A new study has revealed the lowest-rated McDonald’s restaurants in the UK, based on the franchise locations with the biggest percentage of one-star ratings.
The research, conducted by QR Code Generator, looked at the percentage of one-star Google reviews for all McDonald’s in the UK, totalling over 1,400 restaurants, to reveal which were the lowest-rated.
According to a new analysis, Chingford Fountain McDonald’s in Northeast London is the lowest-rated McDonald’s in the UK. The fast-food outlet recorded 36.49% of all reviews giving the outlet a one-star review. This is the highest proportion of one-star reviews of all locations nationwide. Overall, the outlet has a Google rating of just 2.8 out of 5.
Following in second is Sydenham in Southeast London, with 34.05% of reviews being just one-star. Less than a quarter of users left five-star reviews at this McDonald’s franchise, and a Google rating of 2.9. However, for some of the best-rated locations in the country, more than half of the reviews are five-star and have a rating of over 4 out of 5 on Google.
Bristol Fishponds ranks as having the third lowest-rated McDonald’s in the UK. The franchise recorded 33.46% of reviews being just one-star and a Google rating of 3.
Walsall’s Littleton Centre McDonald’s placed fourth nationwide. While almost a third of all reviews from visitors on Google are five-star, a huge 32% of reviews are just one-star. This is the third-highest proportion in the UK, and the outlet has a Google rating of just 3.1.
Rounding out the top five is Dalkeith in Midlothian, Scotland. According to the findings, the fast-food franchise location was rated just one-star by 30.79% of all reviewers.
Among the 20 locations with the highest percentage of one-star reviews are six London locations and four in Greater Manchester.
However, only one Scottish location makes the list, while franchise locations in Wales and Northern Ireland do not rank among the ‘worst’ rated in the UK.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generato said, “According to a YouGov survey, McDonald’s is in the top three most popular dining brands in the UK for 2025, beating out its competitors such as Burger King and KFC. Only Greggs is favoured more than the double arches among millennials, highlighting many young Brits’ favour for affordable, on-the-go bites.
“However, just because each McDonald’s restaurant bears the famous name, it may not mean all are equal in the eyes of customers, as our results suggest. Customer satisfaction appears to vary widely across the nation.
