I’m talking with another Doper on AIM right now and the topic of fast food came up, specifically that of Sonic. She’s apparently enamored with the place but I don’t care for it at all and much prefer Burger King or Wendy’s if I am wanting a fast food burger. Upon hearing that, she went into a state of shock and asked me (in seeming sincerity) who would prefer either of those to Sonic. It was now my turn to be shocked speechless and then decided to see if you guys could back me up here. Does anyone here honestly prefer Sonic to the other burger joints out there? I’ve honestly never met anyone who does and I think lilbtagna, the Doper I am talking with, has a few screws loose to like them more than even the dread McDonald’s.
So, out of these four, which is the best? Rank them all if you prefer but I would like to know if anyone else among you shares her opinion.
I love Sonic. The burgers are very decent for fast food, you can get tater tots as an alternative to fries, and their drinks and desserts (like strawberry lemonade slushes and peach pie milkshakes) are the best part. I live in South Florida, where we sadly don’t have any Sonics, but I can’t resist stopping to eat there whenever I pass one in my travels. I also love the retro-futuristic '50s drive-in decor, and the roller-skating carhops.
(Sadly, I may have gotten food poisoning from a Sonic less than two weeks ago, but it might have been another place. It was definitely one or the other, and it caused me a miserable week. But I’d still eat at Sonic again in the future. If you fall off a horse, you have to climb right back on!)
I admit to liking McDonald’s burgers–they’re not great by “truly awesome hamburger” standards, but sometimes I’m totally in the mood for their unique taste and texture. In college, I used to stock up when they’d have 39-cent cheeseburgers on Sundays, buy a huge sack of ten or twenty and freeze them for quick snacks throughout the week. Their fries are good too, and when the blessed McRib comes back “for a limited time,” I usually break down and order a couple.
Wendy’s is mighty tasty. I usually get a couple Junior Cheeseburger Deluxes off their 99-cent menu, and perhaps a cup of chili. They used to have an awesome “limited time” sandwich, the Smoky Bacon Cheeseburger. That may be my favorite fast food chain burger ever.
I’m not a huge fan of Burger King because the flame-broiling makes their burgers seem dry and not as juicy, and their fries aren’t as good as McD’s either.
I pity everyone who doesn’t live here. They make the best fast food hamburgers ever! The quality is superb, and I can look at their burgers without thinking that there’s something disgusting in there, like I do with every other fast food joint’s burgers. In n out’s the only place I eat now. Thank god there’s one within walking distance from my school!
I don’t care much for any of the above, especially Burger King and McDonalds, and except for Sonic, which I don’t have much experience with since we don’t have them here. I had a burger there once, which must have been nothing special, because I don’t remember much about it, good or bad. Sonic’s breakfast, or at least the item I ordered, was terrible, however. If I must eat at Wendy’s or McDonalds, I generally get a chicken sandwich. I used to like McDonalds’ burgers, but then they did something funky to the recipe and now they always taste like sausage patties.
For burgers, my favorite is In 'n Out if I’m in California or Culver’s if I’m home.
In-n-Out
Sonic (just stay away from the tater tots)
Burger King
Wendy’s
And waaaaay down the list:
McDonald’s.
In-n-Out has the best fries, and the best burgers.
I love the strawberry limeades at Sonic, or occsionally I go for a strawberry creme slush. If I don’t feel like a burger, I’ll go for their grilled chicken, espically since they use a nummy honey mustard on it.
Burger King’s burgers aren’t too bad.
Wendy’s is edible.
McDonald’s is overpriced and undersized.
<< Brain–the apparatus with which we think that we think. >>
I prefer sonic as well,although I like bigmacs (thought too much lettuce on them)
and the french fries are better.The wifey prefer bk whopper.As a whole,I like sonic better,but are none in the seattle area that i know of;
Wendy’s - great burgers (not greasy), and a decent selection of actual food (chili, baked potatos, salads worthy of the name, etc.).
McDonald’s.
Burger King.
<insert virtually every other fast food place in the world>
1,000,000. Fudruckers.
1,000,000,000. White Castle.
Actually, I’ve never tried Sonic. I don’t think that we have any around here. In fact, I don’t think that I’ve ever eaten at any of the other places mentioned so far.
I don’t care particularly for Sonic burgers. The patties are so big, they need an extra-large bun to cover them, so a large part of the meal is bun. They’re not bad, but they’re not a Big Mac. I am a Big Mac aficionado. I don’t recall ever having anything else on the menu at McDonald’s.
After that, I’d pick a Whopper, then a Wendy’s double. I don’t eat burgers very often - maybe once a month - but I do like them.
What I want to know is, why can you never get a burger in a restaurant like the ones you can make at home on the grill?
There’s a place in one of the malls around here called Flamers (I kid you not) which has fantastic burgers, but I don’t know if it’s a chain.
Otherwise:
Wendy’s
McD’s (theres one in front of my apartment complex and I eat there probably twice every three days)
BK
Sonic (although the coconut slushy thing is awesome)
None of the above … are there no single-shop non-chain places left in the USA where you can get a properly made and cooked burger by an actual real cook who wasn’t in-house trained? That’s the only kinda place I’ll eat one from here, or home-made.
A bit of Rip Van Winkle here, since I became a vegetarian in 1992. Before that, I preferred McDonald’s and found White Castle inedible, and ranked the others in between.
I’ve only eaten at Sonic once. The food, when we finally got it, was okay, but the service was horrendous. The place had only been open a month, so I have to be a little forgiving for this. Still, after stating the order and repeating it two more times, they still got it wrong and we just took what we finally ended up with. Haven’t been back since.
To rank the others I frequently visit, including some not mentioned in the OP or mentioned at all:
1. Wendy’s The food is consistently good and they get it right 95% of the time. 2. Carl’s Jr. They offer a wide variety of hanburgers and chicken sandwiches not found at other fast food outlets. I love their fries, too. 3. Jack in the Box Again, they have a good variety on their menu. The fries could use some improvement, though. 4. Burger King I worked there for six years and I got burned out on them. Their food quality has fallen off in the past ten years since I worked there. 5. McDonald’s They’re just not what they used to be. If I am hungry enough I’ll eat there, which is about once a month.
