fast food in mena

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

When you were in MENA, did you ever eat at an american style fast food place for any meals?

I couldnt find a single place like that in western algeria with take away coke in a paper cup with ice. There were plenty of cafes and or pizza or gyro places. But nothing resembling like a mcdonalds. In tunisia when I got married ( that week) I ate at one american style fast food place where they had hamburgers and fries and even something resembling a happy meal.

I could not find a single place like that in Oran although I think Algiers has some places like that and certainly never saw like paper cups with straws with ice like a big gulp..

I think morocco has mcdonalds and quik and stuff like that.. Are they in places like egypt etc?

No way -- I don't even eat that here. Blecchh.

There are McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and such in certain areas of Amman, and I know they have them in Cairo, too... nothing like that in Palestine, though. There are some very nice "Western-style" eateries in Ramallah -- pizza is very popular there, and hamburgers are not hard to find. Never saw any takeaway colas with ice, but you can get all the "French fries" you want -- they are everywhere. If you're in the cities, you can also get hot tea or coffee delivered to you by the cup !

I mostly ate Arabic food -- I'd much rather have falafal or shwerma than any American-style fast food. But Ramallah has several Italian places, at least one Chinese food restaurant, and also a "Mexican" food place -- El "Polo" Loco I ate there once -- the fajitas were actually pretty good, although served with pita bread. The staff was completely clueless as far as tortillas, refried beans, guacamole or Spanish rice, though. When I go back, I'm going to give the chef some recipes -- he's trying his best.

Anyway I also did quite a bit of my own cooking there, so I could make anything I wanted -- most common ingredients are readily available there. Finding certain cookware was an issue sometimes. But I sure didn't miss American-style fast food at all.

Thanks for the heads up!

Are you planning a trip, Nagi ?

[sereia 0]

Morocco has their fair share of McDonalds and Pizza Hut. After two months traveling there my friend and I broke down and got a pizza. It was like 10000000000000x better than Pizza Hut in America. Not sure why. After Abdou arrived we went to Pizza Hut here in CA and it was not good.

All the McDonalds I saw (Casablanca and Marrakech) were PACKED everytime I went by! Moroccans love their hamburgers too! :-)

Morocco also has plenty of their own "fast food". Bocadillos, fries, kefta, heart/lung/kidney/etc, etc, etc, etc. They even sell donuts (sfinge) hot from the street!

[Zee Bee 61]

Saudi has everything that we have here but with a few additions/modifications. For example, at Popeye's you could get a burger and fries. And I think either BK or McD had a falafel sandwich.

But the best was Al-Baik (I don't know if it is only a Saudi thing). The best fried chicken and they have this garlic sauce that is to die for I have friends from South Africa and every time they go they buy a whole bunch, freeze it and take it back with them.

[♥JP♥ 5]

Jordan has a ton of fast food and western resturants....complete with take away cups.

Fast Food

Hardi's

McDonalds

Burger King

KFC

Starbucks

Pizza Hut

Subway

Other restaurants chains I saw were Applebee's & Benihana's.

They also have mexican, chinese, pancake houses, burger joints. etc.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

At McDonalds you could get the MCARABIC

[Badrs Love 0]

There was a McDonald's in Kenitra, but we didn't eat there.

I saw that one too. I figured it wouldn't taste anything like here, so I had no desire to try it.

[sereia 0]

I thought McDonalds tasted almost exactly the same in Morocco as it does here... AND just as expensive!

[♥JP♥ 5]

My favorite was the Ramadan value meal at Burger King

Soup

Whopper

Chicken Sandwich

Fries

Bottled Water

Coke

for only 3.5 jds!

[hollyw 0]

When you were in MENA, did you ever eat at an american style fast food place for any meals?

I couldnt find a single place like that in western algeria with take away coke in a paper cup with ice. There were plenty of cafes and or pizza or gyro places. But nothing resembling like a mcdonalds. In tunisia when I got married ( that week) I ate at one american style fast food place where they had hamburgers and fries and even something resembling a happy meal.

I could not find a single place like that in Oran although I think Algiers has some places like that and certainly never saw like paper cups with straws with ice like a big gulp..

I think morocco has mcdonalds and quik and stuff like that.. Are they in places like egypt etc?

There is American style fast food in Oran.... it's called JOCKER (I think they meant to spell it "Joker"). It's in Bel-Air.

If I remember correctly, it's like a combination of McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Arby's... except they were out of just about everything. They give you a tray and food wrapped in paper with paper cups and you go sit at a table or take it home.. just like good ole mickey D's.

[RAKASA 0]

I saw McD's, Pizza Hut, & KFC for sure - maybe some others. We had pizza from Pizza Hut one night, but mainly b/c it was quick and we wanted to take it back to our apt (& I wanted the menu that is written in French). What was kinda cool, though, was the fast food restaurant by the 'net cafe where we'd get a burger sometimes - definitely better than McD's.

I prefer not having fast food most of the time, but on occasion I don't mind. I just had a subway wrap for lunch!

[caybee 21]

I thought McDonalds tasted almost exactly the same in Morocco as it does here... AND just as expensive!

Yes, every bit as expensive! We bought Cokes at the one in Meknes when we were out walking, and also stopped in for the restrooms, but we didn't eat there. It was standing room only (including outside, where there were lots of tables), and inside, there was barely room to walk. Hubby essentially told me it was a place to see and be seen.

[samira_07 1]

I did not eat at any in Morocco, but I have in Mexico, McDonald, BK, and even Pizza Hut seem to taste better. Plus at the McDonald's they fried their apple pies like the use to here they were so gooooooooood

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Fast food restaurants grow popular in Algeria

2008-05-14

The recent explosion of fast food franchises and independent restaurants is credited to more than Algeria's positive economic changes and investment incentives. Thanks to an improved sense of security, Algerians are spending time at all hours in fast food shops.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 14/05/08

[Fast food restaurants are opening up across Algeria, thanks to the change in people's eating habits. Algerians unwilling to spend hours at their dining tables for what they call "hefty" spreads are instead flocking to fast food restaurants for convenient, quick and affordable meals.

The new businesses have become wildly popular over the past few years. It is now difficult to name a street in Algeria's major cities without a fast food spot frequented by residents, pedestrians and workers of all social strata.

Algeria is becoming increasingly receptive to fast food and other franchise businesses. A 2007 report from the International Franchise Association (IFA) noted "the increasing number of international franchise systems that have recently opened shop in Algeria, the majority of which originate from France".

"Other signs that Algeria is at a turning point of greater acceptance for franchising include the successful conclusion of the first franchise fair in Algeria in February 2006, inaugurated by the Algerian Minister of Trade, [which] saw the birth of the Algerian Franchise Association," the IFA added.

Restaurant ownership is no longer limited to young Algerian entrepreneurs. After the government offered investment incentives such as customs tariff reductions, foreign companies joined the market. Well-known Belgian food chain Quick invested more than one million dollars last year to open a restaurant on Larbi Ben Mhidi, one of the main avenues in Algiers. The company plans on another 20 outlets across Algeria by 2012.

In the competitive environment of fast food enterprises, restaurant owners try to lure clients any way they can. The explosion of sidewalk signs in city alleys reflects the growing tug-of-war for patrons.

Fast food shop owners can get very creative. Some choose to imitate brand-name logos or opt for the colours and emblems of soccer teams. Others go for catchy words like "Cappuccino" or the names of world cities. In an endeavour to win customers' confidence, many place ads in local papers announcing their prices.

The explosion of fast food franchises and independent restaurants is credited to more than Algeria's positive economic changes and investment incentives. The growing popularity of fast- food stores is also attributed to the reduced threat of terrorism faced by civilians.

Citizens link the growing popularity of food shops and the budding nightlife in some Algerian cities to the prevailing sense of security.

Most Algerian cities – under the terror threat endured in the nineties – were completely deserted by sunset, and in some regions, long before that.

Thanks to their improved sense of security, Algerians have developed new habits over the past few years. Many now delight in the time they spend in fast-food places and coffee shops.

"I drop by my favourite places after a long day at work to unwind and forget about the pressure at work," Sabrina told Magharebia. She likes to spend time with her girlfriends at restaurants serving "non-Algerian meals", she said, "to relish international cuisines".

Smoker Hanane, who is in her thirties, has a different reason for frequenting the shops: "Fast food outlets give me some space where I feel enough freedom to light up a cigarette, away from people's eyes. [Most] generally frown on a smoking woman."

It is rare to see an Algerian woman walking down the street with a cigarette in her hand. There are no problems for women who puff away in the fast-food shops.

[Nasturtium 500]

Jordan has a ton of fast food and western resturants....complete with take away cups.

Fast Food

Hardi's

McDonalds

Burger King

KFC

Starbucks

Pizza Hut

Subway

Other restaurants chains I saw were Applebee's & Benihana's.

They also have mexican, chinese, pancake houses, burger joints. etc.

Don't forget Popeye's in Irbed. I had never even heard of it until I saw one there, and now I have since seen them here.

[~Jess~ 0]

Saudi has everything that we have here but with a few additions/modifications. For example, at Popeye's you could get a burger and fries. And I think either BK or McD had a falafel sandwich.

But the best was Al-Baik (I don't know if it is only a Saudi thing). The best fried chicken and they have this garlic sauce that is to die for I have friends from South Africa and every time they go they buy a whole bunch, freeze it and take it back with them.

omgoodness i love Al-Baik and i loveeee the garlic sauce..YUMM.