
Max:
A little peppery...in a good way, though.
18:41
I feel like I'm eating real chicken.
18:44
Nick:
It definitely has more of a bite to it...
more texture than the ones that I have.
18:46
And if you're curious about what a takeout
bag would have looked like at McDonald's in
18:49
1980, this right here is it.
18:52
1989 McDonald's Corporation.
18:54
Moving on to the decade that you and I were
born...
18:56
1990s.
Max: Let's do it!
Nick: In the 1990s
18:58
McDonald's made a push to get a little bit
more premium, in order to compete with casual
19:01
dining restaurants. And they even introduced
the famous McPizza. During this decade,
19:05
a hamburger cost $0.75.
19:09
I'm gonna dress up with Max for this
decade, because I am particularly excited
19:11
about this McPizza.
19:15
Max:
It smells phenomenal.
19:16
Nick:
Should we save it for last, or should we start
with it?
19:17
Max:
We gotta save it for last.
19:19
Nick:
Okay. Let's start this decade with the Arch
Deluxe!
19:20
This is McDonald's push for a more premium
hamburger.
19:22
And it was more of a grown up burger, because
it came with peppered bacon and a mustard
19:25
mayonnaise sauce. Right away,
the packaging. Max: Mhm!
Nick: That is iconic '90s color and
19:29
look and feel...if I've ever seen it.
19:34
Max: Yeah. It feels like an upgrade too.
Nick: Even
19:36
the bags started to get more colorful and
exciting during this time period.
19:37
You can see that the logo is getting closer
and closer to what we have today.
19:41
Max:
It just...it brings me back.
19:44
Nick:
Right when you open the Arch Deluxe,
you can already feel and you can see and you
19:45
can smell that it's different.
19:49
Close your eyes! What does it smell like?
19:51
Max:
Mhm! It's a little smoky.
19:53
Nick:
Imagine I surprised you again...
19:55
I love that there's a sesame bun on this one
19:59
now.
Max: You mentioned a lot of things, but when
you said bacon...I mean...that's how I know this
20:01
is the burger for me.
20:05
Nick: Can I feed you?
Max: Please!
20:06
Really good.
20:09
Nick:
Yeah?
20:10
Max:
Unbelievable.
20:10
Nick:
That's a napkin from 1990.
20:11
Max:
Can we afford this? It's okay? Well,
I've already...I already started it.
20:13
Nick: You can use it.
Max: All right. Nick: You like it?
Max: I love it.
20:16
Nick:
Unfortunately, in 2000,
this was taken off the menu.
20:18
It just didn't really make sense. It was too
premium for McDonald's.
20:22
Max:
It's not too premium for me.
20:25
Nick:
You probably also noticed the really cool fry
containers that came during this time. This
20:26
is the one that was supporting the Olympics.
20:29
Max:
And this one's got like retro vibes going on.
20:31
Nick:
Yeah. It's really, really cool.
20:34
Max:
All right. Nick! We have a shot at winning $1
million here.
20:35
Nick: "Win instantly $1 million!"
Max: Yes.
20:37
Nick:
And the front has this thing that I peel to
see if we actually won. 3,
20:39
2, 1.
20:44
Max:
It expired...um...30 years ago.
20:48
Nick:
There were also other fun advances in
packaging.
20:50
You can see that the ring around the Big Mac
got pretty cool looking.
20:52
I like that a lot more than the old one. The
Chicken McNuggets box got a lot more playful...
20:55
But more importantly,
the cookie containers got bigger.
20:59
Max: Hey!
Nick: This is real cookies
21:02
from...
Max: Oh, my gosh! Are we gonna eat these too?
21:04
Nick:
September 19th, 1999.
21:06
Max:
They're probably still good.
21:08
Nick:
Oh!
21:10
Nick: Max!
Max: I freaking love these things.
21:13
Nick:
The grimace.
21:15
Max:
No way!
21:16
Nick: Ronald McDonald. Is that the Hamburglar? Right
there...
Max: Oh!
21:17
Nick:
Is that the Hamburglar?
21:20
Max:
It looks like him.
21:21
Nick:
We shouldn't eat these.
21:21
Max:
Given that it's been expired for 30 years...
21:24
It's not bad.
21:26
Nick:
It's disgusting.
21:27
Max:
It's not good. It's time for the Holy Grail.
21:28
Nick:
Yeah. It's time.
21:29
Max:
All right.
21:30
Nick: Enter...the McPizza.
Max: Yes.
21:30
Nick:
This pizza started at $5.80,
costing much more than anything else on the
21:33
menu. The pricing of the McPizza was based on
what you actually got on it.
21:38
If you went with a Deluxe like we have,
it was $9.
21:41
As cool as it might look inside,
it failed, partly due to the long cooking
21:44
time...but can you guess why else this might
have failed?
21:48
Max:
Not based on taste. That looks so good.
21:50
Nick:
I'll give you a hint. Think about how big it
is!
21:52
Max: Oh, it can't fit in a bag?
Nick: Close.
Max: Too big for a kid?
21:54
Nick: No.
Max: Can't fit through the window.
21:59
Nick:
Can't fit through the drive thru window.
22:00
Max:
Ah!
22:01
Nick:
For some reason they didn't think about that
ahead of time...
22:02
And it could not fit through the drive thru
window to hand to the customers in their
22:05
cars. This is exactly what the McPizza looked
like back in the day.
22:08
It was loaded up with all sorts of stuff.
22:11
It was made fresh to order.
22:13
A lot of people actually really liked it.
22:14
Max:
This looks like a Supreme Pizza.
22:16
It has literally every topping.
22:18
Dang! That looks good.
22:19
I love it.
22:21
Nick:
It tastes like elementary school pizza.
22:22
The crust is almost that rubbery,
extra chewy,
22:24
doughy crust. Which makes sense, because that
was big in the '90s.
22:26
It tastes a little similar to what you'd find
at Chuck E. Cheese today.
22:29
But as I said, this failed.
22:33
So in an attempt to save the McPizza,
they moved on to the Deluxe McPizza.
22:34
It was basically a personal sized Pizza Hot
Pocket.
22:38
Max:
That is definitely fitting through the drive
thru window. Mm!
22:41
That smell good.
22:45
Nick:
I think I'm just gonna wipe my way with this
McPizza napkin into the 2000s.
22:45
Max:
You're not even having a bite?
22:49
Nick:
In the 2000s, health and nutrition became a
major focus across the United States...
22:50
which led McDonald's to introduce a variety
of healthier options.
22:54
At the same time, the company launched its
iconic Dollar Menu,
22:57
making fast food more affordable than ever.
23:00
During this decade, a hamburger cost around
$0.90.
23:02
A lot of this stuff is gonna be a little
healthier,
23:05
but I already see things that I love. Like the
Snack Wrap.
23:07
Max:
RIP. Or did they bring it back?
23:10
Nick:
No, they didn't. Because I remember going
through a drive through with Linda and her
23:12
yelling into the window:
"Bring back the frickin Snack Wrap!".
23:15
And they didn't bring it back. So if they're
not gonna listen to Linda, then they're not
23:18
gonna listen to anybody.
Max: Facts.
Nick: I'm gonna be honest.
23:20
I've never had a Snack Wrap.
23:22
Max:
No way!
23:23
Nick:
Ever.
23:24
Max:
That's shocking.
23:24
Nick:
When I heard about it the first time,
I didn't even know what it was.
23:25
I don't wanna sound like a broken record,
but these are the original wrappers for a
23:29
Snack Wrap.
23:32
Max:
I mean, this looks like the original Snack
Wrap too.
23:33
Nick:
Again...the reason that they brought the Snack
Wrap in in the 2000s was: because they were
23:35
going for a healthier push,
and the Snack Wrap is supposed to be a nice,
23:39
light, simple meal. It's definitely lighter
than a burger.
23:42
Max: Definitely.
Nick: My first Snack Wrap.
23:44
That's really good.
23:48
Max:
That brings me back.
23:48
Nick:
Chicken nuggets in there. We got the honey
mustard flavor.
23:49
Max: That's the best one.
Nick: You remember this?
Max: Oh, yeah.
23:52
Oh, yeah.
23:53
Nick:
You're old. The coolest thing that they
brought in the 2000s for healthy options...
23:54
The McSalad Shaker.
23:58
It's a salad in a cup that you actually shake
up...all in one.
23:59
And then the dressing coats everything, and
you're ready to eat.
24:02
Max:
I know I'm Max, The Meat Guy,
but I would've crushed these back in the day.
24:05
Nick:
It says in the bag: "Salads tossed fresh all
day".
24:08
Max:
So you're gonna see the issue with these
very shortly.
24:12
Nick:
All right. So there is a problem with these.
Okay.
24:15
Max:
You'll see. Right?
24:17
Nick: It's spilling down the side of mine already.
Max: Yeah.
Nick: Did that happen?
24:19
Max:
Mhm!
24:21
Nick:
Seriously?
24:21
Max:
But that's not...that's not the biggest issue.
24:22
Nick:
Oh, yours is mixing.
24:27
Max:
Well, I'm really shaking it.
24:28
Nick:
Wouldn't it be weird if you were in your car,
and you're like shaking, while you're driving...
24:29
and you get pulled over for this?
24:33
Wow!
24:35
Max:
That's actually shaked up pretty well.
24:35
The problem I always struggled with was: that
the bottom never had the salad dressing...
24:37
distribution.
Nick: Oh!
Max: So I feel like we did pretty good.
24:42
Look at yours!
24:45
Nick:
I can see here that there's just full
distribution of the dressing throughout the
24:45
entire container.
Max: Yeah.
24:49
Maybe I just didn't know how to shake back in
the day. Like this...this worked out very
24:50
well.
24:53
Nick: Oh! Those good old soggy croutons.
Max: Mhm!
24:54
Nick:
I forgot about those.
24:57
Max: This is definitely a higher quality salad...
Nick: Pretty good.
Max: ...than the one I'm used to back in the day.
24:58
Nick:
Honestly...for someone thinking of creative
and healthy options for a fast food place,
25:01
such as McDonald's, this is a good idea.
25:04
Max:
It is, but I think I heard the calories in
the dressing alone is like as much as a whole
25:06
burger. Is it actually healthier?
25:10
Nick:
Well...either way, it doesn't matter, because
it failed...and they discontinued it.
25:11
Max:
Sadly.
25:15
Nick:
There is some very unhealthy stuff that also
came in the 2000s.
25:16
But first...this is probably my favorite
packaging.
25:19
This says "Quarter Pounder"...
but in this decade they introduced the "Third
25:21
Pounder". I couldn't find a real "Third Pounder"
box...
25:25
but this is a real "Quarter Pounder" box, and
inside is an actual "Third Pounder".
25:27
It's a hefty burger.
25:31
Max:
First of all, look at the way that thing just
splayed open!
25:32
Nick:
Yeah. Pulled it up.
25:35
Max:
Thing just completely opened up.
25:36
Nick: It basically makes a plate.
Max: Right.
25:37
It's a little plate, like you're sitting down.
Boom!
25:39
Nick:
Oh, my God! I realized we totally forgot to
open all our toys from the Toy Decade.
25:41
Should we open them now?
25:47
Max:
Yeah.
25:48
Nick:
I got so sidetracked by the Hamburglar coming
and tackling you, that I totally forgot.
25:49
We bought all the most iconic Happy Meal toys
from over the years.
25:54
Max:
Wow! Freshly opened seal.
25:58
Nick:
It's a Chicken
26:00
Nugget Tetris.
Max: No way! Nick: Yeah.
Max: Dude! Is that thing still gonna work with
26:01
battery?
Nick: Yeah.
26:04
For sure.
26:05
Max:
No way! What?
26:06
Nick:
I'm gonna choose the Teenie Beanie Baby.
26:09
These were extremely popular,
and I got the "Patti, the Platypus" one.
26:11
Nick: Yeah.
Max: That brings back memories.
26:15
McDonald's changeables. The large French
fries.
26:17
We got the arms...
26:20
Nick:
What?
26:21
Max:
We got the head right here...
26:21
Nick:
This is the Pikachu toy.
26:22
Dang! It makes a noise.
26:24
That's cool.
26:28
Max:
Pretty cool. Gotta go with Sonic.
26:29
I think he goes in here somehow.
26:31
Oh, here we go. What is it like...one of these
deals?
26:33
Nick:
We've got ourselves a Minion.
26:37
We should probably finish the food.
26:40
Max: I think it's time to eat.
Nick: It's time to eat.
26:42
The "Third Pounder" is nothing special. It's
just a heavier hamburger.
26:43
Feel the weight of that?
26:46
Max:
Oh, yeah.
26:47
Nick:
It's a barbell.
26:47
Max:
I like that, yeah.
26:48
Nick:
Heavier patty, same burger.
26:49
The one very unhealthy part of the 2000s was
the Super Size McDonald's Drink.
26:50
This is their normal drink that they had
before.
26:55
This is the Super Size.
26:57
I think people were upset by the fact that...
when everything was all healthy, they
26:58
suddenly introduced something this big.
27:02
Max:
I remember after ordering,
they'd always be like: "Would you like that
27:03
Super Sized?". I would always say yes.
27:06
Nick:
I just wanna see how many regular cups can
fit inside the Super Size. 1,
27:08
2, 3...and a half.
3 and a half normal cups, which probably
27:12
already has tons of sugar.
27:16
And in the era of health,
they're introducing this.
27:17
Max:
People liked their soda.
27:19
Nick:
They liked it even more in 2010s.
27:20
In the 2010s, McDonald's embraced
globalization.
27:22
They introduced all sorts of unique
international menu items,
27:25
even here in the United States.
27:28
During this decade, a hamburger went up to
$1.15.
27:30
Where do you wanna start?
27:33
Max:
This is like 2 of my favorite things. I see
McFlurry and a McRib.
27:34
Nick:
We bought a genuine McFlurry machine to make
the McFlurries.
27:37
Max:
Is that thing functional?
27:40
Nick:
Look at all the switches! Let's start with
the McFlurry, so they don't melt! I got the
27:41
Oreo McFlurry.
27:44
Max:
I always go with M&M.
They kind of freeze, and they get all nice and
27:45
crunchy.
Nick: Do you really?
Max: Oh, every time.
27:47
It really is so good.
27:51
Nick:
Yeah. It's just...the machines never work.
27:52
Max:
Oh, facts.
27:54
Nick:
Well, now I have my own. I can literally make
a McFlurry whenever I want.
27:54
Max:
Can I borrow that?
27:57
Nick:
Guess why I'm holding this Egg McMuffin here!
27:58
Max:
Um...because they're extremely tasty?
28:00
Nick:
Because they introduced All Day Breakfast at
McDonald's starting in the 2010s.
28:02
This is an original Egg McMuffin container
here.
28:06
I've never been a fan of the egg McMuffin.
28:09
Max:
Really?
28:10
Nick:
I'm more of a McGriddle guy.
28:11
Max:
No. It's tough to beat this, though,
28:13
right here.
28:15
Nick:
The Egg McMuffin is classic,
and what I respect the most is that they
28:15
actually use and cook a real egg inside.
28:18
Max:
I'm just shocked by how circular the eggs
always are.
28:20
Nick:
Well, they cracked them into a mold.
28:23
Max:
Oh, I thought they just had circular eggs.
28:24
Nick:
It's good.
28:28
Max:
Really good.
28:29
Nick:
The Egg McMuffin is classic.
28:29
Nick: I'd eat this any day.
Max: 100%.
28:31
I'm really full right now.
28:32
Nick:
The most important thing in reducing this
decade was the famous McRib.
28:33
Max:
Is this the best McDonald's menu item of all
time...or the worst?
28:38
Nick:
You're The Meat Guy. So describe this McRib!
28:42
Max:
This looks like real rib meat.
28:43
The problem with the current McRib is: that
it's essentially a burger in the shape of a
28:45
boneless rib rack, whereas this looks like
the real deal.
28:49
We have our bun. That beautiful,
saucy meat...looks like a bunch of pickles...
28:52
Onions...Simple sandwich.
28:56
But in my opinion, it is hard to beat.
28:57
Nick:
Before we try it...McDonald's actually sent me
this.
28:59
It's all McRib Sauce.
29:02
Max:
No way!
29:03
Nick:
I didn't ask for it.
29:05
Max:
What?
29:06
Nick:
They just sent it to me. I don't know why,
but I'm not gonna complain. I love it.
29:06
Max:
Nick! That's too much sauce.
29:09
Nick:
Do you want some?
29:11
Max:
Sure.
29:11
Nick:
Tell me when...
29:12
Max:
Okay. When. When. When.
29:12
When. Mhm!
29:14
Nick:
Basically McDonald's Barbecue
29:16
Sauce.
Max: It is.
29:17
Nick:
And if you don't have this much, then you're
not doing it right.
29:18
Max:
Do you really like that much sauce?
29:20
Nick:
Yeah, I love this.
29:21
Max:
Whoa! It's saucy.
29:23
Nick:
The sauce is what makes it.
29:25
Max:
It's a messy sandwich. Ribs are supposed to
be messy, I guess. Right?
29:27
Nick:
They are. There are some very exciting things
coming now in the 2020s.
29:29
Let's keep moving! We finally made it to the
2020s...
29:32
where McDonald's has focused on
sustainability and pop culture
29:35
collaborations. In this decade,
a basic hamburger cost $2.19,
29:38
about 15 times more expensive than it cost
back in 1950.
29:43
Even though this is modern day, the craziest
item from this decade...
29:46
You look...you look great.
29:50
Max:
Thanks!
29:52
Nick:
This is the Travis Scott collaboration.
29:52
Max:
Do I wear the hat like this?
29:54
Like...or like...or like this?
29:55
Nick:
That's cool, I think.
29:57
Max: Is this cool?
Nick: Yeah, yeah. Max: Actually?
Nick: Yeah. Yeah. Max: I look cool?
29:58
Nick:
I don't know...does he look cool?
30:00
You guys comment below!
30:02
You might not have even heard this,
but the craziest menu item from the 2020s is
30:03
called the "Land, Air and Sea Burger".
30:07
Max:
What?
30:09
Nick:
This is a massive burger that combines the
McChicken,
30:10
the classic hamburger patty and the Filet-O-Fish.
30:13
"Land, Air and Sea".
30:16
Max:
I wish I thought of that.
30:17
Nick:
This sandwich is so big that you can't really
even bite it.
30:18
Max:
It doesn't mean we won't try. It just all
looks very fancy right now.
30:21
Nick:
Yeah, I guess the 2020s, looking at
everything in front of us, is kind of all
30:24
about pops of color. Obviously, we got the
Grimace Shake,
30:27
which entirely took over the internet.
30:30
Max:
I've yet to try it though.
30:32
Nick:
You wanna try it?
30:33
Max:
Is it time?
30:34
Nick:
Grimace Shake. Don't you turn into,
like, a Grimace or something!
30:34
Nick: Don't you like...
Max: I...
30:38
I'm...Nick! Hey! If you're out there...
30:39
Nick:
Doesn't something happen, when you drink the
Grimace Shake?
30:44
Max:
I don't wanna drink it. What's gonna
happen?
30:46
Nick:
This is the current collaboration in 2025 at
McDonald's.
30:48
It's the Pokémon Happy Meals box. We just
bought these 10 minutes ago.
30:51
So this is all present day.
30:54
We've got these apple slices.
30:56
Max:
This might be the smallest thing of fries
I've ever seen.
30:57
Nick:
This is real.
31:01
Max: This is like a one biter.
Nick: I can fit this whole thing in my mouth.
31:02
Compare this little fry container here to the
fries that we had earlier in the video!
31:06
Max:
It's pretty cute, though.
31:09
Nick: It is pretty cute.
Max: You know?
31:10
Nick:
Yeah.
31:11
Max: It's like...
Nick: You'll even notice...the hamburger.
31:12
Max:
That is sad.
31:15
Nick:
We didn't do anything to this.
31:16
This is how it came. This is thinner than the
patties from earlier.
31:17
Max:
What do we got going on in there? A singular
pickle...
31:20
No sandwich should only have one pickle.
31:23
Nick:
Call me crazy, but I think I could eat this
entire thing in one bite as well.
31:25
Max:
I'm sure you can.
31:27
Nick:
I really think...I can't.
31:28
Max:
No.
31:31
Nick:
We also have pretty cool little milk
containers.
31:32
Max:
This is a loud sip.
31:37
Nick:
And the toys...I don't know,
they're not that exciting anymore
31:38
to me.
31:40
Max:
Everything feels dumbed down a little bit.
31:41
Nick:
Just for reference, a modern day Happy Meal
costs $7.88.
31:43
It is rocketed up in price.
31:46
Like I said, there were also lots of
collaborations during this time. This is the
31:48
BTS Meal.
31:52
Max:
Like the band?
31:52
Nick:
Yeah, like the band. I got these cool little
BTS magnets and stickers. And they also had
31:53
these special limited edition collaboration
sauces.
31:57
And then the Sichuan sauce.
31:59
The Sichuan sauce went extremely viral for
McDonald's.
32:01
Nick: Do you know which collaboration this came
from? Rick and Morty.
Max: Oh! Nick: Yeah.
32:04
Nick:
We also have this little Cactus Jack toy.
32:08
But even cooler: the "I'm lovin' it" Travis
Scott tray.
32:10
Before we can finally move on to the future
of McDonald's,
32:13
which is really, really neat...
take a sip of the Grimace Shake!
32:16
Max:
You take a sip of the Grimace Shake!
32:18
Nick:
All right, I'll sip the Grimace Shake.
32:19
Max:
How is it?
32:21
Nick:
I'm good. Take another sip!
32:21
We've made it, Max. All the way through every
decade, since McDonald's started.
32:26
But who knows what the future is gonna
look like? In 2030 and beyond,
32:29
we might see things like robot chefs,
robot servers,
32:32
possibly lab grown meat for the burger
patties,
32:35
and maybe even things like 3D printed food.
32:38
Or...wouldn't it be crazy if there were clear
burgers?
32:40
Max:
Clear burgers?
32:42
Nick:
Max! You're looking a little purple.
32:43
Max:
I don't feel too good.
32:47
Subscribe!
32:48
Lyrics & Translation
[English]
Nick:
Today, we're gonna be tasting 100 years of
McDonald's,
including some crazy menu items that you've
probably never even heard of.
I've also brought along my friend, Max to help
me eat.
And we're gonna start in 1940, when
McDonald's was founded.
McDonald's was originally named McDonald's
Famous Barbecue,
where they served classic barbecue items as
well as milkshakes.
It started out as a drive in restaurant, where
guests were served right in their cars by
people called "Carhops".
In every decade, I'm gonna dress Max up as
something from that decade.
Nick: And in the 1940s...Max,
you're gonna be a "Carhop".
Max: Dude!
What?
Nick:
Let me see that!
Max: How do I look?
Nick: You look
good. So Max! I have a menu here from
McDonald's in 1940.
McDonald's in the 1940s wasn't even close to
what it's like today.
They had things like ribs,
pulled pork, baked beans,
and even root beer floats, that they would
literally bring to your car in this actual
glass. And just look at the prices on the
menu!
Max:
$0.10 for a root beer...
Peanut Butter, Jelly and French Fries for
$0.20.
Nick:
And their most famous item,
the Barbecued Beef
Ham or Pork.
Max: $0.35.
Mind blowing.
Nick:
Let's pretend it's 1940!
I've just pulled into McDonald's in my
vehicle.
I've parked in the parking lot.
I've ordered my food and now...
Max:
I got the ribs and pork.
Nick:
In comes the "Carhop", right into my window.
I've got this actual glass of a root beer
float and some classic McDonald's barbecue.
Do you wanna eat with me?
Max:
Uh...I'd love to. I've never had a customer
offer.
Nick:
This is the classic tray that you would have
gotten in your car at McDonald's in 1940.
Max:
This is all I could ever want in a plate of
food.
Nick: Oh!
Max: This is fantastic.
Nick: Oh, man!
Max: There's nothing like it.
Nick:
Let's move on to the barbecue!
Max:
Do we have to? It's so good.
Nick:
You're The Meat Guy. Why don't you explain
it?
Max:
We got a few beautiful, saucy ribs.
Nice pile of pulled pork.
We got the chili on the side.
A cute little burger, even though that wasn't
their focus at the time. And some chips.
Nick:
McDonald's didn't actually really start out
serving fries. Instead, they served potato
chips, because that was just easier.
Max:
I gotta start on one of those ribs.
Nick:
You want a
glove?
Max: I'm getting handsy with this. I wanna
feel what they had to offer back in the
'40s. This looks so good.
Nick:
And remember! In this video,
we have all the original packaging that you
would have had at McDonald's. And we use the
original recipes to make all the food.
The pulled pork is really nice.
Max:
Why did they ever discontinue this?
Nick:
Imagine this! In your car,
having the best barbecue of your life.
Max:
It's unbelievable.
Nick:
Should we drive into the 1950s?
Max:
Let's do it!
Nick:
Moving to the 1950s, McDonald's was renamed
to McDonald's Famous Hamburgers,
and they created an entirely new menu, where
they focused on just 9 core items.
In this decade, a hamburger cost just $0.15,
and if you ordered one of everything on the
menu, it cost just $1.16.
Max:
The entire menu?
What?
Max:
It smells good.
We have a classic looking McDonald's burger,
the OG French fries, and an absolutely
perfect looking chocolate milkshake.
Nick:
And as you can see, Max is once again dressed
up as an employee, with the actual original
uniform from the 1950s.
This guy right here...we can also see him on
the bags.
That's the McDonald's Speedee Logo that was
introduced in the 1950s.
We also got Speedee up here.
He's got a literal hamburger as a head.
He's a smiling cartoon chef that held up this
sign that said I'm "Speedee",
and it showed the fact that fast food was
getting faster.
If you look carefully,
it also says "Coast To Coast".
That was to show that they were expanding
across the United States. And remember! These
are original bags. This is all original
packaging.
This is the original container that they put
the fries in.
Max:
This is so crazy. They're truly one of a kind.
This might be the only original McDonald's
bag from the '50s left.
Nick:
I think we, in this room right now, have the
most original McDonald's packaging out of
anybody on the planet.
It's not disintegrating in any way,
but it's getting kind of brown by the edges
there. But it's in really good shape.
Max:
You can tell it's old.
Like you said, it is great condition.
How does it smell? It smells like paper.
Nick:
Here you go, Max. This is what a burger would
have looked like back in the day.
As you can see, it's much higher stacked and
much more "burgery" than one of those thin
patties that we'll see later in this video.
Max:
Way thicker, way more substantial.
I don't have any condiments on mine. It's
just cheese and burger.
That's probably how it's supposed to be.
Nick:
I got the classic pickles, onions, mustard...
Max:
My mouth is like watering tremendously.
It's so juicy.
Nick:
It's like a real burger.
Max:
Mhm!
Nick:
What's crazy is that mine's cooked to a nice
medium...and you'd never see that nowadays.
It's well done.
Max:
Never see that in any fast food restaurant
for that matter.
Nick:
But back in the day you did.
And remember! It only cost $0.15.
Max:
I'd buy like 100 of those.
Well, this is the real test. The French fries.
Nick:
Remember! This is the first time McDonald's
ever offered French fries. Before this...
Like we saw, it was potato chips.
Max:
The taste is pretty similar to the fries
nowadays.
Nick:
I think they're slightly different. They
taste a little bit less artificial.
Max:
Mhm! You can tell it's from a potato.
Nick:
But...fries are fries. And then of course,
milkshakes.
Having it in this cup.
Max:
It's crazy. It tastes like real chocolate.
Nick:
That's so true.
Max:
It's like a craft milkshake.
Nick: Now the machines are just broken every time.
Max: Right.
Things have changed.
Nick:
I wish I could have lived in the 1950s and
just gone to McDonald's once.
Max:
Well, here we are. You're doing it now.
Nick:
You ready to go to the 1960s?
Max:
Let's do
it!
Nick: Moving to the 1960s,
McDonald's started to get creative with some
of its new menu items. And even made the first
ever version of the Golden Arches Logo that
they still have today.
During this decade, a hamburger cost $0.20.
Max, you're dressed up again.
Max:
I am. And it's...it's tight.
Nick:
This is a real shirt for an employee from the
1960s.
You can see how tattered that logo on the
side is here.
And that right there is that Golden Arches
Logo. That is the first of its kind.
Max:
Right. It's the first time we've seen that
today.
Nick:
Before we eat anything...
This is a real order slip from the 1960s.
Max:
All right. Let me take your order here! What
can I get for you?
Nick:
Can I please do one Hula Burger?
Max:
One Hula...
Nick:
2 Iced Milks...
Max:
Come right up.
Nick:
A couple Shamrock Shakes...
Max:
Medium? Large?
Nick:
I'll go medium. And then one Filet-O-Fish.
Oh, 2 water cups.
Max:
2 water cups?
Nick:
Yeah. Perfect.
Max:
That's free.
Nick:
Oh, good.
Max:
Yeah. Be right back with your order.
Nick:
It's already here. Let's start with this!
Max:
What is this?
Nick:
Inside this bag is what we call the "Hula
Burger".
Max:
What?
What is that? Pineapple?
Nick:
This is a real burger that McDonald's
introduced in the 1960s as a meatless
alternative for people who didn't eat beef.
Max:
Nick! I really enjoyed my time on this video,
but this is enough.
Nick:
Come on, smell it! Come in!
Come on! Don't be shy!
Come on!
Max:
It smells like a pineapple. Okay?
I'm not okay with it.
Nick:
We'll try it at the end of this decade,
before the 1970s. And what we'll do for now
is: move on to the Fish Filet.
Which happened, because the Hula Burger was
such a massive failure.
Max:
As it should be.
Nick:
Can we just also appreciate that I'm wiping
my fingers with a napkin from 1960?
Max:
I feel like I need to save this,
though. I mean...how much do these things
cost?
Nick:
Each one of these napkins costs about 20
bucks.
Max:
Really? All right, I'm not wiping my hands
with this.
We are saving this right here.
Dude, Nick! That's...
Nick:
Before we eat the Filet-O-Fish,
let's use a coupon!
These are real coupons.
This is a coupon for a free Fish Filet.
And look how good it looks!
Max:
I mean, this looks like a postcard. They do
not make coupons like this anymore.
Nick:
No, they really don't. And look!
We have the address of who they actually sent
it to. This one was just an advertisement,
talked about how it was only $0.24.
Max:
It's a good price. $0.25 would have been too
much. $0.24 is...
That's good.
Nick:
We also have a couple other coupons.
Max:
We got a cheeseburger,
double cheeseburger, double hamburger and the
Triple Thick Shake. Are these still valid
today?
Nick: Let's see when it expired! October 1968.
Max: Ah!
Barely missed it.
Nick:
The Filet-O-Fish sandwich from the 1960s...
A beautiful, soft, fluffy bun,
some nice tartar sauce,
and of course, some golden brown fried fish.
Nick: Should we just take a bite out of...out of
either side?
Max: Yeah.
Wow! Because it's real fish.
Nick:
That feels like my grandmother made a really
nice fish sandwich for me.
Max: I don't think my grandmother's ever made me a
fish sandwich.
Nick: Mine has. Max: Really?
Nick:
Yeah. She's cool. Let's wash that down with
these original 1960s cups of Ice Milk!
Max:
What is Ice Milk?
Nick:
It's milk with ice. It's literally...
That's it. You have to imagine that these
cups started out as white.
Max: Right.
Nick: Is it safe to drink out of these?
I love the original Golden Arches Logo.
Notice how it has a little bit of a spear on
the end?
Max:
Isn't that a French fry?
Nick: I don't think...
Max: A speared French fry?
That is real milk from a cow.
Nick: Yeah.
Max: They don't make it like this anymore.
Nick:
Before we move to the Golden Ticket item of
the day...
Water cups. Look how nice the water cups
were!
Max:
Did they provide these in restaurants back in
the day?
Nick:
They provided them in restaurants back in the
day. They made them look really cool and
nice. They weren't clear. You know why they
turned them clear now, right?
Max:
Cheap?
Nick:
No. So you can't try to put coke in there and
say that it was water.
Max:
Ah! See. I...I would do that.
Max: But I do like every single type of soda.
Nick: You do that?
Max:
Well...shh!
Nick:
And what does shake make you think of when
you think about McDonald's?
Max:
There's of course the broken machines...
There's that green shake...
Nick:
Shamrock Shake.
Max:
The Shamrock Shake. That is a blast from the
past.
Nick:
Shamrock Shake was introduced in the 1960s.
These were the original cups that they would
have come in. This somehow stuck it all the
way out for over 60 years.
Max:
That is an iconic shake.
Nick:
How does it feel to have the opportunity to
drink this out of an original Shamrock Shake
cup?
Max:
I feel like I've actually transported back in
time.
My mind's playing tricks on myself. This is
so crazy to look at.
Nick: Minty...creamy...
Max: Like a real mint flavor.
Nick:
Yeah. Max! There's one last thing that you know we
need to do to move on.
Max:
When you say "we"...are you referring to you?
Nick:
Look at that! It's golden pineapple.
Nice thick slice. You got your cheese...
You got your buns...
What could you not like about it?
Max:
Did they actually try to sell that?
Nick:
They did sell it...and it failed horribly.
Nick: I'll make you a deal. Since you're wearing
all the silly clothing...
Max: Yeah. Nick: I will bite it.
Max:
Okay. Oh, my God! Okay. I feel bad for you right
now.
I feel your pain.
Nick:
I'm gonna try to distract myself with this
trash bag, that they would have given you for
your car. It's even got a little piece of
tape on the back that you can peel.
Max:
What is this?
Nick: Oh, yeah. It's not sticky anymore.
Max: Oh!
Nick: Yeah.
Max: Is this, like a...like a...
Nick: Like 60
something years old. Moving to the 1970s,
McDonald's focused on family values,
which led to the first ever drive thru,
as well as the fun McDonald Land characters,
that we still have today. During this decade,
a hamburger cost $0.30. Max!
Again, you find yourself in a McDonald's
workers outfit.
Max:
This might be the most stylish one of the
day.
Nick:
You can see that there are pops of color
happening now.
That's kind of what was happening around this
time, anyways. You moved a little bit more
from black and white television screens to
color TVs.
Max! Can you guess why the first ever drive
thru opened?
Max:
Uh...convenience cars? I don't know.
Nick:
The first ever drive thru was invented to
serve soldiers, who weren't allowed to leave
their car, while in uniform.
Max:
The more you know.
Nick:
Where do you wanna start?
Max:
There's a lot here. Is this the first time
we've seen a Happy Meal?
Nick:
Yeah. Because of the big family push by
McDonald's, they created the Happy Meal.
Max:
It's also the first time we're seeing Ronald,
I believe.
Nick: The McDonald Land characters. That's
the first time they came in. Max: Oh!
Nick:
Why don't we start with some popcorn? Since
I've already been snacking on that. This is
the real sleeve that they first sold popcorn
in.
Would you ever have even known that
McDonald's made popcorn?
Max:
Never. And this is some good stuff.
Nick:
Nice. I wanna save the Happy Meals for last,
because there are some great surprises on the
inside. Remember! Toys started coming out
with Happy Meals,
so we'll move on now to the Big Mac.
Max:
It might be the most iconic burger of all
time.
Nick:
I love Big Macs. I love them so much that I
even put the bumper sticker they made during
this decade on the back of my car.
Max:
Did it come like that?
Nick:
It came like that. Yeah. This is the original
sleeve that they put around the Big Mac.
Max:
Kind of...stained.
Nick:
It's used.
Max:
It's like very well used.
Nick:
Well...I mean...I don't know...it's from 1970.
Max:
I'm still gonna eat it,
but...
Nick: What do you notice right away about this
Big Mac?
Max:
I mean...this is substantial.
Nick:
Heavy.
Max:
It's a big boy.
Nick:
I think if you ordered it back during that
time, you might have a problem finishing it.
You're Max, The Meat Guy. This is 100% beef.
I'm gonna let you do the honors.
Max:
Yeah. It's reminiscent of a Big Mac from
today,
but way stronger.
Nick: Heartier.
Max: Heartier. Yes.
Nick: Yeah.
Nick: Should we move on to the Happy Meals?
Max: Please!
Nick:
Each of our Happy Meals is gonna be a
little bit different. I don't know what's
inside them, you don't know what's inside
them. Why don't we open them one at a time?
Max:
Look at the detail on this Happy Meal!
There's, like, jokes written all over it.
Nick:
This is original Happy Meal packaging. That's
why it's all scratched up on the sides. You
can probably find a date somewhere.
Oh, yep. 1979, right there.
Max:
What have we got here? It's not gonna,
like, jump out at me, is it?
Nick:
Big moment.
Max:
Okay. Oh, man!
Nick:
It's disintegrating in front of our eyes.
Max:
Okay. Oops! Is this who I think it is?
Nick:
Who is
it?
Max: Is this the Hamburglar?
Nick:
It's the Hamburglar.
Max:
Oh, my gosh!
Max: Oh, my God! Dude!
Nick: Max! He's eating your burger.
He's eating your burger. Max!
Get the burger back!
We need that. We need that. To everyone
watching right now, that's a well-known
YouTuber.
See if you can guess in the comments who it
is!
Max:
Dude! That
was
terrifying.
Oh, God!
Nick:
Open the rest of your...uh...
I'm just
kidding.
Nick:
Yeah, we got some French fries...
Is that it? Where's my burger?
Where's my main course?
I think I might have,
like, lost it.
Nick:
Oh, he ate it.
Max:
He ate
it?
He actually stole my burger?
That is unbelievable. The Hamburglar actually
burglarized my burger.
Nick:
That's so funny.
There's your kiddie fries.
Enjoy those! Let's open my Happy Meal!
I, too, have some fries.
Max:
They're really crispy.
Nick:
This is how they would have wrapped a burger
back in the day in one of these little Happy
Meal boxes. While I'm eating my burger,
take a guess how much a Happy Meal cost back
in 1970!
Max:
Based on all the other prices...
What? Like $0.50?
Nick:
This whole Happy Meal with the fries,
the toy, the drink and the burger...
Just $1.10.
Max:
$1.10.
Nick:
And still...you can see that these burgers are
substantial.
Even if it's just a patty and 2 buns,
it's heavy. One thing I feel like my burger
is missing: a little bit of salt and pepper.
When you buy crazy vintage items like this,
and when you pay $15 for a little thing of
salt and pepper, this is how they're packed
up.
Max:
Is this the original salt and pepper?
Nick:
Original 1970s salt and pepper from
McDonald's.
Max:
This is the first food item from the time
period that we could theoretically actually
taste.
Nick:
You're right. You could probably eat the
salt.
Max:
This is probably the coolest one for me.
Nick:
You think
so?
Max: Yes. It's the actual food.
Nick:
Totally real, original food.
Max:
This is really freaking cool.
Nick:
Yeah. There's also a spout on the back in the
corner. They're where the salt and pepper can
pour out of. So basically,
you tear it right here, and then you just
open it up and pour it on whatever you want.
Oh, my gosh!
It cracks right open. Try that one!
Max:
Wait! You just bend it back?
Nick:
Yeah. Just crack it back.
Max: Oh! Wow!
Nick: That's amazing.
You can just pour it right onto the fries.
50+ year old salt.
Max:
No way! Can I get a little bit?
Nick:
Yeah. You wanna try it?
Max:
Yeah. It tastes exactly like...salt.
Nick:
Put some
pepper!
Max: You think it's still gonna taste peppery?
Nick:
Yeah.
Nothing?
Max: Nothing.
Nick: At
all.
Max: Yes, yes. The flavor had to come out.
Nick:
I wanna continue moving on to the next few
decades, because there is some mind blowing
food coming. But first,
I wanna have a little dessert. We've got
cookies and we've got apple pie.
Max:
Those apple pies have a special place in my
heart.
Nick:
So try an original recipe apple pie!
Nick: This is also the original container that you
would have gotten your apple pie in.
Max: Really?
Nick:
I love that it has this pure giant apple on
there.
It also says that back in the day they were
cooked in 100% vegetable shortening.
This is the little advertisement slip that
would have come with the cookies back in the
day. Wait, what? This is so cool.
This is the cookie
box, and you can make a walkie talkie out of
it.
Inside this container,
Max, should be an original bag of the
McDonald Land cookies. This is 50+ year
old cookies.
Max:
1975 McDonald Corporation.
Nick:
So these cookies are exactly 50 years old.
Max:
Can we eat this?
Nick:
It smells like dust.
Max:
Ooh!
Nick:
It used to be one cookie.
We could put the puzzle back together.
Max:
Yeah. We're gonna figure out something.
What's this thing?
Nick:
Is it Ronald McDonald?
Max:
It looks like it might be his face.
Nick: That's his head.
Max: Oh, that's his hair. Yeah.
Nick: That's his head.
Max:
I think just to say I did it...
I need to taste the 50 year old cookie.
Tastes like a 50 year old cookie.
Nick:
We even have this original Birthday Book that
you would have gotten as a kid.
This is a ridiculous McDonald's collector's
item.
Whoa! You can make a Ronald McDonald figure.
You punch out the pieces and you make a
Ronald McDonald.
Max:
Great condition.
Nick:
I don't think I could punch the things out of
there without feeling bad.
Max:
Yeah, I don't think you should.
Nick:
Last thing before the 1980s...
2 original McDonald's moist towelettes.
Max:
No way!
Nick:
See if they're still wet!
I'm guessing "Yes".
Max:
There's no way! After 50 years?
Nick:
Okay. Let's see! Mine's soaked.
Max:
No way!
Nick: Mine's soaked.
Max: Really?
Nick: Yeah, yeah.
Max: Mine's dry as the fricking Sahara.
Nick:
Seriously?
Max:
Bone dry. Oh! It's soaked.
Wow! You feel mine!
Nick:
How does
that...how does that...
Listen to Max's!
Max:
But this one's perfect.
Brand spanking new.
Nick:
Let's wipe our way to 1980!
Moving to the 1980s, McDonald's focused on
breakfast.
Since lots of people wanted to pick it up on
their way to work, due to the success of the
drive thru. During this decade,
a hamburger cost $0.50. And Max!
You have upgraded to assistant manager.
Max:
It's tight,
Nick.
Nick: I love that this just says
"How may I help you?".
Max:
How may I help you, Nick?
Nick:
You'll also notice that Max is wearing a
visor that says "Try the McD LT".
So why don't we start with that? Any guess
what the McD LT is?
Max:
A BLT, but with...the
D?
Nick:
The McD LT stood for the McDonald's Lettuce
and Tomato.
Max:
Is there meat?
Nick:
Yeah. If you take a look at the packaging,
it was a novel invention of its time, because
on this side we have all the cold items, and
on this side we have the hot items.
Max:
That's genius.
Nick:
If you look at the container,
you'll see that the lettuce and tomato on
this side stay cool. And if you flip it over,
the quarter pound beef patty on this side
stays hot.
Max:
Oh, and you just kind of fold it together to
assemble your sandwich.
Max: Very smart.
Nick: People ended up getting this
beautiful burger that really contrasts in
temperature. It's crisp. And you know that
none of that lettuce has been cooked by the
beef.
Max: Right.
Nick: The McD LT.
I do notice a substantial difference with the
fact that the beef is really warm and hot and
juicy on the bottom...and then the veggies are
extra crispy.
Any guesses as to what's in here?
Max:
I hope it's the pancakes,
because that was by far my favorite
McDonald's breakfast growing up.
Nick:
This is game used.
Max:
Thoroughly used.
Nick:
This is the original packaging in the 1980s
that you would have gotten your hotcakes and
sausage.
Max:
Let's go! Look how perfect they
are!
Nick: Again, we are making sure to use the
original recipes.
If you look up what McDonald's pancakes
looked like in 1980,
this is gonna be what they looked like.
We're eating the real stuff here. Same thing
with the sausage. This is exactly what
sausage looked like at McDonald's in the
1980s.
Max:
So do you think somebody just ordered the
pancakes, ate their meal, and then saved the
packaging, and was like:
"I'm gonna save this for the next 40 years"?
Nick:
I have no idea. But they made a huge profit
on it.
Max:
What you can do is: you get your pancake,
get your sausage...
Typically, I'd use maple syrup.
Another pancake. Boom!
You have a delicious pancake sausage
sandwich.
Nick:
Maybe people started doing this in the 1980s.
And then that's what led to the McGriddle.
Isn't that a pancake?
Max:
Right.
Max: Essentially.
Nick: While you have that,
I'm gonna have one of my favorites: the
iconic Hash Browns. This is the exact shape
and recipe they used for Hash Browns back in
that time.
Max:
Mhm!
Nick:
You hear that crunch?
Max:
Mhm! This is legit.
Nick:
This is my tea cup right here with these cute
little sleeves on the side that my fingers
can go in. I have actually conveniently
bought a sugar cube from 1985.
Max:
Dang!
Nick:
That might be my favorite item.
Max:
Very well packaged.
Nick:
I'm gonna put it in my hot water.
Max:
Oh, my God!
Nick:
And then, of course, tea.
I love tea. What I love is that that little
piece that stays on the top is attached to
the packaging. It's part of the package.
Max:
Wow!
Wait! So this is...what? 40 year old tea?
Nick:
Yeah.
Max:
Can I smell it? It still smells like black tea.
It's like aged. Oh! Look at that color!
Nick:
It's legit. I don't think I should drink
this, right? Isn't this dangerous?
Max:
I'll drink it.
Nick:
No way this is safe. What?
Max: I can drink it.
Nick: Really?
Max:
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Nick:
This can't be
safe.
Max: It doesn't smell very good.
Ah!
I mean, it tastes like tea.
Nick:
It smells like dust.
Max:
The raw version smelled a lot better.
In hindsight, I probably should have thought
that one over more.
Nick:
I'm not gonna have any tea. What I am gonna
have: these chicken nuggets.
Chicken nuggets were introduced in the 1980s.
To whoever thought of this idea...
Thank you!
Max:
Did they invent chicken nuggets?
Nick:
Probably not. To this day,
they're still one of my favorites. But what
I'm most excited for is the fact that they
looked a little different, and they also
supposedly tasted a lot different.
Don't they smell different?
Max:
Yeah.
Nick:
More homemade.
Max:
A little peppery...in a good way, though.
I feel like I'm eating real chicken.
Nick:
It definitely has more of a bite to it...
more texture than the ones that I have.
And if you're curious about what a takeout
bag would have looked like at McDonald's in
1980, this right here is it.
1989 McDonald's Corporation.
Moving on to the decade that you and I were
born...
1990s.
Max: Let's do it!
Nick: In the 1990s
McDonald's made a push to get a little bit
more premium, in order to compete with casual
dining restaurants. And they even introduced
the famous McPizza. During this decade,
a hamburger cost $0.75.
I'm gonna dress up with Max for this
decade, because I am particularly excited
about this McPizza.
Max:
It smells phenomenal.
Nick:
Should we save it for last, or should we start
with it?
Max:
We gotta save it for last.
Nick:
Okay. Let's start this decade with the Arch
Deluxe!
This is McDonald's push for a more premium
hamburger.
And it was more of a grown up burger, because
it came with peppered bacon and a mustard
mayonnaise sauce. Right away,
the packaging. Max: Mhm!
Nick: That is iconic '90s color and
look and feel...if I've ever seen it.
Max: Yeah. It feels like an upgrade too.
Nick: Even
the bags started to get more colorful and
exciting during this time period.
You can see that the logo is getting closer
and closer to what we have today.
Max:
It just...it brings me back.
Nick:
Right when you open the Arch Deluxe,
you can already feel and you can see and you
can smell that it's different.
Close your eyes! What does it smell like?
Max:
Mhm! It's a little smoky.
Nick:
Imagine I surprised you again...
I love that there's a sesame bun on this one
now.
Max: You mentioned a lot of things, but when
you said bacon...I mean...that's how I know this
is the burger for me.
Nick: Can I feed you?
Max: Please!
Really good.
Nick:
Yeah?
Max:
Unbelievable.
Nick:
That's a napkin from 1990.
Max:
Can we afford this? It's okay? Well,
I've already...I already started it.
Nick: You can use it.
Max: All right. Nick: You like it?
Max: I love it.
Nick:
Unfortunately, in 2000,
this was taken off the menu.
It just didn't really make sense. It was too
premium for McDonald's.
Max:
It's not too premium for me.
Nick:
You probably also noticed the really cool fry
containers that came during this time. This
is the one that was supporting the Olympics.
Max:
And this one's got like retro vibes going on.
Nick:
Yeah. It's really, really cool.
Max:
All right. Nick! We have a shot at winning $1
million here.
Nick: "Win instantly $1 million!"
Max: Yes.
Nick:
And the front has this thing that I peel to
see if we actually won. 3,
2, 1.
Max:
It expired...um...30 years ago.
Nick:
There were also other fun advances in
packaging.
You can see that the ring around the Big Mac
got pretty cool looking.
I like that a lot more than the old one. The
Chicken McNuggets box got a lot more playful...
But more importantly,
the cookie containers got bigger.
Max: Hey!
Nick: This is real cookies
from...
Max: Oh, my gosh! Are we gonna eat these too?
Nick:
September 19th, 1999.
Max:
They're probably still good.
Nick:
Oh!
Nick: Max!
Max: I freaking love these things.
Nick:
The grimace.
Max:
No way!
Nick: Ronald McDonald. Is that the Hamburglar? Right
there...
Max: Oh!
Nick:
Is that the Hamburglar?
Max:
It looks like him.
Nick:
We shouldn't eat these.
Max:
Given that it's been expired for 30 years...
It's not bad.
Nick:
It's disgusting.
Max:
It's not good. It's time for the Holy Grail.
Nick:
Yeah. It's time.
Max:
All right.
Nick: Enter...the McPizza.
Max: Yes.
Nick:
This pizza started at $5.80,
costing much more than anything else on the
menu. The pricing of the McPizza was based on
what you actually got on it.
If you went with a Deluxe like we have,
it was $9.
As cool as it might look inside,
it failed, partly due to the long cooking
time...but can you guess why else this might
have failed?
Max:
Not based on taste. That looks so good.
Nick:
I'll give you a hint. Think about how big it
is!
Max: Oh, it can't fit in a bag?
Nick: Close.
Max: Too big for a kid?
Nick: No.
Max: Can't fit through the window.
Nick:
Can't fit through the drive thru window.
Max:
Ah!
Nick:
For some reason they didn't think about that
ahead of time...
And it could not fit through the drive thru
window to hand to the customers in their
cars. This is exactly what the McPizza looked
like back in the day.
It was loaded up with all sorts of stuff.
It was made fresh to order.
A lot of people actually really liked it.
Max:
This looks like a Supreme Pizza.
It has literally every topping.
Dang! That looks good.
I love it.
Nick:
It tastes like elementary school pizza.
The crust is almost that rubbery,
extra chewy,
doughy crust. Which makes sense, because that
was big in the '90s.
It tastes a little similar to what you'd find
at Chuck E. Cheese today.
But as I said, this failed.
So in an attempt to save the McPizza,
they moved on to the Deluxe McPizza.
It was basically a personal sized Pizza Hot
Pocket.
Max:
That is definitely fitting through the drive
thru window. Mm!
That smell good.
Nick:
I think I'm just gonna wipe my way with this
McPizza napkin into the 2000s.
Max:
You're not even having a bite?
Nick:
In the 2000s, health and nutrition became a
major focus across the United States...
which led McDonald's to introduce a variety
of healthier options.
At the same time, the company launched its
iconic Dollar Menu,
making fast food more affordable than ever.
During this decade, a hamburger cost around
$0.90.
A lot of this stuff is gonna be a little
healthier,
but I already see things that I love. Like the
Snack Wrap.
Max:
RIP. Or did they bring it back?
Nick:
No, they didn't. Because I remember going
through a drive through with Linda and her
yelling into the window:
"Bring back the frickin Snack Wrap!".
And they didn't bring it back. So if they're
not gonna listen to Linda, then they're not
gonna listen to anybody.
Max: Facts.
Nick: I'm gonna be honest.
I've never had a Snack Wrap.
Max:
No way!
Nick:
Ever.
Max:
That's shocking.
Nick:
When I heard about it the first time,
I didn't even know what it was.
I don't wanna sound like a broken record,
but these are the original wrappers for a
Snack Wrap.
Max:
I mean, this looks like the original Snack
Wrap too.
Nick:
Again...the reason that they brought the Snack
Wrap in in the 2000s was: because they were
going for a healthier push,
and the Snack Wrap is supposed to be a nice,
light, simple meal. It's definitely lighter
than a burger.
Max: Definitely.
Nick: My first Snack Wrap.
That's really good.
Max:
That brings me back.
Nick:
Chicken nuggets in there. We got the honey
mustard flavor.
Max: That's the best one.
Nick: You remember this?
Max: Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Nick:
You're old. The coolest thing that they
brought in the 2000s for healthy options...
The McSalad Shaker.
It's a salad in a cup that you actually shake
up...all in one.
And then the dressing coats everything, and
you're ready to eat.
Max:
I know I'm Max, The Meat Guy,
but I would've crushed these back in the day.
Nick:
It says in the bag: "Salads tossed fresh all
day".
Max:
So you're gonna see the issue with these
very shortly.
Nick:
All right. So there is a problem with these.
Okay.
Max:
You'll see. Right?
Nick: It's spilling down the side of mine already.
Max: Yeah.
Nick: Did that happen?
Max:
Mhm!
Nick:
Seriously?
Max:
But that's not...that's not the biggest issue.
Nick:
Oh, yours is mixing.
Max:
Well, I'm really shaking it.
Nick:
Wouldn't it be weird if you were in your car,
and you're like shaking, while you're driving...
and you get pulled over for this?
Wow!
Max:
That's actually shaked up pretty well.
The problem I always struggled with was: that
the bottom never had the salad dressing...
distribution.
Nick: Oh!
Max: So I feel like we did pretty good.
Look at yours!
Nick:
I can see here that there's just full
distribution of the dressing throughout the
entire container.
Max: Yeah.
Maybe I just didn't know how to shake back in
the day. Like this...this worked out very
well.
Nick: Oh! Those good old soggy croutons.
Max: Mhm!
Nick:
I forgot about those.
Max: This is definitely a higher quality salad...
Nick: Pretty good.
Max: ...than the one I'm used to back in the day.
Nick:
Honestly...for someone thinking of creative
and healthy options for a fast food place,
such as McDonald's, this is a good idea.
Max:
It is, but I think I heard the calories in
the dressing alone is like as much as a whole
burger. Is it actually healthier?
Nick:
Well...either way, it doesn't matter, because
it failed...and they discontinued it.
Max:
Sadly.
Nick:
There is some very unhealthy stuff that also
came in the 2000s.
But first...this is probably my favorite
packaging.
This says "Quarter Pounder"...
but in this decade they introduced the "Third
Pounder". I couldn't find a real "Third Pounder"
box...
but this is a real "Quarter Pounder" box, and
inside is an actual "Third Pounder".
It's a hefty burger.
Max:
First of all, look at the way that thing just
splayed open!
Nick:
Yeah. Pulled it up.
Max:
Thing just completely opened up.
Nick: It basically makes a plate.
Max: Right.
It's a little plate, like you're sitting down.
Boom!
Nick:
Oh, my God! I realized we totally forgot to
open all our toys from the Toy Decade.
Should we open them now?
Max:
Yeah.
Nick:
I got so sidetracked by the Hamburglar coming
and tackling you, that I totally forgot.
We bought all the most iconic Happy Meal toys
from over the years.
Max:
Wow! Freshly opened seal.
Nick:
It's a Chicken
Nugget Tetris.
Max: No way! Nick: Yeah.
Max: Dude! Is that thing still gonna work with
battery?
Nick: Yeah.
For sure.
Max:
No way! What?
Nick:
I'm gonna choose the Teenie Beanie Baby.
These were extremely popular,
and I got the "Patti, the Platypus" one.
Nick: Yeah.
Max: That brings back memories.
McDonald's changeables. The large French
fries.
We got the arms...
Nick:
What?
Max:
We got the head right here...
Nick:
This is the Pikachu toy.
Dang! It makes a noise.
That's cool.
Max:
Pretty cool. Gotta go with Sonic.
I think he goes in here somehow.
Oh, here we go. What is it like...one of these
deals?
Nick:
We've got ourselves a Minion.
We should probably finish the food.
Max: I think it's time to eat.
Nick: It's time to eat.
The "Third Pounder" is nothing special. It's
just a heavier hamburger.
Feel the weight of that?
Max:
Oh, yeah.
Nick:
It's a barbell.
Max:
I like that, yeah.
Nick:
Heavier patty, same burger.
The one very unhealthy part of the 2000s was
the Super Size McDonald's Drink.
This is their normal drink that they had
before.
This is the Super Size.
I think people were upset by the fact that...
when everything was all healthy, they
suddenly introduced something this big.
Max:
I remember after ordering,
they'd always be like: "Would you like that
Super Sized?". I would always say yes.
Nick:
I just wanna see how many regular cups can
fit inside the Super Size. 1,
2, 3...and a half.
3 and a half normal cups, which probably
already has tons of sugar.
And in the era of health,
they're introducing this.
Max:
People liked their soda.
Nick:
They liked it even more in 2010s.
In the 2010s, McDonald's embraced
globalization.
They introduced all sorts of unique
international menu items,
even here in the United States.
During this decade, a hamburger went up to
$1.15.
Where do you wanna start?
Max:
This is like 2 of my favorite things. I see
McFlurry and a McRib.
Nick:
We bought a genuine McFlurry machine to make
the McFlurries.
Max:
Is that thing functional?
Nick:
Look at all the switches! Let's start with
the McFlurry, so they don't melt! I got the
Oreo McFlurry.
Max:
I always go with M&M.
They kind of freeze, and they get all nice and
crunchy.
Nick: Do you really?
Max: Oh, every time.
It really is so good.
Nick:
Yeah. It's just...the machines never work.
Max:
Oh, facts.
Nick:
Well, now I have my own. I can literally make
a McFlurry whenever I want.
Max:
Can I borrow that?
Nick:
Guess why I'm holding this Egg McMuffin here!
Max:
Um...because they're extremely tasty?
Nick:
Because they introduced All Day Breakfast at
McDonald's starting in the 2010s.
This is an original Egg McMuffin container
here.
I've never been a fan of the egg McMuffin.
Max:
Really?
Nick:
I'm more of a McGriddle guy.
Max:
No. It's tough to beat this, though,
right here.
Nick:
The Egg McMuffin is classic,
and what I respect the most is that they
actually use and cook a real egg inside.
Max:
I'm just shocked by how circular the eggs
always are.
Nick:
Well, they cracked them into a mold.
Max:
Oh, I thought they just had circular eggs.
Nick:
It's good.
Max:
Really good.
Nick:
The Egg McMuffin is classic.
Nick: I'd eat this any day.
Max: 100%.
I'm really full right now.
Nick:
The most important thing in reducing this
decade was the famous McRib.
Max:
Is this the best McDonald's menu item of all
time...or the worst?
Nick:
You're The Meat Guy. So describe this McRib!
Max:
This looks like real rib meat.
The problem with the current McRib is: that
it's essentially a burger in the shape of a
boneless rib rack, whereas this looks like
the real deal.
We have our bun. That beautiful,
saucy meat...looks like a bunch of pickles...
Onions...Simple sandwich.
But in my opinion, it is hard to beat.
Nick:
Before we try it...McDonald's actually sent me
this.
It's all McRib Sauce.
Max:
No way!
Nick:
I didn't ask for it.
Max:
What?
Nick:
They just sent it to me. I don't know why,
but I'm not gonna complain. I love it.
Max:
Nick! That's too much sauce.
Nick:
Do you want some?
Max:
Sure.
Nick:
Tell me when...
Max:
Okay. When. When. When.
When. Mhm!
Nick:
Basically McDonald's Barbecue
Sauce.
Max: It is.
Nick:
And if you don't have this much, then you're
not doing it right.
Max:
Do you really like that much sauce?
Nick:
Yeah, I love this.
Max:
Whoa! It's saucy.
Nick:
The sauce is what makes it.
Max:
It's a messy sandwich. Ribs are supposed to
be messy, I guess. Right?
Nick:
They are. There are some very exciting things
coming now in the 2020s.
Let's keep moving! We finally made it to the
2020s...
where McDonald's has focused on
sustainability and pop culture
collaborations. In this decade,
a basic hamburger cost $2.19,
about 15 times more expensive than it cost
back in 1950.
Even though this is modern day, the craziest
item from this decade...
You look...you look great.
Max:
Thanks!
Nick:
This is the Travis Scott collaboration.
Max:
Do I wear the hat like this?
Like...or like...or like this?
Nick:
That's cool, I think.
Max: Is this cool?
Nick: Yeah, yeah. Max: Actually?
Nick: Yeah. Yeah. Max: I look cool?
Nick:
I don't know...does he look cool?
You guys comment below!
You might not have even heard this,
but the craziest menu item from the 2020s is
called the "Land, Air and Sea Burger".
Max:
What?
Nick:
This is a massive burger that combines the
McChicken,
the classic hamburger patty and the Filet-O-Fish.
"Land, Air and Sea".
Max:
I wish I thought of that.
Nick:
This sandwich is so big that you can't really
even bite it.
Max:
It doesn't mean we won't try. It just all
looks very fancy right now.
Nick:
Yeah, I guess the 2020s, looking at
everything in front of us, is kind of all
about pops of color. Obviously, we got the
Grimace Shake,
which entirely took over the internet.
Max:
I've yet to try it though.
Nick:
You wanna try it?
Max:
Is it time?
Nick:
Grimace Shake. Don't you turn into,
like, a Grimace or something!
Nick: Don't you like...
Max: I...
I'm...Nick! Hey! If you're out there...
Nick:
Doesn't something happen, when you drink the
Grimace Shake?
Max:
I don't wanna drink it. What's gonna
happen?
Nick:
This is the current collaboration in 2025 at
McDonald's.
It's the Pokémon Happy Meals box. We just
bought these 10 minutes ago.
So this is all present day.
We've got these apple slices.
Max:
This might be the smallest thing of fries
I've ever seen.
Nick:
This is real.
Max: This is like a one biter.
Nick: I can fit this whole thing in my mouth.
Compare this little fry container here to the
fries that we had earlier in the video!
Max:
It's pretty cute, though.
Nick: It is pretty cute.
Max: You know?
Nick:
Yeah.
Max: It's like...
Nick: You'll even notice...the hamburger.
Max:
That is sad.
Nick:
We didn't do anything to this.
This is how it came. This is thinner than the
patties from earlier.
Max:
What do we got going on in there? A singular
pickle...
No sandwich should only have one pickle.
Nick:
Call me crazy, but I think I could eat this
entire thing in one bite as well.
Max:
I'm sure you can.
Nick:
I really think...I can't.
Max:
No.
Nick:
We also have pretty cool little milk
containers.
Max:
This is a loud sip.
Nick:
And the toys...I don't know,
they're not that exciting anymore
to me.
Max:
Everything feels dumbed down a little bit.
Nick:
Just for reference, a modern day Happy Meal
costs $7.88.
It is rocketed up in price.
Like I said, there were also lots of
collaborations during this time. This is the
BTS Meal.
Max:
Like the band?
Nick:
Yeah, like the band. I got these cool little
BTS magnets and stickers. And they also had
these special limited edition collaboration
sauces.
And then the Sichuan sauce.
The Sichuan sauce went extremely viral for
McDonald's.
Nick: Do you know which collaboration this came
from? Rick and Morty.
Max: Oh! Nick: Yeah.
Nick:
We also have this little Cactus Jack toy.
But even cooler: the "I'm lovin' it" Travis
Scott tray.
Before we can finally move on to the future
of McDonald's,
which is really, really neat...
take a sip of the Grimace Shake!
Max:
You take a sip of the Grimace Shake!
Nick:
All right, I'll sip the Grimace Shake.
Max:
How is it?
Nick:
I'm good. Take another sip!
We've made it, Max. All the way through every
decade, since McDonald's started.
But who knows what the future is gonna
look like? In 2030 and beyond,
we might see things like robot chefs,
robot servers,
possibly lab grown meat for the burger
patties,
and maybe even things like 3D printed food.
Or...wouldn't it be crazy if there were clear
burgers?
Max:
Clear burgers?
Nick:
Max! You're looking a little purple.
Max:
I don't feel too good.
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Key Vocabulary
Start Practicing
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
tasting /ˈteɪstɪŋ/ A2 |
|
|
founded /ˈfaʊndɪd/ B1 |
|
|
classic /ˈklæsɪk/ A2 |
|
|
restaurant /ˈrestrɒnt/ A1 |
|
|
decade /ˈdek.eɪd/ B1 |
|
|
literally /ˈlɪtərəli/ B2 |
|
|
vehicle /ˈviːəkl/ B1 |
|
|
customer /ˈkʌstəmə(r)/ A1 |
|
|
saucy /ˈsɔːsi/ B2 |
|
|
packaging /ˈpækɪdʒɪŋ/ B1 |
|
|
uniform /ˈjuːnɪfɔːm/ A2 |
|
|
container /kənˈteɪnə(r)/ A2 |
|
|
disintegrating /dɪsˈɪntɪɡreɪtɪŋ/ C1 |
|
|
tremendously /trəˈmendəsli/ C1 |
|
|
creative /kriˈeɪtɪv/ B1 |
|
|
alternative /ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv/ B2 |
|
|
failure /ˈfeɪljə(r)/ B1 |
|
|
napkin /ˈnæpkɪn/ A2 |
|
|
advertisement /ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt/ B1 |
|
|
expired /ɪkˈspaɪəd/ B2 |
|
Do you remember what “tasting” or “founded” means in ""?
Hop into the app to practice now – quizzes, flashcards, and native-like pronunciation are waiting!
Key Grammar Structures
-
McDonald's was originally named McDonald's Famous Barbecue, where they served classic barbecue items as well as milkshakes.
➔ Passive Voice (Past Simple)
➔ The subject 'McDonald's' receives the action 'was named'. This is used to focus on the name rather than the namer.
-
You're gonna be a 'Carhop'.
➔ Future with 'be going to'
➔ This structure is used to express a planned future action or an intention.
-
I've just pulled into McDonald's in my vehicle.
➔ Present Perfect
➔ The use of 'have' + past participle 'pulled' indicates an action completed in the immediate past.
-
Why did they ever discontinue this?
➔ Wh- question (Past Simple)
➔ The auxiliary verb 'did' is used to form a past tense question about a specific event.
-
If you ordered one of everything on the menu, it cost just $1.16.
➔ Second Conditional (Hypothetical)
➔ Uses 'If' + Past Simple ('ordered') to talk about an unreal or hypothetical situation in the past.
-
I feel like I need to save this.
➔ Complex Sentence with 'feel like'
➔ The phrase 'feel like' is used to express a subjective opinion or a strong inclination toward an action.
-
Before we move to the next few decades, I wanna have a little dessert.
➔ Subordinate Clause of Time
➔ The clause 'Before we move...' sets the temporal context for the main clause 'I wanna have...'.
-
A hamburger cost around $0.90.
➔ Past Simple
➔ Used to describe a completed state or price in the past.
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