Captain D's: vThe worst Major Chain Restaurants

That list is a bunch of crap places I never eat at. The last time I have been to anything on that list is probably McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin about a year ago.

I guess if I had to say the worse it would be Applebees, at least the other ones are cheap. Applebees pretends it is a nice restaurant and charges more money even though it's food is a joke.

I don't get why people hate on Applebee's so much. For what it is, it does it well

Subway

California Pzza Kitchen is gross

I picked Applebee's because it pretends to be an actual restaurant. The food is awful and overpriced and even the worst local restaurant in your community is likely to be a million times better.

I have only had food from some of the rest, but I think they all fall under the fast food category. Expectations for those places are entirely different.

Krystal?? The OP must be a hillbilly

I used to love Long John Silvers as a kid, and would always beg my parents to order an extra side of the fried batter bits that they would also sell. I especially loved their corn on the cob, which was wrapped in foil and swimming in melted butter when you opened it. It was so tender, much like good slow bbq, it would fall off the cob when you bit into it. I also remember in the mid 90's they tried selling fried shrimp wraps, which were awesome, because they were HUGE and had a ton of fried shrimp in them, but were only like $5. But when I tried them in recent years, I guess my palette has changed as an adult, because the amount of MSG in their batter is absurd, plus it seemed much saltier these days than what I remembered it as a kid.

FWIW, I'm from the Youngstown Ohio area, near where Arby's originated. Their roast beef has changed for the worse over the years, but they used to be way better at least as far back as in the 70's from what I remember. My mom remembers when they originally opened, and said they were even better before I was born. It's a shame how they now just sell warmed up low grade lunch meat these days.

[quote] because the amount of MSG in their batter is absurd,

And you can tell because???

R9, it might just be my flavor palette changing as I get older. I don't have any severe reactions to MSG itself, or other MSG-like ingredients. I'm not opposed to it being used in recipes, but in large amounts, it leaves a strong aftertaste of the food in my mouth for hours, no matter how many times I brush my teeth or use mouthwash. In otherwords, if I have something like LJS for lunch, I can still taste it in my mouth several hours later.

How does BK change their fries so much, and each version is worse than the previous?

[quote]it might just be my flavor palette changing as I get older.

Oh, dear. Are you a painter?

Applebee's doesn't belong in your poll-- it's the only one that isn't a fast food place.

Captain D's is 100x better than LJS. You must not have been in them in the past 20 years.

OP, you have wounded me.

By the way, the answer to your question is Taco Bell. Vile stuff.

I'm upset with KFC. They were always number 1 in my book for fried chicken even though they're expensive. Last week I had 3 chicken strips in one of those meal deal things. It was drive-thru so I didn't check it out til I got home. 3 tiny pitiful things like deep fried chicken jerky. Unbeatable. Maybe they use the tiny overlooked pieces in the meal deal, I don't know. But it was bad, really bad. And tiny little things like dog treat jerky.

Uneatable^

Church's Chicken

KFC has some good things on its menu, like the mashed potatoes and green beans

White Castle must be mentioned!

Popeyes is actually amazing. I go there maybe once a year. Calorie bomb but so good.

Sarku is runner up

R6, exactly. Who is this flyover monopolizing this board with all of these hillbilly threads?

The whole thread is Oh Dear, R12. Holiday breaks and snow storms are the only time the old DL gems bother to show up.

KFC almost sent me to the hospital, made my gall bladder go beserk. My doc said they are the worst for that based on their cooking oil.

You left off Chic-Fil-A, dude. Which, despite how we are supposed to be moving on, still annoys me with its politics (and, no, I am not even a diehard liberal.)

The worst fast food franchise is Jack in the Box. Their food is truly vile. The size of their ridiculous menu really says it all.

Jack In The Box was snubbed from OP's poll.

R17, the word you are looking for is "Inedible".

I've never heard of Captain D's. I would have voted for Subway if that was an option, but since it's not, I picked Sbarro. All fast food is shit, but once in a blue moon I would eat at most of these places and find something edible on the menu. However, Sbarro's greasy so-called pizza is dreadful and Subway's sandwiches are all vile. I'd rather go to any other sub chain. Haven't set foot in Applebee's in about 25 years, so I don't have an opinion of them.

But Chick-fil-A tastes good unlike the others

Why this thread?

R30 = Candace Cameron Bure

For munchies at 2am nothing beats Jack's greasy little tacos. Is it the pot or the kangaroo meat?

Sorry, R33, but for 2AM munchies and alcohol induced hunger, nothing, but nothing, beats White Castle.

Multiple generations of families have gotten drunk/high, gone to White Castle, and later puked it all up, as part of their path to adulthood.

Krystal

Hardee's is the worst food.

I'm from Youngstown/Boardman, OH. I used to eat at that Arby's all the time as a kid, but until this thread I had no idea that was the original one. Wow. Live and learn.

Arby's and Panera's. Youngstown has really done its part to destroy America's palette.

Del Taco is/was? a nasty chain. Minor league Taco Bell. Subway is not so bad if you're in Flyoveristan and don't have many options. Sbarro leads to sharting. Church's chicken is a good place for a shooting on a Saturday night.

Before I started cleaning up my eating habits, I'd occasionally eat at Arby's, McDonald's, KFC, LJS and Taco Bell (and White Castle, too if I had that sudden craving). Now, about the only thing I've eaten from any of them is an occasional Sausage McMuffin and a cup of coffee from McDonald's, when I need to head out someplace and don't have time to make breakfast. And I ate at Chik-Fil-A twice, and liked it and thought the place was clean and the staff very professional, but that's before they were outed for their support of hate groups. Even before then, I had a sneaking suspicion about them, since I seemed to notice that many of my fundie co-workers had Chik-Fil-A calendars.

I have never seen a Popeye's restaurant that wasn't filthy.

I love Popeyes's. r40 is a white supremacist.

I've never been to a Church's, KFC or Popeye's that wasn't filthy.

Guess that makes make Grand Wizard of the KKK, according to R41.

Kennedy Fried Chicken is the worst fast food place. Very low rent. Food is horrible. Service is bad.

Bojangles is great

We have a Popeyes' in Boston. The chicken is really pretty good and the sides aren't bad either.

That said, fast food at 10 bucks a head is just insulting. And sadly yes, the place is really dirty.

I miss Boston Chicken pre Boston Market. That was great stuff.

White Castle and Krystal are almost the same. My BK serves the best fries in town. Crunchy on the outside and moist inside. It seems that a 3rd of Micky D's fries are more like crunchy potato sticks. I belch the taste of LJS's grease for hours after I eat.

When I was a kid, there were many All You Can Eat catfish places around town, but they are long gone.

"Hardee's is the worst food."

Not really. I've seen much worse. Their breakfast biscuits are quite good.

Dairy Queen should be on the list for worst food.

Girls, please, Don't pretend that you never stuffed a big mac in your mouth in order to fill the hole in your heart

Panda Express

Checker's and Krystal's

There's a Taco Bell and KFC next to one another, not far from my neighborhood. Whenever I drive past them, the KFC line is completely empty, while Taco Bell always has a line. I don't like either of them, but I notice that KFC drive thru's are always empty.

The filthiest fast food joint I've ever been in is Dickie's Barbeque. Absolutely disgusting,

I was visiting Louisville and went to a KFC literally 3 blocks from Yum Brands headquarters (parent company) it was the shittiest KFC, dirty and bad customer service. If you can't get your crap together right next to corporate then there is no hope.

Dickies is vile

Every Arby's restaurant in town is gross. McDonald's locations are hit or miss. Culver's moved in about 9 years ago - their restaurants are spotless. Chicken tenders are delicious, no soggy breading or weird texture. Burgers are good as well.

The worst to me is White Castle. It's just revolting. At least it tasted somewhat better going down, than chucking it back up an hour later.

You have to be high to enjoy White Castle.

There's nothing that says white trash like a Waffle Hutt.

I'll add The Waffle House. What an over-hyped dump. Who likes soggy waffles? The restaurant is always sticky and filthy. It's the worst.

I used to enjoy nibbling on Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips. He enjoyed the experience as well.

Golden Corral

Once got a nasty case of salmonella from Church's chicken. Puking and shitting BLOOD for 24 hrs. Thought I was a goner. To this day I feel nauseous when I drive by one.

Oh, look, R12 - another painter at R37!

Red Robin isn't bad. My mom loves Five Guys, me not so much. Popeyes pretends time be mainstream, while Church's seems pure ghetto.

I believe Jack's ran an ad proudly proclaiming their stoner munchie clientele base?

Culvers is decent fast food.

My boss calls it Captain Disease

But Waffle House has a huge cult following

R32 Honey, I've moved on. It's just Starkist Tuna for me from now on!

The fact that OP omitted Chick-Fil-A completely invalidates this thread.

We had a thread about Captain D's a while back. While i wouldn't say I "worship" it like that OP did, it's certainly far better than Long John Silver's or the disgusting, overpriced Red Lobster.

I used to like Jack in the Box's Sirloin Burger, but when they discontinued it and got that stupid buttery burger (gross), I quit eating there for awhile. A couple of months ago, I went and got a hamburger and it tasted disgusting, like pure soy crap. It seems they are seriously cutting corners now. That will be their downfall.

r62 Another vote for Golden Corral. I got food poisoning there in 98' and threw up for two days straight. I felt like my head was going to explode and I was overcome with nausea, every time I moved. I wouldn't eat there for years, until finally I gave in the last couple of years. Their food is horrible microwave dinner tasting crap. Scratch that, even microwave dinners are better tasting than their food.

I've gotten sick from buffet restaurants but, oddly enough, never from Golden Corral. I think because the hogs gobble it up so fast it doesn't have time to sit and spoil.

GC is certainly an example of the general rule: The bigger the selection the worse the overall quality of food is.

R68: Great, now I have to switch to Chicken of the Sea!

I've never heard of Captain D's. A seafood fast food chain sounds like a terrible idea. No wonder Long John Silver's has never been popular

My parents used to take my sisters and I down to the coast to have Calabash seafood. It blows Captain D's away with a WMD.

I refuse to eat at chain restaurants, and never eat fast food. The shit is killing us.

Of course r75

R73=Jessica Simpson

All fast food is toxic garbage.

I walked into a Waffle House once and walked right back out. It was a sad place, very ghetto looking.

Qdoba is horrible

Moe's

I forgot about Moe's. Overpriced and flavorless. It wouldn't be worth a dollar.

So, I gather you didn't care for the place, r71?

IHOP and Perkins should be on the list. Sodium filled garbage.

Does Sbarro even count as food? What about Macaroni Grill, and crap like that?

Sbarro is vile

Sbarro was my go-to as a child at the mall. I'd even stop at the mall on my way home from middle school to grab a slice. As an adult I have come to realize that it's horrible. How does a location stay open in Manhattan? I remember standing outside of one around 2011.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, do not eat at "Der Dutchman" - muthafukken Amish-style chain mess. Ohio, don't know if they're in PA or other states.

Whoops the thread title said 'major' chain restaurants. Der Dutchman will never be major.

An Amish chain?

Qdoba is Jack-in-the-Box's version of Chipotle.

R82 Another vote for Moe's.

I mentioned in the Moe's thread that a friend had lunch there last summer, finished her shopping and errands, and headed home. All afternoon she said she kept belching up something that was like rotten eggs and she felt increasingly queasy.

She just kept thinking she'd be fine if she got home and took some Pepto-Bismol but her apartment was 20-25 mins. from the mall where she'd been shopping. So finally, she's home, rushes up to the front door, and while she's fiddling with the keys, has near projectile vomiting, all over the front door and stoop. To make matters, those powerful abdominal contractions set off a chain reaction and she filled her panties.

And, just to complete her humiliation, the neighbors' children were playing outside and witnessed the whole thing, accompanied by much squealing and laughter. For a long time afterward, the brats simulated retching whenever they saw her. I reminded her that, on the bright side, at least the kids didn't know she'd shit her pants!

Eewww

Is Moe's a chain? I thought it was a local Pittsburgh thing. Anyway, it is dreadful. I had some kind of chicken thing there once, in which the chicken had the texture of pencil shavings. Dreadful.

[quote]Arby's roast beef has changed for the worse over the years, but they used to be way better at least as far back as in the 70's from what I remember. My mom remembers when they originally opened, and said they were even better before I was born.

The original Arby's concept was fantastic back in there 1960's. They had giant slabs of real roast beef (like a baron of beef) that they hung from big stainless steel chains, and they would slice off the meat for your sandwich while you watched. It was like a huge Gyro. Everything was fresh and the horse radish would blow the top of your head off. It was nothing like the flavorless boil in a bag mess they serve today.

Chik fil a isn't bad.

Arby's and Burger King closed down because of being shit.

Even I won't eat Sbarro.

[quote]Chik fil a isn't bad.

U R F U eat it.

Arby's has had an overhaul in case you haven't noticed with the 24/7 new marketing on television. I ate there on break at the insistence of a co-worker. The meat was pretty fresh and decently flavored. I had never had Arby's, but it wasn't bad. I'd try it again.

I <3 captain d's

=(

Arby's is doing a venison sandwich. They tested it last year in a few locations, and apparently they're expanding it in 2017.

Not my thing, but it's getting glowing reviews:

I will try it

Sonic is meh

I agree Red Robin and Culver's are acceptable options. Decent taste and quality.

Jack in the Box is putrid, I haven't gone near one since the 80's.

Again, I do want to give Steak 'n Shake a try. Furr's Cafeteria back in the day had pretty good food. The prime rib was to die for. And I probably will from still clogged arteries...or Trumpism.

Steak n Shake is good when they do their job, but they have the worst service of any fast food chain. The level of not giving a fuck cannot be rivaled. The French fries are awful.

Things I have witnessed:

Cold food after long waits

Food dropped on the floor and placed on the grill

Broken drive thru leading to packed, smelly dining room, twice

Ran out of beef, twice

Wrong orders

Slow as molasses service...it's one of those places that always makes you pull up to the front of the restaurant to wait for your food even if you're the only one in line.

When I moved to this state two years ago I discovered Steak n Shake. I worked at a network so my hours were odd and it was always open. I ate there many times because of it.

[quote]Arby's is doing a venison sandwich.

Oh, deer.

Of the many shitty burger chains I've tried, by far the worst is Steak 'n Shake.

It's hard to imagine how the paper-thin burgers could be flattened to such a degree. The two patties on a double burger together contained less meat than a single Wendy's value burger, and the meat was burned black.

Sides were just as bad. Shoestring fries were served cold and hard, cole slaw was of the prepackaged supermarket variety, and "baked" beans were as poor as a canned, discount brand, barely warmed through.

Capt D's is nasty

I hate the smell of Subways

Checkers is worse than all of these.

Of all the fast food places around my area, Captain D's is one of the better options. You can substitute green beans and a baked potato, if you wish, for the standard fries and slaw.

Cookout is the best fast food ever

Chick fil A

Dispensers of hate

Seafood should be healthy not vile fried crap

Don't be a stupid cunt. Fried food, including fried fish, can certainly be part of a healthy diet if consumed within reason.

Hmmmm

Who goes to Moe's? Yuck

Captain D’s is vile

In Atlanta people from North Carolina went nuts when Cookout first opened stores here. I don't hear much said about it now. I tried it once on a road trip and since I don't eat beef I had a broiled chicken sandwich which could have doubled for a dried up hockey puck with a side of cold hard fries. They also go nuts here for crap like Bojangles and get in debates over which is better - Bojangles or Popeyes. So fat.

Bojangles and Cookout are Da Bomb Dot Com!

To me fast-food fish and chips chains go Arthur Treacher's, Long John Silvers, with Captain D's a distant third.

Captain D's I actually find to be the best food of those three. They have a wider menu, and nicely battered fish and chips. I get coupons for it in the mail and it looks tempting, but thankfully the location nearest me is too far to go for a quick meal. I haven't seen an Arthur Treacher's in decades but there must be one somewhere. I remember on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Breezewood, PA that I ate at once. People used to call the chain Arthur Creatures do to the bugs found in the kitchen there.

DON'T READ IF WEAK STOMACH:

My best friend in high school worked at Arby's. The roast beef "slabs" they put on those slices are made from gnarly cheap parts of beef condensed together. But (and here's the awesome part), they were trained to inspect these slabs in the back and remove large white cysts/pustules that sometimes found their way into those yummy slabs so the customers wouldn't see the diseased lumps when they were out on the cutting machines. Mmmm. Good!

Not shocked

I. Told. You. So.

Taco Hell and Schlubways are beneath my dignity.

My guilty pleasure is a Burger King Whopper with cheese. It's also my hangover cure.

I hate Chick-fil-A for their politics, and twice as much because they have those great peach shakes and I can't have one.

BK restaurants are so dirty

Dickey’s

If I ordered a slice of pizza at Sbarro's, they would put it in the revolving oven for 1 slow revolution and it would still come out lukewarm.

This thread reads fat.

Last time i ate at Red Robin was 10 years ago, went to the bathroom and there were roaches crawling all over the floor.

Boston Market has great cornbread

There is nothing I enjoy more than a Capt'n D's shore platter with shrimp, devilled crab cakes, haddock. wonderful cole slaw, yummy hush puppies, fries and unsweet tea even better than Chick Fil A. Do I indulge in this regularly? No, of course not. But 3 or 4 times a year, it is without a doubt my #1 favorite fast food splurge.

And yanno what? That darn shore platter holds up nicely against Red Lobster's which costs 13 more bucks without the tea. I am not saying that Red Lobster is a great seafood venue, but my point is the quality is the same.

I lived at the beach off the coast of GA until I was 7 years old. Every Sunday evening we would all pile in the old '59 Ford and go to "The Deck" right on the water for seafood platters. They were as fresh as can be, and to tell you the honest truth: the platters at C.D.'s taste just as good to me today.

I love Sbarro. It reminds me of high school, when they opened a mall in my hometown. A mall of our own! Those were exciting times, let me tell you.

My brother worked at Captain D's in highschool. The entire house smelled like greasy fish for 2 years

[quote]Church's Chicken

Yes, R18! I have always hated CC, and on the rare occasions my parents stopped for fast food when we were kids, 80% of the time it was for Church's Chicken. Instead I would eat fresh fruit we had at home, or heat up leftovers. Church's chicken, like Jim Dandy, the former tenant in my local Church's location, tasted like battered and fried Band Aids. When my parents wanted Church's a few years ago, I tried eating just the tip of a fried wing. It triggered an episode of the chronic gastritis I had got finally under control. I hadn't had an episode in almost a decade.

Church's and Arby's are the worst. And why on earth is Arby'sso expensive? Despite the commercials, it's just nasty lunch meat on shitty bread.

Church’s has the best friends okra. And cherry soda

Uh fried okra

What is Captain Ds?

You're just too sensitive OP. If you were hungry enough you'd eat Long John Silvers and Captain D's and FUCKING LOVE IT!

My mother buys Church's chicken for her dogs. I didn't know humans actually ate there.

I keep seeing Long Dong Silver. What does that say about me?

It says your cock mad! LOL

Beyond the fundie foolishness, Chik-fil-A is salty as fuck.

Fuck you OP. I love Captain Ds

But Americans love salty food. Who are these northern effete elitist who dislike salty food?

Golden Corral is so nasty

Only the poors would eat at any of these places.

"Please don't make fun of me! Going out for a cheap, trashy McDonald's meal is MY SPECIAL TREAT!!!!!"

Worst fish ever

I am kind of curious about Arby's beef. They seem to act like it's cut off a roast but it has no surface fat and seems like some kind of processed roll. like those godawful turkey rolls you see sometimes. Maybe their brisket is better.

There's a chain in the Midwest called Lion's Choice that has excellent fresh roast beef sandwiches and great fries. Wish they would expand to Colorado.

Jack in the Box is good for its cheap tacos and eggrolls. Like others, I'll track one down about once a year and indulge.

Haven't eaten Krystal in ages, but back when I was in college it was awesome drunk food. All that grease was just the thing to stave off a hangover.

I don't care much for Applebee's. They don't have shit to choose from on their menu.

Captain Ds fish is so nasty and unhealthy

Sonic

Hardee’s

Sbarro

I wouldn't eat at Taco Bell after a couple of friends who'd worked there at different locations told me about the green hamburger meat.

Stop lying

Shoot me, but I actually like BK. I prefer anything that's grilled rather than fried. And I find absolutely NOTHING wrong with Panara.

Panera is good

You all are a bunch of fucking liers! I bet you drag your fat asses into one of these places at least once a week.

Olive Garden is disgusting.

OG has great salads

They have okra?

I don't have the patience to read through this while thread, but my nephew works at an Applebee's and he says all of their food is reheated. They don't even have stoves.

Applebee’s was good in the 90s

Stealth FAT WHORE thread

Hehe