With the dread of finals on the horizon and the cold of winter knocking on everyone’s doors, all of us college students are getting to the point in the semester where we begin scavenging for food at inconceivable hours at night. Most of us likely don’t have a mode of transportation, and if we do, we don’t want to spend too much money on gas. So that leaves one place that’s a hot spot for all SNHU students when it’s 2 a.m. and you’re craving a hamburger and that’s the McDonald’s located on Hooksett Road, only one mile away.
While no one has very high expectations when it comes to fast food, especially McDonald’s, it’s expected that at the very least, the low bar that is set will be met. However, somehow this McDonald’s fails to do even that. Between stale buns, burnt fries and a mysterious milkshake machine that never seems to be working, the experiences that friends share at the McDonald’s at Hooksett Road are anything but satisfactory.
Personally, it seems like every time I go there my order either isn’t right or the quality is even worse than it was the last time I visited. The bun of my Big Mac is always slightly crunchy on the edges and the fries manage to be both undercooked and overcooked at the same time – if they aren’t burnt altogether.
The employees often have a bad attitude and don’t want anything to do with the customers. While it’s understandable that they are forced to be there late at night rather than sleeping in their own beds, they should still attempt to be pleasant just for the sake of holding up the integrity of the restaurant.
I remember one time when I went solely for a milkshake, and I saw a guy pick one up from the counter as I was walking in. A few of my friends ordered before me, and when I finally got up to the counter and ordered a chocolate milkshake, suddenly the machine was broken. I don’t think there’s anything more disheartening than finding out that you were only a few minutes away from a chocolate milkshake, but now one is no longer obtainable after craving one for the whole day. My friends all said they had never seen me deflate as fast as that night when the cashier said, “Sorry ma’am, the machine is broke.”
However, even with all of the bad experiences I’ve had, I can still say that some of my best memories have taken place at that McDonald’s. Whether it be teasing my friends for not being able to start a car correctly because it’s 2 a.m., or having a slightly inebriated man come over and try to become our best friend, the McDonald’s on Hooksett Road is a staple in the SNHU community that everyone experiences during their time here. For that, I would say it deserves some credit.
