BiziBB

I have to come clean on a visit to Subway on Grafton Street, opposite St Stephen's Green in Dublin early on Saturday night.

It was getting into the night and I figured it would be okay.
If it was earlier in the day I'd have just gone to the local pub for an Irish pub lunch/dinner but I suppose the subway snack was okay.

Nothing inspiring... will have to go Quizno's instead next time, if I can't get to a pub...
I won't be going back.

jackal

That reminded me of one other experience at a fast-food restaurant overseas: I ate in a Subway in Vienna once that, like most American Subways, had the soda fountain out in front (where customers could fill their own drinks).

Usually, in the U.S., this is a sign that free refills are definitely allowed (though they're virtually always allowed--at least outside of NYC--even if the soda machine is behind the counter).

However, on this particular soda fountain--in a German-speaking country--were posted the words--in English--"No Free Refills."

I guess too many American tourists were helping themselves to a second round of drinks...

(...and costing the Subway all of maybe--this was 2000--a Schilling...)

hch

I'm guilty of eating american food when I was stuck in a suburb in the midwest and nothing else was available. Yeah, that's overseas for me

Open Jaw

I have eaten American fast food in Canada, Mexico, and in most airports.

opus17

I avoid the American fast food overseas as much as possible -- but during the 1990s, I stayed for weeks at time in a town in Switzerland, and if I wanted to eat Sunday night, the choices were a very expensive hotel restaurant or McDonald's -- everything else was closed.

Other than that, and the occasional "coke with ice" run on a hot day, if I want "fast food", I choose an option native to the country I'm in.

Linda VH

After 2 weeks of haute cuisine in Ireland (we stayed at castles and manor homes with MIL) DH and I jumped at a McDonald's sign in Galway. Once in Brussels (treated by people living there lol!!!) and once in London years ago all.

Arcolaio99

Not sure what the big deal about eating American Fast Food overseas is. I will second the poster on many places being closed on Sunday. McDonalds on an occasional Sunday. Hard Rock in Rome for bacon cheeseburger and wings as a change of pace. Picked up a Wendys big bacon classic for the ride home from Bern to Florence.

Tifosi

Had some McDonalds and KFC in Hong Kong...very disappointed in both myself and the burger, but KFC was delicious; a completely different menu to North America.

ajax

After nine days of Pakistani food (and a subsequent icky bout of indigestion requiring a visit to the hospital ), we ate from Pizza Hut in Lahore last night and it was excellent. ^

I believe that a lot of the fast food places aren't even "American" when they go overseas. Most are very adapted to the local taste - our pizza last night had chicken tikka on it.

HereAndThereSC

I'm sitting at Second Cup in Izmir Turkey as I type this. Is this considered fast food? Actually, is it even considered "American" since it's Canada based?

I had a simple coffee (I find Turkish coffee too muddy, sorry), and they frothed the cream for me and poured it on top. It was actually pretty yummy but I could hardly taste the coffee itself, which I find is the main purpose behind drinking a simple coffee w/ just cream/sugar.

I had Shakey's pizza in Singapore once.

I got "stuck" in Muar, Malaysia back in '92, and got a stomach bug. For the next week my diet was "anything american". They had a McD, KFC, and A&W. I visited them on rotation until my stomach was back to normal.

I love hawker food (chow kwai tiao anyone? Pardon the spelling), and piping hot, it's safe, but the problem is usually the plate or the chopsticks having been "sprayed down" instead of washed. I guess a few alcohol wetnaps on the sticks would help.

JP

alanw

We walked into a BK here in Spain last night to discover that they're well on their way to adopting Amerisizes. New were the TRIPLE Whopper(!) meal in both "gran" and "gegant" sizes. The gegant comes with a huge bucket of fries and a 32oz drink (unheard of here).

They're still a long way from adopting the fast-food culture, though. We waited 18 minutes to order (there was one family of 3 in front of us) and when the girl plunked down the half-full cup or warm, flat Coke we were informed that they have no ice today.

wolberine

I'd say that I have american fast food about as often when I travel as when I'm actually in the states...and I love it. Spent some time in germany earlier this month and after about a week I was in the mood for some McD's, ESPECIALLY because you can get fried apple pie still, none of that baked stuff they serve in the states!

JAL777

I like to try to the local stuff at McDonald's just to try it out but I much prefer local fast food joints.

mmmmmmmmmmmm Mos Burger

ArizonaGuy

SuperMac's in Ireland.

ghia74

It started out as a joke but I try and have a Big Mac in each country I visit. So far the count is 15 and I have pictures from 12 of them. My wife could not believe that I wasted a lunch on our trip to Italy at Mc Donalds but it made a very nice photo.

My last one was the Maharaja Mac in Delhi earlier this year (was not impressed). My next will be a twofer when I go to Cairo via Moscow in March with my sister and sister-in-law.