Latest news with #HamburgerUniversity
NDTV
23-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
McAloo Tikki In US? Desis Can Enjoy This Limited Edition Burger In Chicago
McDonald's is one of the most iconic fast-food chains in the world, and for many, it's been a familiar part of growing up. One of the brand's unique features is its country-specific menu customisation. You will often find regional twists in the menu when visiting McDonald's abroad. But if you are in Chicago, there exists an outlet offering a menu with options from around the world. This global menu restaurant is currently serving India's famous McAloo Tikki burger as part of its limited-time global menu. The McAloo Tikki is a vegetarian burger that features a crispy, mildly spiced potato-and-pea patty, layered with tomato slices and a sweet-tangy orange tomato mayonnaise. It's McDonald's twist on the classic Indian bun-tikki and has been a favourite in Indian cities for years. Located at the brand's corporate headquarters and home to its elite Hamburger University training centre, the McDonald's West Loop outlet in Chicago is open to the public and regularly features international menu items, giving a taste of McDonald's from around the world. According to the New York Post, this global menu concept has been running at this outlet since 2018. Every 12 weeks, they rotate new items from McDonald's menus worldwide. Some highlights include the Chicken McSpicy from Singapore, France's crispy Deluxe Potatoes, and McFlurry Banana Tart from Japan. The McAloo Tikki has made appearances at this location in 2018 and again in 2023, but it is never a permanent offering. This time, the McAloo Tikki will be available in Chicago until June 23, 2025. The limited availability only adds to its appeal, especially for Indians in the US looking to relive a taste of nostalgia.
New York Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Secret McDonald's serves up fare you won't find elsewhere — and it's hiding in plain sight in the middle of this major city
Big Macs are basic — this Midwest McDonald's is serving up global eats with major street cred. Tucked into Chicago's bustling West Loop, beneath the golden arches of corporate HQ and its elite Hamburger University training ground, lies a Mickey D's unlike any other in the country. This secret-ish spot, officially dubbed the McDonald's Global Menu Restaurant, has been slinging international fan-favorite items since 2018 — and right now, it's got something plant-based eaters have been craving. Enter: the McAloo Tikki burger — a crispy, spicy potato-and-pea patty topped with tomato and a sweet-tangy tomato mayo. 3 Imported from India, the McAloo Tikki — a crispy, spiced potato-and-pea patty with tomato and zesty tomato mayo — is only available at one U.S. McDonald's, and just until June 23. Straight outta India, this veggie delight is available at just the one US location, and only through June 23. Consider it a limited-time edible souvenir. Tanmay Dhuri, visiting the Windy City joint from the Bay Area, made a point to order the burger that took him back to his roots. 'It has nostalgic value to it. It's not like something that's unique like in a flavor way, but it's just that everybody had it for so long,' the eager eater told Axios. For many Indian customers, it's a bite of home. 3 Hidden in Chicago's buzzing West Loop, beneath McDonald's corporate HQ and its exclusive Hamburger University, sits a one-of-a-kind Mickey D's you won't find anywhere else in the U.S. Google Maps For vegetarians — and vegans who ditch the mayo — it's a rare McDonald's win that isn't fries, ice cream or disappointment. The West Loop restaurant is an experimental playground that's open to the public. It rotates its global menu every 12 weeks, meaning one visit might land you a Chicken McSpicy from Singapore or a McFlurry Banana Tart from Japan — but good luck finding either again if you blink. 3 Sharing space with McDonald's high-tech test kitchens and burger think tank, the culinary unicorn is open to the public — no invite needed, just an appetite and a few bucks. Universal Images Group via Getty Images According to Food & Wine, this culinary unicorn shares space with McDonald's high-tech test kitchens and the brand's epicenter of burger research. But you won't need an invite or a name tag — just a hunger for novelty and a few bucks in your wallet. On a recent visit, Axios reporter Carrie Shepherd tried the McAloo herself: 'The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I'd recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It's always nice to have a veggie burger that's actually vegetables and not heavy on the soy, which isn't as tasty and will give you a tummyache' Shepherd also grabbed a side of France's crispy Deluxe Potatoes and washed it all down with a Banana Tart McFlurry from Japan — a worldwide trip for under $13. While the McAloo has popped up here before (in 2018 and 2023), it's not a permanent fixture — and its scarcity only adds to the hype. One cashier told Shepherd that it's the most-asked-about menu item and that customers have ordered up to 30 at once. McDonald's has struggled to make a meatless burger stick with the American crowd. The McPlant, launched in test markets with a Beyond Meat patty, fizzled faster than a flat Sprite. McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger told The Wall Street Journal last year, 'I don't think the U.S. consumer is … looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald's now.' Tell that to the customers in line at the W. Randolph St. store. Either way, this stealthy international outpost is hiding in plain sight — and it's serving up what may just be the most unexpected burger on American soil. So whether you're homesick, veggie-curious, or just bored of the Big Mac, you'd better get to Chi-Town fast — before the McAloo packs its (veggie) bags.
Axios
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
McDonald's brings Indian classic to Chicago for a limited time
I don't eat McDonald's often, so when I learned a new plant-based burger at the international McD's in West Loop was causing a stir, I — as the team vegetarian — had to check it out. Driving the news: The restaurant connected to Hamburger University is serving the McAloo Tikki burger ($5.99) through June 23 as part of its Global Favorites menu. It's the only place in the U.S. to try the veggie patty. Why it matters: To Indian customers, the burger offers a taste of home — the McAloo debuted there in 1998 and is one of the most popular menu items. For vegetarians (and vegans if you order without the sauce), it's something we can actually eat besides French fries and soft serve. Dig in: The crispy patty, made of potatoes, peas and Indian spices, is topped with tomato and a tangy and somewhat sweet tomato mayo and served on the standard flat burger bun. I ordered a side of Deluxe Potatoes ($3.49) from France and a Banana Tart McFlurry ($2.99) from Japan, two more of the six items on the current global menu. What they're saying: Tanmay Dhuri, who was visiting from the Bay Area, said he had to get the burger that reminded him of growing up in India."It has nostalgic value to it. It's not like something that's unique like in a flavor way, but it's just that everybody had it for so long," Dhuri said. The intrigue: One of the cashiers told me it's the item people ask about the most and since they started serving it earlier this month, she's seen people order up to 30 at one time. Flashback: The global McD's also offered the McAloo Tikki in 2018 and 2023. State of play: McDonald's has tried to make a plant-based burger a regular thing in the U.S., but it hasn't quite caught on. They experimented with the McPlant, which was a Beyond Meat patty, in 2022 at restaurants in Dallas and the Bay Area, but McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger told WSJ last year it wasn't popular and he doesn't think "the U.S. consumer is … looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald's now." McPlant is still available in other countries, including Ireland and Switzerland, according to Food and Wine. The verdict: The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I'd recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It's always nice to have a veggie burger that's actually vegetables and not heavy on the soy, which isn't as tasty and will give you a tummyache.
