Fast Food Foofaraw

[LordMortis]

Checker's traditionally have been my go to for "cheap but it will go down my gullet" food for years. However, their prices are drifting up and they don't send coupon any more. The 4 for $3 meal was awesome. None of their 2 for $x deals impress me right now. I guess they are a sign of inflation to come. And it doesn't matter much, as I might do fast food, maybe twice in a month out of "I don't have time".

What I can't cut out and need to cut out like I've mostly done for fast food. Pizza. Pizza is the native diet for LordMortis'. Pizza likely will literally be the death of me one way or another.

[Blackhawk]

I think you're talking about the breakfast sandwich (which I get on a tea biscuit, but sometimes a bagel). I'm not near a Tim Hortons, their website doesn't list prices, and I don't trust 3rd party listings of prices, but at a guess I think $3-3.50ishCAD per bagel. So 4 or more bucks American for 1 (one!) bagel. You say you're getting two for that price? Very nice.

Lol, conversion is hard, apparently. my guess was $3-3.50CAD, which would be $2.25-2.63USD, not 4 bucks.

In any case, it looks like $4.19CAD in Ottawa, Ontario. I can't tell if it includes taxes or not. Which is $3.15USD for 1 breakfast sandwich on a bagel.

Math, schmath. I'm still trying to figure out what a 'tea biscuit' is!

[GreenGoo]

tea biscuit.

as opposed to scone, which are totally different.

scone.


I kid, but the texture and density tend to be significantly different. I'm unsure how different the ingredients or prep are. I suspect not very much, but enough to tell the difference when eating them. Probably.

[LordMortis]

The Tory or Teabiscuit was a movie with Thirly Temple.

[GreenGoo]

The Tory or Teabiscuit was a movie with Thirly Temple.

Is that the one where the baked good won the kentucky derby?

Here's a picture of what the Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich looks like on a biscuit. I wish I could say that this is a poor representation, but most of the time it looks exactly like this. Not very appealing, for sure. Taste-wise, I enjoy it more than the same sandwich with a bagel, especially if the biscuit is a little crispy from toasting.



This is what the advertising versions look like. Note you can get bacon instead of sausage. I prefer the sausage because it usually has a little hot spice (hot pepper flakes? I have no idea) to it.

[Rumpy]

I think you're talking about the breakfast sandwich (which I get on a tea biscuit, but sometimes a bagel). I'm not near a Tim Hortons, their website doesn't list prices, and I don't trust 3rd party listings of prices, but at a guess I think $3-3.50ishCAD per bagel. So 4 or more bucks American for 1 (one!) bagel. You say you're getting two for that price? Very nice.

Lol, conversion is hard, apparently. my guess was $3-3.50CAD, which would be $2.25-2.63USD, not 4 bucks.

In any case, it looks like $4.19CAD in Ottawa, Ontario. I can't tell if it includes taxes or not. Which is $3.15USD for 1 breakfast sandwich on a bagel.

And when getting combo meals, price can easily rise to $13 for a single person.

[gameoverman]

Checker's traditionally have been my go to for "cheap but it will go down my gullet" food for years. However, their prices are drifting up and they don't send coupon any more. The 4 for $3 meal was awesome. None of their 2 for $x deals impress me right now. I guess they are a sign of inflation to come. And it doesn't matter much, as I might do fast food, maybe twice in a month out of "I don't have time".

What I can't cut out and need to cut out like I've mostly done for fast food. Pizza. Pizza is the native diet for LordMortis'. Pizza likely will literally be the death of me one way or another.

So it's just cheap food then? A Rally's, aka Checker's, is going up nearby and I was wondering if it's worth checking out. Keep in mind I have In N Out and Five Guys nearby as well, plus a couple of good local spots. If Rally's has something they do well then I'd go to try it. If it's more like BK/Jack in the Box then I'll skip it.

[LordMortis]

Checker's traditionally have been my go to for "cheap but it will go down my gullet" food for years. However, their prices are drifting up and they don't send coupon any more. The 4 for $3 meal was awesome. None of their 2 for $x deals impress me right now. I guess they are a sign of inflation to come. And it doesn't matter much, as I might do fast food, maybe twice in a month out of "I don't have time".

What I can't cut out and need to cut out like I've mostly done for fast food. Pizza. Pizza is the native diet for LordMortis'. Pizza likely will literally be the death of me one way or another.

So it's just cheap food then? A Rally's, aka Checker's, is going up nearby and I was wondering if it's worth checking out. Keep in mind I have In N Out and Five Guys nearby as well, plus a couple of good local spots. If Rally's has something they do well then I'd go to try it. If it's more like BK/Jack in the Box then I'll skip it.

What they do well (or did well) was cheap food. It was a lot of food that was good for the price you were paying. Beyond that what they do well is constantly switch menus so you if you like them you aren't forced to always get a cheese burger and fries and finally what they do well that people actually go out of their way to make the trip for is their pepper seasoned fries. it's probably what they are best known for now. People really like them. People really like to take their fries and put them in their burger. People liked them so much the fri burger is now a standard menu item.

If I ranked a crappy fast food burger it would probably be Wendy's, Checkers, McD, BK (unless it had bacon, BKs bacon cheeseburger beats McD's cheeseburger) and Checker's being 2nd best they are also the least expensive. Comparing their now MIA 4 for $3 meal to a $15 lunch at Five Guys isn't fair.

But if you are in the neighborhood, and you are curious then try the fries. They're like curly fires but better. They will probably make or break your decision to ever return there.

https://www.checkers.com/food/fry-love/ ... ned-fries/

[Drazzil]

I love a BK whopper with cheese, extra pickles and onions with a shmear of ketchup.

[gameoverman]

I might try them for the fries then. In my opinion, Five Guys is worth trying for their cajun style fries. Their burger is fine in my opinion, but I would not recommend anyone go out of their way to eat a burger there. Their burgers aren't that good. If someone was willing to give the cajun fries a shot then I'd say yeah, go. So I don't have a problem going to Rally's even if their fries are the only notable thing to try.

[Drazzil]

I might try them for the fries then. In my opinion, Five Guys is worth trying for their cajun style fries. Their burger is fine in my opinion, but I would not recommend anyone go out of their way to eat a burger there. Their burgers aren't that good. If someone was willing to give the cajun fries a shot then I'd say yeah, go. So I don't have a problem going to Rally's even if their fries are the only notable thing to try.

I tried Five Guys once. The beat part of their overpriced meal was the free penuts.

[Kraken]

I love a BK whopper with cheese, extra pickles and onions with a shmear of ketchup.

When I go to BK (once every 2-3 years) I order a Whopper McCheese. I amuse myself that way.

When I want a fast food burger (2-3 times a year) I always go for 5 Guys. because my only other convenient options are BK and McD, and the 5 Guys burger is almost as good as homemade. Did you know the small cheeseburger is just the cheeseburger with 1 meat patty instead of 2? You can save $2 and 250 calories for an almost-identical burger.

[GreenGoo]

I get the "small" at 5 guy too. Like a million calories is better than 2 million calories somehow. In any case, the small plus a gallon of fries is more than enough for me these days.

[Kraken]

Hah! Yeah, the fries blow it out of the water. No matter what size you order, they fill up the bag if you're kept waiting at all, and web orders always have a 5-minute pickup wait. The burgers aren't so bad, calorically speaking: about 800 for the regular cheeseburger all-the-way, or 600 for the small. Most restaurant burgers clock in over 1200, for comparison. Somewhere along the line the restaurant industry decided that half-pound patties would be standard now, and 10- to 12-oz are not uncommon. I prefer 6-oz and can be satisfied with 4-oz (remember when the Quarter Pounder was considered huge?).

[Jeff V]

the 5 Guys burger is almost as good as homemade.

Ugh, the two times I went to one, I was served charcoal briquettes on a bun. Almost called the police for criminal abuse of a burger.

[Blackhawk]

Well, yes, but you're JeffV. Your homemade burgers are probably made from cows fed hand-picked imported grass and grilled on charcoal made from English Bog Oak!

[Jeff V]

Well, yes, but you're JeffV. Your homemade burgers are probably made from cows fed hand-picked imported grass and grilled on charcoal made from English Bog Oak!

Almost! Cooked on a grass grill using the cheapest house-brand ground cow 80+ lean. I just don't cook it until it until all that's left is a dry hunk of carbon.

[Rumpy]

First time I ever had Five Guys was while visiting the D.C area. I thought it was pretty good. And mind you, this was still when they were gaining a lot of reputation and Obama had recently visited one. Our second time must of been in Albany, NY in 2015 when we were there for a wedding, and our third time was in Wisconsin somewhere on our way to Oregon for the Eclipse in 2017. So, all of our visits to one have been Stateside, and being already conditioned to paying more in Canada for fast food, we thought the prices weren't all that bad over there, to put things in perspective. About equal to what we'd already pay at places like McD's. Never eaten at a Canadian location, and looking it up, I see that the prices are way up there in Canadian locations. $7.99 for a Bacon Burger? Whoa. Bacon Cheeseburger $8.69. Dayam!

We got our first and only Five Guys in town about two years ago? The problem is, like a lot of trendy things, our region tends to get things way too late when the trend or popularity has already waned considerably. So, people go in there wondering what the fuss is all about. Friends I've talked to all pledge they'll never return, and at that price, it's no wonder. It's a newly redesigned mall complex. Problem is, when they were redesigning, they must have been on crack because to get into their parking lot, you first have to drive in to the little road network then drive all around the building to get to their parking lot. It must be hell to get in and out. Everytime I happen to drive by the Five Guys, I always see the parking lot empty, only two employees inside without any customers and I keep wondering how that particular location can stay in business.

[Isgrimnur]

Cooked on a grass grill

Taste the leaf, not the meat.

[GreenGoo]

Hah! Yeah, the fries blow it out of the water. No matter what size you order, they fill up the bag if you're kept waiting at all, and web orders always have a 5-minute pickup wait. The burgers aren't so bad, calorically speaking: about 800 for the regular cheeseburger all-the-way, or 600 for the small. Most restaurant burgers clock in over 1200, for comparison. Somewhere along the line the restaurant industry decided that half-pound patties would be standard now, and 10- to 12-oz are not uncommon. I prefer 6-oz and can be satisfied with 4-oz (remember when the Quarter Pounder was considered huge?).

Hey yeah, that's not bad, calorie-wise, comparatively. I tend to put bacon and cheese on my single, so that doesn't help the situation though.

Unlike others, I do not like their cajun seasoning on the fries, but luckily the fries are pretty good salted on their own. Not amazing, but pretty good.

What gets me is that the burger is fairly unappealing sitting in front of you. It is not aesthetically pleasing, imo. That can be said of a LOT of fast food burgers, of course. But it tastes pretty damn good, which can't be said of most fast food burgers. So I just eat it while only glancing at it out of the corner of my eye.

I have never had an over done 5 guy burger. As someone who likes steak and burgers medium rare (I realize this isn't a great idea for burgers) but accept that making sure all the bacteria is dead when eating fast food, their burgers are completely fine as far as overcooked/undercooked is concerned.

[Isgrimnur]

Story

[pr0ner]

I might try them for the fries then. In my opinion, Five Guys is worth trying for their cajun style fries. Their burger is fine in my opinion, but I would not recommend anyone go out of their way to eat a burger there. Their burgers aren't that good. If someone was willing to give the cajun fries a shot then I'd say yeah, go. So I don't have a problem going to Rally's even if their fries are the only notable thing to try.

I tried Five Guys once. The beat part of their overpriced meal was the free penuts.

Blasphemy.

Well, yes, but you're JeffV. Your homemade burgers are probably made from cows fed hand-picked imported grass and grilled on charcoal made from English Bog Oak!

Almost! Cooked on a grass grill using the cheapest house-brand ground cow 80+ lean. I just don't cook it until it until all that's left is a dry hunk of carbon.

This has never been an issue with any Five Guys burger I've ever eaten.

[em2nought]

Story

Yeah, "served as a king" in their dreams. LMAO

I'm really hoping to get one of the fast food which must not be named places in town. It would be worth it if for no other reason than their rejected employees will hopefully get hired by the other fast food restaurants in town thereby increasing the quality of service.

In the meantime I've texted BIGBUFORD to 88001 so I've got that waiting for me with a $2 purchase. Hmm, fries.

[wonderpug]

Ok, I won't work very hard to defend Panda Express as more than a guilty pleasure or a passable fast food option, but I just tried their new Sichuan Hot Chicken and I have to say it's pretty damn good.



Best I can describe it is that it's like a Sichuan dry rub version of Nashville hot chicken. Crunchy crispy breading with coating of the sichuan spices all over. I already know I'm going to be getting this pretty regularly while it stays on the menu.

[Isgrimnur]

The Takeout

Let us acknowledge there are several gradations of tacos. At the top of the chain are ones you might find in, say, the streets of Mexico City: A soft corn tortilla freshly pressed from a tortilladora and griddled, with marinated pork “al pastor” sliced crisp from a trompo and the whole affair topped with salsa verde. A notch or two down is the American taco: hard-shelled, ground beef fried with “taco seasoning,” diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese.

At the bottom rung is the budget fast-food taco, a position even lower than Taco Bell. At this level, the taco is perhaps five times removed from what’s found at Mexico City taquerias. The exemplar of the budget fast-food taco comes from Jack-In-The-Box, which has long offered two tacos for 99 cents. At that price, it is frightening to imagine what sort of ingredients go into those tacos for the company to turn a profit—and profit they did, with over half a billion Jack-In-The-Box tacos consumed by Americans each year.
...
Here now is Burger King’s answer to the budget fast-food taco (it first appeared on its national menu from Sept. 2002 through Jan. 2003, returning in 2019 as a limited-time offering).
...
The beef is deep-fried to the point you can dislodge meat from tortilla in a continuous peel. The shredded lettuce in the ad, in actuality, are the same large pieces of iceberg lettuce used in Whoppers. The cheese is what it is, and the taco sauce an elementary school’s idea of piquancy. If fast food has improved in recent years, Burger King’s taco is firmly entrenched in the 1980s’ notion: Cheap, sloppy, low-grade.

But, but! Everything I’ve written in the last paragraph you can say for Jack-In-The-Box’s tacos (though I think JITB’s is a level greasier, and therefore a touch more satisfying). The social contract with both is you pay one dollar, and in exchange you receive something that’s audibly crunchy, quickly fulfills your daily recommended sodium intake, and there’s taco sauce, and taco sauce is beyond reproach. Once you accept that it’s cheap, sloppy, and low-grade, you might start enjoying this

[raydude]

On our way down to Virginia Beach for vacation we usually stop at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. This time around we missed the exit and instead of turning around decided to press onward. A traffic jam at Norfolk caused us to stop for lunch and the nearest place we could find was a Bojangles. I have never eaten there before but wow, their chicken, dirty rice, and biscuits are good! Unfortunately the skin was a little too spicy for the children, but we gave them the inner meat and they loved it.

[Daehawk]

Bojangles..do not like. Neither did my wife. But Cracker Barrel we'd move into and have all meals there.

[Jaymon]

I had Del Taco for the first time this weekend. I think I enjoyed it, but will need another sampling to be sure.

[LordMortis]

I had Del Taco for the first time this weekend. I think I enjoyed it, but will need another sampling to be sure.

I've never had Del Taco or Taco John's. There is a Del Taco maybe six or seven miles from my home on the way to nowhere I ever go. I keep saying I'll make a trip one day just to have eaten there but six or seven miles for no other purpose than to say "I've eaten there" just isn't ever gong to happen until I turn between the ages of 14 and 22 again.

[wonderpug]

I've never tried Del Taco but they had an enchirito commercial in the late 90s and the enchirito song has now been in my head for nearly 20 years.

[Daehawk]

We have a Dosbros and I hear its good but we never got around to going as its the other end of town and most likely high in cost compared to the Taco Bell up the street.

[pr0ner]

I've never tried Del Taco but they had an enchirito commercial in the late 90s and the enchirito song has now been in my head for nearly 20 years.

The enchirito song is Taco Bell!

[Blackhawk]

Corn tortillas are overrated. I find the graininess to be... unpleasant.

[Alefroth]

I've never tried Del Taco but they had an enchirito commercial in the late 90s and the enchirito song has now been in my head for nearly 20 years.

The enchirito song is Taco Bell!

And the enchiritos I remember don't look like what was in the video. They were flatter in a foil dish and drowning in sauce and cheese.

[Isgrimnur]

Corn tortillas are overrated. I find the graininess to be... unpleasant.

Agreed.

[em2nought]

Best I can describe it is that it's like a Sichuan dry rub version of Nashville hot chicken. Crunchy crispy breading with coating of the sichuan spices all over.

Hmm, that sounds tasty.

On the other hand Burger King's taco is the worst thing I've EVER ordered at a fast food restaurant. Mine wasn't even crunchy, I think it was a leftover from the day before.

[wonderpug]

I've never tried Del Taco but they had an enchirito commercial in the late 90s and the enchirito song has now been in my head for nearly 20 years.

The enchirito song is Taco Bell!

It's worse than that. Now that you mention my error, I think I was actually thinking of the song from the Green Burrito restaurant that went something like "green, green burrito. green, green burrito."

[Isgrimnur]

[wonderpug]

That's the one!

[Isgrimnur]

That's the one!

of seven.