The Only Kosher McDonald's Outside Of Israel Is In An Unlikely Place

Every country where McDonald's does business has its own local variations on the formula, but few of those are as unique as a kosher McDonald's. As might be expected, of the handful of kosher locations operating under the golden arches, almost all of them are in Israel. While not every McDonald's you find there is kosher, more than 60 of them are — and to be so they must follow strict guidelines, adhere to Jewish holidays, and receive official kosher certification from a rabbi. Operating a kosher McDonald's is a daunting and expensive task, and only viable when there is a large concentration of Jewish residents nearby. Which is why it might surprise many Americans to find that of all the McDonald's in the world, the only kosher one outside of Israel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

While a few countries outside of Israel and the United States have larger Jewish communities, Argentina has the biggest in Latin America, estimated at around 200,000 people. And the vast majority of these Jewish Argentines live in Buenos Aires. This high concentration in the Argentinian capital is what led two Jewish brothers to open a kosher McDonald's in a local shopping mall. They had already owned a McD's location in the building, but decided the community deserved a separate kosher restaurant to appeal to families in the area that strictly follow Jewish dietary guidelines. Dozens of synagogues are also located within walking distance of the site.

The most striking thing about this McDonald's (or any kosher location in Israel) is the lack of cheese. Kosher dietary restrictions forbid the combination of meat and dairy when eating. Not just served on the same item, but even in the same meal. So, not only do all the McDonald's burgers at the Buenos Aires kosher locations lack cheese, but there are no dairy products on the menu at all. That means no milk shakes or ice cream either, although there is a non-dairy sundae available for dessert.

Of course, cheese isn't the only thing McDonald's burgers are lacking. McDonald's normal special sauce recipe is not kosher either, so the local Big Mac is just two beef patties, lettuce, pickles, and onions on that double bun. However, the kosher certification also means high-quality locally raised Argentinian beef in the patties, which certainly ups the flavor.

Kosher-certified food must also pass standards for cleanliness, so there are inspectors on hand to personally certify the quality of each ingredient. The kosher location in Argentina may lack the more unique flavors of other international McDonald's menu items, but that's probably more of a function of the country itself, as Argentina's local McDonald's menu doesn't feature much that's very different from the American brand. Nevertheless, it's a special experience that shows how local franchisees can adapt to one of our country's biggest cultural exports to serve all kinds of communities.