This Culinary Travel Faux Pas Is Nowhere Near As Bad As People Make It Seem

One of the best parts of traveling is getting to try the local cuisine. Although what people in other countries call comfort food might be light-years away from your version of such a meal, the reason we travel is to experience other cultures and other food. Otherwise you'll never know if balut, a fertilized duck embryo still in its shell that's loved by people in Southeast Asia, most notably the Philippines, is your next favorite appetizer or not.

That said, while a lot of travelers are quick to turn their nose up at the notion of eating in a chain restaurant in another country, this culinary travel faux pas isn't as bad as some would like you to believe. For starters, you still get some regional options on the menu. Secondly, you adhere to Anthony Bourdain's top tip for choosing a restaurant while traveling (the French love their "McDo"). Lastly, some of these chain restaurants reside in interesting places. Case in point: a McDonald's in Frattocchie, Italy, has three 2000-year-old skeletons on display in the restaurant.

Having been unearthed in 2014 when the franchise was being built, the decision was made to keep the three skeletons for their historical impact. "This is the first example of a McDonald's restaurant in the world capable of contributing to the enhancement of an archaeological area," McDonald's Italia told Newsweek in December 2022. Let's be honest, that's pretty darn cool. But these aren't the only reasons to eat at familiar spots.

When I first started traveling internationally, I swore I'd never enter a McDonald's — which is in nearly 100 countries – or Burger King. But, there I was one late night, in the neighborhood of Pigalle in Paris, craving fries, and there just happened to be a McDonald's still open. Not only did the fries hit the spot (I'd been feeling homesick after three months in Europe), the menu was next level. It had many of the items we see on the McDonald's menu in the States, but also burgers with goat cheese and Comté. Granted, it was a limited-time special, but that night I decided if I went to a country and it had McDonald's, I'd give it a try.

While I never eat McDonald's in the U.S., I've enjoyed its cuisine in almost 30 countries. At the moment, Japan is in top place because of this delightful breakfast pie with butter and mochi. So, if the foreign, extremely diverse menu of other countries' fast food and chain restaurants isn't enough to have you bopping on into these familiar spots next time you're abroad, I promise you you're missing out. It's also an easy way to spend less on food while traveling if you're getting close to blowing your budget.

As much as some people love to travel, not everyone is keen on the food that's served abroad. For example, London is a beautiful, friendly city, but England isn't exactly known as the culinary capital of the world. For picky eaters, a chain restaurant from their home country can be exactly what they want. While there are always some regional options on these menus, for the most part, they have the same stuff you grew up eating. Just because you have an adventurous soul leading you to faraway lands, doesn't mean your palate is equally adventurous.

For those with dietary restrictions, chain restaurants can also be a relief. Interestingly, peanut allergy rates are highest in Western countries, while in Eastern countries, it's extremely rare. Similarly, except for India, veganism is another dietary restriction that's mostly in the West. The fact is, for those with dietary restrictions, chain restaurants offer familiar food options that don't require any unnecessary stress. You're on holiday; the last thing you should be worrying about is whether a local dish is chock-full of spices and foods that your body can't handle.