287250 Wed Jun 06 22:33:32 -0700 2001 81 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1544059 Hey everyone, I was discussing this today where I work, and I thought it'd make a good "poll" question for ya'all... 1. Wendys 2. McDonalds 3. Burger King 4. Arbys 5. Sonics 6. In-and-Out 7. Tommy's 8. Jack-in-the-Box 9. Carl's Jr. 10. Der Wienerschnitzel 11. Taco Bell 12. Kentucky Fried Chicken 13. Other (please specify) If you want to give reason for your choice, that's cool...if enough people respond, I'll tabulate and post the results later on... Thanx, Winston Wed Jun 06 22:33:32 -0700 2001 0 Winston Smith 1 1544061 Pollo Tropical -- don't know if it's anywhere else in the country, but it's in Miami. Love their chicken, beans and yuca fries -- and one of the healthier choices in fast food. Wish they were in New York! Wed Jun 06 22:46:45 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Mark 2 1544063 Pollo Tropical Rules. I'd open a franchise in a minute if the company offered them up here. My first choice, barring the avaliablity of PT up north goes to Chick-Fil-a (of which I have only been able to find at the Paramus Park mall). Their chicken sandwich and their nuggets are awesome. And you gotta love those cool waffle fries. My second choice has gotta be Nathans. Great dogs, and their burgers actually taste charcoal broiled. Wed Jun 06 23:02:45 -0700 2001 1544061 0 Jason Perlow 3 1544068 Sometimes -- usually around 2:30 a.m., with a belly full of booze -- nothing hits the spot (or pre-empts a hangover) quite like White Castle. -- Paul Wed Jun 06 23:58:23 -0700 2001 1544063 0 Paul Lukas 4 1544079 Yeah castles can be good. Doubles with cheese and extra pickle for me. I hate the neighborhoods they run most of them in though. For belly bombers my local choice is White Manna in Hackensack. Hardly fast food because you have to usually wait about 10-15 minutes before the cook can get to you, but its well worth it. Thu Jun 07 10:02:50 -0700 2001 1544068 0 Jason Perlow 5 1544126 "Castles" Sir! Thu Jun 07 18:26:00 -0700 2001 1544079 0 Gene 6 1544956 In N Out is the best hands down. I go there anytime a travel to the West coast. I like watching them cut the fries with a press from whole fresh potatoes just before frying. A long time ago, I ate at a Fuddrucker's and it was great. Any inputs? Tue Jul 03 15:32:22 -0700 2001 1544126 0 fatboy 3 1544071 I second the Chix-fil-a. I've only seen them in Phoenix, visiting the Ma-in-law. It's a guilty pleasure. I go to see a movie by myself with the sandwich hidden in my purse. The previews come on and out it comes. Yummy. I'd also like to nominate Popeyes for the spicy fried chicken. Thu Jun 07 01:59:50 -0700 2001 1544063 0 bryan 3 1544450 I'd love to see a Pollo Tropical in Jersey. A coworker and I were talking the other day about how we both missed it. I'd also like to see a Ted's -- a fast-food hot dog chain in Buffalo -- open 'round here. (Sorry, I like Nathan's fries OK but think the dogs are so-so.) Other parts of the country also have regional chains I've enjoyed. Dick's in the Seattle area was great for a bite after downing microbrews while listening to one of the area's awesome bands, and Ivar's used to provide me with many a quick lunch during Lent. As a kid, my favorite fast-food place was a chain called Red Barn, but I haven't seen one in at least 20 years. If one chowhound can pine for Quisp cereal, why can't another like Pollo Tropical or even Wendy's or Chick-Fil-a? Wed Jun 20 16:34:13 -0700 2001 1544063 0 John Piekarski 1 1544062 Winston--I think you're not going to get very far with this sort of poll here. The thing is, while we're none of us snobs here--we like burgers and fries, street carts and quickie noshes--we're really devoted to never settling for obvious, mediocre choices. We'll eat a greasy cheap hamburger, but it's got to taste like beef and it's got to be delicious. And that eliminates nearly all your burger choices. Same for pizza, chicken, etc. It's a LOT harder to find a slightly better burger (or any other given food) than to hit a chain for a bite. Temptation is to settle for something close, fast, convenient, and obviously branded. To name just one hassle, looking for better choices in anonymous places means eating a lot of TERRIBLE stuff while you're searching for the treasure. But that's exactly what we're all devoted to doing here. This site is for people who do that legwork. Those who go out of their way, never settling, never eating what all sorts of marketing and economic forces push us to eat. We go out and find the really GOOD stuff. And here, on this site, we trade the fruits of our knowledge. The really good stuff is never cooked by bored teenagers pushing buttons on fancy machines designed to spit out a uniform product inherently untouched by caring, creativity, or talent. there's got to be someone who cares in the chain, someone with a touch. Someone who's making food for me to eat, caring about how I'll feel about it and talented enough to make that caring manifest. Burger King (et al) is not just devoid of that; it is designed, in every facet of it's operation from bottom up, to strictly avoid any such influence and input. ciao Wed Jun 06 23:01:08 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Jim Leff 2 1544078 Well, Winston seems to have gotten a decent amount of responses thus far. Let's see what happens over the next few days. But I'm troubled by some of the things that Jim wrote about above. For example, just because marketing and economic forces may push us to eat at a particular place or eat a particular food item, it does not automatically make it a bad thing. In fact, my reading of the Chowhound boards over the past year indicates that many members of this community have a fondness or even a desire for some "chained" things. Does that rule them out from being Chowhounds? I believe that one of the goals of this site to encourage people to enjoy eating, so I have no problem if someone believes that a chain or fast food joint provides food that they enjoy, for whatever reason (nostalgia, taste, etc). That said, I think time-and-place considerations are part of the food experience, so despite the goal of Chowhounds to seek out the "good" food, no matter how inconvenient, the reality is that sometimes those options are impossible or impractical. For those occasions, it is important to see the "good" in the convenient locations. Enough ranting. My first choice is the Ranch 1 grilled chicken sandwich, although the honey mustard I get with it has not been as good lately. The fries used to be good when the chain first started opening a bevy of stores in NYC, but most of the time now they end up being a soggy mess. Thu Jun 07 09:50:57 -0700 2001 1544062 0 Abrocadabro 3 1544085 I'm amazed that so many people have responded with actual answers/preferences on favorite fast food places. The only time I'll be stuck in a chain is on the road when there's nothing else on the highway but Roy Rogers and can't take the time to make a detour. But to actually write and say 'this or that chain is my favorite' and then go on to list favorite foods boggles my Chowhound senses! I like fast food on the South New Jersey boardwalks (and used to love Coney Island) or the seafood shacks up and down New England but to me that's part of the hunt. All those chains listed are predictable and boring and by supporting them by eating there contributes to continued mediocrity. I know this may sound strong but that's how I see it. Thu Jun 07 12:03:15 -0700 2001 1544078 0 Ruby 4 1544095 By "predictable and boring" do you mean that because they are predictable, they are boring? If so, in my mind, that has nothing to do with the hunt for good food. Good food and good chowhounding need not necessarily be unpredictable; it just needs to be good, as determined by oneself. If "boring" means you find the food at these types of places to be uninspiring, plain, bland, or just not good, well then, to each their own. Obviously, in limited circumstances and for their own particular reasons, some members of this community disagree. Thu Jun 07 13:35:37 -0700 2001 1544085 0 Abrocadabro 5 1544097 I linked the two words together 'predictable and boring' and after your response I checked a thesaurus to see if I used inappropriate or misleading/confusing words: Predictable--cliched, habitual, routine, ready-made, sterile, stock, unimaginative, uninventive, unoriginal. Boring--drab, dreary, dull, ho-hum, insipid, pedestrian, prosaic, soporific, tedious, vapid. So yes, I stand by my first assessment that fast food restaurants are predictable And boring. But that's just me - I just didn't realize how many other Chowhounds like these places. And now I noticed a new post--we're on to airline food. What next--best gas station or movie snacks as haute cuisine? Thu Jun 07 14:13:42 -0700 2001 1544095 0 Ruby 6 1544100 Funny you should mention gas stations, but there is a true chowhound find in a gas station near Yosemite National Park and this would have to be one of my favorite "fast food" joints. This Mobil station is about 20 minutes east of the park along the road you exit from (bad directions, sorry). The chef there has started to build a real gourmet kitchen in the Mobil station and makes some fabulous food. I had some great fish tacos. Two huge pieces of crisp fried fish with two different sauces, one a sweet salsa (mango or something) and the other savory. I also tasted a seafood stew he was preparing for dinner (very good) and thought about staying when I saw the lleg of lamb he was preparing. Anyone else ever been here? Other favorite fast food: The Yankee Doodle in New Haven (best greasy burger) Louis' Lunch in New Haven (best thick, juicy burger) Thu Jun 07 14:27:53 -0700 2001 1544097 0 AndyK 7 1544106 ....and the Israeli sandwiches in the Amoco (I THINK it's Amoco) station just east of the BQE entrance on the north side of Queens Boulevard are not totally terrible. And there is very good Mexican food in a carwash in El Paso, and good Indo-Mex food at a gas station in Tuba City. "Fast food" has come to mean commercial, mass-market chain operations with counter service. Louis Lunch and Yankee Doodle serve burgers-n-fries, but they're definitely not of that ilk. in fact, gas stations aren't In that biz, either. So except for the Lorna Doones and Pringles and other pre-packaged munchies, any chow you find prepared inside a gas station is, by definition, non-mass market, as I'm not aware of any large-scale commercial operations doing food service in gas stations. That is, they're individual places with individual cooks. Which is to say: territory ripe for quality chow Thu Jun 07 14:50:07 -0700 2001 1544100 0 Jim Leff 8 1544114 Long after I'd left the South for NYC, my dad started talking about this culinary discovery he'd made at this little gas station, out in the country, on the way to my Grandma's. My next trip, he made sure to take me for...collard sandwiches. And were they good!! Home-cooked collards (with that Southern jolt of pork) on homemade fried cornbread. Thu Jun 07 16:11:36 -0700 2001 1544106 0 Dee 9 1544175 Is it still open? I'll go today. Please let me know, the chowmobile's gassed up and ready to go. If it's not open, does anyone make this? Can YOU make this? Fri Jun 08 14:41:30 -0700 2001 1544114 0 Jim Leff 10 1544227 Alas, that little station is no more. But if you can make collards and cornbread, you should be able to make a decent collard sandwich. The collards have to be cooked Southern style--that is, simmered for a couple of hours with a chunk of saltpork, maybe 2 ounces per pound/pound and a half of collards. I've never measured and should add that it's been years since I've cooked them this way. Salt, pepper, and a smidgen of sugar. My brother-in-law is the king of fried cornbread in our family and he just mixes cornmeal with buttermilk or milk, s&p, and fries up his corn pancakes in vegetable oil. (A touch of bacon drippings wouldn't hurt.) The batter should be more like pancake batter, not as stiff as if you were making baked cornbread. Generally, I prefer the baked cornbread but it might not be coarse enough to hold together with the collards. You want some pot likker. Perhaps a recipe using just cornmeal, no flour, would do the trick. And I wouldn't use any sugar in the cornbread. Hope this helps. Sun Jun 10 09:21:53 -0700 2001 1544175 0 Dee 8 1544157 Just over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on the Eastern Shore of Virginia is a fast food/gas station (really an appropriate description) called The Stingray that makes great greasy burgers. Fri Jun 08 11:46:09 -0700 2001 1544106 0 rossi 8 1544163 While I pump gas at the Exxon on 9th ave and 23rd street, the little window on the pump says "TRY OUR NEW ESPRESSO AND HOT DOGS!!!" Maybe I should check it out! :-) Fri Jun 08 12:45:05 -0700 2001 1544106 0 keith k 6 1544101 Ouch...I was really sorry for that last line. Really great gas station or movie snacks ARE haute cuisine, so far as I'm concerned, and for you too, I'd expect. You're referring, I think, to the standard movie snacks and the standard gas station food, which is as unappealing, in its way, as the standard slick expensive midtown bistro. Of course, there's a difference between finding an aberrant situation where some maverick serves amazing stuff in an otherwise predictable and boring setting/genre/niche, and saying that Loews, or Delta, or Burger King are really great. Me? I'm a relativist, I appreciate diverse opinion. And I respect the opinions of those who dig the chicken florentine on TWA or the personal pan pizza(TM) at Pizza Hut, or the latest additive-injected, mass-produced, factory-engineered, marketed-up-the-wazoo menu addition at any given chain operation. But while this site can tolerate the postings of those with such predilections (we're about finding the best alternative in any/every setting, be it airlines, chains, hyperexpensive semi-private sushi places, five star plusheterias or Ecuadorian cuy joints), actual ENTHUSIASM for airline food or big mass market chains is a bit jarring in the context of this site. It's not that we're snobs; we just have aversion to food that, inherently, has no human touch. It's that human touch that, for most of us, creates the all-essential quality of "deliciousness". So while there are definitely lesser evils in these realms, they're realms many of us simply ignore (though hope always remains that something great might sneak into a realm we'd previously dismissed). ciao Thu Jun 07 14:33:31 -0700 2001 1544097 0 Jim Leff 7 1544109 Hi Jim, No argument from me...great gas station or movie snacks might be haute cuisine if prepared well and with a human touch. I was just using them as examples off the top of my head. After sending my other posts, I realized I DO have one favorite chain...it was called Mildred's and was shown in that great Joan Crawford movie "Mildred Pierce" - of course Mildred's doesn't exist but it would have made a great fast food chain with many wannabe Joan/Mildreds out there. Hey Lips or Lucky Cheng's -- are ya listening? :) Thu Jun 07 15:03:00 -0700 2001 1544101 0 Ruby 6 1544110 Funny you should mention movie snacks. I was just reading an article about how KRh Thermal Systems LLC are attempting to convince the major theater chains that their patrons really want to be chowing down on their Breakfast Pockets with Potato Stix and Turkey and Cheese Calzones cooked with their revolutionary hot air system, rather than gobbling up handsful of Golden Topping-y clog-o-licious popcorn. I had a roommate who subsisted entirely on Hot Pocket-esque food like that. There's a reason she's not my roommate anymore. Link: http://www.krhthermal.com/HOTChoice_tour.htm Thu Jun 07 15:35:31 -0700 2001 1544097 0 Kat Kinsman 3 1544090 "But I'm troubled by some of the things that Jim wrote about above. For example, just because marketing and economic forces may push us to eat at a particular place or eat a particular food item, it does not automatically make it a bad thing" to clarify, I never said that. The chowhound rallying cry is "deliciousness is deliciousness". Nothing is ever spurned if it's good. But chowhounds don't eat where we're told, we eat where our strategizing, knowledge, and/or intuition tell us we'll find the best stuff. If you find us waiting in line for the trendiest place in town that's been hyped to death, we do so because we have savvy reason to think it's great, in spite of the fact (not because of the fact) that it's the trendiest place in town. If we eat at a chain, it's because there's something specific there we happen to consciously value, not because it's convenient and familiar and, gosh, the lasagna sure looked enticing in those Olive Garden commercials....or because of some vague, semi-conscious yearning to have ourselves dipped into some safe, hermetic, manufactured Italian [sic] cultural experience. We do not allow others to dictate our consumer decisions; we make our choices out of sober free will. As for nostalgia, same thing. We create our own individual nostalgias; we reject marketing attempts to create our nostalgia for us. I have no fond memories whatsoever of having been the Pepsi Generation, and I don't harken back to the loving family experience of my parents sharing the great taste of McDonald's with me as a kid. I can recite the "two all beef patties, special sauce..." jingle as fluently as any child of the eighties, but it doesn't make me pine for a damned Whopper. I've disconnected. Thu Jun 07 12:32:20 -0700 2001 1544078 0 Jim Leff 2 1544080 "The really good stuff is never cooked by bored teenagers pushing buttons on fancy machines designed to spit out a uniform product inherently untouched by caring, creativity, or talent." Overheard in a BUrger King once: scenario: 3 bored teenagers reaching over each other to get at the burgers as they slide down those metal chutes from the grillman teen1: You're in my way, I can't get to the food. teen2:[with disgust and perfect comic timing] This isn't food. Thu Jun 07 10:07:17 -0700 2001 1544062 0 keith k 2 1544486 Jim: Given your original response to Winston, are you distressed at the length of this thread? Does this indicate that too many members of this community do not understand what it means to be a chowhound, or is it that even fastfood/chains can and do have chowhoundish qualities? Thu Jun 21 10:16:47 -0700 2001 1544062 0 Abrocadabro 3 1544530 Interesting question. Frank answer is that IMO there are three factors (and three groups of people) accounting for the profusion of this thread: 1. chowhounds strategize to do the very best they can under any given set of edible circumstances. We've had some chowhoundish contributions to the thread demonstrating their propensity to suss out unlikely pearls among otherwise irredeemable inedibility. 2.. Chains and fast food are in the public eye a whole lot more than the grandma places, the treasured places, the places producing deep deliciousness. Burger King, Olive Garden, etc are the only restaurant brand name common denominators we all share. So discussion of that ilk draws more discussion than discussion of The Arepa Lady or La Palma Mexicatessen or even Union Square Cafe, especially among the less chowhoundish of us. 3. just like many chefs eat garbage in their spare time(per another thread on this board), hounds have their guilty pleasures, as well....and we've just been inundated with a whole lot of them. Hopefully the confession felt good for people. And, hopefully, thus cleansed, we can go forward with our usual discussion of the really delicious alternatives for those eager to transcend the slick, corporate, highly-marketed obvious choices. ciao Thu Jun 21 20:50:11 -0700 2001 1544486 0 Jim Leff 4 1544534 Jim, A masterful analysis of the threads, and confessional to boot! Freud & the confessional--is that a soul hat-trick? Thu Jun 21 22:31:08 -0700 2001 1544530 0 berkleybabe 4 1544559 Jim, I still think that you're exhibiting a kind of "food-snobbishness" that may be anti-chowhoundish. If to be a true chowhound is to seek out deliciousness, why is there a rule that deliciousness cannot be found in "slick, corporate, highly-marketed obvious choices?" It may be less likely, but just because something is low-profile doesn't mean it's good, and I think the converse is true as well. I think that there are some fast-food chains that are genuinely delicious, and a chowhound would not necessarily dismiss something as "garbage" merely because it is mass-produced or made from artificial ingredients. (Though some chowhounds prefer to stay away from those things for health reasons, I don't think it should really factor into the pure deliciousness equation) The final problem is that deliciousness is not absolute. One person's deliciousness is another's bane. I just think that since we have a creed of non-food-snobbishness, we should not dismiss other people's deliciousness offhand (though it is more than acceptable to indicate a strong personal preference otherwise) Fri Jun 22 11:09:57 -0700 2001 1544530 0 Caitlin Wheeler 5 1544573 Don't think so. Is there anybody out there who, when biting into a McDonald's hot apple pie, shuts his/her eyes, pounds the table with his/her fist, and shouts "MAN, that's good?!?" is there anybody who, upon sinking teeth into anything at Wendy's or Popeye's or any of the rest of them, immediately gets an urge to call all their friends and have them drop everything and come over right now and TRY THIS?? No, don't think so. And that's the feeling chowhounds seek. Of course, every meal can't be a home run (though what we---and this site--are about is TRYING, relentlessly, to make them all home runs), and sometimes we're stuck trying to find the best of evils. Ok, we've found some better evils. And we've revealed some guilty pleasures (I don't think the chefs in that other thread would tell you that their Banquet Frozen Fried Chicken is, like, really GOOD...it's just compulsive feeding fodder). But, sorry. In spite of my relativism in terms of food, I don't think fast food and chain food is simply a different variety of deliciousness. It is engineered in every facet of operation to prevent any sort of human touch from creeping into the process, and that human touch is what makes food great. It is mechanized, standardized, highly-processed food product whose additives and marketing are exquisitely well-designed to invoke a compulsive, hypothalamic response. it has nothing to do with "deliciousness". But, hey, that's the first time anyone ever accused me of being a food snob! Fri Jun 22 11:55:43 -0700 2001 1544559 0 Jim Leff 6 1544597 Jim, while I usually defer to you in all things food, I have to disagree this time. I DO rave about the biscuits at Popeye's , about the milkshakes at Steak-n-Shake and the turkey sandwiches at Lion's Choice. Does this make me a gourment, not at all. But I still feel chow-ish about myself, biscuits or not. Fri Jun 22 16:36:04 -0700 2001 1544573 0 marie 7 1544599 Hey, just cuz I run this site doesn't make me the Final Arbiter on all things chowhoundish. I've never tried Steak-n-Shake or Lion's Choice. And I agree the biscuits at Popeye's are pretty good, albeit only in the south. But do you think they can compete with biscuits made fresh in the oven in really excellent soul food joints, boarding houses, and tea rooms? If so, you'll have no argument from me (at least re: chowhound credos). If not, I'd insist that it's worth going out of one's way for even marginally more delicious alternatives. But wait a sec....isn't it Hardees or Big Boy that's known through the south to make relatively estimable biscuits? Fri Jun 22 16:52:14 -0700 2001 1544597 0 Jim Leff 8 1544739 And the onion rings at Popeyes (using the same seasoning as the fried chicken) is wonderful when made fresh. And they usually are during off-hours. It can take 15 minutes to get them, but they are better than 95% of the onion rings I've eaten. Mon Jun 25 23:00:03 -0700 2001 1544599 0 Dave Feldman 9 1545156 Had a delicious Spicy Fried chicken thigh at Popeye's tonight. The biscuit that came with was not in top form, but I have had it better there before. I think the location makes a big difference. The one that's usually happening is on 48th and 7th Ave near Time Square. Can't say I've had juicier fried chicken than that.("Churches" in Houston comes close) On the other hand, a few block east, on 45th or 46th between 5th ave and 6th, there's another Popeyes that's very sad, not even relatives-in-law to the one on 48th street. Wed Jul 11 01:12:37 -0700 2001 1544739 0 HLing 10 1545158 I think the key to most fried chicken places is turnover. If they don't have fast turnover, they'd better make chicken to order. I've noticed that high-traffic Popeyes tend to be superior to small ones, and I assume turnover is the key. Wed Jul 11 02:31:59 -0700 2001 1545156 0 Dave Feldman 11 1545165 I have four words for the two you: "Harold's Fried Chicken Shack" all over the south side of chicago, if ever there it should not be missed Wed Jul 11 10:42:36 -0700 2001 1545158 0 zim 12 1545168 Don't know Chicago at all, but might visit Northwestern campus in August. Would there be any "Harold's Fried Chicken Shack" near by? Wed Jul 11 12:02:00 -0700 2001 1545165 0 HLing 8 1545147 So, I thought long and hard about your reply this weekend when I had a biscuit craving. "I'm going to redeem myself," I said, "and I'm driving to the best biscuit place I know." So I packed my husband and friends for a 45 minute car ride, across the Mississippi into Illinois for biscuits. The Eckerts Orchard in Belleville, IL also runs a small family-style restaurant. So we feasted on fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, BLTs, and chicken fried steak. We passed around bowls of fresh green beans (mushy w/ bacon and onions, just like Grandma made, but certainly not how I cook), mashed potatoes, fresh fresh tomatoes, cucumbers. A fantastic meal. And to top it off, we consumed 3 orders of deep-fried biscuits and apple-peach butter. These biscuits have more in common w/ the begnaits (spelling?) of my New Orleans days than with the biscuits I used to love at Dunbars. But, they are beyond delish. Here's the problem...I gotta drive a significant distance to get these biscuits. So, when I need a quick fix that is reliable and yummy, I go to Popeyes. And frankly, sometimes the craving is a specific fast-food craving. But when I have a few hours to kill, which isn't all that frequent, I'll make the trek. But, you are right...a good biscuit is worth the trip! If ever you are in St. Louis, please let us know -- there's lots of great chow! Tue Jul 10 16:49:52 -0700 2001 1544599 0 marie 9 1545155 Makes sense to me. While one never wants to settle for undeliciousness, there are gradations of self-indulgence to suit a variety of circumstances. Chowhounds tend to push themselves very high up that curve of declining results--it's a defining feature of who we are. But I, for example, sometimes settle for Alpha Donuts (which are merely very good) when I can't summon the energy to run the 40 miles to Westport for the ambrosial chocolate numbers at Coffee An' I don't kick myself over this (at least not much), nor should you. ciao Wed Jul 11 00:38:54 -0700 2001 1545147 0 Jim Leff 3 1544547 I believe the most recent wave of additions are a result of the Food and Wine Backwire I received yesterday highlighting this thread. Fri Jun 22 10:12:53 -0700 2001 1544486 0 Gregg 4 1544574 Right-o, Gregg. But it got a lot of user attention even before that. but...y'know what? there's some useful info in this thread. A few obscure fast food places, a few lesser-known things to order at less obscure ones. It's not a total loss. I just sure hope people don't think this is, like, the main thrust of the site. We've got sixty gajillion other topics spinning around here, from North Korean dumplings to secret tamale ladies to reservations strategies re: Ducasse and Nobu. Fri Jun 22 11:58:43 -0700 2001 1544547 0 Jim Leff 5 1544581 That's how I found it and why I hit it 3 times a day. I personally love the diversity and cannot wait to return to NYC with Chowhound in hand (printed of course). BTW, Steak 'n Sheak is my favorite fast (fat) food. Yummy. Fri Jun 22 12:51:01 -0700 2001 1544574 0 Gregg 6 1544583 "cannot wait to return to NYC with Chowhound in hand" But where are you when you're NOT in NY? And why can't we convene a quorum of hounds out your way to put heads together and suss out the best options? The goal of this site is to find the good stuff everywhere, so no hound will ever again need to face undeliciousness. Sure, you might have to go a few miles out of your way, but if people think they've gotta fly to NY/SF/LA/NO/Chi/Boston to eat well, that's just not right! ciao Fri Jun 22 13:00:11 -0700 2001 1544581 0 Jim Leff 1 1544066 Per your list - #1 thru 12 - my choice is None. I guess I'll pick #13 'other' which I define as "anything other than a chain" as I'm totally allergic to chains. By the time they become chain restaurants they are devoid of taste, personality and any local color. Chains are interchangeable and take the fun/discovery out of eating for me. I feel the same way about shopping malls and avoid them whenever I leave Manhattan. I know--what a snob! Wed Jun 06 23:39:19 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Ruby 1 1544069 Is Boston Market fast food? It's a couple of bucks more than the places on your list, but it's fast and not too bad. Thu Jun 07 01:19:31 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Chimayo Joe 1 1544072 Odd fodder for Chowhound I will occasionally grab a bite at Jack in the Box, Wendies or Carls Jr. A&W from time to time also. These moments are born more of neccesity than anticipation. I look forward to food of exceptional quality and character. Fast food chains don't fill that bill. A "Mc meal" is a poor choice nutrition wise as well. Chow!!! Thu Jun 07 02:23:05 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Brandon Nelson 1 1544074 White Castle!!! greasy and good. Thu Jun 07 07:16:06 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Gene 1 1544075 I don't eat at any of those places, ever. I'd rather be hungry. I live in NYC, food is available. OTOH, if by "fast food" you mean "food that you can get fast and eat fast" rather than "chain restaurants" then you might get some interesting answers here. There have been discussions of food carts, falafel stands, etc. At Menkui Tei, a Japanese noodle shop I eat at about once a week, I can order, eat, pay, and be done in about 25 minutes. That's fast. At Sophie's Cuban Restaurant, if I go before it gets crowded, it takes about 30 minutes. Thu Jun 07 08:11:10 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Peter 2 1544081 My absolute favorite fast-food restaurant is the McDonalds in France that the activist farmer Jose Bove set afire. I love it for aesthetic reasons, not gustatorial. Thu Jun 07 10:47:18 -0700 2001 1544075 0 Allan Evans 3 1544219 Wow I thought that people who set fires to buildings were called arsonists, not activists. Chow!!! Sat Jun 09 21:00:20 -0700 2001 1544081 0 Brandon Nelson 1 1544082 #1)White Castle is so weird and wonderful, it doesn't even belong in the list with the others. #2)Wendy's when I can't find a White Castle. Their spicy chicken sandwich and fries (biggie size) are alright with me. Thu Jun 07 10:54:10 -0700 2001 1544059 0 keith k 1 1544087 Easy, In-n-Out! No question. Check out L.A. board for rapturous reviews. I'm guessing all the posters here are East Coasters who haven't enjoyed the transcendent experience that is an IN-n-out burger -- In-N-Out is so much better (and famouly fresher) than its competitors that its very superiority warrants a poll. Just to show its value by comparison. No I'm not a stock-holder. In fact it freaks me out that the company is owned by Christian evangelicals. Plus, their fries suck. But so important are their burgers to the w coast landscape that I nonetheless regard In-N-OUt as a culinary temple... Thu Jun 07 12:16:29 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Rafi 1 1544120 Like everyone, I sometimes eat chain food. There are times when I have no choice--I'm stuck on a freeway in the middle of nowhere, or I'm late and the only place that's quick enough on my way to where I'm going is a Jack in the Box. And once or twice I've been drunk enough to eat anything. But I can remember that there was a time, not too long ago, before these boring and predictable places were the only choices. When I was a kid, in my home town there was a hole in the wall hamburger joint (chips, no fries) that offered simple burgers with one choice--onions or not. They were fried to order and cost a quarter and were great. I've never had a whopper or a big mac etc that even come close. And every town of any size would have other fast, independent drive ins and small family restaurants. I also remember two exquisite fine-dining restaurants that my parents would spend half an hour driving to because the food was so good. Now I'm not saying that all these restaurants in all these places were great--they weren't. But they were all unique. Each of them was a little different than the similar places in the next town. And some of them did make real memorable, interesting food. Chain restaurants, on the other hand, are soulless and repetitive. Instead of each restaurant presenting us with new possibilities, chains reduce our choices and the variety of our eating experiences. And we need to remember that each chain restaurant is taking the place of at least one unique family restaurant. I have read other postings here from people who write that in the rural area they live in, all they have is a Red Lobster or an Olive Garden, and they say if it wasn't for this corporate eatery, they would have no place to eat out. But we need to consider why this phenomenon exists. If a Red Lobster or an Olive Garden can survive in that location, a real restaurant could also. If the area didn't have a boring, corporate restaurant, it might well have someplace good and unique. When I was in high school, our town got a Taco Bell. Within a year, the much superior local Mexican place had closed and moved to a bigger city. So by getting a Taco Bell, we lost some good food. When you go to a real restaurant, your money goes to the owners, the chef (or cook), the waitpeople, and the landlord. When you go to a chain, very little of your money goes to the underpaid exploited kids who work there. And a lot of it goes to headquarters to pay for more of the advertising propaganda that tries to convince us that a sandwich with a coliform-laced desicated meat patty and gooey sauce, plus greasy, tasteless, mushy centered potato strips and a flavored caffeinated sugar water beverage constitute a "value meal" and are worth paying 5 dollars for. And what's worse is that these television ads are often aimed at children who are too young and innocent to realize that the smiling man in the clown suit is poisoning them with fat and sodium. Kids are promised "happy meals" and playrooms and good times and are fed unhealthy garbage. And nobody calls this exploitation what it should be called: child abuse. And then when these gastronomically challenged kids grow up, having so rarely eaten good, real food, they will continue to patronize corporate junk food, making it harder for real restaurants to survive, and making it harder for those of us who care about what we eat to find good food. And I worry that as this corrupted generation gets older, soulless mechanization will eventually gobble up the last outposts of affordable artisan cookery--like Asian restaurants (and there are already chains serving Chinese-type food) and more and more places in the country will only have a dozen bad choices like those that Mr. Smith lists. Thu Jun 07 17:43:43 -0700 2001 1544059 0 e.d. 2 1544122 I think this has been discussed ad nauseum here in prior discussionson fast food restaurants, but the point is that no one is forced to go to a Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc. The reason there are no other options in some areas is that this is the type of food the vast majority of Americans want. The fault lies not in the corporate food giants, but in ourselves. Thu Jun 07 18:16:32 -0700 2001 1544120 0 rjka 2 1544337 "But we need to consider why this phenomenon exists. If a Red Lobster or an Olive Garden can survive in that location, a real restaurant could also. If the area didn't have a boring, corporate restaurant, it might well have someplace good and unique." This argument overlooks a key point about restaurants. If the area didn't have a boring, corporate restaurant, it might well have something worse. If you have someone who can run a restaurant and cook reasonably well, they may not want to stick around the area. Even if they do, they may not be able to retain staff. The advantage (and disadvantage from the creativity POV) that the chains have is the methodology. You don't need someone who can create a new restaurant, nor people that can create and execute new recipes. You just need drones that can follow directions reasonably well. I have seen little holes in the wall start off great, really tasty, then decline rather quickly as problems with consistency, quality, etc., develop. Either the owner lost interest or tried to get a life by hiring and training others to take over (even part-time, resulting in the inconsistency). Despite its soullessness and predicability, I have to admit a strange yen for a Taco Bell bean burito or a Burger King Double Whopper every so often. (Oh the shame) Fri Jun 15 17:44:25 -0700 2001 1544120 0 Fred Vinson 1 1544131 In N Out. Hands down. Thu Jun 07 20:55:03 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Lisa Bee 1 1544309 There's a new spot here, I think it is a Midwest chain only - Culver's. Good "butter burgers" and great frozen custard. Wed Jun 13 15:34:16 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Susan/Nissi 1 1544472 Fatburger! I believe this hamburger chain is only on the west coast. Sorry guys. Thu Jun 21 01:30:05 -0700 2001 1544059 0 ckflournoy 1 1544474 Sonic, though there are none where I live. Love the Chocolate Malt. Checkers is another good one. Also, none where I live. Thu Jun 21 06:54:12 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Nancy Long 1 1544480 I'm from the Atlanta area and to me, the one and only fast food restaurant has to be Chick-fil-a! The world's best chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. Link: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/ Thu Jun 21 09:25:48 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Lisa 1 1544481 Jack-in-the-Box...so different from the rest and the tacos are king!!! real "Milk" shakes and all the food is cooked to order so it is usually hot... Thu Jun 21 09:55:54 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Mr Luffett 1 1544484 In 'N Out is by far the best fast food restaurant. Although Chick-fil-A runs a close second. What I wouldn't give to have either (or both ;-) here in NYC? Thu Jun 21 10:14:58 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Jenn Becker 1 1544491 BurgerKing for burgers,Steak N Shake in our area and Arbys for non-burgers Thu Jun 21 10:56:55 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Sharon L.Folkerts 1 1544495 maui tacos. make the very best tacos, and have a huge salsa bar complete with cilantro and limes. but thats in hawaii, here my favorite place is erics cafe in moscow id, best burgers piled high with onions and cheese. and they make their own curly fries and fresh milkshakes. oh the way those frys taste slathered in their secret sauce. yow!!! Thu Jun 21 11:38:03 -0700 2001 1544059 0 mr ranchcuisine 2 1544533 There is a Maui Tacos in San Antonio now, though I haven't tried them yet. Thu Jun 21 22:17:59 -0700 2001 1544495 0 Kirk Williams 3 1544536 I saw one in Manhattan on Fifth Ave near the Empire State Building, a tourist fast-food alley extraordinaire, and said to myself, "Maui Tacos? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" At least I now know it actually originated in Hawaii. Thu Jun 21 22:40:01 -0700 2001 1544533 0 Caitlin McGrath 1 1544500 I have to go with Popeye's chicken. It used to be KFC, but you can tell that by being swallowed up by Pepsi, being incorporated with Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (both of whom as well used to be a lot better) has done a great disservice to the overall quality of the chicken and sides there. Popeye's is consistently flavorful, well proportioned and enjoyable. What all fast food should be. The simple choosing between spicy or mild eases the whole crispy, original, tender roast or honey bbq quagmire that is KFC. The mashed potatoes w/gravy, red beans and rice, biscuits and buffalo nuggets (new to the menu) are great additions to a meal. Overall, Popeye's gets an A. Thu Jun 21 12:09:18 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Brett 1 1544508 Wendy's is just the best....at least in this part of the country. They're clean (#1), they're fast (#2) and their food really tastes great and is good for you!!!! PS. No I don't work for Wendy's or the corporation, I just had to eat on the go alot when I was working and now that I'm retired........I still eat at Wendy's. Thanks for listening. Thu Jun 21 14:43:20 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Sharon McFadden 1 1544510 Wendy's Thu Jun 21 14:46:21 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Teri 1 1544517 Here are some write ins -- Popeye's. I think this may actually be worth going out of your way for, despite it's chainness. Tommy's in CA -- I don't know if this counts, since it's not a nat'l chain, but oh my their chili burgers El Pollo Loco -- Is this still around? Baja Fresh in Cali. I also love the ham and cheese biscuit at Arby's for breakfast, but I am a biscuit addict. I think overall, California has the best fast food chains -- In N Out, Fatburger, Baja Fresh, El Pollo Loco. Thu Jun 21 16:20:31 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Caitlin Wheeler 2 1544588 I just wanted to second the notion about California's fast food chains. I know most of the posters here tend to have this 'anti-corporate' mentality, that once a restaurant opens up a second store, it immediately becomes crap, but there are some places out there who do it right, and they all seem to be in California. I never realized it until I moved east. It's not fair to generalize. The 'corporate world' is not out there to ruin your dining experience. It is diverse, and there is good to be found. In California. My list: In N Out, Rubio's, Tommy's. Even Carls Jr. would be a more than welcome addition to the fast food scene out here. Fri Jun 22 14:30:07 -0700 2001 1544517 0 Mateo 1 1544531 The roast beef is tender and has much less fat than hamburger, and in my opinion, the sandwich is tastier. It does not have to have an assortment of condiments to make it a great sandwich. Thu Jun 21 20:51:45 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Lorene Tom 1 1544532 Popeyes Fried Chicken....Best chicken, great biscuits,red beans and rice, dirty rice...What else needs to be said? Thu Jun 21 22:11:20 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Kirk Williams 1 1544535 Wendy's Thu Jun 21 22:36:37 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Susan 1 1544540 Taco Bell - Good tasting, filling, inexpensive In and Out - Hambergers and French Fries a simple menu and well done. Arbys - Consistant good food and always discount coupons. Not on list: H Salt Fish & Chips - As authentic as you can get and be in USA. Taste good and is fresh. Chips (french fries) are great. Fri Jun 22 02:16:00 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Neil Pettigrew 1 1544549 wish it were on lovely *cough cough* long island, but sadly it's not. i'll have to say sonic...can't beat a 48oz cherry limeade in 90 degree weather :o). Fri Jun 22 10:33:34 -0700 2001 1544059 0 RMR 1 1544609 For me, Jack in the Box is the hands-down winner. Give me an Ultimate Cheeseburger, and I am happy all day long. This sandwich is the epitome of guy chow: two patties, four slices of cheese, mayonnaise, and NOTHING ELSE. (Am I still allowed to say "yummy" on this post?) Add a side order of jalapeno poppers and a milkshake to round out both the meal and the physique. Fri Jun 22 22:22:41 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Mike Bender 1 1544613 Taco Bell because it is probably the best fast food nutritionally speaking. Sat Jun 23 02:17:38 -0700 2001 1544059 0 La Dawn Smith 1 1544633 Depends on my mood: Taco Bell: the most food for the least money with them most nutrients McDonalds: best toys in kids meals and coolest playgrounds, but a bit pricey jack in the box: great food, a bit expensive, but the western cheeseburger rules among the 99cents deals El Pollo Loco: Best Chicken, very healthy, but kinda costly Sat Jun 23 22:27:05 -0700 2001 1544059 0 claudia 1 1544641 my favorite fast food restuarant is dairy queen, love those fat not free salads. Sun Jun 24 01:17:49 -0700 2001 1544059 0 e. gib 1 1544755 El Pollo Loco - Don't know if they have it everywhere, but here in Los Angeles there are many. Flame cooked chicken, which you can get with corn or flour tortillas, very fresh salsa, pinto beans, black beans, Spanish rice, etc. Del Taco - I have to admit that I love their soft chicken taco. Not many of them around though. (the resturant, not the taco) Zankou Chicken - another LA place. Incredible rotisserie chicken served with an amazing garlic sauce. You can't beat it. Link: http://www.elpolloloco.com Tue Jun 26 04:19:05 -0700 2001 1544059 0 Natalie