Secret McDonald’s serves up fare you won’t find elsewhere — and it’s hiding in plain sight in the middle of this major city

Big Macs are basic — this Midwest McDonald’s is serving up global eats with major street cred.

Tucked into Chicago’s bustling West Loop, beneath the golden arches of unlike any other in the country. 

This secret-ish spot, officially dubbed the McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant, has been slinging international fan-favorite items since 2018 — and right now, it’s got something plant-based eaters have been craving.

Enter: the McAloo Tikki burger — a crispy, spicy potato-and-pea patty topped with tomato and a sweet-tangy tomato mayo. 

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Straight outta India, this veggie delight is available at just the one US location, and only through June 23. Consider it a limited-time edible souvenir.

Tanmay Dhuri, visiting the Windy City joint from the Bay Area, made a point to order the burger that took him back to his roots. 

“It has nostalgic value to it. It’s not like something that’s unique like in a flavor way, but it’s just that everybody had it for so long,” the eager eater told Axios.

For many Indian customers, it’s a bite of home. 

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For vegetarians — and vegans who ditch the mayo — it’s a rare McDonald’s win that isn’t fries, ice cream or disappointment.

The West Loop restaurant is an experimental playground that’s open to the public.

It rotates its global menu every 12 weeks, meaning one visit might land you a Chicken McSpicy from Singapore or a McFlurry Banana Tart from Japan — but good luck finding either again if you blink.

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According to Food & Wine, this culinary unicorn shares space with McDonald’s high-tech test kitchens and the brand’s epicenter of burger research. 

But you won’t need an invite or a name tag — just a hunger for novelty and a few bucks in your wallet.

On a recent visit, Axios reporter Carrie Shepherd tried the McAloo herself: “The McAloo is tasty but not very filling, so I’d recommend getting two and stacking the patties on one bun. It’s always nice to have a veggie burger that’s actually vegetables and not heavy on the soy, which isn’t as tasty and will give you a tummyache”

Shepherd also grabbed a side of France’s crispy Deluxe Potatoes and washed it all down with a Banana Tart McFlurry from Japan — a worldwide trip for under $13.

While the McAloo has popped up here before (in 2018 and 2023), it’s not a permanent fixture — and its scarcity only adds to the hype. 

One cashier told Shepherd that it’s the most-asked-about menu item and that customers have ordered up to 30 at once.

McDonald’s has struggled to make a meatless burger stick with the American crowd. 

The McPlant, launched in test markets with a Beyond Meat patty, fizzled faster than a flat Sprite.

McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger told The Wall Street Journal last year, “I don’t think the U.S. consumer is … looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald’s now.”

Tell that to the customers in line at the W. Randolph St. store.

Either way, this stealthy international outpost is hiding in plain sight — and it’s serving up what may just be the most unexpected burger on American soil.

So whether you’re homesick, veggie-curious, or just bored of the Big Mac, you’d better get to Chi-Town fast — before the McAloo packs its (veggie) bags.