Day Thirty: Fast Food Invasion

Since the adoption of NAFTA, American fast food restaurants have headed south of the border...generally with some substantial success.  Among the chains you will find here are McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, Carls Jr., Dominoes, Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut.  Of course there are also American chains that have not come south.  Chinese food has not made much headway, for instance.  There are no Pandra Express or Mr. Chau's chains here.  Wendy's, Jack 'N the Box, Arby's, Dunkin' Donuts and White Castle are all absent as well.  And of course, Mexican restaurant chains have no business here.  Taco Bell is non-existent --- in fact, mention the very name and you will receive much derision.  No Del Taco, Green Burrito or Chipotle either...

Pizza Hut's extreme pizzas are a hit in Mexico.

Some of these chains replicate their American versions to a tee while others make small changes.  KFC in Mexico, for instance, seems to be in love with jalapeno sauce.  Good luck getting honey mustard or BBQ sauce with your Popcorn Chicken, but Jalapeno sauce --- well, they have tons of that.  McDonalds also has differences.  As John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson famously noted in Pulp Fiction in regard to France and the Quarter Pounder, there isn't one because "they have the Metric System."  Mexico is in the same boat.  Instead they have the Cuarto de Libra along with other specialties such as the McPollo, Pechuga Extreme and the McBurrito a la Mexicana.  This last one is a bit puzzling, since there are no burritos in Mexico --- at least not in Guadalajara.  Other chains have small differences as well.  Pizza Hut has a Mexican Pizza with Pico de Gallo sauce, for instance while KFC adds Mexican sodas such as Manzanita Sol and Miranda to their menu.

All in all, American fast food in Mexico is a little different, but if you really want something greasy that comes in a bag American-style, you will no doubt be able to find it.

Finger-licking good, in Mexico.