According to the McDonald’s corporate website, there are 41,822 McDonald’s locations worldwide. These locations serve a variety of items including Big Macs, chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, happy meals, and shakes, all available on their breakfast and lunch menus.
Serving breakfast and lunch at various times throughout the day ensures that customers can satisfy their cravings whenever they arise. However, the exact timing for these menu transitions can sometimes be unclear.
When is the McDonald’s Lunch Menu Available?
A McDonald’s in Los Angeles, California, and another in Houston, Texas, reported that they begin their lunch menu at 10:30 a.m. on both weekdays and weekends. In contrast, McDonald’s locations in Montgomery, Alabama stated that their lunch menu starts at 10:30AM on weekdays and at 11:00AM on weekends.
To confirm the specific lunchtime of your local McDonald’s, it’s best to call ahead or check online. Nonetheless, you can generally expect lunch to begin around 10:30AM or 11:00AM on any given day.
McDonald’s Lunch Hours According to Their Employees
A few McDonald’s employees and ex-employees have provided insights:
ExxxtraSprinkles
Depends… we switch over at 10:30, we start cooking at 10:15.. depending on the day and item, we will sell some things a little early, if you don’t mind waiting for it to be prepared.
I’ve sold a 20 piece or 2 10 piece nugget meals around 10am..we just dropped 1 bag and a basket of fries. We were not busy, and the customer was inside and asked nicely.
SonosFuer
They will tell you if you can or can not and will be firm with you. The bottom line is the equipment used for breakfast is also used for lunch so doing both at the same time is not practical from a kitchen stand point.
MorticiaCaraMia
When I worked at McD’s, it was a firm “No, not until 10:30”, but this might vary by store.
The McDonald’s lunch menu and hours may vary by restaurant, since franchisees and co-ops decide at their discretion, but generally, the lunch menu begins serving when the breakfast menu changes over.
What’s in the McDonald’s Lunch Menu?
The McDo menu for lunch and breakfast are different. You can check the breakfast options in this post.
Big Mac®
Two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions, all between a sesame seed bun.
McDouble®
Featuring two beef patties, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions on a hamburger bun.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese
This burger features ¼ lb. of 100% fresh McDonald’s beef, two slices of melted American cheese, slivered onions, and tangy pickles, all on a soft sesame seed hamburger bun.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe
Fresh shredded lettuce and three Roma tomato slices adorn ¼ lb. of 100% fresh McDonald’s beef, hot and juicy, cooked to order, layered with two slices of melted American cheese, creamy mayo, slivered onions, and tangy pickles on a soft sesame seed hamburger bun.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese Bacon
A Quarter Pounder® with Cheese, topped with thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, ¼ lb. of 100% fresh McDonald’s beef, two slices of melted American cheese, slivered onions, and pickles, served on a soft sesame seed hamburger bun.
McChicken®
A juicy chicken patty, topped with shredded lettuce and creamy mayonnaise, all served on a perfectly toasted bun.
Cheeseburger
A beef patty with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and cheese on a hamburger bun.
Double Cheeseburger
A double dose of beef patties with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and two slices of melted American cheese on a hamburger bun.
Hamburger: The Classic McDonald’s Burger
A 100% pure beef patty seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. Topped with a tangy pickle, chopped onions, ketchup, and mustard.
Spicy McCrispy
A crispy chicken patty with a spicy sauce, served on a toasted bun.
Filet-O-Fish
This fish sandwich features a crispy fish filet patty made with wild-caught Alaskan Pollock, melted American cheese, and creamy tartar sauce, all on a soft, steamed bun.
Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and creamy ranch dressing.
Chicken McNuggets®
Available in various sizes (4, 6, 10, 20 pc). Some locations may offer promotional sizes like 40-piece and 50-piece.
French Fries
Available in different sizes (Small, Medium, Large, Basket).
Combo Meals
McDonald’s Combo Meals combine their signature sandwiches with medium fries and a medium drink. Some examples include the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal which comes with a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, medium fries, and a medium drink. The Big Mac Meal includes the Big Mac along with fries and a drink.
Happy Meal
McDonald’s Happy Meals are the kid’s menu, which includes a kid’s fries, kid’s drink and a toy. The options include the 6-Piece Chicken McNugget Happy Meal, 4-Piece Chicken McNugget Happy Meal and the Hamburger Happy Meal.
Desserts and Sweets
McDonald’s has plenty to offer when it comes to desserts and sweet treats including cookies, Apple Pie, McFlurry and sundae.
Beverages
McDonald’s offers a wide variety of beverages including smoothies, Coca-Cola products, Dr. Pepper, Root Beer, Hi-C Orange, Frozen Fanta, Iced Tea and Orange Juice.
Can you get a Happy Meal during breakfast?
Happy Meals at McDonald’s are available when lunch starts, which is usually 10:30 AM or 11:00 AM.
Can you get burgers at McDonald’s during breakfast?
You can place an order anytime McDonald’s is open, but in my experience, their burgers and fries aren’t available until around 10:30AM or 11:00AM.
Can you order breakfast during lunch hours?
McDonald’s want food to come out as quickly as possible without compromising quality. They use what’s known as a “Universal Holding Cabinet” to store their menu items and make them easily accessible. During the day, this cabinet often reaches near full capacity so it would be difficult to store breakfast items. Also remember that customers demand lunch options at lunch time, and dinner options at dinner time.
Are there deals available in the McDonald’s lunch menu?
When looking for budget-friendly McDo menu lunch options, check out the $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu, which includes options like fries, chicken nuggets, McDoubles, McChickens, and fountain drinks. You should also check the McDonald’s app for lunch deals and promotions available in your area.