Most McDonald’s in the U.S. start serving lunch at around 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. on weekends , but exact times can vary by location.

Quick Scoop

Core answer: when does McDonald’s start lunch?

  • Monday–Friday: Lunch usually starts at 10:30 a.m. in most locations.
  • Saturday–Sunday: Many stores switch to lunch a bit later, around 11:00 a.m..
  • Local variation: Individual franchises and 24-hour locations may shift these times slightly, so it’s not 100% identical everywhere.

Think of it this way: if you show up a little after 11 a.m. any day , you’re almost always in the safe zone for lunch at most U.S. McDonald’s.

Typical daily lunch window

Here’s a simple view of the usual pattern in many U.S. locations:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Day</th>
      <th>Typical lunch start</th>
      <th>Typical end of lunch menu</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Monday–Friday</td>
      <td>10:30 a.m.</td>
      <td>Until closing or late evening (often around 5:00 p.m. before “dinner focus”)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Saturday–Sunday</td>
      <td>11:00 a.m.</td>
      <td>Until closing or late evening (often around 5:00 p.m.)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Many 24-hour stores</td>
      <td>10:30–11:00 a.m. range</td>
      <td>Runs late into the night, then switches back to breakfast early morning</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Some guides note that 24-hour stores may keep the “lunch/dinner” menu going very late, sometimes until early morning when breakfast restarts.

What you can order once lunch starts

Once lunch begins, you can usually get:

  • Burgers (Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, cheeseburgers).
  • Chicken items (McChicken, Chicken McNuggets).
  • Fries, soft drinks, McFlurries, and other dessert and combo items.

Most places stop serving breakfast when lunch fully kicks in, so you normally can’t grab an Egg McMuffin and a Big Mac at the same time anymore.

How to check your exact local time

Because hours can change by city, franchise owner, and local demand , it’s always smart to double‑check:

  1. Use the McDonald’s app or website store locator to see hours for your specific restaurant.
  2. Turn on location services in the app so it can show the right times for nearby stores.
  3. If you want to be extra sure (for weekends or holidays), call the restaurant and ask what time they start serving lunch that day.

A practical rule: if you’re planning a visit and don’t want to think too hard, plan for 11:00 a.m. or later , and you’ll almost always hit full lunch availability in the U.S.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.