I'm an American who tried Italian McDonald's for the first time. Here's what surprised me about the menu and how it compared to the US.

Recently, my family took a trip from the US to Sicily to meet long-lost relatives and experience the motherland.

I, of course, used the trip as an opportunity to try an Italian McDonald's and see firsthand if it's different from the Golden Arches in the US.

My first thought when I walked into the facility was it looked basically the same as locations in the US.

The restaurant was mostly filled with teenagers, but I saw a few adults ordering, too.

Ordering was easy because Big Mac is pronounced the same in Italian. I got a wide array of food to compare, including McDonald's classics and some of the items exclusive to the Italian menu.

Ultimately, I walked away with a Big Mac, Bacon Big Mac, Chicken Big Mac, bacon-cheese fries, Oreo McFlurry, sfiziosità (basically a pizza pocket), and crispy-chicken salad.

I couldn't replicate this order in its entirety at home, but I did my best by getting a Big Mac, Bacon McDouble, Spicy Deluxe crispy-chicken sandwich, fries, and Oreo McFlurry. The McDonald's I went to in the US did not serve salads.

Here's what the Italian menu was like, and how it stacked up to the US one.

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.

Right away, I noticed a distinct difference in the meat. The Italian burger was tastier, even if it was a little overcooked.

Its American counterpart, though less chewy, didn't have the same flavor.

The Italian bacon was not as crispy, but I could tell it tasted less salty than the American slices.

When I took a bite of the US version, I immediately needed to take a sip of my drink. In comparison, the milder European flavor worked better in the context of the entire burger.

The chicken patty was my least favorite of the Italian meats.

I like a crunchy sandwich, but it was too crunchy, making it harder to bite through than the others. I thought it also had a bit of a bland taste to it. I left feeling disappointed.

On the other hand, the spicy crispy-chicken sandwich was my favorite American item.

The bun was fantastic, and the less-crispy chicken was super flavorful, juicy, and easily bitable.

I was very excited when I ordered the bacon-cheese fries, but I was sorely disappointed when I ate them.

The fries themselves tasted pretty identical in both countries.

The bacon on the loaded Italian fries was crispier than it was on the Bacon Big Mac, which was an improvement. But I didn't think the cheese was good — especially when it got to room temperature.

It reminded me of nachos you'd get at an American baseball game, but sharper, which I didn't care for.

I love a McFlurry — whenever the machine actually works — so I figured the Italian one would be delicious.

I was right, the ice cream seemed thicker and milkier.

The American McFlurry lacked density. It was airy, almost as if it had been whipped. But the Italian version really tasted like ice cream.

The Oreos tasted the same for both.

As one of the most unique aspects of the Italian McDonald's menu, I was excited to try the pizza pockets. But I was a little disappointed after biting in.

I didn't think there was enough cheese or sauce in the pocket. Though the bread was good — sweet and almost dessert-like — there was too much of it.

Overall, these were good but underwhelming. I don't think Americans are missing much.

I enjoyed everything about this salad — except the breadsticks. The lettuce was vibrant and crisp, and the cherry tomatoes were grocery-store quality.

Parmesan is never my first choice for salad cheese (I only like it in pasta sauce), but it got the job done.

McDonald's even gave me a tiny bottle of olive oil, which I drizzled on top. It didn't seem like the same high quality as other Italian oils I got on the trip, but it certainly did the trick.

I didn't even think to ask for an extra sauce because the salad didn't need it. Dipping sauces also didn't seem to be as much of a thing in Italy.

The crispy chicken was also excellent, much better than the Chicken Big Mac. It had just the right amount of crunch and juice without being oily. I found myself picking at it after finishing the rest of the meal.

Tastewise, Italian McDonald's wasn't much different from the US version. But even though the food was similar, it felt different.

Eating a lot of American fast food tends to make me feel lethargic. But the Italian version seemed to be much kinder on my body.

Even though I ended up trying more items, I felt better after my meal in Italy than I did after visiting McDonald's at home. For that reason alone I give it a better ranking.