The original restaurant founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald was called McDonald's Bar-B-Q.
The brothers opened the drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Its early menu centered on barbecue items and included a much broader selection than the later hamburger-focused system. In 1948, the brothers reorganized the business around a limited menu, faster preparation, and self-service. That change created the foundation for the modern McDonald's identity.
The name is often confused with the later corporate brand because the restaurant already used the McDonald family name. The famous Golden Arches, Speedee imagery, and standardized hamburger system came later. Ray Kroc began franchising the concept in the 1950s, helping turn the local California restaurant into an international chain.
The name McDonald's Bar-B-Q therefore belongs to the company's pre-franchise origin story, before the business became primarily associated with hamburgers and fries.