I photographed the wildest McDonald’s in more than 50 countries — and then created a ‘McAtlas’
He’s had many a happy meal.
An NYC-based food photojournalist who documented his travels across six continents to find the world’s most unique McDonald’s locations is now releasing a book after completing his five-year McExpedition.
Brooklyn’s Gary He, 39, wrote the scrumptious guide — aptly titled “McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches,” due out in the fall — to highlight the fast-food franchise’s most architecturally daring branches. Coming out in November, the book boasts 200 photos taken from the more than 1,000 burger joints he saw.
“McDonald’s is the largest and most important influential restaurant in the world,” He told The Post. “You always want to cover the biggest story as a journalist. There really is no bigger story than McDonald’s.”
He also explores regional meals — the author swears Mickey D’s tastes better overseas — like burgers served on a McBaugette in Paris, a New Zealand favorite “kiwi burger” served with eggs and beets, and marinated chicken bones in China.
As for style, a few one-of-a-kind dining rooms on the menu include a log cabin designed by Mickey D’s in Wisconsin and a “Big Mac Museum” at the sandwich’s 1967 birthplace in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
Also, there is an Italian location where an ancient Roman road was excavated below its arches.
In addition to those, here are some spots The Post thinks you can sink your teeth into.
Plane burgers
There’s nothing plain about this Kiwi location.
Burger-loving Taupo, New Zealand, is home to a refitted propeller plane that serves some of the best airline food while stationary.
At first, the only McDonald’s of its kind can seem like some sort of prop, according to He. But perception changes the closer you get to the Douglas DC-3 model from the World War II era.
“As you’re walking up to it, you go, ‘Oh, wait, oh wait, it is a real plane,'” He said, adding that McDonald’s “always tastes better” on board any sort of flying machine.
The ‘McSki’
Here’s one that will have you earn your calories.
A McDonald’s in Lindvallen, Sweden, is accessible only to skiers coming on and off the Scandinavian mountaintop.
“You don’t even need to take off your skis — there is a ‘ski-up window,’ which I thought was pretty cool,” He said.
An unidentified frying object
It’s out of this world: Roswell, New Mexico, a little town that gained notoriety in 1947 for an alleged spaceship crash, adapted its local McDonald’s exterior to evoke that of a spaceship in shape and decoration.
The inside also features a special gift shop solely for the UFO theme, plus a stellar McPlay Place where Ronald McDonald and pals are all sporting spacesuits.
On top of all that, “there are just alien statues, everywhere,” He said.
The McBoat
Head to a very special canal in Hamburg, Germany’s “City of Bridges” for a chance to enjoy a Big Mac or, maybe more fittingly, a Filet-O-Fish while seabound.
This McDonald’s has a lengthy pier that allows boaters to pull up for some takeout as employees walk an order down to each vessel, according to He.
“The boating culture there in its canals is it goes back centuries,” He said. “I believe it’s the only boat-up McDonald’s in the world.”
East meets West
When China’s first McDonald’s opened in Shenzhen, China, in 1990, it wasn’t equipped with the stereotypical red roof on top. Instead, the experimental concept — there are now close to 5,000 — was erected with a traditional pagoda-style roof.
Also keeping to local customs, the location has special items like bamboo shoot chicken wraps, porridge, youtiao fried dough, matcha and green-tea McFlurries, He said.
Art deco in the outback
A former two-level hotel and later bar designed in fabulous art deco style outside of Melbourne, Australia, is now arguably the nation’s most hip fast-food joint.
“Because it’s on the Melbourne tourism website, you can safely assume that it is one of the favorite buildings in the city,” He said. “I think most people go there just to snap a photo of it.”
The appetizing architecture also happens to be located adjacent to a 24/7 brothel — where clients certainly work up their appetites.
The McMansion
This location doesn’t require any elaborate travel for New Yorkers.
On Long Island in New Hyde Park, a converted mansion with local historical significance dating back to the 1700s had its distinct exterior and some of its insides kept intact when McDonald’s came marching in during the mid-1980s.
Now, the two-floor extravaganza off Jericho Turnpike is busy as ever with an eloquent dining room, grand staircase and a packed drive-thru that loops around the property.
He said that this was one of the first examples of the fast-food titan defying its usual building standards at the request of locals.
Since then, more locations on LI — particularly out east on the North Fork — have followed suit with designs that look closer to quant houses than burger joints.
