BEST FAST FOOD CHAIN (N AMERICA)

wendy's close over popeye's

In-N-Out by a ridiculous margin.

^^^

west coast bias

i wish i've ever eaten at in-n-out :(

The sailor gets it.

that sounds like a stick-up line from a '50s pulp novel.

not west coast bias, in-n-out is legitimately better than any other fast food chain

"west coast bias"

Nah it's just a lot better than the rest of this crap.

The first thing I do when I get off a plane at LAX is go to In-N-Out.

i've never had in-n-out either :(

it really is that good!

i'm not a big fast food guy, but out of the ones i've had i would go for popeye's, wendy's, or sbarro.

Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro SbarroSbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro Sbarro

i'm surprised there hasn't been a "where's sonic?!?" post yet.

I was gonna ask about Sonic! And I've never been to one! Fuck you TBS / TNT!

JW is crazy.

napkin dispender

Seconded.

Never had In/Out (I did try to sound an ALERT on a press trip full of 'where's the best burger' Britishes in LA but no go) so no vote. I would like to believe attendant hype.

Taco Bell, Dairy Queen and White Castle have a place in my life, but there can only be one winner.

Wendy's. Our beef, let us show you it.

if there's an in-n-out within driving distance there's no need to bother with some bullshit like wendy's or burger king

i live 500 feet from a jack in the box and 5 miles from an in-n-out and i go to the in-n-out every time

Maybe it's just my local franchise, but Wendy's has gone downhill fast quality-wise in the last few years. The burgers are smaller, almost always overcooked, and about the only thing on the menu I still feel confident ordering is a Frosty.

i live 500 feet from a jack in the box and 5 miles from an in-n-out and i go to the in-n-out every time

You are a lucky sob.

yeah i meant west coast bias in that ppl from the east/midwest like me have never had tasty in-n-out before ;_;

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/1407393671_f05ffa2dbe_b.jpg

This really isn't a fair poll.

Even in Fast Food Nation (book) and Supersize Me (bonus features), In-N-Out is called out for having best in class quality standards, health codes, wages, employee benefits, etc.

Thomas Keller who some consider to be the best chef in North America, opened a casual restaurant where the menu would change every day (Ad Hoc) and the menu on the day it opened were In-N-Out style burgers.

nando is in the us?

Props to EPL for making the list.

Popeye's

no in-n-outs here :(

can a pizza place be considered fast food

that burger looks so much better than the soy hot dogs I just ate

i only get to enjoy i-n-o burgers once or twice a year, but they've got my vote.

Oh jesus do I want In-N-Out badly right now.

nando is in the us?

-- lauren, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:52 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

it is -- or was -- in canada. my brother used to work there dressed as a giant chicken. yes, that job actually exists.

I guess I can lord Sonic over all those of you who don't have them, but really it's not as good as the commercials make you think it is.

Five Guys

KRYSTAL'S!!!!

oh, right. canada.

I've never seen a Nando's in the US!

The first thing I do when I get off a plane at LAX is go to In-N-Out.

-- Alex in SF, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:43 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Hell yes! on sepulveda

I have only had in and out once about eight years ago and it was only the "grilled cheese" because I'm a vegetarian but you know what? It was fucking awesome. I'm gonna have to go with I-n-O.

What the hell is A&W?

hot dogs and root beer.

not bad, actually.

A&W is mostly known for their root beer, but the hot dogs and burgers are pretty decent.

I think Five Guys and In-N-Out both make you wait too long to count as fast food. also yeah totally unfair to every other franchise on the list

A&W root beer also = ROOT BEER FLOATS.

TS: root beer float vs. root beer freeze

give me fribbles or give me death.

too long=3-5 minutes?

man i haven't been to a friendly's in forfuckingever.

I only knew A&W as a brand of root beer, I didn't realize there were restaurants involved.

I was just talking about Dairy Queen the other day. I haven't had it since I was a kid in Key West but they had this awesome red magic shell type stuff. I'm gonna have to find a DQ so I can get some.

I'm actually going to abstain in this one because the answer that is probably right (In-n-Out) is the place where I got a really bad, dry burger the only time I tried it. And all the other choices make me hate myself for being weak. Also, Captain D's and Sonic aren't on there.

i never even hear of sonic. sonic the hedgehog?

i only eat fast food when on a road trip, otherwise i can always find an extra 15 minutes or whatever to eat something decent.

sonic is kind of nasty

the drinks and shit are pretty good but the actual food... not so much

the a&w stands i've seen/been to are in nj and penn.

xpost to E

Long John Silvers >>>>>>>> Captain D's

Sonic's foot long chili dogs are good, but it's kind of hard to mess up a chili dog.

http://www.sonicdrivein.com/menu/index.jsp

i've heard multiple accounts of people from around here driving hours and hours to go to a sonic (wtf). we do have a&w's here, though.

Not a hell of a lot of difference betw. LJS and Capt. D's, really.

S1ocki, you've missed a bunch of Sonic threads on this board! Or threads that got hijacked into being Sonic threads.

Dairy Queens in Minnesota were only open for about four months in the year when I was little, so we always looked forward to going, but... My dad used to work for Food Producers, a company in Minneapolis that made the DQ ice cream and the chocolate and red shell stiff they dipped the cones in. Because he told my mom what was in the stuff, we 'weren't allowed' to eat there. Until, that is, it was Dad Night With Just The Kids.

Did anyone do a deep freeze on their Frosty, thus creating MALT CUP?

yup.

I knew I could count on you, Lauren.

stewart's >>>> a&w

First vote for Church's Chicken!

Superior fried chicken, no silly bowls or wraps, GOOD COKES which is important, superior jalepenos. I love their crinkle fries, too.

haha. there was actually a ready-made malt cup kind of thing available in the grocer's freezer, but my mother would never buy them. thus, the improvised versioin.

xpost

Not a hell of a lot of difference betw. LJS and Capt. D's, really.

Except Captain D's costs half again as much for the same crap.

Steak 'n' motherfucking Shake. If you've eaten there, you're voting for it. Problem is, it's only in a couple midwest states (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois -- and barely even in the Chicago area).

lol s1ocki
POPEYES for the international catholic conspiracy

Seemed about the same to me. Plus Capt. D's is aggressive around here with direct-mail coupons that knock the price down. (xpost to JFever)

Steak n' Shake is all over the south, actually. The shake? Great. The steak? Notsomuch.

I've eaten there. I'm not voting for it. It's not that good and it's a sit down restaurant anyway.

there are Steak n' Shakes in wisconsin, but i was confusing it with Steak Escape (cheesesteak chain).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfan5MacmsI

popeye's has suprisingly jambalaya (and other sides).

L, I can't imagine my mom would have bought a supermarket version of a fast food item either. She is a rockist that way; food must come from the original source of supply.

I tried Steak n Shake when it came to TX and it was a disappointment.

A&W is bad when it's a fast food-style restaurant in the middle of a city, but the small town ones with either booths inside or a walk-up window I've been to are great. There's one out near where my parents live that has a drive-in but also booths you sit at indoors and then order via a little telephone on the table, then they bring it out to you. They also offer chili on pretty much everything.

Sonic is barely around here now due to a franchise going mostly belly-up, I never really got into it but there was apparently some Fritos co-branded chili cheese concoction a while ago?

Half of these places, like Popeyes, don't actually have apostrophes in the name.

I'm not surprised that Popeye's has Jambalaya.

is in-and-out really a "chain"?

Uh yes.

there is no way that a place with fries as bland and lousy as In-N-Out can be the best fast food chain, no matter how good their burgers or anything else are.

oh it's ON!!!

haha, surprisingly GOOD jambalaya

bicoastal alex beatdown!!! xp

I mean 220 locations seems like a chain to me anyway.

"there is no way that a place with fries as bland and lousy as In-N-Out can be the best fast food chain, no matter how good their burgers or anything else are."

You are weird. How can any fries be bland anyway? It's grease and salt and potatoes! Well okay I guess at some places it's not potatoes.

nah, the in-n-out fries are probably the best in the fast food game.

"These fries taste shockingingly like they were made with an actual tuber! How bland can you get."

ok bland might not be the best word, even if you put the right amount of salt/pepper/ketchup/etc on their fries they'd still suck ass.

don't get me wrong, if I lived on the West coast I'd go to In-N-Out all the time, I just wouldn't waste my money getting a value meal instead of just a burger.

i've been to this A&W in Frankfort Michigan

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/429e6e71-2efd-42c7-990a-dca89b246981.jpg

Change in taste, especially loss of taste, is very common in elderly people, and caused by a variety of things. Like most of our senses, the sense of taste tends to decline with age as the taste buds degenerate. Then problems which would cause a bit of a loss of taste in younger people can wipe out what little remains in an older person.

I will confess that I often bypass the fries too, but that's just cuz I want to have an extra burger (and I just generally like burgers better than fries.)

It's a bummer they're using the modernized logo at the old A&W.

HuBurger, genuine Ros Indicus

Perhaps Alex in Baltimore is used to the DOW chemical "french fry taste" that is added to most hyper-preserved fast food french fries that have been sitting in freezers for 5 years.

or maybe I was raised on east coast board walk fries and not some weak ass Cali shit

omar are you using "lol old people" Dr. Morbius zings on a 26-year-old poster?

haha

fierce!

this is close b/w wendy's + taco bell for me but i have to give the edge to tb for its unprecedented bang-for-buck + the fact that i havent been craving burgers much lately for some reason

¯\(°_o)/¯

i've only had in-n-out once, and i didn't go animal style, but i found it lay at the inflection point where you want a real burger, not fast food, and therefore inherently a letdown. i might eat it if i lived somewhere that it was easily accessible and a real burger was not, or my taste were shaped by a mild climate, or the circumstances were such that the cost or calorie differential justified itself.

or maybe I was raised on east coast board walk fries and not some weak ass Cali shit

-- Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:34 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

bitch pls i grew up in jersey and in-n-out fries are near untouchable

gabbeneb on some nu-jagger shit there

Can someone translate gabb's post for me?

enjoy your norcal bland

gabbneb's post makes sense to me in that i'm sure in-n-out is tasty and all, but it's probably got nothing on a really good bar/restaurant burger, right?

CHALLENGING OPINION

there was a place next to beerland at sxsw this year that had these cheddar/bacon/bbq burgers that were like heroin or blow jobs or blow jobs on heroin where 20 minutes after you were done you couldn't wait until you're next one.

Translation: I am an idiot.

i was torn between in-n-out and burgerville, and i think i like burgerville just a little more.

"gabbneb's post makes sense to me in that i'm sure in-n-out is tasty and all, but it's probably got nothing on a really good bar/restaurant burger, right?"

Not true and when was the last time you could get a good bar/restaurant burger for under $2.

in-n-out fries are AWESOME btw, esp if you order them "well done" for extra crunch.

Not to mention in a few minutes.

I think my top 3 would probably be:

1. In-N-Out
2. El Pollo Loco
3. Blimpie

Though I haven't had (2) in ages, and I only have (1) about once every few years (due to geographic distance).

And In-N-Out is much better than your average bar/restaurant burger. (And their fries rock too.)

Not true and when was the last time you could get a good bar/restaurant burger for under $2

I'd rather pay $13 for a burger I haven't forgetten before I've swallowed it

animal fries!

I mean if you want to invent some cockamamie reason for not liking something okay good on ya, but that post is some serious bullshit by any reasonable human being's standards.

"I'd rather pay $13 for a burger I haven't forgetten before I've swallowed it."

Well you are an idiot with no taste so that doesn't surprise me.

I have to admit I've only been to In-N-Out like twice but when I was so appalled by their fries when I was there a year ago that I can still remember thinking I would've been better off just putting ketchup on my napkin and eating it. I will revive this thread to either retract my statements or stand my ground next time I'm out west in like 2012.

who would pay $13 for a fucking hamburger?

if I want subtlety in my food, I'll go to a real restaurant and order something other than a sandwich

And In-N-Out is much better than your average bar/restaurant burger. (And their fries rock too.)

dude, you put blimpie on your list

ayo wtf are you guys talking about can we talk about fast food please

LET'S TALK ABOUT LITTLE CAESAR'S KRAZY BREAD

#1 go to for broke stoners

dude, you put blimpie on your list

Hey - I like Blimpie (pretty much just the Blimpie Best though, and only with the particular toppings I like). Also there is sometimes wide variation in quality between franchises - there's a good one in Hoboken.

Krazy Bread actually reheats better than you'd think it would.

what's the deal with animal style

why isn't TAD'S STEAKS on this poll?

cuz i never heard of it

animal style is great, esp for the grilled onions

the in-n-out secret menu

"Animal Style Fries" = fries with cheese, spread, grilled onions and pickles

tad's: http://www.nycjpg.com/2003/pages/0920.html

o_O @ 20x20 Cheeseburger

what is "spread"

shit looks really good in these pics

That Neopolitan shake at In-n-Out sounds defuckinglicious!

spread looks like thousand island o_O

From the "Subway vs. Blimpie" thread on Chowhound (which Blimpie won handily):

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/335592

It's hard for me to judge, because I grew up going to one of the first Blimpies, in Bayonne, NJ (I think the first was in Hoboken?) and it was a regular deli, with a meat slicer, where they cut the filling for your Blimpie Best to order.

Now I see one in a Hess station and shudder. . .

So, YMMV.

pretty much
xpost

also: http://www.nycjpg.com/2003/pictures/jpg/0920.d.jpg

that's awes

i want to eat all of these in n out things

^

Who wants in on an East Coast I&O franchise? I got $5!

i think the reason why they don't have east coast franchises is cuz they dont freeze stuff so it all has to be in reasonable driving distance.

<3

I'll chip in another fiver.

me too :D

so wait, who had the glorified thousand island dressing "special sauce" first, In-N-Out or McDonald's?

I love grilled onions, but those fries look like a cat threw up on them.

I guess no one else cares either way, but apparently, the Hoboken Blimpie was indeed the original:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blimpie

I guess I've never had real Blimpie, but the sandwiches they make in the Hess stations are grody.

in-n-out in new york would kill.

Chicago Kevin -

Casino El Camino, perhaps? More around the corner from than next to Beerland.

who would pay $13 for a fucking hamburger?

maybe not $13, but there's an $8 bacon/bleu cheese burger in town that i will rep for above most other food.

I guess I've never had real Blimpie, but the sandwiches they make in the Hess stations are grody.

But their toy trucks!!!

drunken cell pic:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/1107790342_4fcae3d45f.jpg

the hellman burger ate pete's in downtown l.a. is around $12 and it's one of the best restaurant burgers i've had in the city.

ate = at

freudian slip!

get bent, you need to get to Apple Pan

No Krystals, no Kredibility.

hellman burger: http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/2039463386/in/set-72157603215584409/

i've been to apple pan twice!

The problem I have with most >$10 restaurant burgers is that the patties are too thick. In-N-Out has about the right meat:bun ratio. I think Shake Shack in NYC is actually a pretty similar burger to In-N-Out in many respects.

Krystal was my very first job. I worked there one weekend before quitting.

In-N-Out is gonna own this.

Casino El Camino, perhaps? More around the corner from than next to Beerland.

could have been. it wasn't next door, it was down the street. maybe on 6th st?

The problem I have with most >$10 restaurant burgers is that the patties are too thick

that's what I want! not a dainty, malleable, cookie-cut patty.

Yeah, C-el-C is on 6th. Good burgers named for cities, and they make you wait about 45 minutes for 'em.

Yeah, C-el-C is on 6th. Good burgers named for cities, and they make you wait about 45 minutes for 'em.

huh, i waited maybe 5 minutes for mine.

the burger at the york in highland park is $13 and really really good

i heard danny meyer used in-n-out as the model for the shake shack burger.

Fuckin' tourists.

;0)

Schlotsky's

http://www.schlotzskys.com/images/main_original.gif

schlotzky's is DISGUSTING

ugh schlotzsky's is so over-priced. it's like restaurant prices for mediocre "deli".

fucking a, i really want to go back to austin just for those fucking burgers. maybe i WILL buy a pass to the power pop thing.

I'd be disappointed if a place called Schlotsky's wasn't disgusting.

Schlotzsky's personal pizzas are pretty tasty. Great crust.

Slutsky's

i had a pretty decent chicken pesto sandwich here last week:

http://www.brueggers.com/

in-n-out is a chain not a franchise

schlotzky sounds like what my name would be in a thinly-veiled roman à clef

ha xp with jordan

Which would win a Five Guys/In N Out ultimate smackdown? I've only had the former. Can someone who has had both weigh in?

man Krystals are pretty tasty going down, but those little bastards haunt me for about 2.5 days afterward. like I can feel the greasy little patties/onions/mustard concoction seeping from my pores. of course on the exceedingly rare occasions that I do find myself at K's, they're typically being piled on top of a 9+ hour binge.

"weigh in"

i was torn between in-n-out and burgerville, and i think i like burgerville just a little more.

-- get bent, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:46 PM (37 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

o_O Really?

I thought the only votes on this poll would be:

1. In-n-Out
2. People who've never been to In-n-Out

I can weigh in cause I've had way too much of all this stuff.

Between today's food fights and the body-mass index thread, I'm about ready to have my stomach stapled.

I can weigh in cause I've had way too much of all this stuff.

Between today's food fights and the body-mass index thread, I'm about ready to have my stomach stapled.

-- Rock Hardy, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:30 PM (16 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

You're welcome!

I had 5 guys in Philly once about 1.5 years ago and an I-n-O in SF one time about 4 years ago. I'd really need to have both back to back to make a qualified decision.

hahaha we are going to vegas soon we're gonna do five guys the night before and then in and out the day after

BURGER SHOWDOWN 2008

xpost i love 'em both... and their raisons d'être are very similar.

I'm going to grab Wendy's or something before I get home, and I'm going to hold this sad little sandwich in my mitts with its sad little iceberg toupee, and look down at my off-yellow over-salted lukewarm fries, and I'm going to seriously be weeping as I imagine some privileged undeserving bastard West Coastie feasting on some of that gorgeous In-&-Out Burger cuisine.

In n out beats all comers including 5 guys by a good distance. the only place with a better burger that could remotely be considered fast food is shake shack.

Why are Subway's butt-plugging bottom-stoppers even on this list???

best mexican fast food chain:
http://www.99w.com/evilsam/ff/tacobueno01.jpg

actually i would maybe vote for Chik-fil-a over In-n-out. Extra christianity seems to be the mark of extra quality.

Points deducted for not being able to eat there on Sunday, though. That's HALF the weekend!!!

Extra christianity seems to be the mark of extra quality.

see also: dr. bronner

guys, i think i'm having a burger for dinner tonight

Since I've never been far west enough to eat at Carl's Jr., do they have basically the same menu as Hardee's does?

Hardee's was great at one point, before they switched their menu over and now cater to the morbidly obese and those who want to get there. Seriously, I don't need a cheeseburger that weighs five pounds and is the size of a frisbee.

I'm going to grab Wendy's or something before I get home, and I'm going to hold this sad little sandwich in my mitts with its sad little iceberg toupee, and look down at my off-yellow over-salted lukewarm fries, and I'm going to seriously be weeping as I imagine some privileged undeserving bastard West Coastie feasting on some of that gorgeous In-&-Out Burger cuisine.

-- David R., Tuesday, April 15, 2008 1:34 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Not fast food burger but Radius of Boston beat all the other snob burgers including Shake Shack and Ritz-Carlton at the 2008 Burger Bash

xp mmmmm Chick-Fil-A

Arby's is now making these little Chick-Fil-A style sandwiches, with the mayo and pickle, but they're pretty gross in comparison.

missing from this poll: FATBURGER

i don't know how hardee's has changed but carl's jr is genuinely repulsive

i don't understand how the "'s" can get between the "carl" and the "jr"

ruth's chris

ya i dont' get that either

what the hell does ruth's chris mean

is chris an adjective?

i think hardee's just became carl's jr, either in name or menu depending on the location.

iirc carl's jr used to just be called carl's

Carl Jr. = son of Carl
Carl's Jr. = Carl's wee

Carl N. Karcher got his start in the food industry in 1941 by owning several hot dog stands in Los Angeles, most notably on the corner of Florence and Western in South L.A. By 1945, Karcher owned a stand-alone restaurant in Anaheim, California called Carl's Drive-In Barbecue. In 1956, Karcher opened the first two Carl's Jr. restaurants in Anaheim, California and Brea, California; so named because they were a smaller version of his drive-in restaurant. The restaurant chain was characterized by its fast service and its logo, the bright yellow five-pointed Happy Star. CKE's other chain, Hardee's, also shares this logo.

The chain was founded by the late Ruth Fertel, a single mother of two, in 1965, after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree that the restaurant keep the "Chris" name for a specified period of time. After the original location sustained a kitchen fire, she relocated the restaurant about one-half mile (0.9 km) to the west on Broad Street and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." Under the purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name.[5] Fertel started to franchise the restaurant in the 1970s to locations throughout the United States and throughout the world.[6]

answers!!!

I have had 5 Guys and In-n-Out, and I'm not gonna argue that In-n-Out isn't better, burger-quality-wise, without further testing (I prefer the skin-on, cajun-optional fries at Guys), but 5 Guys has a more satisfying grease factor and the option of mushrooms in addition to onions.

(I don't actually remember if hte mushrooms are any good tho)

after custard calendar consultation, I think I will defer my burger til Friday

i'll tell the gang

do you guys have burgers in canada?

What's that place in the Toronto where the staff sings while making your burger? As a novelty, it was cute, but the burgers were actually pretty delicious.

this came up when i googled "poutine burger" but i was hoping there'd be a bun involved. :(

http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/2812/6673/f/25084-Bob-s-diner-and-my-poutine-burger-0.jpg

Johnny Rockets opened in Kuwait in the early 90's and currently has five stores located in Kuwait City: Marina Mall, Salmiya Underground, Salhiya and one in Fahaheel at the Al-Manshar Mall, and one in the Avenues.

Johnny Rockets opened in Canada in 2005 with stores at Vaughan Mills shopping centre in Vaughan, Ontario, the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Another location will be opening soon in the Toronto Life Square shopping complex in downtown Toronto.

Does shit like Panera and Cosi count as "fast food"?

LICK'S! Thank you google.

http://www.lickshomeburgers.com/company/about.html

next time i'm in the states i def need to visit an in'n'out. but i havent so i'll opt for burger king.

good question. i'm going to say that if there are no locations with a drive-through window = not fast food.

http://bp1.blogger.com/_nswHPYi_dEw/RkSKqFEzqqI/AAAAAAAAAq8/nk5cTiJgoB0/s1600/Tads.jpg

If there was ever a Chicago location, it sure as hell isn't there anymore.

wendy's close over popeye's

-- J0rdan S., Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:38 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

gotta go with this
5 guys was better but i've only had it once
never had in-n-out u_u

Wahoo's is better than everything I've tried on this list.

Also, I don't think Sizzler is fast food.

I WIN

Sbarro
REDACTED, New York, NY

Drive:
0.2 mi – about 1 mi

A few years ago I would have said Taco Bell, but I went for In-N-Out based on the fact that it's the only fast food place I would ever consider eating at for the purpose of enjoying the food. Out of all these on the list, I eat at Subway the most often, even though it is one of my least favorites.

We used to eat at A&W when I was a kid sometimes, and I loved it. They disappeared then cropped up again recently, and suck compared to how I remember them.

Anyone ever been to a place called Checker's? When I was living in Florida for a brief time, they were my 2nd favorite fast food place (behind Miami Subs).

If there was ever a Chicago location, it sure as hell isn't there anymore.

My image seems to have disappeared, so to be clear, I'm talking about Tad's Steaks.

Anyone ever been to a place called Checker's?

Yes, I used to love Checker's as a kid, mostly for the curly fries. They're also known as Rally's.

Checkers and Rally's are basically the same company, depending on region. Both are delicious.

Would Fuddrucker's count as fast food? Seem to remember they had a nice do-it-yourself burger thing going on, and really good chili-cheese fries.

xpost - thanks for the Rally's/Checker's tip. I'd love to try them again to see if I still liked it.

Also, you get a lot of food for real cheap.

yeah, when i go to subway i feel very conscious of the fact that i'm only eating to live.

i've had so many slices from airport sbarros.

where the hell chick fil-a

Discussed briefly upthread.

yeah, when i go to subway i feel very conscious of the fact that i'm only eating to live.

-- Jordan, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 4:30 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

i've had so many slices from airport sbarros.

-- Jordan, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 4:31 PM (42 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

otm both accounts

I voted Popeye's...gotta go with the local fave, plus the mashed potatoes and the red beans/rice are killer sides. The biscuits must have like a quarter cup of shortening soaked into each one.

yeah, when i go to subway i feel very conscious of the fact that i'm only eating to live.

lol well put

We have a Quizno's and Subway within half a block of each other and I still always pick Subway because for some reason I get nauseous about halfway through every Quizno's sandwich I've ever had.

Subway offers whole wheat bread and if you pile the accompaniments on the uninteresting meat (yes if you care about the quality of sliced deli meat - I eat the chicken - or grew up on Italian subs, I could see preferring Blimpie), it's pretty fresh-tasting and satisfying if you don't have a better option

Sbarro's steam tables and probable heavy use of msg are scary, but I almost have to pick it based on the availability of unadorned vegetables alone.

hey guys, where is Chipotle?

We have a Quizno's and Subway within half a block of each other and I still always pick Subway because for some reason I get nauseous about halfway through every Quizno's sandwich I've ever had.

Yeah, I sort of feel the same way about Quizno's. In Chicago (and other places now I assume), you do have a third option with Potbelly.

hey guys, where is Chipotle?

Good point. I was also going to mention Baja Fresh.

Chik-Fil-A by miles
then Dairy Queen

Arby's had some good deli sandwiches for a while but the quality went down the crapper lately.

subway is good if totally customize that shit

Best thing about Subway: giardiniera.

also now sell all foot long subs for $5

Every one of these places use MSG or other glutamates.

Also, In-N-Out is way overrated. I mean it's great, but not *that* great.

I haven't eaten animals in forever now, so I can't fairly speak as to the quality of many of the contenders here. I'm convinced, though, that many of these places have gone downhill over the years. Taco Bell, Subway, Pizza Hut have definitely all seen better days. I'd vote Sbarro's, but I don't think of them as being a fast food place per se, plus it's been many years since I've eaten at one.

The couple of times I partook of the Blimpie's I thought it was weak. WEAK!

a good loca sub place>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>subway>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>blimpies

someone e-mail me an in-n-out burger so i can judge

local*- though loca not nec a bad thing

in_n_out.bgr

I was amused to see a Papa John's in the Lima airport. I was there at 7 AM, and they were serving fresh-squeezed orange juice.

look in .xls? (xp!)

I'm convinced, though, that many of these places have gone downhill over the years.

So true. I can't figure out if it's me or the places, though. They just aren't as good as I remember.

Every one of these places use MSG or other glutamates.

What is it that's supposed to be so bad about MSG again? Honest question. I know it gives some people headaches or something like that? I know a Chinese person whose parents keep the kitchen stocked with the stuff.

"Also, In-N-Out is way overrated. I mean it's great, but not *that* great."

Please grace us with more of your insightful opinions.

yeah, i totally love how every random fast food place in an airport has breakfast sandwiches, some sort of fried potato product, & coffee in the morning.

WHERE IS FUCKING CHICK-FIL-A

Also J0rdan S OTM about local sub places.

Sonic is so good too.

I repped for Steak 'n' Shake. Awesome milkshaaake.

WHERE IS FUCKING CHICK-FIL-A

sigh. just more evidence of how Christians are being persecuted in this once great nation

I repped for Steak 'n' Shake. Awesome milkshaaake.

terrible name, though. makes me think of pureed beef for the dentally-impaired

number of Sundays I have driven to Chick-Fil-A only to start swearing: every Sunday.

Should In-N-Out count? Aren't they only in California, Nevada, and Arizona?

Or is that Wienerschitzel? Or both?

WHAT ABOUT DICK'S!!!!!1!@!!!

fellow massholes: they have a chick-fil-a in peabody!

You guys...

http://www.culversofrochester.com/images/culvers-top.jpg

xp lol - Dick's is like a secular In-N-Out on meth. It shouldn't be included anywhere.

ha jaymc i ate at culver's a month or so ago and i thought it was great. i was trying to remember what the name was earlier but i couldn't remember

(ok, no more "_______ on meth" statements, for reals. Sorry guys)

nothing is wrong with MSG.

note the not-too-subtle-racism of "chinese restaurant syndrome"

fellow massholes: they have a chick-fil-a in peabody!

no massholes repping for friendly's = ;_;

msg is good. umami is good.

I voted Subway, despite Jared.

So true. I can't figure out if it's me or the places, though.

It ain't just you. I think that, among other things, places have been using cheaper, shittier ingredients; plus rapid mega-expansion mentality has led to a loss of quality control over individual franchises; plus they are tripping over each other in a rush to come up with novel menu items which invariably turn out to be more disgusting than the last one.

ha jaymc i ate at culver's a month or so ago and i thought it was great. i was trying to remember what the name was earlier but i couldn't remember

-- J0rdan S., Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:03 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

You're not the Jordan I figured would respond to that post!

pretty good canadian fast food chain = harveys

Woah, just thinking about how good Culver's frozen custard is stresses me out. I need to go work out.

"butterburger": not BMI-reducing food

(ok, no more "_______ on meth" statements, for reals. Sorry guys)

Yeah, but it works. Like Arby's is Roy Rogers on meth, while Hardee's is...ugh, I don't even wanna think about Hardee's

yeah, wtf is a butterburger?

i went to a culver's in the western suburbs once with my old boss and it was the most depressing place i've ever eaten. easily 80% of the people (and all the kids) in there were morbidly obese.

yeah, culver's is pretty good. they're all over here.

however, kopp's (local milwaukee chain) slays culver's and most of the places on this thread.

the term "butterburger" used to gross me out but it just means that they butter their buns.

Ha, yeah, every time I go to Culvers (i.e. when I drive to MI via WI) I feel like the skinniest dude in the place.

what about checkers? i've never been to in-n-out but checkers in knoxville has some great burgers

http://kopps.com/flavors_month.htm

it's so great, high schoolers all wearing those little white hats like it was 1955.

checkers has the best chicken fingers of anything in this thread

Checkers is like Sonic, right? On meth.

nah checkers=rally's. sonic has like cinnamon buns and cherry ice tea and shit. checkers is pretty straight-laced

Please grace us with more of your insightful opinions.

-- Alex in SF, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:55 PM (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

WTF is wrong with this place? An opinion about a fast food restaurant garners this kind of personal snarkiness? Dude, I don't like In-N-Out as much as everyone else seems to. Their fries are kind of limp and their burgers, while fresh, are very retro 1950s style. Just not my thing ok, Mr Insightful?

That said, I'm sure I say the same thing to haters on Justice threads.

So...

nothing is wrong with MSG.

Absolutely correct. Clinically proven time and again. However, I think it can aggravate existing hypertension.

Is WG Grinders fast food? If so, that.

pretty sure it did give me headaches as a kid, even in Doritos & stuff.

I know this isn't a theme restaurant thread, but W.C. Handjob's isn't too shabby.

Is WG Grinders fast food? If so, that.

-- Tape Store, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:39 PM (37 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

ha! this place is pretty good actually. totally forgot about it. ts i think they have them across the midwest. the one here downtown is slow as a motherfucker tho. and ever since they discontinued their thing on sunday nights where you could buy chips + drink and get a free sandwich i've stopped going

Wahoos and chipotle are not fast food.

There should be a poll to determine which fast food chain most of us have worked for at some point.

Long John Silver's represent!

teh Mack.

Spencer, do you like Daphnie's Greek Cafe?

I would consider myself lucky if I knew someone who knew someone whose cousin knew someone who worked at an Arthur Treacher's, but sadly I don't

Look everyone is free to express their opinion (however lame I may find it to be) however they want. . . but a comment that something is "great" just not "that great" is really pretty inscrutable (your follow-up is actually insightful so it balances out.)

That said, I have no idea what people who criticize In-N-Out would possibly want from their fast food restaurants. It's fresh food made to order by people who are getting completely dicked over (which means the likelihood that you are going to get spunk or spit in your food is proportionally much lower.) And it's cheap, quick and very tasty. Sure there are probably better burgers out there if you pay a lot more money (although the place in SF that everyone claims is better Taylor's Automatic or whatever is a rip off and I've never had a better burger at any of the LA mini-chains I've been to, but whatever there) but $/quality ratio of In-N-Out is ridiculous high. It puts every other "chain" on this list to shame.

And finally the fries too limp argument (which every In-N-Out contrarian makes at least twice AFAICT) always strikes me as very weird since they are more than happy to make them crispier if you just ask (hint: ask for them "Well").

"aren't getting" ahem

Lol "inscrutable" now I am on spencers side

all the rally's/checkers i've seen look really sketch/methhead

I will vote for the restaurant that serves something closest to this:

I Feel A Need To Share This Recipe With You

>>WTF is wrong with this place? An opinion about a fast food restaurant garners this kind of personal snarkiness?

[Aside but: er, Spence you're remarking on ilx's "snarkiness" maybe 7 years too late; snarky is the point of this place]

I have been to Daphne's Greek Cafe, the one at the Target @ La Brea/SM. It's great! But I don't know if I consider that "fast food"

Hardee's breakfast is the best breakfast fast food crap ever.

And I had high hopes for Burgerville but it didn't really do a whole lot for me.

I think Five Guys and In-N-Out both make you wait too long to count as fast food. also yeah totally unfair to every other franchise on the list.

Tom I can honestly say that this is the most bona fide stupid fucking thing I've ever read from you.

As for the Five Guys, In-n-Out smackdown, I did it the SAME DAY - lunch at the Five Guys in Courthouse, and dinner at the In-n-Out at 6391 E. Pacific Coast Hwy in Long Beach. Here's the way it comes down:

I did the same meal at both places in order to level the field and assess the food itself. Single patty cheese burger with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, fried onions. Small fries with ketchup. Medium root beer. This takes away the advantage of In-n-Out that you can order 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, etc., or aninmal style; it also takes away the advantage that Five Guys has in that its pretty damn impossible to beat a cheeseburger with fried onions, mushrooms and bacon on it.

Burgers - In-n-Outs are just freaking perfect. From the bun to the burger to the toppings, entirely fresh, and just so damn good. Five guys are tasty, but the toppings were not as fresh, the meat was fattier, but not a good fatty - more just greasy than flavorful (and I'm a ribeye guy). Again, you bring the ability to customize, Five Guys is probably going to win the variety game, whereas the Double Double Animal Style is an American Classic. I gave this one to In-n-Out, but barely.

Fries - Although In-n-Out fries are much maligned, getting them well-done makes ALL the difference in the world. For the purposes of this experiment, however, I went with standard. Five Guys were better - as my classmate Rose once said "You know, I like In-n-Out fries - I mean, shit, they're fries - but when I eat deep-fried potatoes, I like to feel them go DIRECTLY to my ass, and In-n-Out's fries just aren't doing it." Five Guys' were heartier, still had the skin on them, and were closer to boardwalk fries which, I must say, are the highest form of fry. This one goes to Five Guys, but would be much closer when taking the "well-done" option at In-n-Out.

Soda - You have to include it. Both were self-serve, both were correctly balanced b/t soda and syrup, both had ample ice, and neither gave me shit about re-fills. Push.

Intangibles - In-n-Out has more drive throughs. In-n-Out is owned by a religious family who puts "John 3:16" and such on the inside of the bottom lip of their cups. Five Guys can be a little slow. Five Guys provides peanuts for you while you wait.

Verdict: I have to go with Five Guys in this one, although In-n-Out is such a close second, its amazing.

HOWEVER, for the purposes of this poll, In-n-Out is the better chain. I've never had a bad In-n-Out burger or meal for that matter. Consistency is AMAZING. I've had subpar Five Guys burgers.

Love the passion. Here, I speak L.A. douche - perhaps you just need to be more "of the people" in these fast food polls.

Xp

We need to settle all this over beers at 7 Grand.

Felicity, I second that emotion.

Beers, preceded by In-n-Out.

WANT EAT IN-N-OUT BURGER!!!!!!!!!

me too

You know what the most sad thing about this poll is? I can't eat any of it. I'm trying REALLY hard to change the way I eat permanently - less processed foods, more fresh vegetables and cooked meat without extra fat added, smaller portions over the course of the day instead of giant meals...and all of these, even In-n-Out in all of its wonderfulness, doesn't qualify.

*sniff*

they dont have fast food in sf

Wow. I sound and type drunk in that last post. Fuck.

they dont have fast food in sf

Patently bullshit. I've had In-n-Out in SF.

In-n-Out - fast food or "slow food"?

There is less of it though. Only two drive throughs in the entire city, I think. Maybe one? The In-N-Out doesn't even have a drive through.

This is true. But fast food is fast food, and In-n-Out is fast food.

i think i've had fast food twice in the past year, neither of which was in-n-out. i should stop in again sometime, it's not like it's out of the way or anything, those pictures are tempting me.

it was a joke b.l.a.m. but its seriously sparse. there are NO fast food places in my hood but tons of ma and pop places. also in n out is in fisherman's warf and nobody lives out there.

And finally the fries too limp argument (which every In-N-Out contrarian makes at least twice AFAICT) always strikes me as very weird since they are more than happy to make them crispier if you just ask (hint: ask for them "Well").

fwiw, I never said "limp" and the amount they're cooked probably wouldn't change my opinion of them much either way. again, if I'd eaten them less than 15 months ago I'd be more concrete than that, but being as it is I obviously can't make as thorough an argument as you. I'm just saying, even if you don't think their fries suck, I think they're not as good as pretty much every national burger chain's, which is reason enough that I think it's crazy to vote for them. french fries are so urgent and key when it comes to fast food!

Coloradans know: GoodTimes.

Love Harvey's in Canada! Best fast food poutine if you can't get to Chez Ashton in Quebec City.

too bad there aren't more in the sf bay area, otherwise i might be able to hit it next month. unfort. it looks like there's only one and it'll probably be too far away.

xp!

FWIW: the fries in my pic upthread are well, I've never ordered them any other way for the past 18 years.

FWIW: the fries in my pic upthread are well, I've never ordered them any other way for the past 18 years.

FWIW: the fries in my pic upthread are "well", I've never ordered them any other way for the past 18 years.

FWIW: the fries in my pic upthread are "well", I've never ordered them any other way for the past 18 years.

FWIW: the fries in my pic upthread are "well", I've never ordered them any other way for the past 18 years.

server job running statistics = thread bomb!!!

I'm trying REALLY hard to change the way I eat permanently - less processed foods, more fresh vegetables and cooked meat without extra fat added, smaller portions over the course of the day instead of giant meals...and all of these, even In-n-Out in all of its wonderfulness, doesn't qualify.

Not even Subway?

Six-inch turkey sub on italian bread with lettuce, tomato, green pepper, and olive is damn good.

it was a joke b.l.a.m. but its seriously sparse. there are NO fast food places in my hood but tons of ma and pop places. also in n out is in fisherman's warf and nobody lives out there.

I got it, chakster. I took it as such. I would so greatly prefer the mom and pop type places in SF than the fast food wasteland that is LA. Bleedat.

Six-inch chicken (or nothing) sub on whole wheat with (provolone and?) everything but green pepper, plus dijon and (oil and?) vinegar

spinach instead of their disgusting iceberg is a must btw.

if steak'n'shake is on this it seems like waffle house should be but steak'n'shake really doesn't belong on this so whatever. any place they bring the food to you means it's not fast food unless it's like a burger king in 1989 or something. plus no krystals, no chik-fil-a, uh wtf. we don't have in-n-out here, it does look like a tasty burger. voted wendy's over popeyes if only cuz you can whip up any of popeyes sides (like the main reason they'd win over mrs winners or kfc or whatever drivethru chicken) pretty quick and easy and make it better whereas whipping up a baconator would be kinda a pain in the ass probably. plus their dollar menu is probably the best.

publix sub over subway or quiznos

RE: fast food in SF

The lack of fast food anywhere but the financial district has made it easier for me to stop eating it. My input on this thread is pure reminiscing for the most part. The closest I come to indulging in non-Subway fast food these days is Burgermeister and Jay's.

lol at fast foodies

MY PROCESSED MEATS ARE SUPERIOR TO YOURS

publix sub over subway or quiznos

-- balls, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:55 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

omg sooo otm

best chain subs in the southeast no contest. idk how i forgot

gabbneb's parenthetical sandwich made from tiny cartoon chickens does not sound very good to me.

gabbneb's all 'where's ruth's chris steakhouse?'

i have heard reports from reliable quarters that chris' ruths is edible

one or two of them at least

i'm not a steak person

reliable quarters = 'is that my man hannity?'?

former WaPo food critic for instance

former western district police major also

the sides at Ruth's Chris > the steak at Ruth's Chris

We need to settle all this over beers at 7 Grand.

count me in! i'm in need of a scotch this week.

Alex, this is not meant to be snarky, but your reaction to my mild criticism of In-N-Out illustrates exactly what I'm talking about!

Wahoos and chipotle are not fast food.

Ah, but Wahoo's is even faster than say Carl's Jr (who also take the food to your table, like a number of these places). I think Wahoo's, Chipotle, and Baja Fresh fall into this semi-fast food which I hope is the trend for the future.

Spencer, do you like Daphnie's Greek Cafe?

I like it ok. It's good fresh Greek food, but there's something bland about it compared to other Mediterranean places. It's also a semi-fast kind of place.

White Castle -- Bread of Life?

Is WG Grinders fast food? If so, that.

-- Tape Store, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:39 PM (37 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

ha! this place is pretty good actually. totally forgot about it. ts i think they have them across the midwest. the one here downtown is slow as a motherfucker tho. and ever since they discontinued their thing on sunday nights where you could buy chips + drink and get a free sandwich i've stopped going

-- J0rdan S., Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:41 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

Downtown one is closed, I think. I go to the one off the 63 Grindstone exit...Buffalo Chicken Grinder + Spiced Kettle Chips + Root Beer = HEAVEN

I didn't know what a grinder was until I moved to New England so when a co-worker I had during college told me she slept with a cop whose dick was like a grinder I was confused and thought it sounded pretty painful. When I found out grinders were heroes I was less confused but still thought it sounded painful.

western new england i take it.

Well, I'm in Boston but the ginder terminology I picked up on from friends in Providence.

*grinder*

generally known as "subs" in boston

if u say that in ny they look at u like wha?

boston has the best subs

i grew up in eastern mass and you never heard "grinder" until you got west of worcester. allegedly the submarine sandwich got it's name in scollay square during WWII? i don't remember all my bullshit regional stories but i think it involved the charlestown navy yard.

steak bomb! local fav

every pizza place has an extensive sub selection

HOLY FUCK A STEAK BOMB!!!!

yaaaaah i know!

one of my first jobs was delivering pizza in salem, new hampster. the place had a liquor license and at the end of the shift we'd have steak bombs and michelobs.

Yeah, I'm from NY and you're right - they're heroes there not subs. Why are sandwhiches so confusing? Also, where are they called hoagies because I know I've heard that but I'm not sure where.

Boston also insists on calling wraps roll-ups which is kind of weird too.

HA! Steak Bombs! If I weren't vegetarian I'd walk to the pizza place across the street and eat one for you two.

at 17 having access to unlimited beer and a pizza oven made up for the shit pay.

that sounds pretty nice

hoagies are a philly thing i believe.

K - I have to revive that Boston thread and tell you what I've found out about East Boston/Maverick.

there was this place omg when i worked on newbury street that was just subs no pizza and the steakbomb there was the most fatty disgustingly delightful thing ever - theyd give it to you in this clear plastic sleeve and you could see the cheese all bubbling up against the bag while you walked back to work omg

If I weren't vegetarian I'd walk to the pizza place across the street and eat one for you two.

-- ENBB, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:01 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i really think you should do this - it wouldnt be breaking yr fast or whatever cause youd be eating them for us

i'm going to have to agree.

yah take pictures ok

if you really can't get past the veg thing, buy one for a stranger with the caveat that you photograph them eating it and they have to describe it to you. then get as far away as fucking possible from that psychopath.

hahahha

Burgerville, simply for their Walla Walla sweet union rings. It's candy goodness

argg...*ONION*

i had whataburger once in texas and it was pretty good - i like how mustard is standard there

x-posts Next time we get pizza I'll suggest a friend get one and then take pics. That way I avoid street psychopaths, k?

i'm gonna see if my sister can fed ex me one.

http://i32.tinypic.com/m99axg.jpg

this looks pretty good - maybe not enough cheese tho

i always asked for extra cheese

cheese is the most important food. fact.

i am really making myself want one too much

ok, i seriously just looked up where my sister works in burlington then searched google maps for sub places in the area. i need to step away from the computer now.

sorry for igniting steak bomb lust guys :-(

i other day i looked the place near my house in jp on google streetview where i got steak bombs

http://i25.tinypic.com/ae3ckm.jpg

ok theyre trying to be all aaaand grille now but i swear back in the day their sign specifically mentioned the steak bomb - like home of the steak bomb or whatnot - i dont think it was called fucking zestos either wtf

Where is that? On Centre St.?

yah corner of centre and s huntington

i think the next time i go to new york i'll fly into logan, jump in a cab to south station then grab a steak bomb and enjoy it on the amtrak to penn station.

train to new york would be close to twice as long as the flight from o'hare to logan.

good plan!

lol some fukr trademarked the seakbomb

http://legalfixation.blogspot.com/2007/08/sub-shop-enforces-steak-bomb-trademark.html

i had whataburger once in texas and it was pretty good - i like how mustard is standard there

-- jhøshea, Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:11 AM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

whataburger is fucking golden

bbq burger w/jalapenos + a cold lone star = HEAVEN

i wanna eat a burger from in-n-out NOW

I don't know if this is the case with Whataburger everywhere, but the dipping sauce they serve with their chicken fingers tastes like and has the same consistency as white breakfast gravy. Fucking golden is right!

slocki, catch a cheap flight to Vegas, there are 3 or 4 there. And you could also get fantastic thai food at Lotus of Siam in the same trip.

wtf

I voted for Burgerville

I only eat a food healthy to fuck :( dog rather than pig :(

bandaids

like i mean something that wouldnt rot my dick

like herbs

yes

you know holistic shit like big hoos would say

Chick-Fil-A's crosscut fries are da yum.

Challenge: Sharkey's fish tacos > La Salsa > Baja Fresh > Wahoo's > Rubio's. (not fast food)

Fast food should have drive-"thru"s and cost roughly $5 or under.

No Roy Rogers, no credibility

YES. felicity is correct once again. Sharky's is *not* fast food - it's just amazing

No Roy Rogers, no credibility

I can't tell if you're joking, but if you're not, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone rep for Roy Rogers. That shit isn't even edible when it's your only food option during a long Greyhound ride or something.

My "OTHER" vote here refers to Culver's -- I like In-N-Out better than most other things on this list, but in the end, the animal style burger just doesn't taste that much like _meat_ -- while the Culver's butterburger (double deluxe) has the virtues of In N Out (fresh-tasting, very flat and graspable, complicated combo of flavors including rich dairy) while better doing the burger's basic job of providing meatiness. Kopp's is indeed slightly better, but isn't really fast food, or much of a chain; it's just a fine, flat-patty style burger, and if we're stretching the definition to include those, then Bellaire Broiler Burger in Houston is the winner, surely.

As for Five Guys: the fries are too thick and they give you too many; halfway through the cup, they're lukewarm soft potato bombs. The burger is good. But two hours later I was hungry again -- that's unacceptable. Maybe it was because I only ate half the fries. But whose fault is that?

As a kid, I liked Roy Rogers best -- but yeah, the last few trips there have been sad affairs indeed.

food reviewin ass nga

that happened to me last night

centured and die

Five Guys fry overload is the bomb. you can get a small burger AND just the 'regular' order of fries and still be stuffed.

BUT AT WHAT COST

half a chicken

in the long run

it's a terrible sickness

Five Guys

<i>i dont think it was called fucking zestos either wtf</i>

Yeah, that place is long gone. Zesto's opened there in like '03, and I'm kind of amazed it's still there - I used to live across the street and I never remember seeing <i>anyone</i> eating in there besides middle school kids. Good chicken parm, but their steak bomb hasn't got shit on Same Old Place.

gah, fuck a bbcode

I can't tell if you're joking, but if you're not, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone rep for Roy Rogers. That shit isn't even edible when it's your only food option during a long Greyhound ride or something.

-- C0L1N B..., Wednesday, 16 April 2008 04:05 (7 hours ago) Link

I will definitely rep for Roy's hamburgers of old - they had the best buns, great cheese, and a reasonable burger. They still look the same on their website. Their fries were usually cold and soggy though.

Driving north on 95 a couple of months ago, I saw a couple Roy Rogerses at truck stops, but was afraid to ruin the food memories of my childhood.

i had five guys a few days ago yum!

I have never heard of this place, but apparently they have a lot of restaurants in my area. Something to do this weekend.

In-n-out if only for the secret menu and the secret bible refs. Oh and teh burger is pretty good too

why do they even have two sizes of fries? the small is a lunch bag full of fries. is the large where they pour fries down your shirt and stuff your pockets

-- am0n, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:21 (11 months ago) Link

lol I reiterate, Five Guys = awesome

wow, this thread.

i would say gimme Krystal, McDonalds or Burger King. Wendys and Arbys can die a fast death please.

Arbys can die a fast death please.

o_0

do not fuck w/ the au jus plz

Sonic!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2278/2023002236_e8831deb6f.jpg?v=0

does the food come out of a slot?

that's like a fast food place from the FUTURE.

you park, order on the intercom, swipe your card, and they bring the food out to you. I love Sonic just for the cherry limeaid but the food is just OK. and I'm still vaguely annoyed with them for the time I ordered dry-ass chicken fingers and they didn't give me any sauces or even offer any, but that might've just been my ordering mistake.

I grew up in CT and they said "grinders" there. Then my parents move me to Florida in high school and I have to adjust to the word "subs". Later, in my twenties I sojourned to New Orleans, where everything is a "po-boy". If I ever return to New England and visit my old hometown, will they understand my worldly sandwich terms, or will I go hungry?

Seeing a Sonic in the middle of the desert in the Navajo reserve (as pictured above) was one of my most heartbreaking visions of loneliness.

I was once in line at a Taco Bell, and a man ahead of me ordered nacho cheese on his tacos. Instead, they made them with the regular shredded cheese, and he sent them back. A regular connoisseur.

Don't you hate ordering a 7 layer burrito at Taco Bell and the sour cream and guacamole are all at the top and your first greedy bite is a big greenish white mess?

havent been to any of those in years

Don't you hate ordering a 7 layer burrito at Taco Bell and the sour cream and guacamole are all at the top and your first greedy bite is a big greenish white mess?

ugh, YES.

waffle house, man

xpost
That's the danger inherent in eating "guacamole" that comes out of a gun.

Seeing a Sonic in the middle of the desert in the Navajo reserve (as pictured above) was one of my most heartbreaking visions of loneliness.

Edward Hopper-worthy.

They should have strippers at select McDonald's, b/c nowadays I only go there to admire the paintings that hang on their walls.

Navajo reserve

they are a reserved people, it's true

lol guacamole gun

sonic is mad classic btws

xp ouch sorry - not native speaker and all

yeah, i know, unfair

Navajo Myers-Briggs

that steakbomb story is bullshit. and DERRY FUCKING NEW HAMPSTER???? there wasn't anything up there but apple orchards when i moved out here. i'd imagine it's now a boston exurb of 40,000 people.

hey, what about Zaxby's? after, they do "consistently create encore experiences that enrich lives one person at a time".

"encore experiences" = what happens after shitty "happy endings"

I voted for Mr. Snrub

"encore experience" sound like something that might happen two hours after eating at the Bell

I'll post something on the LA board about Seven Grand. Possible stop.

Challenge: Sharkey's fish tacos > La Salsa > Baja Fresh > Wahoo's > Rubio's.

Haven't been to Sharkey's, but Wahoo's towers over the others in this list. I'm pretty sure Ned will agree.

wahoo's is way better than baja fresh but ive never been to la salsa or rubio's

slocki alex in bmore forgot the vital fact that at sonic the waiters bring yr food out to you ON ROLLERSKATES

I voted "Other" for Culver's (and I'm happy I'm not the only one!). Butter burgers and frozen custard are both A+++.

Max, I think Baja Fresh is mostly better than La Salsa or Rubio's. Paquito Mas is good.

Culvers is great, Papa John's is great. My heart belongs to the Filet-o-Fish though (i know), so i'll be the McDonalds vote that gets ridiculed

but living next to highland park i never really want to go to one of the chains!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

got food poisoning once from papa john's, so they can go fuck themselves.

baaderonixx i've been to that sonic! it didn't look like an edward hopper painting at all, though.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

rad

Arby's 2

hello my one friend

ugh, who voted for papa john's?

i am genuinely shocked by the wendys second place finish

i'm glad in-n-out won, it is the best.

Tim @ kfc . edu subconsciously influence Sbarro voters?

Wendy's is gross as fuck.

just found out I'm going to have a layover in LA for a few hours when I fly out of the country in May; I plan on squeezing in a rematch with In-N-Out's fries to verify that they are in fact shit.

oh good!

you're leaving the country!

: D

hey, I'll still be able to post from the Foreign Internet along with Tuomas. I apologize in advance if I ask a lot of questions.

I think one day I'll just go get an In-N-Out burger and then take it to McDonald's and order fries.

Alex not in Baltimore

Alex in transit

get in n out animal fries

^^

i ate at an A&W rootbeer barrel this weekend mostly because of this thread. $2 for a plain hot dog!?

In-n-Out 32

Vindication.

Wendy's is gross as fuck.

THIS! ^^

It is pretty damn hard to fuck up a baked potato. And their baked potato is $1. And it's pretty much the only place you can buy just a baked potato. Those things are like candy bars to me.

hi dere jergins

Seriously, I don't need a cheeseburger that weighs five pounds and is the size of a frisbee.

-- Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 15 April 2008 20:43 (1 week ago) Link

RONG

I think there's still a Hardees in my home town, I miss their breakfasts.

All the OTHER votes are for Culver's, by the way.

I don't know Abbott, I was craving a baked potato awhile ago and stopped at a Wendy's. It was still sort of crunchy inside, and instead of using shredded cheese, it was covered in melted orange glop. Disappointing.

I've gotten one or two Wendy's potatoes that had been baked so long ago that the insides were gluey.

btw, plain Arbys regular = easiest eat-in-car-while-driving-too-fast fast food.

also, potato cakes

Alex not in Baltimore

-- Jordan, Monday, April 21, 2008 7:13 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

Alex in transit

-- Steve Shasta, Monday, April 21, 2008 7:36 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

Alex on honeymoon?

I am so glad someone mentioned a Fribble - (about 1000 posts ago.)
because I HAD a Fribble today, and I just read this thread today.

jaymc.xls on point as usual.

KFC chicken pieces are the best fast food you can get. shame that the rest of their menu is ass. I voted for Wendy's since they seem to try to make healthier food, altho it's all still frozen tasteless junk

Arby's = Jamocha shake

No In-N-Outs in South Florida.

POPEYES!!

all this talk of Arby's kind of gets me in the mood for one of those big plain beef sandwiches drowned in their horsey and that tangy Arby's sauce. and curly fries.

my dad used to tell me when he was young, Arby's used real deli quality roast beef on their sandwiches.

http://arbys.ytmnd.com/

I'm just back from San Francisco, where thanks to this thread I tried In-n-Out Burger.
It was a pretty good burger. Best thing was the fries though - they taste of potato!
Fast food fries that taste of potato. Astonishing.

That shit will never fly in these United States!

I just became a fan of Popeye's on Facebook!

we did the five guys/in and out challenge: 1) Had Five Guys for dinner, 2) next day flew to vegas had in and out for lunch. . .

nd guess what FIVE GUYS IS BETTER THAN IN AND OUT in all categories and especially:

1) the bun. in and out's bun is weeeeeeak and crumbly. five guys has a bun that is soft and delicious
2) fries=five guys fries are thicker and tastier and yes we got our in and out fries "well done" they were still so average
3) burger=five guys better is tastier, thicker, better. in and out's burger was thin and uninspired

-- Mr. Que, Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:52 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

drove by a new chick-fil-a in hollywood today, not sure if it is actually open yet. what is best there?

Hardee's 0
Carl's Jr 0

ha, i think it replaced a carl's jr

fuck I crave in-N-out so much. Almost all the time.

i almost ate at taco bell the other day. few other worktime lunch options. it woulda been...shit...four years?

i remained strong.

what happened four years ago

i would have voted for fatburger before in-n-out, not gonna lie

i tried to stop eating fast food like 10/12 years ago is all. four years is my best guess for my last taco bell relapse.

2 weeks ago was my last taco bell prolapse

I have had a weird craving for taco bell lately but it would be a pain in the ass to get to one

figuratively, literally, actually

inside their tacos is brown like poo is brown

why would anyone eat Taco Bell that's like saying "yes please I would like some hepatitis"

"and only a dollar! what a deal!"

no i actually did that last month and omg two hours later it was all like a Niagara Falls of [REDACTED]

0 for Carls Jr is shameful. The Western Bacon Cheeseburger alone should have secured that place like at least 3 votes.

isn't arby's = carl's jr?

All the OTHER votes are for Culver's, by the way.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:46 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

OTM

Nah, Carls Jr is Carls Jr, Arbys is Arbys.

Carls Jr is Hardee's on the East Coast though.

abry's is a stratum of hell all to itself

hardee's/arby's is part of wendys empire though

Also, Jack In The Box 2 tacos for 99 cents is the best fast food deal ever.

Fake meat, American cheese, shredded lettuce... and the whole thing is deep fried.

Maybe part of the empire but totally different menu/taste.

No, wiki says Hardee's/Carl's is a separate restaurant group, CKE Restaurants Inc.

drove by a new chick-fil-a in hollywood today, not sure if it is actually open yet. what is best there?

― buzza, Tuesday, July 19, 2011 6:10 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

the standard (fried) chicken sandwich and the waffle fries, only fast food that gets anywhere close to in-n-out

the argument i had itt still pisses me off so much

it is sad how jealous people are of california

BASICALLY the same thing.

http://www.hardees.com/
http://www.carlsjr.com/

it is sad how californians have to front like their chains are soooo much better than any national chains

baja fresh tbqh but otherwise ehh otherwise fuckit

in-n-out was the closest thing to my house

I could walk there in like 5 mins

baja fresh only would make sense in a place w/ no other mexican food ie not california

fact: i have not had satisfying burrito since leaving LA, but i came pretty damn close in SF

In 1990, Jim and Linda Magglos took out a third mortgage on their home[3] and opened the first Baja Fresh in the Conejo Valley of California with the vision of fast food, Mexican-style, that was not processed

haha the perfect california story

"Jim and Linda"

it is sad how californians have to front like their chains are soooo much better than any national chains

well fast food was invented in southern california after all, and basically every major chain was started here. it's all part of the terroir man.

otm

I'm about to go on tour. Really should just buy veggies, a loaf of bread, and a huge tub of peanut butter but i know i'll rely on Taco Bell instead.

baja fresh can fuck off. Got ecoli from that shithole.

eh, taco bell is fine. have pistachio butter on rye for breakfast or whatever and then treat yourself to a couple of burritos in the p.m.

the standard (fried) chicken sandwich and the waffle fries, only fast food that gets anywhere close to in-n-out

I go with the spicy chicken "deluxe" or whatever it's called that has lettuce, tomato, cheese and a bacon disc.

eating chik fil a atm

I just have to remind myself that basically all corporations are evil whenever I take a big delicious bite out of a juicy Spicy Chicken Chik Fil A sandwich.

FUCK CARL'S JR

Karcher was a lifelong supporter of Conservative causes and contributed to anti-gay initiatives such as the Briggs Initiative.[5]

Karcher was an early supporter of John Schmitz, a Republican and member of the John Birch Society, who represented Orange County in the California State Senate and later Congress.

In 1978, he provided $1 million USD to California's Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative. He was the initiative's biggest financial supporter. The proposition was a ballot measure requiring the termination of all gays and lesbians from employment in public schools. The initiative was defeated by over one million votes.

eh, grimace hates gay people, too. no biggie.

yeah I don't eat at McDonald's either. I think the last time I was inside one was... hmmm 20 years ago?

really all of these suck except for In-n-Out

i'm glad there isn't a chik-fil-a anywhere near where i live, makes it easy to boycott

I boycott it on Sundays.

checked out the new hollywood chick-fil-a today, first time eating at that chain. decent sandwich, terrible layout of drive-thru/parking lot plus super overcrowding due to newness/novelty made for irritating experience.

they have the best nuggets

Wendys' new burgers are gross.

Chick-Fil-A is so Christian, they close on Sundays!

Wendys' new burgers are gross.

― Antonio Carlos Broheem (WmC), Thursday, October 13, 2011 6:01 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

sad to hear this already. what was wrong w/it?

"buttered toasted bun" was dry and crunchy; they changed the pickles from dill slices to some weird slighly-sweet pickle that doesn't go all the way to bread-and-butter pickle like Hardee's; the lettuce was changed from iceberg to some darker kind that was noticeably bitter; heavily loaded with mayo and ketchup, moreso than usual. If there was a difference in the meat, I couldn't tell. I think they're shooting for something more like the Hardees/Carl's Thickburger, but less expensive.

in n out not even close

burgerville deserved more votes.

Five Guys

― gabbneb, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:56 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― am0n, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:36 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Another layer of disgusting in fast food restaurants

Over 50 percent of frontline fast-food workers rely on some sort of public assistance to support their families. In Illinois, the price tag for that assistance is $368 million. Those statistics came out Tuesday in a report from University of California-Berkeley and the University of Illinois.

Devonte Yates works at a McDonald’s in Milwaukee. “I don’t like [relying on food stamps],” he said. “It’s something I have to do to eat at night. I work hard everyday. If it weren’t for workers, these companies wouldn’t thrive.”

Jack Temple works at the National Employment Law Project, which released a companion report. That report showed that providing public assistance for workers at the 10 largest fast-food chains costs taxpayers $3.8 billion each year; public assistance costs for employees at McDonald’s alone costs $1.2 billion annually.

“These companies operate on a business model that leaves low-paid workers unable to buy basic necessities and leaves taxpayers on the hook,” said Temple.

http://www.wbez.org/news/half-fast-food-workers-rely-public-assistance-make-ends-meet-108929

the whole thing with in-n-out is pretty high up in the top 50 most obnoxious aspects of californians

what's more obnoxious is paying people so little that you not only exploit their labor, but force them to rely on govt assistance to survive

well, yeah.... but californians, man, let me tell you....

i would rather eat a californian than a big mac

the whole thing with in-n-out is pretty high up in the top 50 most obnoxious aspects of californians

― sleepingbag, Thursday, October 17, 2013 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Personally, In-n-Out burgers taste fine, but after I moved to Los Angeles, I didn't get the hype. I know every tourist, and even myself at one point, is like In-n-Out! In-n-Out! In-n-Out! But I get better burgers at pubs or gastropubs. I've not been to any in LA, but I'm pretty sure I can get something tastier there.

I think I've only had an In-n-Out burger maybe three times in the last 2 years.

you live in LA. there are a million amazing local burger places there.

I mean there are even local LA chains that are better than In-n-Out.

I only eat at In-n-Out when on the road, because it's the only chain along various highways that's remotely edible.

I like them cos they will lettuce wrap my burger for me, same with Carls Jr.

in-n-out pays pretty well from what i hear. and out of these options it's undeniably the best. (little caesars got robbed though, it's shitty food but i can't pass up $5 pizza)

Who are these people that think In-n-Out Burger is better than Five Guys and why the FUCK do they think that?