McDonald's

They just remodeled so its very nice inside but its more of a teen hangout in my town. I always get good service though, but some times their fries are soggy. i guess you just have to ask for unsalted.

Why review a McDonald's? Why not - especially since it's our local one. It reopened after a complete remodeling in May. The place looks more open now, with wider aisles and a sort of retro, yet home-like feel to the place. OK, it's still a McDonald's, but it's a good one.

Located near Oakton & Northwest Highway, it attracts lots of locals as well as commuters passing through. On any given day after school, lots of local kids from nearby Franklin School can be seen here, in addition to preschoolers at lunchtime.

The decor is orange, brown and dark green, all associated with the 1960s era, but it works and the place looks elegant. Instead of the usual pivoting chairs anchored to the floor, there's these cushy cylindrical tuffets that you can move around. More casual than institutional. There's even bar-style seating under hanging overhead lights, uncommon at McD's we've visited.

The employees are familiar. Since our kids come here regularly, we've come to know some of the people who have worked at this place a while, some for years now. Drive-thru service is usually quick, but can be busy on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

Overall, a shiny new McDonald's that is appealing to visit.

While McDonald's as a whole cannot receive any better than three stars in my opinion, I am rating this McDonalds higher because of the friendly Management and speedy service during the mornings. As of late I have become a big fan of their $1 any-size coffee. While I prefer coffee at places like ROM and Intelligentsia, spending $3+ for coffee can get a bit excessive over time, so I balance it out with McDonald's coffee. I personally think the quality of their coffee has significantly improved over the past ten years as well as visual appeal of their coffee cups (recalling the generic white Styrofoam cups of the 90's).  

Don't be discouraged by a large drive thru line in the morning, as it moves really fast. Aside from the coffee, I cannot say much about their food because I really don't eat it.

This specific McDonalds sits on a rather huge lot, so parking is plentiful. The only thing that is somewhat awkward is that there are two drive-thru lanes from opposite directions merging into one, so you need to keep track of who comes first.

Currently this McDonald's is undergoing a major renovation (inside and outside), like many of the other McDonald's in the area. From the looks of it it's going to be a pretty significant difference, so I'm excited to see the results. I am hopeful the improved decor will actually compel me to dine-in from time to time, rather than just going to go.