I recall the McDonald’s 15-cent burgers as being good too, though small. Maybe I recall a slightly later version than you do, which had been diminished somewhat in size. By small, I mean compared to the regular big ones that you got in drugstores at the time (not to the small McDonald’s dollar items of today).
The milkshakes and malts that you got in drugstores were better, though. This was back when they made the shake in a metal container, then brought it to you and poured part of it in a glass. You drank that, then poured the rest from the metal container. The McDonald’s milkshakes, served to you in a paper cup, were thick but tasted like the cheaper version of ice cream, ice milk.
Back around 1966 I worked at a Summer retreat in the mountains.
My job was mainly running the milk shake machine. The first day I was there, the Sealtest man came by and showed me how to operate it. How to clean it with a safe disinfectant and also how to lubricate the O rings with again a safe grease.
He told me he could make the best milkshake I ever tasted but that it was illegal in North Carolina. I asked him why and he told me they were so rich they made people sick. Anyway he put in a couple of ice milk mix half gallons and soon made a milk shake. Sure enough it was the best one I had ever tasted. Also around 15 minutes later I began to get just a little nauseous.
At the end of the day, as instructed, I cleaned it, sterilized it and disassembled it until the next day. Maybe 30 years later I stopped by the same place and was surprised to see the same machine still there. I asked the guy operating it if he still cleaned it every day.
He told me he never cleaned it.
***served to you in a paper cup, were thick but tasted like the cheaper version of ice cream, ice milk.***
The last shake I bought at McDonalds, I knew something was wrong as the shake was light, more like foam, and had a gritty sugary taste and I don’t think it had any real ice cream in it. I’ve never ordered another one there.
At SONIC, the large shake I got was heavy, but cold only at the bottom and not on the sides. Tasting it, I came to the conclusion the cup had a small amount of ice cream in the bottom, then the rest was filled with whipped topping as the whole thing tasted of nothing but whipped topping.
I compare all shakes with those made at Barnett’s drive in near here which are REAL SHAKES and MALTS!