The problem, I’m a picky eater. I never order something that simple. I always need it with “No X” or “Only Y”. Cashiers often struggle with that, even if they understand me well (which they don’t always). It’s easier for me to see everything an item comes with and make sure I’m entering my order correctly.

McDonalds' menu is not designed for folk like you. In my part of the world, we had traditional fast-food joints where the question would be inverse: out of the things you can see and add to your burger, pick a few. That is very efficient with a human prepping your burger.

Hm? McDonalds is one of the best for customization. Everything is removable and the software knows the calorie count of each ingredient so the total that shows up next to each item in the cart is accurate

The kiosk ordering at McDonalds is made to adjust the defaults which is slower than the mode I described: if automated, that would be a screen to choose the item, and then add things into it from a list — fewer screens, faster ordering.

Everybody would go through this workflow built for customization, and at McD they do not. This to me means they are not building for this usecase.

You have to wait in line behind several people to get to the point where you can talk to the cashier. Most McDonalds have several kiosks. There is usually little or no line. I can place my order grab a table.

> I can walk up to the counter and say "Big Mac Large Fry Small Coke"

In what culture is it normal to just state your order without greeting or saying “please”? You also didn’t include the time taken squinting at the menu and trying to figure out what you can even order.