I started by comparing the base ingredients and produce between the countries.
Lucien Formichella
Before getting into the meat of the review (pun intended), I made a few observations about the produce and individual ingredients used in both countries.
I’ve read articles about how Europe has stricter food standards. But truthfully, I didn’t notice a big difference in taste, if any. The main one was that the Italian “secret sauce” seemed to have a more pungent vinegariness.
Otherwise, the lettuce tasted (pretty) similar — I was hoping for something extravagant like romaine in Italy, but no such luck, just iceberg. I liked that both countries cut the onions in the same fashion (tiny, flavorful squares).
The cheese used in Italy was also, go figure, American.
I thought there could be a difference in the bread, but I didn’t notice much there either. The American chicken-sandwich bun was (surprisingly) my favorite — fluffy and a little sweet.