Apparently the Carls Jr fast food chain is coming to Australia. They’re opening their first store on the NSW central coast in a few months.
So, how do they compare to other fast food places? I had a look at their menu and the burgers look good, but the menu photos always make them look good.
I noticed they also do burrito’s and have biscuits and gravy on the breakfast menu which could be interesting if it was on the Aus menu as most Australians would have NFI about that particular dish.
I’ve tried Maccas when in Vegas and they tasted very much the same as what we get here, so I assume the taste will be largely transportable.
So, are they any good? How would they rank compared to Maccas and Burger King or against some of the other chains?
They have The Worst/Most Annoying commercials. Over exaggerated eating sounds that is just repulsive.
Now, having said that, the burgers are pretty good for fast food. Better than McD, BK, and certainly Jack in the box. Maybe on par with wendy’s, maybe a bit better.
I know a marketing exec for Carl’s Jr./Hardees who describes their target customer as “young men who eat a lot of fast food.”
They seem to be more interested in portion size (2/3 pound MONSTER THICKBURGER!) and how many toppings they can shovel on top of a beef patty than they are with making the beef actually taste good.
If you’re the kind of person who’s attracted to 1,340 calories and 275 mg of cholesterol on a bun, you’ll love it.
NFI? checks urbandictionary no fucking idea??? Don’t worry, most Americans outside the south have no idea what biscuits and gravy are, either.
NB: this is the West Coast name. In the Eastern US, it’s known as Hardee’s. I’ve been told that while the menu is similar, it is not the same and CJ’s is better.
They’re certainly better than McDonald’s. Their offerings are a little more unique than “Here’s a burger. Here’s a burger… with two patties! Here’s one with lettuce and tomato!” Other than that, I kind of forget what they have.
I don’t mind their commercials; they’re mostly models doing fanservice.
I know at least one Australian who likes them just fine. Admittedly, the commercials may have biased him.
I’ve had excellent biscuits and gravy as far north as Philadelphia in the East, and all over the Lower Midwest and the Inland West.
Don’t see them on breakfast menus on the Pacific coast, the Upper Midwest, or in the Northeast, which is good, because I’d weigh a hundred pounds more and have died five years ago from a heart attack.
Hardees is the best fast food burgers imo but they’re also the most expensive so I only go there when I get a coupon
there are always a lot of old people there when I go
Interesting. Wendy’s tried briefly in Australia in the 1980’s and failed quickly. I tried them once and my (granted 30 year old) memory was they were big but soggy. too much sauce/mayo stuff.
The sad thing (okay, one of the sad things) about burger joints/chains is that no matter how good they may be one day in one location, give them a year or less and the quality will fade. They never hold on to that “something special” they used to have.
In my own case, and I would expect similar things from most others, there was a place in my childhood (near Montgomery Alabama to be specific) where we would always go after Sunday evening church for supper. The way their burgers were made became the standard by which I have measured burger quality to this day. Over time that place went away and others have come and gone, but only the rare few even come close to that paragon from way back then.
These days, other than Hardee’s, there are several places in Nashville where the “real old-time burger” is prepared just the way I like them. They’re not in chain places – in fact they are one owner joints who have been there for decades, and know exactly what their customer base expects and they provide it – at a price! Being across town from where I live, I only go there when I’m dying for that “old time taste.” Between trips I make do with Hardee’s mainly because they’re close by.
Of the nationwide chains, Carl’s Jr. is my favourite. Unfortunately, there’s only one between the Canadian border and Seattle. I’ll sometimes get a Super Star with Cheese on the way to work, though. (Or a jalapeño burger.)
Their monster breakfast biscuit is pretty awesome. No biscuit is over 20 minutes old when it’s served, at least, that’s the rule. 6 dollar burger isn’t bad either. Better than McD, and Jack’s, but not up to In-n-out IMHO.
I remember a better one with this same meme - guy puts bare hot dog in the microwave, as he stares thru the window the hot dog explodes. Look of bewilderment on guy’s face.
While I think their burgers are slightly better than McDonalds, there is usually a large calorie penalty involved. This page lists nutrition info for the major US fast food joints. CJ’s/Hardees seems to hold dubious distinction in at least a couple categories. It may be better for your health to go elsewhere. For example, in the basic Hamburger category:
Worst: Carl’s Jr (Big Hamburger)
While the nutrition facts of each fast food restaurant’s most basic hamburger were somewhat similar in some cases, the “Big Hamburger” from Carl’s Jr is my pick for the worst in this comparison simply based on being the highest in calories and sodium.
And for the Sandwich//Hamburger category:
*Worst: Carl’s Jr. (Double Six Dollar Burger) & Too Many Others
Are you ready for this one? The Double Six Dollar Burger from Carl’s Jr. contains an insane 1520 calories. That’s not a typo. One sandwich contains more calories than some smaller females need… PER DAY. The 111 grams of fat isn’t a typo either. That’s more fat in one sandwich than most average sized men need per day. *
Chicken Sandwiches:
*Worst: Hardee’s (Big Fillet) & Burger King (TENDERCRISP)
This was actually a harder one to decide on. In the end though, I had to go with Hardee’s Big Fillet because, at 800 calories (highest in the comparison) and 1890mg of sodium (highest again) it towers over most of the other items compared by being literally 2-4 times as high. *
As for Carls’, I had the misfortune of visiting one, in Quartzite, Az.
We were on a motorcycle, we were hot and we were hungry and saw a Carls’just off the interstate.
There is only one word to describe the food: GROSS.
And the service, if you can call it that, was…, well, why did the guy come to work that day.
I managed to get some food into me and it stayed down. My wife wasn’t as lucky. Once we had some fluids into us and had cooled down, it was good riddance to Carls’, and never to return.
