You know you're in Bizarroworld when the McDonalds is the most memorable part of your visit.
A Walmart is a Walmart is a Walmart, but it's the little things that make the difference between a 4-star location and a 2-star one.
The good: The staff at the McDonalds are extremely diligent at fulfilling orders to an absurd degree. Even with the usual caveats of the place (people steal your carts, the worst humanity has to offer on display), they keep the place fairly clean and know their jobs well.
The bad: Just about everything else.
It's been a long while since I felt like I was being judged by people, and I showed up in a sweater and dress pants. I get that this place is fairly casual, but I was only here with a family member to pick up some odds and ends. The 400-pound fedora-wearing neckbeard and middle manager with no clear goal or purpose should look inside themselves first and pause for a few moments of self-reflection before ogling every person that walks past them.
The checkout lines are always crowded, and this was on a Friday at 1 p.m. There's no "instant cashout" service, or employees directing shoppers to an open checkout?
And the place is messy. Really messy. I distinctly recall walking over newspaper in either an aisle or the washroom that wasn't cleaned up. Several carts full of returned merchandise at the customer service counter were nearly blocking a major laneway. Some of the aisles (especially international food and snacks) look extremely junky and disorganized.
Maybe I'm expecting too much from Wal-Mart in general at this stage in the game. After all, I've visited enough of them over the years. It could just be the proximity to Heartland - it's an outlet for an entire quadrant of the city to descend on and mill around in.
You'd best avoid this place unless you really need something.