Surprisingly good menu items at basic chain or fast food restaurants

Pappadeaux's seafood fondue and etouffe are addictive.

The salads are good at Wendy's.

Pffft!

I HATE Taco Bell. I honestly find most of it repugnant. But I do love their nachos.

Also, the classic: McDonald's fries.

R here. Are we talking cheap chains then? Pappadeaux's is NOT cheap food.

Chili's fajitas and burgers. Applebee's used to have pretty good steaks, but I haven't been in years.

Taco Bell: original taco (crispy shell), bean burrito, fire sauce. Taco salad was good but got discontinued.

Burger King: original chicken sandwich (oblong bun, oblong patty), Prefer BK French fries to McD's.

Jack in the Box: seasoned curly fries.

Wendy's: chili, Frosty (original flavor).

All of these places serve nothing but slop not fit for pigs.

I don't much care for fast food, in general, but I must admit, I also have a weakness for McDonald's French fries.

I usually dislike Jimmy John's but they have a delicious Thai Chicken Wrap (limited time only for summer). I get it as an "Unwich" (fillings are put inside a big piece of iceberg lettuce) and hold the mayo. Yummy.

McDonald's fries have been inedible for a couple of years now. They're soggy and stick together, and have no salt. I don't know what's going on.

McDonald's still has the best fries IMO but Whataburger is up there too. The original fries we got from McDonald's back when I was in HS when they still fried in animal fat were the bomb.

jack's have very good fried stuff, soo...chicken fingers, egg rolls, chicken nuggets, your mileage might vary though, but i had good xp usually.

Whataburger's fries are just as great as the ones at McDonald's and their food is better overall. The burgers are great!

The French Laundry’s Dungeness Crab en Feuille de Brick is passable in a pinch. The hen egg custard isn’t bad either.

One thing I miss about Florida is Pollo Tropical. Fast food, Caribbean style! The black beans and rice, the citrus marinated chicken and fried plantains...MMMMMMmmmm!!

I like the mud over by the shit hole.

Taco Bell has a sauce called creamy jalapeño sauce that they put only on cheesy bean and rice burritos, but you can order it on the side. I dip bean burritos in it and also order a cheesy bean and rice burrito for a buck and it is DELICIOUS.

Taco Bell's Chicken Chalupa is really good. It's basically a Taco Supreme in a chicken breast "shell." Fortunately for this fat whore, they only have them every few years

Piss elegant R15 didn’t understand the assignment

The water at McDonald’s

McDonald's fries are good but the Cajun fries from Popeye's are better.

Taco Bell had a breakfast wrap with eggs, hash browns and guacamole. I don’t know if it’s still on the menu but I’d get it once a week pre-COVID.

Longhorn Steakhouse has good burgers and chicken. I also love their baked sweet potatoes.

R20 needs to stay after school because he's a complete retard.

All of them.

Also, the classic McFlurry, the ones with crushed Oreo's and chocolate syrup. Probably my favorite Ice cream dish, I would give up the most gourmet of gelato's to have a McFlurry from Micki D's3

A Bellini at any Harry's Bar, of course.

Red Robin's California chicken sandwich is delicious.

Whataburger is dog food for dog people. The wife of my husband’s down- worldly mobile son is a shift manager there and surprised us with a meal.

I went to Chick-fil-A one time to see what it was all about. Their chicken sandwich is like heroin. Years later whenever I think of it I start jonesing.

Don't be such a snob R30. He's gainfully employed.

Is Whataburger that bad? Hard to believe a Texas-based chain fucks up beef. The way you hear people talk about the chain, you'd think it's Texas communion.

Pollo Loco chicken tortilla soup

R4- My brother calls it Taco SMELL

Shake Shack burgers go down like M&M’s. Love those little fuckers.

Olive Garden's zuppa toscana Jersey Mike's philly cheesesteaks Arby's beef gyros (heavy, but the flavor is right.)

R36 100% agreed, but as much as I've come to love Shake Shack during these last few years in NYC, In-n-Out will always be the #1 burger spot in my heart. Still haven't found anything to top a double double with animal style fries.

R36- Their food is tasty but the give you a child's portion and high prices. I went there in April 2021 and bought a little hot dog, tiny portion of French fries and a petite chicken sandwich. The bill came to over $15- OUCH

I wonder if McDonald's fries has a sprinkling of msg.

Sweet tea at Chick-Fil-A.Their waffle fries are really good too, and their sauce is delicious.

Arby’s curly fries are addictive. I also love the cheddar broccoli soup from Panera, even though I know it comes from a bag. It’s just so good. They must put crack in it.

Jersey Mikes Subs- not cheap but their sandwich with the salami, ham, provolone cheese, lettuce , tomatoes, oil/vinegar, onions, sweet pepper, mustard and mayonnaise is very good.

Subway Italian sandwich. Pretty decent amount of cold cuts and tasty.

R42- Panera does not put crack in it. That's not why you're addicted to it. It's because you're a

FAT WHORE

obviously, everyone in this thread is

R36 Shake Shack is tasty. I’m on carb lockdown but earlier (last winter) I did enjoy and overdo it on those burgers, both the Shack Burger and also the plain cheeseburger. Their fries, when hot, can be good, too. It’s reliably good quality.

I love how OP has to couch this thread in “While visiting family.” It’s OK, OP. No one knows your real name.

It depends on the owner of the franchise, too. In our area, most of the McDonald's were owned by a certain gay guy in the 70's, and he was a super clean freak and an equally super quality freak. You could always count on a quite good meal at one of his places.

By the way, there have to be at least a few of you who remember him living in retirement in Ft Lauderdale.

R49- The TRUE eldergays remember when ALL McDonald's were drive ins only. You would walk over to the building to order, pay for and take your food which you would have to eat in the car.

My local McDonalds in Mamaroneck New York opened in 1963 and did not convert to a sit down restaurant until 1979.

I had Olive Garden's salad with Italian dressing for the first time in a long while when I was spending Christmas with the family last year. I was reminded the salad is quite nice, with cold, crunchy lettuce and vegetables and a pleasantly bright, acidic dressing. The only problem was that it was overdressed. Serving from the top of the bowl and ignoring all the sogginess at the bottom worked out well, though.

R50 - Ours were sit-down already by the mid-late 60's. The owner was social friends with the Kroc's (which is why he got involved with the franchise to begin with) and was one of the first ones with the fish sandwich, too. The development of the operation varied from region to region.

[quote] I had Olive Garden's salad with Italian dressing for the first time in a long while when I was spending Christmas with the family last year. I was reminded the salad is quite nice, with cold, crunchy lettuce and vegetables and a pleasantly bright, acidic dressing.

The Spaghetti Factory had a surprisingly good salad as well. Very cold. I think it was just iceberg lettuce with some grated carrot, blue cheese dressing was my usual choice.

cold iceberg lettuce is a "surprisingly good salad"???

R54 - Rich Germans think so. Please don't ask me why I know that.

My family and I loved going to Bickford's Pancake House. Our local Bickford's closed in 1976. It had the most wonderful Apple Pancake which was the size of a personal pizza. Their pancakes were far better than International House Of Pancakes.

Weird is the fact that there used to be a chain of pancake houses called Aunt Jemima's Kitchen and most of the restaurants were surprisingly in the northeast.

Chips and salsa are a menu item, OP?

Do you serve rippled potato chips as your Christmas dinner appetizer and include them on the printed menu, G*eg?

R52 Pity my wretched soul, I do like the taste and texture of the Filet-O-Fish. Also the quarter pounder with cheese. These are treats I would only enjoy on the road twice per year, usually driving from NY ago New England.

Those fucking "regular" Chicken Crispers from Chili's, if done right, are delicious 😋. Upgrade the corn cob side to street corn and you have a complete "cheat day" that's soooo worth it. I hate the french fries there so I usually get mashed potatoes. Mmmmm

I haven’t eaten there in a few years but I never found Whataburger’s fries to be anything special. They were hot and crisp at least but I didn’t find they had a lot of flavor so I needed tons of ketchup. That’s my barometer of a good French fry: if they’re really good they don’t need ketchup at all. I don’t get the love for Chick-Fil-A’s waffle fries either

Pork Ribeye Steak at The 99. :D

Chili’s burger bites are very good, and it’s enough for two meals.

¡Chipoooooooooooolte!

R58 - I suppose I can say the name since he's been dead over a decade, but it was Jim Pihos and his collaboration work that made the McDonald's Fish such a classic.

R58- On the way home from Provincetown about 5 or 6 years ago I stopped along the highway to take a break and there was a McDonalds at the rest stop on 95. It was in Connecticut. On the menu was a Lobster Roll - which they only sell at McDonalds in New England. It was rather expensive for a McDonalds too- $ 10.99- I still have the photo I took of the menu in August 2017.

The chips and salsa at Chilis, plus two orders of their chili for dipping the chips in as well.

For delivery only, I wouldn’t be caught dead there!

A moment of silence for Chipotle Grill's chicken burrito aand Popeye's biscuits and dirty rice, which once were cravable and are now no longer edible.

Culver's has reliable burgers and shakes.

Much on the menu at Del Taco is "surprisingly good."

The Bloomin' Onion at Outback is so fuckin' good. (And, no, the Awesome Blossom at Chili's cannot compare.)

Chick-Fil-A's kale crunch salad is pretty tasty.

Fuck yer boycotts.

Every menu item at Texas Roashouse. I used to fuck this marine and this was our favorite spot.

[quote]The bill came to over $15- OUCH

$15 seems like a pretty good deal. You did get THREE items.

Red Robin's pretzel bites and raspberry limeaide

The price of R70s integrity is a fucking fast food salad. How sad.

I like Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes. All of them.

r74 Beats Julie Andrews doing it for a meatball.

Actually Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes are all gross. You would think they all know what they were doing.

R53, not a secret. Some restaurants prep and soak the lettuce in ice water before serving. Hence, crunch. It also hides any limp stuff that was in the ice bucket.

R56 did it look like the Apple pancake at this link?

Culver's burgers are good.

The waffles that KFC sometimes has are really good!

The spaghetti and meatballs at Denny's is quite good - I'm not crazy about restaurant meatballs in general, but these taste great, with Parmesan mixed in with the meat's seasoning.

And OP is right that Chili's salsa is DELICIOUS. It's a true pureed old school hot sauce, not the watery, chunky, flavorless stuff that passes for salsa these days.

So their chefs have to prepare salsa every shift? What a chore.

The Fly Paste And Don’t Ask Brownies at Roast-o-Roach.

The KFC wedges that Biden won’t sign an executive order for! Bring them back!

The pizzas at Schlotzsky’s.

Does Wawa qualify as fast food? If so their subs and some of their hot foods are good along with their various coffee and fruit drinks.

R79- No. It resembled and was the size of a smallish pizza.

- Pretty much anything from Del Taco - Nuggets, sauce and salads at Chick Fil A - Double double animal style from In n Out

Burger King onion rings. Salty and fresh, they're delicious.

Oh, God, r43. Mayonnaise on a Jersey Mike's sub? Desecration.

I love Jersey Mike's #13, with lettuce, tomato, oil, and vinegar. Maybe a little pepperoncini. The hot subs can be good, but often, by the time they are delivered, they are cold. So I tend to stick to the cold subs.

You can’t make your own sandwich?

I piss on any Datalounger who eats at or orders from Chick Fil A. And I wait until I really have to go.

R91- I never have any meals delivered. I drive to the restaurant and pick up the food myself.

I do like mustard AND mayonnaise on my submarine sandwiches 🥪

Popeyes used to make the best onion rings. They were like gourmet style and not overly breaded. I think they discontinued them everywhere.

Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake- the original double decker. And I love their bleu cheese dressing.

Second, avacado egg rolls at Cheese Cake Factory.

Third, Spaghetti Factory mizithra cheese pasta.

This thread is for

FAT WHORES

Honey, I weigh about the same as in high school. Kiss my boney ass 💋💋💋

R97 probably takes loads up his ass for souvenirs and I can't eat some Chicken Rings from White Castle twice a year?

El Pollo Loco sweet potato fries

Cheryl's pussy.

Cheryl's pussy

I like Panda Express green beans.

Potato tacos at Taco Bell

Chick-fil-A, love their salads.

I love the iced tea a McAllister’s Deli.

[quote]Does Wawa qualify as fast food?

Isn't that a gas station?

Hardee's breakfast biscuits. I could have them for breakfast every day.

Several years ago, I got to try the McDonald's lobster roll. It was a seasonal thing and I've heard that it's discontinued completely, now.

Anyway! It was surprisingly good! IIRC, it cost around $9.00, so, expensive for a McDonald's item. However, it did taste like Maine lobster, mostly or all claw meat, very tender.

Guys, you HAVE to try the Cobb Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing at Chick-fil-A. It is sooooo good. Whoever invented it is a genius. And you don't have to feel like you're breaking the calorie or carb bank when you eat it.

Die, r110. But let r93 marinate you in his urine for a week.

Zaxby's used to have great onion rings. They were thin, light, crispy and well-seasoned. Not thick, heavy and bland like most others I've ever had.

Onion rings from Jack in the Box. They are panko coated so much lighter than the oily ones everywhere else.

Carl's Jr fried zucchini

I can’t eat a burger that’s not Whataburger.

I used to like Jack-in-the-Box in the 90’s. The meat was so different back then.

I’m addicted to McDonald’s Spicy McChicken Sandwich. It was copious amount of sugar in the mayo and the salt in the breaded cutlet combo that make it

The McDonalds Big Mac is a classic for a reason. It is perfectly balanced in terms of taste and flavour. If it was made with fresh ground beef it would be unbeatable.

Churros from Jack in the Box! Aka….JITB!

[quote] Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake- the original double decker. And I love their bleu cheese dressing.

Agreed, r96. They were called Marc's Big Boy here in WI. And to this day, I've yet to eat onion rings quite as crispy and delicious as those at Marc's Big Boy. That restaurant no longer exists in WI.

Culver's Vanilla Frozen Custard should be illegal to manufacture, distribute, and possess. It dials my dopamine neurons to 11.

Here's how good it is: It's rare when I choose vanilla over chocolate, but I do with that stuff.

r43, here is a section of the wiki on submarine sandwiches. It includes all the names by which the sandwich is known around the country. The words "mustard" and "mayonnaise" appear exactly zero times throughout the article.

I'm not saying you can't order a sandwich and ask them to desecrate it with those two substances. But don't call it a sub. Or maybe go to Subway or Quiznos. Their standards seem more congruent with your own.

[quote] One theory says the submarine was brought to the U.S. by Dominic Conti (1874–1954), an Italian immigrant who came to New York in the late 19th century.[4] He is said to have named it after seeing the recovered 1901 submarine called Fenian Ram in the Paterson Museum of New Jersey in 1928. His granddaughter has stated the following:

[quote]My grandfather came to this country circa 1895 from Montella, Italy. Around 1910, he started his grocery store, called Dominic Conti's Grocery Store, on Mill Street in Paterson, New Jersey where he was selling the traditional Italian sandwiches. His sandwiches were made from a recipe he brought with him from Italy, which consisted of a long crust roll, filled with cold cuts, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil, vinegar, Italian herbs and spices, salt, and pepper. The sandwich started with a layer of cheese and ended with a layer of cheese (this was so the bread wouldn't get soggy).[4]

R118. Oh shut your pretentious ass up. What a bore you are.

R105. Choke on it, homophobic supporter

Slim Jim sandwich at Big Boy restaurants. Yum.

Yes to McAllister’s Deli. They have great salads and salad dressings. Sandwiches are good too. Oh - their fresh fruit is wonderful. Reasonable prices and fresh food.

I totally agree with R118 and the article! That’s the way they are made at Italian delis. And that’s the way I make them at home. Whenever I see an Italian sub with either mustard mayo or both it really annoys me!

I'm a real heathen. I ask for mustard, mayo, oil, vinegar, and cherry pepper relish.

Firehouse Subs had a really tasty (though way too indulgent) sub last year. I don't think they have it now. It was a mix of a traditional meatball sub, pepperoni pizza and garlic bread all in one sub. I don't even want to know how many calories were in that thing, but it was so tasty. I think this is it.

🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮.

[quote][R43], here is a section of the wiki on submarine sandwiches. It includes all the names by which the sandwich is known around the country. The words "mustard" and "mayonnaise" appear exactly zero times throughout the article.

In what world are mayo and mustard not part sub sandwiches?

Stickball Sub at Jersey Mike’s is my current favorite. Oil & vinegar w/ banana peppers.

Red beans & rice at Popeyes

Chicken Wild rice soup at Panera

Mozzarella sticks at Arby’s

Sugar free Cherry Limeade at sonic (I hate their food though)

Not sure if it counts as fast food but Peri Peri chicken at Nandos is really good.

Oil and vinegar, R127. Never mayo or mustard.

Pretty much anything from Roy Rogers. Double R bar burger, french fries, chicken, gold rush chicken sandwich

r91,

"Oil"

what kind? I'm no food snob.

Hell, I'd eat diesel oil if it were edible, but is it olive oil? a combination of oils?

There's a Jersey Mike's in Green Bay. I've driven past it a few times but haven't tried it yet and I love subs.

Red Lobster's hamburger.

Hasn't Roy Rogers been closed for a hundred years now?

I like oil & vinegar on my sub, but I also like mayo. You bitches are not going to pull your snobby foodie bullshit on subs.

Do not know about other states but there are Roy Roger's in Maryland

I used to like the Wonton chicken tacos at Applebees, yes I know they came in a package but they were so good.

R131, they call it "an olive oil blend."

You're right R134. I loved Roy Rogers. Thanks for the update. And they still have the Double R Burger.

I used to work in Italian mom & pop delis in high school - Jersey Mike’s is the only chain That comes close to real italian combo subs. Please don’t ruin good Italian combos with mayo.

Subway is disgusting & pitiful. Don’t eat there.

People who put mayo on sub sandwiches belong at Subway, r138.

We got a couple of salads from Firehouse Subs last month and they were amazing. I was kicking myself for not ordering extra and saving them for later.

R140, your waste line thanks you.

🙄^^

Subway smells like ass.

Roy Rogers was revived a few years ago. They have a seemingly random collection of locations.

Cheesecake factory cheesecakes are awful---they are too sweet and lack the tang and richness of the real thing.

Culver's makes a great frozen custard.

Subs definitely should not have mayo. It's as bad as putting mayo on corned beef or pastrami.

A sub is a sandwich. A sandwich can have mayo or oil and vinegar. Either way is just fine.

R146: I'm guessing you live some place like Indianapolis and always put mayo on corned beef.

Corned beef on white, add mayo 😂😂😂

Who cares if people put mayonnaise in a sub sandwich if it tastes good?! I don't like pineapple on pizza but I'm not going to deny many people enjoy it and tell them what they should like. What a bunch of fucking pretentious know-it-alls.

[quote]Cheesecake factory cheesecakes are awful---they are too sweet and lack the tang and richness of the real thing.

I love Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes, but I don't even think of them as being cheesecake. They're like giant slabs of candy bars or something. A real guilty pleasure, but I genuinely wonder if they even contain any cream cheese.

I like the Cheesecake Factory dulce de leche flavor. A while back, they cut way down on the size of the slice.

There is one sub I will eat with mayo. It’s from Capriotti’s and it’s called the Bobbie. It’s freshly roasted turkey, stuffing, and cranberries. I order it without mayo, then put it on at home. It’s surprisingly delicious.

Mayo never "adds" anything to any sandwich to me, except for that creamy mouth feel. It doesn't have much of a taste to me and is nothing but extra fat/calories.

Five Guys is the best burger amongst all the chains.

Five Guys is expensive for what you get, and they insist on wrapping the burgers in foil so it's just a soggy mess. Hard pass.

I like the fried clams at Howard Johnson's. Coffee and pie at Horn & Hardart.

r156 I hope you had a chance to try the huckleberry pie, rice pudding(still the best I ever ate), walnut/cinnamon babka and chicken potpie, which were some of their best and/or most iconic dishes. I miss Horn & Hardart.

The last Howard Johnson's closed just a few weeks ago. No more fried clams, chicken croquettes or 28 flavors of ice cream. 😢

Greg is positively livid while reading this thread. His only solace is in the fact that he's planning an absolutely fabulous light lunch for friends, tomorrow.

My mom (RIP) was quite mindful of what she ate, and a vitamin junkie like no one else I know, but she could not dive past a der Weinerschnitzel without driving through it and ordering a chili cheese dog or two.

The hot dogs at Costco are the best!

[quote]Five Guys is the best burger amongst all the chains.

R154 - do you prefer your food under-seasoned to a lot of people? I'm not saying that to be insulting, but any time I've eaten at Five Guys, I've been struck by how lacking in flavor their burgers are, how (by contrast) tasty and plentiful their fries are and (yes) how crazy expensive they are.

While I only go 4-5 times.a year, I've never had a burger from Red Robin that I didn't like. Other stuff (fries, etc.) was meh, but their burgers are good.

I really enjoy Five Guys as well, but as others have said, it is pricey. Are they better than McDOnald's/Burger King? Yes. Are they better for the money? Meh.

I put mayo on everything (fries, burgers, subs, etc.) so fuck all you pretensious bitches. It adds a slight tang.

It's a rare treat, but the hot dogs at Portillo's are excellent.

The Burrito Ultimo at Baja Fresh is excellent fast food:

r162 If I'm hungry, I'd rather spend almost $20 at Five Guys for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink than go to McDonald's (I don't know the prices there, but I suspect they're not that much cheaper). If I'm not that hungry, or am feeling cheap (even their smallest order of fries is too many), I'll just get a Five Guys cheeseburger ($12.50ish) and a cup of water.

I didn't find Wednesday's bacon cheeseburger underseasoned, as r161 asserts, but the fries seemed to have no salt at all. In addition to bacon, I got ketchup, mustard, pickles, mushrooms, and tomatoes. It was perfect.

For $20, you can get a superior burger at a sit down restaurant.

I was stunned the last time I went to Five Guys - fries alone were over $8. Plus, the portion seemed smaller.

R167, stop that lying. Not that I'm cheap nor broke but you did not pay more $8 bucks for fries unless you were at the airport in France.

We had Chili's tonight, mostly to try the chips and salsa people raved about on this thread, and it was gross. Do not understand the love for their chips and salsa.

You’re crazy, r169.

Maybe it depends on where you live. I'd have to pass 50 Mexican restaurants with better chips and salsa to get to a Chili's. Most are making the chips from scratch made tortillas throughout the day.

SoCal here.

Yeah, I have access to a few different Mexican food places. Plus, I make my own salsa, as well. No, I don't fry my own corn tortilla chips, but my salsa is good. I can't imagine that Chili's has great salsa, but I could be wrong.

The local Mexican places do have much better chips and salsa than Chili's. I was put off by whatever is in the Chili's chips that makes them taste off. I believe it's lime flavor added to the chips. The salsa was also too sweet.

You are all vulgar fat whores, you know.

The cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster. I love them so much I even bought the mix from the grocery store. Tastes just like the biscuits in the restaurant!

Pet Peeves #46: Idiots who have conniptions on how other people eat their food.

Is someone forcing YOU to put mayo on your sub? Or pineapple on your pizza? Or asking you to pay for it?

If not, then mind your own damn business.

And, the worst/most tiresome food fascists: the bloody Italians. "ohamigod! you eatta the food notta the way my Mama told me to eatta the food!!! Bastardo!"

Thank you, R176. The whole fucking point of the thread is to draw attention to things that taste good at basic chain restaurants. The food snobs are destroying the vibe with their pearl-clutching and shaming. Fuck all the way off.

There is always some fun shaming on such threads. Unclench. It's roleplaying honey.

[quote]I was stunned the last time I went to Five Guys - fries alone were over $8. Plus, the portion seemed smaller.

Oh, you were stunned? Really? Don't act like we didn't warn you about what would happen when wages got jacked up to $15-$20/hr.

Labor shortages, wage increases, supply chain issues, escalating costs for food and other expenses = $8 fries. Get used to it.

Five Guys was expensive before the minimum wage raise, so don't try it, r179.

Not THAT expensive, R180.

Wages didn't go up in every state, and in the states they went up in, they generally didn't increase that much, r181. You're just repeating the Five Guys baloney, because some right-winger on Twitter went viral in complaining about it a few days ago.

It's chips and salsa. We're not talking rocket science here. If you've had one salsa, you've had them all.

As a salsa addict you could not be more wrong, r183

When we were younger we visited a McDonald’s in Paris. A gorgeous, toned worker followed us into the bathroom and deposited the tastiest FUDGE into our gaping mouth! Talk about a happy meal! Ecstasy of the naughtiest kind!

Mayo is becoming the new drained pasta.

Mayo always tears this site apart.

lol, r187.

And the sporadic, sectarian rumble that occasionally breaks out between Miracle Whippers and the Mayos is one to behold.

When I read those threads, I imagine myself a woman in a bustled dress, holding a parasol, like those in those pix of spectators watching US Civil War battle.

There hasn't been one in awhile, leading me to believe an eternal truce has been reached.

ooops, meant to cite you too, r186.

I’ll never stop dividing you fat whores!

R65 “On the way home from Provincetown about 5 or 6 years ago I stopped along the highway to take a break.”

“to take a break.” Hmm.

I visited the Chili’s website to order takeout because of this thread and found out the chips and salsa ($5.99) are FREE if you join their rewards program. And it’s free forever, every time you visit or order takeout! Can’t pass up a deal. Imma gonna order everyday and get free chips and salsa everyday!

The egg rolls from Jack in the Box are kind of a random menu item, but they're good and have been on the menu for decades.

People like the JITB tacos (random) as well because they deep fry the entire taco (fillings and all), apparently. I haven't tried that and probably won't ever order it.

Chili's chips and salsa are ok, but I think they're Sysco quality.

The iced tea at chick fil a .

Chicken salad sandwich from Arby’s. Above poster is right about Popeyes red beans and rice…

the trick with chilis is you order the hamburger from their bargain menu (3 for me), with the chips and salsa rewards, so that you can put the crunchy chip into the burger, and dip the burger into the salsa.

Coke Zero Sugar at McDonald’s

I'm usually game for a Blizzard from DQ. Even though you basically have to sell a kidney to buy a large one -- it's like they're selling spun gold when all it is is milk, ice cream, cookie/candy pieces mixed with an immersion blender -- it's still a little bit of alright.

R199 i love the heath-bar blizzard

The DL mayo skirmishes are nothing compared to the pasta wars.

[quote]The KFC wedges that Biden won’t sign an executive order for! Bring them back!

And the KFC buttery bread too!

When they had it, the beef burrito at Taco Bell. It was cheap and good. At some point Taco Bell decided that they wanted to be fancy, and they dropped a lot of their good things.

Did anyone mention the Kung Pao at Panda Express?

The pandemic cured me of eating fast food and fast casual food, That was a service for fat whores like me.

Kewpie mayo is yum.

Chips and salsa are free at almost all Mexican restaurants. Even with delivery.

R205: This hasn't been true for quite a long time.

The local sit-down Mexican places charge for chips and salsa, but if you get an entree, they're free. The taco carts and fast food Mexican places charge for chips and salsa, no matter what else you get. Chili's is the only sit-down restaurant I've been to that charges for chips and salsa. Their queso was also really pricey for what you got. Even faux Mexican Carlos O'Kelly's, which is too expensive for what it is, charges less for their queso.

I can't think of one Mexican restaurant in CA I've been to that charges for chips and salsa. They bring them right when you're seated.

Anyone had the wagyu burger at Arby's?

Have you never been to Chipotle’s?

I'm talking about a sit down restaurant with a server- not a fast food chain.

R209 Just had the wagyu burger ~4 nights ago. Truthfully it was disappointing. It's on the higher-end of delivery burgers (probably comparable with a Hardee's burger) but doesn't come close to Shake Shack/In-n-Out/Whataburger.

JITB deep fried tacos always have been (and still are) so addicting and delicious. I also like their egg rolls as well.

Every few years, I'll get the Jack tacos. I still haven't figured out what's in them, but they are good.

JITB tacos, no meat- I believe it's a soy product.

There is some soy R215. But they also contain beef and chicken.

R209, Yes.

Interesting that when you go to the JITB website, it doesn't mention any protein in the description. Just American cheese, lettuce and sauce.

Someone mentioned this above, but I got a craving for Five Guys. I was shocked at the bill, I left almost $30 in that place.

Jack In The Box tacos are PEOPLE!!!

I'm sure that's why JITB can keep the taco prices so cheap. And whatever percentages in that spread, how much could be in their tacos anyway? A tablespoon maybe.

Italian Margarita - The Olive Garden

R219, for $30 I hope a hot fry cook sucked you dry afterwards.

[quote] I left almost $30 in that place.

For one or two meals? This is unbelievable for fast food.

Yeah, if you only get a burger at 5 Guys it's about $10. Still pretty high, but that's dinner and breakfast for me. So two meals.

Who eats a soggy, leftover burger for breakfast?

Popeyes red beans and rice is like crack.

Wendy’s fries > BK fries > McDonalds fries

Carls/Hardee’s biscuits and sausage gravy – yum

I also like Texas Roadkill’s All American burger.

I’m in Houston. There’s a semi-fast food place that has a great 1/2 pound burger with fries for $10.99. The chicken fried steak comes with two sides and is $14.99. Love the place. And they do take out, delivery, online ordering.

Think I’ve said this before, but 15 years ago Applebees had the best steak, Caesar salad, Mac n cheese, and creamed spinach dinner ever.

R229, this usually happens with successful chains. They are sold multiple times, expand too fast, serve food with cheaper ingredients and end up in the shitter. No idea about Applebee's situation.

I've seen this so many times here, since CA spawns so many chains. Marie Callendar's reduced to frozen foods, Coco's, California Pizza Kitchen, all the way back to Bob's Big Boy sold to Marriott.

Everything from CAVA is delicious. Fresh, healthy, affordable.

R231 wins. Threads closed.

I looked. Applebee's bought by IHOP, which ran several restaurants into BK. Multiple corporations involved.

Fatburger has far better burgers than In and Out.

And r96 you must live near me. That Bob's in Toluca Lake is always busy and not terrible.

R234, actually no. I drive up from Laguna and take my mom.. My parents met there in the late 50s, and for years Bob's were everyplace. It's her favorite burger.

We always get a few jats of relish too.

I do like Patty's also for breakfast.

CAVA will be selling garbage . Give them 5 years.

[quote]Fatburger has far better burgers than In and Out.

Just had a Fatburger last week. They've been my go-to L.A. burger for decades (though I do miss the old stand on La Cienega).

Every time I hear people singing the praises of In-N-Out, I have to wonder at their sense of taste. But I still eat one or two a year, hoping that someday I'll encounter what others rave about. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened. Not only are their burgers completely average, but their fries suck.

[quote]Yeah, if you only get a burger at 5 Guys it's about $10. Still pretty high, but that's dinner and breakfast for me. So two meals.

GTFOOH. You eat half a burger for dinner, and save the other half for breakfast? You eat a soggy, cold, day old burger for breakfast? And you're posting this like it's some sort of hack that justifies a $10 burger? What you're describing is the epitome of dystopian food insecurity.

I usually cut my burger in quarters. One each for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the fourth meal.

r166, I had a $19 burger yesterday at a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, they put so much mayo ("aioli") on it, it got all over my hands, my napkin, my glass. The burger slid away from the top roll. It was disgusting. I couldn't finish it.

I'll take Five Guys double cheeseburger any day, which I order with mushrooms, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, and ketchup.

Five Guys always taste like mush. And it tastes like something I could make at home. There’s no distinctive signature flavor to it. In a blind taste test, no one could tell it’s from Five Guys whereas people could immediately tell the difference between a Whopper, Big Mac, or Double Double Animal Style.

R226 and r238, Get an air fryer. I suppose if you don't finish a large pizza in one sitting you throw the rest out?

Who doesn’t finish a large pizza in one sitting? Are you depressed or something?

R239, lmao, love you.

Leftover pizza is completely different than a leftover hamburger.

OK. Please make me a list of all the foods that are acceptable to put in the fridge and heat up the next day. Chinese? Spaghetti? Meatloaf? A Subway sandwich?

Yes to all those. Except I would never go to Subway. Their bread smells like ass.

So a Subway sandwich with meat, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes is OK to warm up the next day, but a burger with the same ingredients isn't?

You're tedious. Keep warming up leftover hamburger, gramps. Blocked.

OK. Please make me a list of all the foods that are acceptable to put in the fridge and heat up the next day.

[quote]Chinese?

Definitely.

[quote]Spaghetti?

Absolutely!

[quote]Meatloaf?

Yep.

[quote]A Subway sandwich?

Oh, fuck no. No way. Especially one w/mayo on it.

No, Chinese food is better cold the next day. Same with spaghetti and lasagna.

The Italian fast food chain Fazoli's has surprisingly good lasagna. It may be a result of them saving money by skimping on cheese and not adding sugar to the tomato sauce, but it ends up much more in tune with my taste than the pasta at most Italian restaurants. I'll sometimes get their lunch special of a half portion with a Caesar side salad and feel pretty good about the nutritional value of the meal.

Being clear that the context is good within chains, I always thought Hooter's had a number of good things - chips and queso, decent burgers - especially the sliders - and really good wings. Though I'd specify naked wings and then add dry rub or sauce. If you don't specify, Hooter's breads their wings.

For those bringing up CAVA how does it compare to ZOES? CAVA bought ZOES a couple of years ago. I only have ZOES in my area, though there have been rumblings CAVA may convert a couple of them to CAVA. ZOES is definitely one of the more satisfying and flavorful "healthy" fast casual chains out there. Their chicken kabobs and their (reitred?) lamb meatballs were delicious last time I ate there. Lots of fresh, lighter sides to choose from, too.

What r253 said.

Hooter's has good bar food.

Don't eat most of this stuff, but the potato pancakes at Perkins are amazing. More like potato crepes.

Last Popeyes buffet in the world has closed in Lafayette, Louisiana. Sad.

Wonderful food when they had the buffet here in New Orleans.

I’m also addicted to Church’s Fried Chicken. Popeye’s is a real close second.

R238 is totally exists over EVERYONE and is a garbage can dweller or otherwise dumpster whose careful needs orchestrate a selection of field greens as the proprietor's son dashed along the street poking folks on their sides

I think a party featuring a Popeyes's Buffet would be perfect for entertaining a group of fat whores. Don't forget the coconut cake and a candy dish filled with Pepto tablets.

That's...quite the word salad, R259. Are you high?

Bistro Shrimp Pasta at Cheesecake Factory (I have this maybe twice a decade, and it's never changed, and is always good) Avocado Eggrolls at Cheesecake Factory (an institution if you ask me, and better than their cheesecake) Warm Pretzels and TGI Fridays (they always come blazing hot out of the fryer, the bastards) Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta at TGI Fridays, no chicken, extra shrimp, extra cajun butter (a true fat whore's feast)

Diet Pepsi at Taco Bell.

Water - Panera Bread

Taco Bell- regular beef soft tacos; bean and cheese burrito, ask for it with red AND green sauce; potato tacos, burrito supreme. Diet Pepsi is a must. Taco bell breakfast with the potato egg and cheese or egg, bacon and cheese breakfast burrito is great.

Del Taco- still has a taco salad; regular soft tacos are still ok and the turkey tacos (crunchy) are good too. Combo burrito good and the beyond burrito is good. Breakfast is good. Bean burritos are ok.

McD's- chicken nuggets, regular cheeseburger; double cheeseburger; egg mc Muffin or sausage McMuffin with egg; occasionally sausage biscuit. Strawberry sundae, hot fudge or vanilla cone. Diet Coke a must. On cheeseburgers, extra ketchup and extra pickles. Very rarely do I get fries. Shamrock Shake, once a year.

Olive Garden, Pasta e Fagioli and breadsticks with salad.

Pizza Hut - original pan pizza cheese, with extra cheese. Yes I type fat.

Jack in the Box- original tacos. They are like crack and super cheap. Get the hot sauce and side of ranch. Jalapeno poppers with ranch.

Jersey Mikes - Turkey and Provolone, Mike's Way

Subway- turkey breast and ham, or subway club with all the veggies, white cheese, cucumber, pickles, no pepperoncinis or jalapenos. No oil/vinegar and light mayo and mustard. On wheat.

The Toowoomba Pasta at Outback used to be pretty good. I think they got rid of it.

Their hot wings are great, but only if you ask for an extra side of their “hot sauce”, which is really a paste that you have to microwave.

I worked there in college 20 years ago, and this still holds true.

The Diet Coke at my local McD's (two McD's near my house) has been inconsistent. Not enough syrup, not enough carbonation, not enough ice, etc.

McDonalds Coke tastes terrible. Too much cinnamon, not sweet enough.

I doubt there's cinnamon in McD's Coke. Cinnamon flavoring maybe.

Everything on the menu at Pussy’s

The vanilla ice cream cone at McDonald's.

I believe cinnamon is an ingredient in coke

The rest of their food is trash, but Wendy's chocolate frosties are fucking DELICIOUS.

This goes back a while, to the late 70s to be exact, but I used to love the Del Meat Burrito from Del Taco.

I forgot which one, but Alison Roman is a big fan of one of the offerings at Taco Bell.

I’m addicted to McDonalds Diet Coke. I read somewhere that their soda tastes so good because they clean the soda lines regularly. It’s been a few years, but White Castle had a great breakfast sandwich- very fresh, with a real fried egg!

Applebees has nothing but salty garbage but their warm bar pretzels are phenomenal. I skip the cheese dip and dunk in the mustard sauce.

Applebees spinach dip is pretty delicious too, [R276].

"I’m addicted to McDonalds Diet Coke."

R275, I always thought McD's diet Coke tasted different even than "fresh" diet coke (out of a bottle, with clean lines) at other places.

The McDonald's Diet Coke, at least in my area, is not consistent.

Diet Coke at fountains is still sweetened with saccharin. The bottled/canned kind uses aspartame.

R24 Usually ordered a ribeye at Longhorn but ordered their chopped steak and though it was good.

R265 is Chrissy Metz.

Nope, R265 is Janet Jackson.

"I’m also addicted to Church’s Fried Chicken."

I've only been in two, one in suburban St. Louis, the other in Lawnside NJ (Philly SJ suburbs). Both of them were worn out, dated and in dire need of cleaning and remodeling. The chicken was decent, though Popeye's is better.

[quote] made the McDonald's Fish such a classic.

These days contain two ingredients: water and salt, encased in breading.

JITB grilled sourdough burger and curly fries.

"Diet Coke at fountains is still sweetened with saccharin. The bottled/canned kind uses aspartame. "

But McD's fountain Diet Coke tastes different than other fountain Diet Cokes to me, even with the same sweetener.

I will get a Cinnabon once a year. Maybe twice.

Panera has decent cinnamon rolls, r288. I scrape most of the icing off, but they're excellent underneath.

Thank you for the recommendation, R289.