Finding ourselves in Dickinson, North Dakota at dinner time and without reservations, we stopped at the local McDonald’s in hopes of a decent meal. After a brief wait behind a white trailer filled with half a local high school sports team and a green Pontiac Firebird with two 20-somethings on a date, we were greeted by the friendly voice emanating from the screen and speaker. We explained that we didn’t have reservations and since it was a Friday night, we asked if they could accommodate us. The disembodied voice assured us that it would not be a problem.
A little history:
Kelly’s McDonalds is located at 212 Museum Drive, Dickinson ND 58601. A great place for a quick bite after visiting the Dakota Dinosaur Museum located 0.01 miles to the east. In addition to fast and accurate drive-thru service, the establishment offers smoke-free indoor dining and a seasonally covered outdoor dining area behind the restaurant.
The menu:
Kelly’s McDonald’s offers a good selection of American dishes; including a variety of hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken strips and nuggets, wraps, salads, fries, colas, milkshakes and coffees. Prices tend to be slightly higher since the area is in the midst of an oil boom and many of the oil companies and drilling support service companies are housing their workers in the surrounding hotels and motels with excessive prices.
My husband selected the double quarter pounder with cheese, small fries and an iced tea. Our almost 5 year old preferred the ten piece chicken nuggets with ranch dressing and ice water. I opted for the grilled chicken ranch salad with bacon and an iced tea to top it off.
Our food arrived quickly and as ordered. The professionally prepared burger and tender nuggets were served in an attractive thick cardboard container with eye-catching graphics proclaiming the contents of the package. The fries were wrapped in a paper sleeve which provided easy access to the delicious lightly salted potato snacks. My grilled bacon chicken ranch salad was pleasantly consecrated in a plastic container, though a bit tricky to open after stealing a chip (well, more like 5). Properly chilled sweet teas were poured into Styrofoam pitchers with exactly the right amount of ice.
The service:
The person at the window who accepted our payment had no sense of humor or nonsense, was strictly business friendly and was very efficient and accurate. She has a great future as an accountant, or maybe as a prison guard.
The person at the counter who delivered our food was friendly and helpful, asking if we would need extra croutons, ketchup, or napkins. We figured he was going to be a standout logistics manager once he got over the bumpy, awkward time of his life and graduated from high school.
The hours:
Restaurant: from Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm Fri and Sat 5am – 12am. Drive Thru: Same as restaurant.
general:
The neon decor is typical of fast food, but not overly offensive or distracting. It lacks musical accompaniment once the car stereo has been muted to order. Typical patrons are the hordes of local college students hanging out after class, high school sports teams grabbing a quick snack before the long, arduous drive back to the dark city they came from, and hungry workers of the oil fields. All in all, Kelly’s McDonald’s offers a quick and filling meal for a family on the go.