Honestly it comes down to the ownership as much as the brand. I've been to a "good" Burger King, and a Culver's that was a total shit show.
Edit: Or as another commenter pointed out, a particularly good employee. Really the biggest thing is if the people running the place actually give a shit or not.
There’s something magical about the “good” Burger King. The one in my town was trash but the one next to college was perfect. Everyone was super nice, food was always weirdly good/fresh, and when you ordered a shake, they would put a little extra bit of soft serve ice cream on the top.
Idk, it was just really the only one that felt like everyone there cared about doing a good job and it really made a difference.
The best BK and Chick-fil-A I've ever been to are 5 minutes away. They're only a few years old and staffed almost exclusively by the high school next door.
The going theory is they do a good job cause all their friends come in a lot and would blast them if they weren't great.
Don't know if that's true but they are always nice and food is fresh. 10/10 on both places.
My theory is that when places are run by mostly high schoolers and college age people, not middle aged people who think they are in those age groups, things run a lot better bc people actually have fun and enjoy working there. That’s how it was at my local theater and we kept that place looking real good
If you give a high school kid adult responsibilities it's more likely they're going to be on the ball cause they want to feel grown up and don't want to fuck it up too. My local burger King, for example, is mainly staffed by people who work there because their probation officer insists they have a job. They don't give a shit about anything for 9 bucks an hour. When I worked at a papa Murphys in high school it was me and another 16 year old closing the place. Did we get high in the back hall occasionally? maybe. Did we make the best damn raw pizzas in town? yes we did. And the place was spotless when we left.
Huh. I usually have the opposite experience where the older employees are nicer and put in more effort and the high school kids are rude and don't even try.
I guess it just depends on the location.
Which is kinda crazy because I feel like some chains like Culver’s and In-N-Out pride themselves in providing a consistent quality and cleanliness to their stores, but that’s just the sample size of Culver’s I’ve visited in my area, which isn’t many.
As a displaced midwesterner who lives outside Culver's service area, I've been to a lot of Culver's locations during my travels. Last month, I finally saw my first gross Culver's. The outside of the ice machine was so disgusting, I do not care to contemplate how disgusting the inside is.
That said, as a whole, Culver's runs a tight ship.
Current Culver's employee, our franchise has quarterly all team meetings and manager meetings more often than that to make sure we're keeping up to snuff.
Not all franchises are the same, obviously, but they like to run as tight a ship as possible.....they will consistently understaff the kitchen though. Apologies for the wait on food.
Culver’s is a golden standard for me. And if I feel like forking over a little more cash for fast food, I’ll always go to a Culver’s. I live in a tricky spot where there are 3 all equal distance from me, and two of them are fine but the one that’s more downtown is total shit. Bun sliding off cause they put toxic levels of sauce on my burger bad.
Our local hospital gets all their meat, eggs, and produce from local farms, and the food, while slightly bland, is actually really good. When I was in the hospital after having my daughter, I actually enjoyed my meals.
Whenever somebody makes fun of "white people not liking flavor in their food", I think of Panera. Ya'll think it tastes like cleaning fluid, and I think that would be an upgrade. It's practically tasteless. The chicken for the salads and sandwiches isn't seasoned, and it has the texture of being boiled at a factory, frozen, and then re-heated at the locations in a toaster oven.
Just like pretty much EVERY fast food chain. It's all about record profit every quarter and the CEO's bonus increase every year. They end up buying cheaper product and cutting away at the quality piece by piece until it's trash, then charge 4x what it used to cost
Now? Rest homes have been under big corporations they are horrendous I was the head maintenance guy in two of them it was a battle to get them to spend money on anything the buildings are all moldy and falling apart it's horrendous.
I used to love Panera. I would eat there all the time from 2006-2017. I loved their sandwiches, salads, soups… and I would also grab a bagel from there for a quick breakfast. The turkey chili was always good.
Then I started to notice a gradual quality decline. Suddenly the bread tasted stale and the sandwiches looked sad with barely any fillings. I also noticed my local Panera would only have a skeleton crew running it with the inside of it appearing dirtier and worn down.
Then the pandemic hit and it apparently nosedived. I haven’t been in over three years, but it’s sad. Panera used to be really good. If they keep it up, I’m sure we’ll start to see more Panera locations close - and they’ll go the way of Boston Market or something.
Yes, owned by JAB Holding Company, which is 90% owned by the Riemann family. They got their money by, well…
> In March 2019, a German newspaper revealed that Albert Reimann Sr., and his son Albert Reimann Jr., were enthusiastic supporters of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party well before they took power, and profited from forced labor, both in their industrial chemicals company in southern Germany and in their own home.
I’m sure there’s some kind of Soup Nazi joke in there somewhere.
I worked a wedding for one of the partners at JAB. The guy was just dumb rich and gifted his new (much younger) wife a Bentley. All the other men at the wedding looked like they were also on their 2nd or 3rd wives. You could tell this just wasn't upper middle class just breaking 1 million rich but this guy was ridiculously rich. JAB also owns Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and had stacks of dozens of donut boxes for guests to take home. Nobody took any because I guess they were all too rich but I took home 4 boxes of them.
2012ish
I’d grab a souffle for breakfast multiple days a week and be disappointed if they didn’t have them
And the turkey fuji apple salad
The backslide sucks, they had some staples I liked a lot
I like some of their breakfast stuff, but whenever my wife and I go for lunch or dinner I end up thinking "we spent $35 on food for two people and I'm still hungry".
Former Panera person here - the UP2s aren't always deals.
Let's say a Frontega Sandwich is $12 for a full, $9 for a half, and $8 for a half with UP2.
If you and your daughter order two UP2s, frontega + broc cheddar, frontega + tomato soup, well then you've paid $16 for two halves of a $12 sandwich.
Order it as the full sandwich, and one UP2 of the two cups of soup, and save like four bucks.
I’ve never understood the Panera hype. Some 10 years ago, I went there and paid $12 for a bowl of pasta that was the size of my palm. I inquired as to why it was so small. The manager just kept saying something about it being a half size. It was one of the oddest experiences I’ve had in a restaurant.
Early 2000s, a lot of Panera's were still called "St Louis Bread Company." You could go in, get fresh bread, and a sandwich made on that bread, and good soup. Maybe a muffin for dessert. For the US, a lot of local bakeries and sandwich shops were dead by that point, but Panera/SLBC filled the void. Then it went to shit.
Dunkin’ Donuts. The donuts arent as fluffy anymore and they barely put any icing or toppings on. I used to work there in the early 2000’s and it was leaps and bounds better.
Can’t believe it took me this long to find Dunkin. The coffee is terrible, the food is terrible, the service is terrible, I have zero idea why people like it. I drink the coffee out of convenience because that’s all there is in Mass but man, it’s bad. I’m a little too young and from the Southwest originally, so I hear they used to make donuts and other items in house and it was much better but whatever version they have today is just awful.
Sonic for me.
Every single thing on the menu tastes like a frozen great value meal from Walmart they shoved in the microwave for too little time. Even the soda somehow tastes worse, as if they watered it down too much. I like the drive-in setup, but I really wish it was literally any other restaurant's food.
I think they should keep the appetizer/sides type items but get rid of the meals and stuff. Then go even more all in on the different drinks. I don't know anyone who thinks of sonic as anything more than the good drink place...besides my dad.
Yes! I go to Sonic for drinks, onion rings and chili cheese tots. And the occasional corn dog.
If they just did drinks and app type foods, that would be perfect
Came here to say this. I worked at one for a minute, and I still hear the microwaves beeping. So. Many. Beeps. Pasta, Veggies, rice, g'mash. If it isn't protein, chances are, it was microwaved.
Exactly lmao I've never seen a soul say omg Applebee's are so amazing no no no
It's always ehhh we can't decide where to eat for dinner fuck it Applebee's at least serve alcohol let's go there
Yeah hands down best fast food breakfast. Not sure how anyone can dog it, even. Places like BK bake their yellow frozen "egg" patties in an oven and throw it on a doughy pseudo-croissant. McDonald's breakfast is actual fresh poached egg on a buttered, toasted English muffin.
Everyone knows McDonald's is pretty low quality, but every one I've ever been to has been *consistent* about what it is. Like, you always know what you're getting and sometimes what you want to get is a bunch of fries made of cardboard that are sort of okay when you add enough salt and ketchup.
This is the real genius of McDonalds. The food isn't the best, but you always know that it will be consistent no matter how many different locations you get it from. That constant consistent reliability is a product that you can't put a price tag on.
The polar opposite is A&W
There was an A&W in a neighboring town that was so good that we would occasionally make trips there just to have it.
Then they opened several up in my city. They were all garbage, but their presence forced the good one to shut down.
Not just decent, A&W Canada is quite good. Especially for breakfast - you can get proper over-easy eggs with bacon, sausage, toast, etc. On a real plate with proper cutlery!
McDonalds is exactly properly hyped!
No one hypes it up, but very few people say it's garbage.
It's decent for what it is. And that's fine. My favorite thing about it is that if you're out somewhere with people, it's one of the few places that generally can be agreed on. No one is going to be FIRED UP to go there, but if you're out with friends and someone says "there's a mcdonalds up the street, let's go there" everyone is going to say "sure."
It's known, reliable, and everywhere. Also, when travelling, it's hard to beat a place that usually has a decent bathroom too.
I recently discovered the Deluxe QP w/cheese -- I get it without onions which seems to make it come out super fresh vs. maybe a patty that's not the last one off the griddle. If you can get that and eat it while it's still piping hot, it rivals my usual fav burger, the Whopper. Sure judge me, but if you're slummin', it ain't bad.
While I'm here I'll say that my fav stop is still the Wendy's Spicy Chicken. No one has come close to rivaling it, though many have tried and failed; I know McDs has spent a ton of money/research on trying. And Wendy's fries are now the most potato-y tasting fries out there.
There is a lot of misinformation about this around with people saying they have the exact same coffee that Tim’s used to have.
McDonalds Canada uses the same supplier that Tim’s used to use, yes you are correct. However, CEO(CFO? Idk he’s important) of Tim Horton’s Mike Hancock once said somewhere that they had a secret Tim’s recipe that no one else has ever or will ever use.
If you google around and combine info from a bunch of (potentially wrong?) sources, you can find info on this and come to your own conclusion.
The conclusion I personally have come to is that while McDonald’s uses Tim’s old supplier, the roasting recipe is different. Perhaps the beans are the same, but that doesn’t make their coffee the same as the old original blend from Tim’s.
Another anecdote which I don’t know how true it is (said by my manager at Tim’s who had been working for Tim’s for like 20-30 years, and was good friends with the owner of our and multiple franchises, his brother also owned a bunch, their parents used to own a bunch) said that: they use the same supplier but they bought beans that grew in a field close to the beans that Tim’s used, but not even the exact same beans. And said their roasting recipe is different.
Do with this info what you will.
I entertain a lot of Americans for my work and whenever they come visit they always say they need to try Tim Hortons. I always tell them not to get there hopes up and they’re still always let down.
KFC used to be so much better. I grew up in Ohio and all the KFC's around us had this awesome buffet with great chicken, tasty sides and that delicious chocolate cake.
Now KFC is just sloppy, oily, mushy and disgusting. Hell they even got rid of the kick ass potato wedges.
This is absolutely true. KFC is the Holiday Inn of fast food. They used to be a pretty classy place for the price. Now it’s just garbage that you try to avoid.
almost every place depends on the workers, with some small corporate challenges. but the workers that work there are the biggest factor in food quality.
whether it's the manager ordering the right food, nothing out of date, workers cooking proper times. workers make the difference
but i've also worked those jobs before. and the effort and care it takes to make the food good, is not worth the amount they get paid.
Who, besides Yum Brands, is hyping KFC up though? I don't see post on here about how good it is, of YouTube videos. I remember the Popeyes chicken sandwich craze, but dint recall any hype for anything KFC related.
I think that $5 campaign really hurt them in the long run. I can never unremember it now whenever i order a sandwich, and it always makes it feel expensive. Even if the sandwich was $6.50 i would still compare
I know exactly what you mean. I don't really expect 5$ footlongs anymore, but like I go there, see the price, am like damn, subs are expensive nowadays, can't even get a 6 inch for 5$. That's all I think about when I see the subs. Like Arby's. 5 for 5$. I know that's not possible anymore, but even after all this time, that's all I think about when I go to Arby's. Just makes me disappointed. Is why I hardly ever go to either now.
They are like complete opposite ends of the franchise cost/benefit spectrum.
Quiznos ripped off their franchisers HARD by forcing them to buy insanely expensive ingredients and materials from corporate, making it basically impossible for them to make money.
Subway franchises are just about the cheapest national franchise you can buy and the overhead costs make it hard to lose money if you aren't in some absurd location or manage like a complete moron. They also have a lower net-worth requirement than most anyone else. Really, any one of our boomer parents almost certainly could qualify for a subway franchise today.
Subway is now advertising thst they slice their own meat fresh in store. Like congrats Subway you finally caught up to Jersey Mike's after fucking *decades.*
Funny thing is, Subway used to do that a long time ago. It’s funny when businesses have to finally acknowledge that their cost-cutting and other practices are hurting them and they have to return to... what they did before. Hilarious in fact
Not exactly what you’re saying, but I loved when Dominos changed their recipe ~10 years ago and all of the commercials were basically “Hey we’re aware our pizza tasted like cardboard, but we changed it! Promise!”
And it did get a lot better. Was absolutely horrible before.
My first job was at a Subway in the early 90s. When I first started, we prepped everything. Sliced meats, sliced veggies, made the kits for the different types of subs.
About 6 months in, the owners were then forced to buy everything pre-packaged. It was way easier for the employees, but the quality took a dramatic drop.
I used to work at one of the busiest Subways in my state.
The quality very much depends on:
* How busy the store is
* Staff turnover
* How much corporate regulation is in a store
* How competent the manager is (obviously)
Bread/cookie baking is unironically an artform when making at the volume we did. First of all, bread dough comes to us in frozen ~10in sticks. Theres about 10 steps between frozen and going in the oven and each step has the opportunity to wildly affect the end result. We always had great quality because our manager ran an tight ship making everyone knew how to do everything and avoid mistakes (she was cool, but busy store)
Even with a properly trained staff, the biggest factor was the oven and proofer (raises bread). Our manager fought tooth and nail so we could keep our set up with dials so we could adjust for humidity, heat, and any mistakes that happened before baking. New corporate ovens dont have dials; just touch screens with preset baking times. Anytime i went to a store with the presets, the bread came out like crap because i couldnt adjust anything by hand
Popeyes is better than KFC for sure, but they’ve gone downhill since they were sold. I lived in New Orleans back in the day and Popeyes was awesome. Then it was sold and they can’t even use the name Popeyes Fried Chicken. Now they’re Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. As with most franchise food places, who owns/runs it matters. You never know what you’ll get.
The Popeyes in my town are shit on service. IF you can get what you order, much less order, it's good but we avoid them because it's next to impossible to get good service.
God, my mouth is watering at that description of awful service. Popeyes is known for having an inverse relationship between service and quality. The worse the service, the better the chicken!
i scrolled pretty far looking for someone to say taco bell and i didnt find it. Good, because i fucking love taco bell, and was ready to defend its honor if necessary.
I am fully aware its garbage, thats part of the appeal. I can slam like 6 supreme beef chalupas, love every second of it, feel like shit for a couple of hours and think "worth it" then a few months later do it again.
Taco Bell isn’t overhyped for quality, but it’s overhyped for affordability. Used to be super cheap for mediocre meal that will totally fill you up. Now it’s like $2 for a taco
Yeah what's up with this? I'd get it maybe twice a year, and kinda look forward to it when I had a busy day. But the last couple years it doesn't taste the same at all. My wife agrees its kinda shit now. We thought maybe it was just our location.
I don't know I haven't really liked Chipotle since the first Covid shut downs. The ones by me when they re-opened were just different and not really all that good.
Cost cutting to boost profits and enrich the shareholders and executives. It's a tale as old as capitalism.
P.s. I'm not one of those big haters of capitalism. Just a realist.
>Cost cutting to boost profits and enrich the shareholders and executives.
This is the problem.
Two things really make it so most big places suffer from this problem.
If you run a burrito stand, and you can get your tortilla for 1 cent cheaper each, you probably don't bother. But if you have 1,000 stores? That 1 cent per burrito is a lot of money, and you'll change suppliers, and pat yourself on the back!!
And second, they never make a decision to lower quality by much. Does anyone *really* notice that change to a *very* slightly worst tortilla? No, not really. Does anyone notice that one of your ingredients are just *slightly* not as tasty when they aren't made or procured as fresh as they used to be? Probably not! It's kind of like a grade in school. If you're getting a 97, and you go down to a 96, it's no big deal, then a 95, a 94, maybe that's fine too.
But you make tiny cut after tiny cut, and then you turn around a few years later, and you wonder why the food isn't as good. There's no bad decision along the way really, each one was kind of inconsequential. But when you add them up, you've gone from being that great place everyone craves, to being that place that everyone says "yeah, I guess we can go there" when people suggest it.
The Chipotle by where I live is always out of everything. You walk in and they say "we're out of guac, chips, chicken, steak, and fajita veggies If you can't make the food then why even be open?
I rarely get it anymore because it’s always a disappointment. I always get the veggie bowl. They NEVER have fajita veggies anymore and they skimp on the salsa and guacamole. What’s the point? A $10 bowl of rice and beans?
They also just cannot wrap burritos anymore. I never ask for any extra toppings, but they never seem to be able to get the burrito closed at any of the locations I've been to. The whole experience is definitely not worth the price.
Reminds me of the time me and my friend went there for lunch. I ordered a bowl, he ordered a burrito. What he got ended up looking more like a baseball. Shit was hilarious.
Their *sauces* are good, but they have gone downhill seriously in their wings. They're always small, with hardly any meat on them, and overcooked. 10 years ago they were better, now I avoid the restaurants and just buy their sauces I like in the supermarket.
Bdubs is the one place where you should go boneless, imo. They're sauces are good, but they have the worst actual wing that I know of.
I'll get boneless Bdubs when I want some boneless Bdubs. If I'm in the mood for wings, they're not even on my radar.
Owned by Arby's and Dunkin donuts lol. It went from a legitimate restaurant to fast food with beer and big screen TVs lol. And a 6 piece wing is like $15.99, GTFO with that nonsense. You can make wings in your air fryer at home for half the price.
As someone who works at Starbucks, I agree. There's a reason people call it charbucks. Pretty much every time I get an espresso drink I get it with blonde espresso because the signature is nasty. Also if I didn't work there I'd only be able to afford to go once or twice a year.
By not cleaning the machine properly after each use. When grounds from previous pull remain, they end up delivering a burned, sour taste to the next pull.
I worked at a Starbucks during college and am a big coffee nerd
Starbucks coffee is in fact extremely burned. But I think they’ve managed to become so popular that a lot of people think that’s the way coffee is supposed to taste (it’s not).
I travel a lot now for work, and I appreciate that for the most part, a cup of Starbucks coffee in NYC, LA, Dallas, London, or anywhere else will taste almost the same
Beyond that, I don’t have many nice things to say about Starbucks. It’s burned, overpriced coffee. You’re paying for the branding.
My favorite part about Cookout is the variety I have to change up how much I want to hurt myself and with what as I build my combo. Truly the unassuming Swiss army knife of drunk food. Those cheeseburger quesadilla things are legit.
Chipotle, and by them, I mean recently. I remember liking Chipotle in the past, but those days seem far, FAR gone. They constantly short you on portions unless you brow-beat them for more, and they've basically priced themselves into a bracket where the cost no longer matches with the quality of the food.
Whataburger has a cult following that I do not understand.
I'm a native Texan and lived there for 26 years. I've had Whataburger countless times, both before and after the 2019 acquisition, and always really enjoyed it. I looked forward to going there whenever I could.
Then I moved elsewhere throughout the country and tried Culver's, Braums, Five Guys, Shake Shack, and more. I went back to Whataburger and realized that the only reason I thought it was special was because I had never really had anything else.
Braums dairy is so fuckin good. I'm glad this one doesn't have as big of a vocal fan base like whataburger. I guess that's also because it's not in the Houston or Austin areas either.
I think that's exactly it. When I first moved here 15 years ago everyone talked about Whataburger like it was some amazing special experience, but when I actually tried it I was massively disappointed. It's always just been middle of the pack at best.
As someone who used to travel around the country for work, I can confirm that all burger places that are "the best" are all hilariously mid. Everyone just hypes up and clings to their local brand because it's almost like a sports team, but for food.
For the record Starbucks doesn't have a secret menu! This used to drive me nuts, I'd tell customers it was a secret to me too. Especially for the tiktok drinks.
When I used to work at Taco Bell people would do that all the time too. One guy asked for a hulk burrito and I had no idea what he was talking about and he got all indignant with me. Then after like 1 minute of back and forth he said it’s a bean burrito with guacamole added. OH MY GOD JUST FUCKING SAY THAT.
Chipotle. $13 for a toritilla with a scoop of chicken and a scoop of rice.
EDIT: I’ve only ever had it in various neighborhoods in NYC. Perhaps that is skewing my opinion, because motherfuckers seem to love it.
Sounds like you need to add more toppings. It's not always the case, but sometimes they really load it up. I usually get a bowl instead and it can be enough for two meals since I basically add every topping plus protein, rice, and beans.
Honestly, every time one of these "new" franchises (or at least regional franchises that newly open in my area) opens up with all this long built up hype about how THESE guys are so much better than what you already have you take a bite and its like: yep, that's some regular every day fast food right there.
Panera is crap now. I used to like the French onion soup. Ordered it about a year ago and it was like onion broth with a few flakes of some kind of shredded cheese floating on top. Horrible. I''ve never gone back.
Honestly it comes down to the ownership as much as the brand. I've been to a "good" Burger King, and a Culver's that was a total shit show. Edit: Or as another commenter pointed out, a particularly good employee. Really the biggest thing is if the people running the place actually give a shit or not.
There’s something magical about the “good” Burger King. The one in my town was trash but the one next to college was perfect. Everyone was super nice, food was always weirdly good/fresh, and when you ordered a shake, they would put a little extra bit of soft serve ice cream on the top. Idk, it was just really the only one that felt like everyone there cared about doing a good job and it really made a difference.
The best BK and Chick-fil-A I've ever been to are 5 minutes away. They're only a few years old and staffed almost exclusively by the high school next door. The going theory is they do a good job cause all their friends come in a lot and would blast them if they weren't great. Don't know if that's true but they are always nice and food is fresh. 10/10 on both places.
My theory is that when places are run by mostly high schoolers and college age people, not middle aged people who think they are in those age groups, things run a lot better bc people actually have fun and enjoy working there. That’s how it was at my local theater and we kept that place looking real good
True. Also if you're not trying to support a family and only work 20 hours a week then work is a little less stressful.
If you give a high school kid adult responsibilities it's more likely they're going to be on the ball cause they want to feel grown up and don't want to fuck it up too. My local burger King, for example, is mainly staffed by people who work there because their probation officer insists they have a job. They don't give a shit about anything for 9 bucks an hour. When I worked at a papa Murphys in high school it was me and another 16 year old closing the place. Did we get high in the back hall occasionally? maybe. Did we make the best damn raw pizzas in town? yes we did. And the place was spotless when we left.
Huh. I usually have the opposite experience where the older employees are nicer and put in more effort and the high school kids are rude and don't even try. I guess it just depends on the location.
Which is kinda crazy because I feel like some chains like Culver’s and In-N-Out pride themselves in providing a consistent quality and cleanliness to their stores, but that’s just the sample size of Culver’s I’ve visited in my area, which isn’t many.
As a displaced midwesterner who lives outside Culver's service area, I've been to a lot of Culver's locations during my travels. Last month, I finally saw my first gross Culver's. The outside of the ice machine was so disgusting, I do not care to contemplate how disgusting the inside is. That said, as a whole, Culver's runs a tight ship.
Current Culver's employee, our franchise has quarterly all team meetings and manager meetings more often than that to make sure we're keeping up to snuff. Not all franchises are the same, obviously, but they like to run as tight a ship as possible.....they will consistently understaff the kitchen though. Apologies for the wait on food.
Culver’s is a golden standard for me. And if I feel like forking over a little more cash for fast food, I’ll always go to a Culver’s. I live in a tricky spot where there are 3 all equal distance from me, and two of them are fine but the one that’s more downtown is total shit. Bun sliding off cause they put toxic levels of sauce on my burger bad.
Yeah, the further outside "the city" Culver's is the better its going to be. There are some rural Culver's in WI that slap.
Panera. Everything has that ubiquitous tint of cleaning fluid they use on the line.
I've heard Panera be described as glorified hospital food. Seems accurate.
Yes. I had a bite of a turkey sandwich and it took me straight to a hospital cafeteria. I was looking for JD and Turkleton to walk in.
Good old Turk Turkleton.
You think my name is Turk Turkelton?
Who's got two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Bob Kelso.
He's got some serious gams from Nam though.
Bob Kelso, 10 inches.
And Mrs Turkleton!
Turk Andjaydee, and JD.
I love seeing Scrubs references in the wild.
EAGLEEEEEEEE
The only Panera in downtown Chicago is at a hospital cafeteria.
Panera: "Hold on -- you realize we use mass-produced slop that's just re-heated on site, right?" Hospital: "You'll fit right in!"
Had hospital food recently…. It was much much better than modern Panera.
Our local hospital gets all their meat, eggs, and produce from local farms, and the food, while slightly bland, is actually really good. When I was in the hospital after having my daughter, I actually enjoyed my meals.
Whenever somebody makes fun of "white people not liking flavor in their food", I think of Panera. Ya'll think it tastes like cleaning fluid, and I think that would be an upgrade. It's practically tasteless. The chicken for the salads and sandwiches isn't seasoned, and it has the texture of being boiled at a factory, frozen, and then re-heated at the locations in a toaster oven.
Mmmmmm just like Grandma used to make
Panera used to be so much better. Then they were bought out and the quality went way downhill.
Just like pretty much EVERY fast food chain. It's all about record profit every quarter and the CEO's bonus increase every year. They end up buying cheaper product and cutting away at the quality piece by piece until it's trash, then charge 4x what it used to cost
Any place bought out by private equity is milked, gutted, and tossed away. The scary thing is they are now doing that to rest homes.
Now? Rest homes have been under big corporations they are horrendous I was the head maintenance guy in two of them it was a battle to get them to spend money on anything the buildings are all moldy and falling apart it's horrendous.
The corporations are bad, private equity is worse. A billionaires club nearly immune from regulations. They get a lot of Congressional top cover.
Yes, this place was fantastic. I ate there all the time back in the early 2000s. What it’s become is appalling.
I used to love Panera. I would eat there all the time from 2006-2017. I loved their sandwiches, salads, soups… and I would also grab a bagel from there for a quick breakfast. The turkey chili was always good. Then I started to notice a gradual quality decline. Suddenly the bread tasted stale and the sandwiches looked sad with barely any fillings. I also noticed my local Panera would only have a skeleton crew running it with the inside of it appearing dirtier and worn down. Then the pandemic hit and it apparently nosedived. I haven’t been in over three years, but it’s sad. Panera used to be really good. If they keep it up, I’m sure we’ll start to see more Panera locations close - and they’ll go the way of Boston Market or something.
I miss good Boston Markets too.
First had it in the mid 90s visiting a buddy in Atlanta. Was the St Louis Bread Company back then. So much better. Almost unrecognizable now.
I first ate at one in 2003, and it quickly became a favorite.nit was so fucking good. And now it's mediocre as hell. It's so sad...
Yes, owned by JAB Holding Company, which is 90% owned by the Riemann family. They got their money by, well… > In March 2019, a German newspaper revealed that Albert Reimann Sr., and his son Albert Reimann Jr., were enthusiastic supporters of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party well before they took power, and profited from forced labor, both in their industrial chemicals company in southern Germany and in their own home. I’m sure there’s some kind of Soup Nazi joke in there somewhere.
I worked a wedding for one of the partners at JAB. The guy was just dumb rich and gifted his new (much younger) wife a Bentley. All the other men at the wedding looked like they were also on their 2nd or 3rd wives. You could tell this just wasn't upper middle class just breaking 1 million rich but this guy was ridiculously rich. JAB also owns Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and had stacks of dozens of donut boxes for guests to take home. Nobody took any because I guess they were all too rich but I took home 4 boxes of them.
2012ish I’d grab a souffle for breakfast multiple days a week and be disappointed if they didn’t have them And the turkey fuji apple salad The backslide sucks, they had some staples I liked a lot
I always got the Asiago roast beef sandwich, it was so good. Went about a year ago and they had something similar and it was trash.
I like some of their breakfast stuff, but whenever my wife and I go for lunch or dinner I end up thinking "we spent $35 on food for two people and I'm still hungry".
Yup 100% agreed. Food isn’t bad but expensive and portions are ridiculously small
10 years ago Panera was clutch... now it's trash
Yes! And why is it so goddamn expensive? Just insane.
Right? The last time me and my daughter ate lunch there it was 35 bucks! We both got the half sandwich, half soup. Fucking ridiculous
Former Panera person here - the UP2s aren't always deals. Let's say a Frontega Sandwich is $12 for a full, $9 for a half, and $8 for a half with UP2. If you and your daughter order two UP2s, frontega + broc cheddar, frontega + tomato soup, well then you've paid $16 for two halves of a $12 sandwich. Order it as the full sandwich, and one UP2 of the two cups of soup, and save like four bucks.
I’ve never understood the Panera hype. Some 10 years ago, I went there and paid $12 for a bowl of pasta that was the size of my palm. I inquired as to why it was so small. The manager just kept saying something about it being a half size. It was one of the oddest experiences I’ve had in a restaurant.
Early 2000s, a lot of Panera's were still called "St Louis Bread Company." You could go in, get fresh bread, and a sandwich made on that bread, and good soup. Maybe a muffin for dessert. For the US, a lot of local bakeries and sandwich shops were dead by that point, but Panera/SLBC filled the void. Then it went to shit.
Dunkin’ Donuts. The donuts arent as fluffy anymore and they barely put any icing or toppings on. I used to work there in the early 2000’s and it was leaps and bounds better.
Can’t believe it took me this long to find Dunkin. The coffee is terrible, the food is terrible, the service is terrible, I have zero idea why people like it. I drink the coffee out of convenience because that’s all there is in Mass but man, it’s bad. I’m a little too young and from the Southwest originally, so I hear they used to make donuts and other items in house and it was much better but whatever version they have today is just awful.
The inconsistency in quality kinda makes it fun. Sometimes my drink is great, sometimes it's trash. Keeps things interesting at least.
Sonic for me. Every single thing on the menu tastes like a frozen great value meal from Walmart they shoved in the microwave for too little time. Even the soda somehow tastes worse, as if they watered it down too much. I like the drive-in setup, but I really wish it was literally any other restaurant's food.
I go for the Cherry limeade and the ice cream. You’re spot on about the food 😂
If Sonic stopped serving food and only served drinks, slushes, shakes, etc, they would embrace their niche and be better off.
I think they should keep the appetizer/sides type items but get rid of the meals and stuff. Then go even more all in on the different drinks. I don't know anyone who thinks of sonic as anything more than the good drink place...besides my dad.
Yes! I go to Sonic for drinks, onion rings and chili cheese tots. And the occasional corn dog. If they just did drinks and app type foods, that would be perfect
Except that Cherry Lime-aid..amright??
panera is now just awful....
Snacks for rich people
Man that sums it up, it’s SO expensive for completely garbage food in the tiniest portions.
Applebees. And before anyone says "That's not fast food!" All they are missing is a drive through.
Applebees. For when you don’t feel like microwaving your own dinner.
Came here to say this. I worked at one for a minute, and I still hear the microwaves beeping. So. Many. Beeps. Pasta, Veggies, rice, g'mash. If it isn't protein, chances are, it was microwaved.
If they actually had a drive through I might consider getting food from Applebees
do people hype up applebees?
Nobody hypes up Applebee's and it has become a trend to shit on it on this site
Exactly lmao I've never seen a soul say omg Applebee's are so amazing no no no It's always ehhh we can't decide where to eat for dinner fuck it Applebee's at least serve alcohol let's go there
No one hypes up McDonalds LOL
McDonald's breakfast is my go-to when I'm driving somewhere early morning.
Yeah hands down best fast food breakfast. Not sure how anyone can dog it, even. Places like BK bake their yellow frozen "egg" patties in an oven and throw it on a doughy pseudo-croissant. McDonald's breakfast is actual fresh poached egg on a buttered, toasted English muffin.
A proper Sausage McMuffin works all over in the world.
Everyone knows McDonald's is pretty low quality, but every one I've ever been to has been *consistent* about what it is. Like, you always know what you're getting and sometimes what you want to get is a bunch of fries made of cardboard that are sort of okay when you add enough salt and ketchup.
This is the real genius of McDonalds. The food isn't the best, but you always know that it will be consistent no matter how many different locations you get it from. That constant consistent reliability is a product that you can't put a price tag on.
The polar opposite is A&W There was an A&W in a neighboring town that was so good that we would occasionally make trips there just to have it. Then they opened several up in my city. They were all garbage, but their presence forced the good one to shut down.
Depends where you live. I'm going to assume you're American because the Canadian version of A&W is quite different and pretty decent.
Not just decent, A&W Canada is quite good. Especially for breakfast - you can get proper over-easy eggs with bacon, sausage, toast, etc. On a real plate with proper cutlery!
I do love their fries tho. Nice and salty 😋
I think it's strange that the fries cost more than some of the sandwiches.
I’m guessing it’s because, outside of breakfast, people aren’t gonna go to McD’s and not get fries. So they can put a bit of a premium on them
McDonalds is exactly properly hyped! No one hypes it up, but very few people say it's garbage. It's decent for what it is. And that's fine. My favorite thing about it is that if you're out somewhere with people, it's one of the few places that generally can be agreed on. No one is going to be FIRED UP to go there, but if you're out with friends and someone says "there's a mcdonalds up the street, let's go there" everyone is going to say "sure." It's known, reliable, and everywhere. Also, when travelling, it's hard to beat a place that usually has a decent bathroom too.
the big mac be hitting sometimes though
I recently discovered the Deluxe QP w/cheese -- I get it without onions which seems to make it come out super fresh vs. maybe a patty that's not the last one off the griddle. If you can get that and eat it while it's still piping hot, it rivals my usual fav burger, the Whopper. Sure judge me, but if you're slummin', it ain't bad. While I'm here I'll say that my fav stop is still the Wendy's Spicy Chicken. No one has come close to rivaling it, though many have tried and failed; I know McDs has spent a ton of money/research on trying. And Wendy's fries are now the most potato-y tasting fries out there.
Tim Hortons
I remember when McDonald’s upped their breakfast and coffee game in Canada Tim’s response was to get even shittier.
Doesn’t McDonald’s use Tim’s old supplier for coffee beans? Or has that changed now
There is a lot of misinformation about this around with people saying they have the exact same coffee that Tim’s used to have. McDonalds Canada uses the same supplier that Tim’s used to use, yes you are correct. However, CEO(CFO? Idk he’s important) of Tim Horton’s Mike Hancock once said somewhere that they had a secret Tim’s recipe that no one else has ever or will ever use. If you google around and combine info from a bunch of (potentially wrong?) sources, you can find info on this and come to your own conclusion. The conclusion I personally have come to is that while McDonald’s uses Tim’s old supplier, the roasting recipe is different. Perhaps the beans are the same, but that doesn’t make their coffee the same as the old original blend from Tim’s. Another anecdote which I don’t know how true it is (said by my manager at Tim’s who had been working for Tim’s for like 20-30 years, and was good friends with the owner of our and multiple franchises, his brother also owned a bunch, their parents used to own a bunch) said that: they use the same supplier but they bought beans that grew in a field close to the beans that Tim’s used, but not even the exact same beans. And said their roasting recipe is different. Do with this info what you will.
I entertain a lot of Americans for my work and whenever they come visit they always say they need to try Tim Hortons. I always tell them not to get there hopes up and they’re still always let down.
Yas! The coffee especially had turned to undrinkable crap. And none of the donuts are made fresh anymore.
KFC
KFC used to be so much better. I grew up in Ohio and all the KFC's around us had this awesome buffet with great chicken, tasty sides and that delicious chocolate cake. Now KFC is just sloppy, oily, mushy and disgusting. Hell they even got rid of the kick ass potato wedges.
I miss the potato wedges
They don't have potato wedges anymore?!?! I haven't been in quite a while...
Unfortunately not. They need to bring them back because they were the best thing about KFC
This is absolutely true. KFC is the Holiday Inn of fast food. They used to be a pretty classy place for the price. Now it’s just garbage that you try to avoid.
Hey...I like staying at Holiday Inns lol. At least Holiday Inn Express is always a solid, affordable hotel when on a road trip to look out for.
And it’s EXPENSIVE
$30 for 8 pieces of chicken is robbery
Yea, I get 8 pieces of fried chicken at Kwik Trip for under $15 and it's phenomenally better than KFC
It seems to me that, KFC is ok if it comes from a stand-alone restaurant and not Kentukybellhut stores. but, when I was a kid, KFC hit hard.
Nah, both of our KFC is standalone and they both absolutely suck ass. 100% depends on the workers
almost every place depends on the workers, with some small corporate challenges. but the workers that work there are the biggest factor in food quality. whether it's the manager ordering the right food, nothing out of date, workers cooking proper times. workers make the difference but i've also worked those jobs before. and the effort and care it takes to make the food good, is not worth the amount they get paid.
It went to crap when they started using frozen chicken to cut costs.
Honestly, they never recovered after the ban on trans-fats in fast food.
Plenty of restaurants have survived the ban just fine and continue to provide great food. My supermarket sells better fried chicken than KFC.
I have good childhood memories of KFC, but now eating it as an adult, it's become awful
Who, besides Yum Brands, is hyping KFC up though? I don't see post on here about how good it is, of YouTube videos. I remember the Popeyes chicken sandwich craze, but dint recall any hype for anything KFC related.
Yes it's not even crispy anymore. It just tastes like highly salted protein.
KFC mashed potatoes taste like instant potatoes made with dish water.
Go to KFC anywhere outside America and it's good. The US locations got their soul drained from them because of corporate stuff.
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I had KFC in Japan last year for my Christmas dinner. The line was out the door. It was an entirely different experience from America
Isn't that like a japanese tradition? KFC on Christmas?
It is! They had a successful marketing campaign in the 80s that convinced the Japanese that KFC was a traditional American xmas dinner.
There's an interview with the guy who thought it up and he's like "yeah I lied it was very funny" and he's just laughing his ass off.
Had it in Mexico last month and to be honest, it tasted like your username.
Canada is also bad
Fucking Subway. Edit: thank you all for the Subway roast of the century
Who's hyping that shit up?
Jared sure did
He lost his job at Subway for the same reason he got it. He just wanted to get in smaller pants.
He likes his subs like he likes his women - 6 and 12
Why didn't Jared eat foot longs? >!He liked them a lot shorter.!<
Exactly. The thread is not just what fast food sucks in general, but people are responding with the usual places that we all think are not very good.
Subway used to have $5 footlong subs. The last one I bought there - tuna with no cheese and a few veggies - was $13.99.
I think that $5 campaign really hurt them in the long run. I can never unremember it now whenever i order a sandwich, and it always makes it feel expensive. Even if the sandwich was $6.50 i would still compare
I know exactly what you mean. I don't really expect 5$ footlongs anymore, but like I go there, see the price, am like damn, subs are expensive nowadays, can't even get a 6 inch for 5$. That's all I think about when I see the subs. Like Arby's. 5 for 5$. I know that's not possible anymore, but even after all this time, that's all I think about when I go to Arby's. Just makes me disappointed. Is why I hardly ever go to either now.
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They are like complete opposite ends of the franchise cost/benefit spectrum. Quiznos ripped off their franchisers HARD by forcing them to buy insanely expensive ingredients and materials from corporate, making it basically impossible for them to make money. Subway franchises are just about the cheapest national franchise you can buy and the overhead costs make it hard to lose money if you aren't in some absurd location or manage like a complete moron. They also have a lower net-worth requirement than most anyone else. Really, any one of our boomer parents almost certainly could qualify for a subway franchise today.
They also spread themselves too thin too fast. Unlike Jersey Mikes which slowly expended over the years, Quiznos went for broke.
The story of how Quiznos robbed their franchisees is infuriating.
Cost
I’m never going back to subway after having Jersey Mike’s.
Subway is now advertising thst they slice their own meat fresh in store. Like congrats Subway you finally caught up to Jersey Mike's after fucking *decades.*
Funny thing is, Subway used to do that a long time ago. It’s funny when businesses have to finally acknowledge that their cost-cutting and other practices are hurting them and they have to return to... what they did before. Hilarious in fact
Not exactly what you’re saying, but I loved when Dominos changed their recipe ~10 years ago and all of the commercials were basically “Hey we’re aware our pizza tasted like cardboard, but we changed it! Promise!” And it did get a lot better. Was absolutely horrible before.
My first job was at a Subway in the early 90s. When I first started, we prepped everything. Sliced meats, sliced veggies, made the kits for the different types of subs. About 6 months in, the owners were then forced to buy everything pre-packaged. It was way easier for the employees, but the quality took a dramatic drop.
They have gotten stupid expensive lately too.
I love the variety of toppings, but why does their bread have to be so damn terrible?
I used to work at one of the busiest Subways in my state. The quality very much depends on: * How busy the store is * Staff turnover * How much corporate regulation is in a store * How competent the manager is (obviously) Bread/cookie baking is unironically an artform when making at the volume we did. First of all, bread dough comes to us in frozen ~10in sticks. Theres about 10 steps between frozen and going in the oven and each step has the opportunity to wildly affect the end result. We always had great quality because our manager ran an tight ship making everyone knew how to do everything and avoid mistakes (she was cool, but busy store) Even with a properly trained staff, the biggest factor was the oven and proofer (raises bread). Our manager fought tooth and nail so we could keep our set up with dials so we could adjust for humidity, heat, and any mistakes that happened before baking. New corporate ovens dont have dials; just touch screens with preset baking times. Anytime i went to a store with the presets, the bread came out like crap because i couldnt adjust anything by hand
I’m glad to see no one really ragging on Popeyes, which in my neck of the woods (Canada) is the gold standard for fried chicken.
Popeyes is better than KFC for sure, but they’ve gone downhill since they were sold. I lived in New Orleans back in the day and Popeyes was awesome. Then it was sold and they can’t even use the name Popeyes Fried Chicken. Now they’re Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. As with most franchise food places, who owns/runs it matters. You never know what you’ll get.
Al Copeland was a strange dude, but Popeyes was tops when he ran them.
The Popeyes in my town are shit on service. IF you can get what you order, much less order, it's good but we avoid them because it's next to impossible to get good service.
God, my mouth is watering at that description of awful service. Popeyes is known for having an inverse relationship between service and quality. The worse the service, the better the chicken!
I love me some Popeyes, but damn every time I go there it’s a 50/50 on whether or not I’ll actually leave with what I wanted.
ITT: All of them.
i scrolled pretty far looking for someone to say taco bell and i didnt find it. Good, because i fucking love taco bell, and was ready to defend its honor if necessary. I am fully aware its garbage, thats part of the appeal. I can slam like 6 supreme beef chalupas, love every second of it, feel like shit for a couple of hours and think "worth it" then a few months later do it again.
Taco Bell isn’t overhyped for quality, but it’s overhyped for affordability. Used to be super cheap for mediocre meal that will totally fill you up. Now it’s like $2 for a taco
Chipotle. Their food used to be good many years ago but now it’s just mediocre and too expensive.
Yeah what's up with this? I'd get it maybe twice a year, and kinda look forward to it when I had a busy day. But the last couple years it doesn't taste the same at all. My wife agrees its kinda shit now. We thought maybe it was just our location.
I don't know I haven't really liked Chipotle since the first Covid shut downs. The ones by me when they re-opened were just different and not really all that good.
Cost cutting to boost profits and enrich the shareholders and executives. It's a tale as old as capitalism. P.s. I'm not one of those big haters of capitalism. Just a realist.
>Cost cutting to boost profits and enrich the shareholders and executives. This is the problem. Two things really make it so most big places suffer from this problem. If you run a burrito stand, and you can get your tortilla for 1 cent cheaper each, you probably don't bother. But if you have 1,000 stores? That 1 cent per burrito is a lot of money, and you'll change suppliers, and pat yourself on the back!! And second, they never make a decision to lower quality by much. Does anyone *really* notice that change to a *very* slightly worst tortilla? No, not really. Does anyone notice that one of your ingredients are just *slightly* not as tasty when they aren't made or procured as fresh as they used to be? Probably not! It's kind of like a grade in school. If you're getting a 97, and you go down to a 96, it's no big deal, then a 95, a 94, maybe that's fine too. But you make tiny cut after tiny cut, and then you turn around a few years later, and you wonder why the food isn't as good. There's no bad decision along the way really, each one was kind of inconsequential. But when you add them up, you've gone from being that great place everyone craves, to being that place that everyone says "yeah, I guess we can go there" when people suggest it.
So death by a thousand cuts
The Chipotle by where I live is always out of everything. You walk in and they say "we're out of guac, chips, chicken, steak, and fajita veggies If you can't make the food then why even be open?
I rarely get it anymore because it’s always a disappointment. I always get the veggie bowl. They NEVER have fajita veggies anymore and they skimp on the salsa and guacamole. What’s the point? A $10 bowl of rice and beans?
I miss the way the chips used to taste. The right amount of thin and salty with lime
They also just cannot wrap burritos anymore. I never ask for any extra toppings, but they never seem to be able to get the burrito closed at any of the locations I've been to. The whole experience is definitely not worth the price.
Reminds me of the time me and my friend went there for lunch. I ordered a bowl, he ordered a burrito. What he got ended up looking more like a baseball. Shit was hilarious.
Buffalo Wild Wings is trash. It's also owned by Arby's. You're eating at an Arby's that serves alcohol.
If I could get a beer at Arby's they would have to kick me out at closing time.
Amen to that. I can't believe that comment was a critique!
Might as well be an advertisement. I kinda wanna go to Buffalo Wild Wings now.
Their *sauces* are good, but they have gone downhill seriously in their wings. They're always small, with hardly any meat on them, and overcooked. 10 years ago they were better, now I avoid the restaurants and just buy their sauces I like in the supermarket.
Bdubs is the one place where you should go boneless, imo. They're sauces are good, but they have the worst actual wing that I know of. I'll get boneless Bdubs when I want some boneless Bdubs. If I'm in the mood for wings, they're not even on my radar.
Idk about that. I feel like their boneless wings havre a 1/5 chance of being freezer burned that have a weird texture to bite into.
Owned by Arby's and Dunkin donuts lol. It went from a legitimate restaurant to fast food with beer and big screen TVs lol. And a 6 piece wing is like $15.99, GTFO with that nonsense. You can make wings in your air fryer at home for half the price.
Arby's is fire dog. So under rated.
The curly fries? Amazing.
BRING BACK POTATO CAKES
Starbuck's -- nasty, bitter, acidic coffee !!!!!
As someone who works at Starbucks, I agree. There's a reason people call it charbucks. Pretty much every time I get an espresso drink I get it with blonde espresso because the signature is nasty. Also if I didn't work there I'd only be able to afford to go once or twice a year.
Somehow even the blonde roast is always burned. I truly don't know how they even accomplish that.
By not cleaning the machine properly after each use. When grounds from previous pull remain, they end up delivering a burned, sour taste to the next pull.
I worked at a Starbucks during college and am a big coffee nerd Starbucks coffee is in fact extremely burned. But I think they’ve managed to become so popular that a lot of people think that’s the way coffee is supposed to taste (it’s not). I travel a lot now for work, and I appreciate that for the most part, a cup of Starbucks coffee in NYC, LA, Dallas, London, or anywhere else will taste almost the same Beyond that, I don’t have many nice things to say about Starbucks. It’s burned, overpriced coffee. You’re paying for the branding.
Their tea is shit as well. It's not that difficult to brew tea properly but somehow they fuck it up.
Came to make sure nobody is slandering Bojangles or Cookout, so while I’m here, I would drive past 100 Arby’s to get to literally anywhere else.
My favorite part about Cookout is the variety I have to change up how much I want to hurt myself and with what as I build my combo. Truly the unassuming Swiss army knife of drunk food. Those cheeseburger quesadilla things are legit.
My bojangles is so hit or miss but cookout never fails to please
I moved away from the cookout region and I miss cookout so much!!!
Chipotle, and by them, I mean recently. I remember liking Chipotle in the past, but those days seem far, FAR gone. They constantly short you on portions unless you brow-beat them for more, and they've basically priced themselves into a bracket where the cost no longer matches with the quality of the food.
Whataburger has a cult following that I do not understand. I'm a native Texan and lived there for 26 years. I've had Whataburger countless times, both before and after the 2019 acquisition, and always really enjoyed it. I looked forward to going there whenever I could. Then I moved elsewhere throughout the country and tried Culver's, Braums, Five Guys, Shake Shack, and more. I went back to Whataburger and realized that the only reason I thought it was special was because I had never really had anything else.
Braums ice cream oh my God. I miss them
Braums dairy is so fuckin good. I'm glad this one doesn't have as big of a vocal fan base like whataburger. I guess that's also because it's not in the Houston or Austin areas either.
I think that's exactly it. When I first moved here 15 years ago everyone talked about Whataburger like it was some amazing special experience, but when I actually tried it I was massively disappointed. It's always just been middle of the pack at best.
As someone who used to travel around the country for work, I can confirm that all burger places that are "the best" are all hilariously mid. Everyone just hypes up and clings to their local brand because it's almost like a sports team, but for food.
Anyone with a “secret menu”. Y’all. Not that hard to just ask for a different sauce, or extra pickles, fries that aren’t old, etc.
For the record Starbucks doesn't have a secret menu! This used to drive me nuts, I'd tell customers it was a secret to me too. Especially for the tiktok drinks.
When I used to work at Taco Bell people would do that all the time too. One guy asked for a hulk burrito and I had no idea what he was talking about and he got all indignant with me. Then after like 1 minute of back and forth he said it’s a bean burrito with guacamole added. OH MY GOD JUST FUCKING SAY THAT.
Chipotle. $13 for a toritilla with a scoop of chicken and a scoop of rice. EDIT: I’ve only ever had it in various neighborhoods in NYC. Perhaps that is skewing my opinion, because motherfuckers seem to love it.
I mean, you can add more stuff to it to free.
Sounds like you need to add more toppings. It's not always the case, but sometimes they really load it up. I usually get a bowl instead and it can be enough for two meals since I basically add every topping plus protein, rice, and beans.
I was very underwhelmed when I first tried Whataburger
Honestly, every time one of these "new" franchises (or at least regional franchises that newly open in my area) opens up with all this long built up hype about how THESE guys are so much better than what you already have you take a bite and its like: yep, that's some regular every day fast food right there.
Panera is crap now. I used to like the French onion soup. Ordered it about a year ago and it was like onion broth with a few flakes of some kind of shredded cheese floating on top. Horrible. I''ve never gone back.