Fast Food

[JackPeyton]

Yeah, its finally moved out of just socal and into AZ and NV, i think TX might have a few. In N Out is the best.

We got a fice guys here and while its ok, me and my friends are always like lets just go to in n out.

[Cheap21]

If Subway's considered fast food, that's the only thing I do. I put everything but olives and pickles. I used to go to Subway weekly, but now its barely once a month. I stopped buying fast food like in 2004/2005! I admit Ive had a small nibble here and there like when my sister has bought some but I cant have like a meal or even eat a sandwich. I just feel wrong with anything more than a bite.

ETA: I lied. There used to be this healthy fast food place near me called EVOS, which was pretty good. They'd airbake their foods instead of fried and used some organic products and natural ingredients. I only went there a few times bc it was expensive but if it were still around, it would be my choice

[Chris B]

If there was an In & Out in San Antonio, I'd always go. I'd say I regularly go to Sonic for slushes or my favorite, Cranberry Limeaide, but I mostly stay away from their food. If I'm STARVING and want something "fast" and cheap I go to McD's, but I will only order off the dollar menu. Their full price burgers aren't worth it. I enjoy going to Church's Chicken, but for the past couple years I'll only go typically if they have gizzards. I don't really go to KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell (once a year maybe), A&W or Popeyes. We also have Smashburger and Five Guys, which are both very good. Out of the two I prefer Five Guys. The only fast-food place I'd say I regularly goto (every two-weeks at least) is Whataburger. Their food is always made fresh and no matter if it's 3pm or 3am, it's going to be fresh and made correctly. That is my ultimate guilty pleasure.

I eat out a lot, but mostly restaurants since you can typically find things for the same price you'd pay at these expensive fast food restaurants. You have so many fast casual restaurants that it makes no sense to make fast food your main choice. In that regard I LIVE at La Madeleine, Chipotle and a local place called French Sandwhiches. There is also a Korean grocery store that has a cafe with really cheap prices (especially for Korean food), so I try to make that a weekly stop when I do my grocery shopping. Another shockingly delicious "fast food" place is Starbucks. I recently started eating their food and branching out into some of their teas and it's a good lunch spot, although too expensive to eat as much as I'd like. My favorite is their Egg Salad Sandwich.

[alphanguy74]

Wow.. so much hate for Burger King in this thread. Burger King is definately not what it used to be, it's basically a shadow of what it was in the 70's. Mcdonald's is what it is. Dairy queen is my favorite, it's one of the few fast food chains that has remained virtually unchanged in it's menu. The food tastes exactly as it did in 1975. And Dairy Queen's ice cream is MILES ahead of Sonic. Sonic's ice cream is all whipped full of air and additives and isn't very cold or icy. It's like Macdonald's horrible shakes, they aren't even COLD. Kentucky Fried Chicken's pot pies are INCREDIBLE, if you haven't tried one, do.

I miss the hats:

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[alphanguy74]

One chain that has really gone down is Hardees/Carl's Jr. (We have Hardees here in the Ozarks) They've been dropping like flies the last 10 years, and they used to be good. But now they just have these decadant burgers that are huge and nobody wants. Theirs ads have always been kind of silly, though!!! As if people at a formal party are going to go into Hardees in feather boas! And Mama Cass sings it!

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And do they pull up to Hardees in a Rolls Royce? Really?

[Soapsuds]

Our Hardees disappeared long ago...I think I was in high school....they had some good food back then

[MissLlanviewPA]

My weaknesses are Sonic cheeseburgers (oh how I miss my summer trips to Arkansas--the town my grandmother lived in had at least four or five Sonics at one point, being one of the larger towns in the state), Dairy Queen Chicken strip baskets (with honey mustard--I hate ketchup with a fiery passion--and the toasted bread that comes with it! SO good!) and hot fudge sundaes, Wendy's crispy chicken sandwiches, and McDonald's Southern Style chicken sandwiches, as well as the Oreo McFlurries, especially as a kid. And yes, the Happy Meals growing up in the early-mid 90s were the bomb. I still remember the little Cabbage Patch dolls I got from there when I was 3 .

None of this is all that often, though. I'm trying to get thinner.

I should give a shout-out to Steak n Stake, though, one of THE biggest things I miss about living in Ohio. Those Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough milkshakes were the best. Sigh.

[alphanguy74]

I've been trying to lose some weight as well... fighting that middle aged spread. So I have greatly changed my fast food intake. I go to Panda Express quite often now and get the Green bean/chicken breast, which is one of the lower fat. low calorie options, it's much better for you, and I LUV it. And I go to Hy-vee grocery store all the time and get lunch there, you can get baked chicken or fish most days and they always have either roasted broccoli or cauliflower or brussel sprouts available. It's like the old fashioned cafeterias. I don't like sonic's food. Their fryer grease stays around too long, or they make it too hot, or SOMETHNIG, because there is a bitter taste to their tots and stuff, it just tastes like the cooking oil is scorched. We have a couple locally owned fast food places around here. One place is called the Wheel In in Sedalia, their specialty is called a "Guberburger", and yes, it's got peanut butter on it. I've never tried it, it sounds disgusting.

[MissLlanviewPA]

Haha I'm 24, I'm trying to AVOID the middle age spread, for awhile at least!

I should say that, as far as healthier fast food options, I do love the oven-roasted Chicken sandwiches at Subway (w/out chips--I don't even eat Baked Lays anymore), as well as Arby's Market Fresh turkey sandwiches--my caveat being that I usually DO get curly q fries with them. Those are too good to avoid. It's a weakness.

Does Dunkin' Donuts count? I don't get their food very often (ironically, I HATE donuts, so I never eat those), but their hash browns are AWESOME, and they have pretty good bagel sandwiches, too. The best thing, though, is their Iced Mocha Lattes. THOSE, I will admit, I get almost every day. Those are going to kill me someday, I swear. They are definitely my undoing.

[MissLlanviewPA]

These are the Happy Meal toys I was talking about. This is from December 1992. Some of my earliest memories of Christmas. I can STILL say which of these Cabbage Patch Dolls I got back then.

And the "Do You Believe in Magic?" campaign. GREAT memories there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4U-lCogQEM

[quartermainefan]

I go to a McDonalds about once a month. Lately I have been craving Taco Bell and have been doing that once a week even though I know it is disgusting.

Of the chains I have eaten I would say Arby's is the worst of them all, followed by Roy Rogers and Burger King. Popeyes makes delicious cajun rice and mashed potatoes with their chicken, and Sonic has tater tots (always worth points in my book).

I don't know if this counts, but do we consider In-N-Out fast foot, or Five Guys? They obviously are better than all these others, as is Boston Market.

[MissLlanviewPA]

I'd say Five Guys counts. And yes, their cheeseburgers and fries are AMAZING (I've never been to the other two).

[quartermainefan]

Boston Market offers up stuff like 1/4 chicken white and two sides, meat loaf and gravy and two sides, etc. I love the stuffing and usually get meat loaf with stuffing and string beans. In N Out is a burger chain out of California and is where chains like Five Guys got the idea from.

[SFK]

Some of you have mentioned Subway, I'm the guy who asks for EVERYTHING on my sandwich. I don't know why I let myself feel embarrassed, but I just like all of those fresh vegetables. Except for iceberg lettuce which has no nutritional value and is just a waste of precious space in my overstuffed sub. The $5 foot-long is a great deal.

I used to live across the street from a Chipotle when I lived in New York and I started to overdo it a bit. I would order online from my apartment then walk over there and my meal was ready. They also have surprisingly good frozen margaritas.

As for horror stories, on two occasions I have been with friends who have gotten sick after eating Sb@rr0's. The first time was day 1 of a field trip to NYC and my poor friend's day was ruined puking in the street. That pizza looks so good sometimes but I always steer clear. I can't enjoy my meal wondering if my stomach is going to reject it at any moment.

[Chris B]

Dairy Queen is good for the wide variety with ice cream, but Sonic has a pretty good spread. My problem with Sonic is the execution varies so heavily from different locations. And I agree the KFC pot pies are VERY good. I was shocked when I first had one.