# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 391
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7802 "2025-07-29T16:25:56Z")
One dog is missing a front foot, maybe? And apparently nobody’s polydactyl. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7803 "2025-07-29T16:29:48Z")
The burger poll was probably easy for most people, but I’ve never been ride-or-die for any one chain. There are no fewer than six burgers on the list that I like quite a lot, and I had a tough time deciding on just one. Today, In-N-Out got my vote, but tomorrow I might change my mind. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7804 "2025-07-29T16:36:00Z")
I had a tough time choosing between Habit and In-N-Out, but today Habit got my vote. I also quite like Shake Shack and Five Guys. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7805 "2025-07-29T16:38:20Z")
I haven’t had 50% of the burgers on that list. I give the edge to Five Guys. Shake Shack and Habit are pretty close. I’ve only had Whataburger once. Nothing special about it. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7806 "2025-07-29T16:58:11Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I wonder how many squirrels die of starvation. Ha! Not the ones in my neighborhood. There are a good number of pine trees, and the squirrels go nuts (heh) on the pinons. They leave a big mess, too. But I see very healthy well fed squirrels around here. I had a hard time with the Elton John/Billy Joel question, and finally came down on Billy Joel. But when I voted the results were exactly 50-50. I’m not taking Ozempic, but I’ve lost 70 lbs., and that plus changing my diet dropped my A1C a good bit. Thankfully, no history of diabetes in my family. There _is_ heart disease history, so that was my incentive. Mannequins I don’t find creepy, because that one _Twilight Zone_ episode with Ann Francis had the scary mannequins turn out to be nice “people” after all. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > We used to have a cat who sometimes got an ingrown claw that looked painful, so we clipped that one. One of our dachshunds had exceptionally short legs – even for a dachshund. The dewclaws on her legs curved so much that if they grew too long they’d curve back and stab into her leg and make it bleed. We had to watch for it, and I felt bad if we forgot to check and we noticed a little blood on the couch cover. She never complained though. Animal stoicism? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7807 "2025-07-29T17:02:29Z")
Not sure if I should be surprised or unsurprised to not see the Big Mac or Quarter Pounder on said survey. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7808 "2025-07-29T17:07:53Z")
To quote my father: “nobody goes to McDonald’s for burgers. They go to McDonald’s for _McDonald’s_.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7809 "2025-07-29T17:08:16Z")
I don’t eat much fast food, or many burgers. I’ve had a Whopper in my youth, none of those others. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7810 "2025-07-29T17:11:37Z")
Yeah, I was kind of surprised by that. That would be the most common possibility around here – a lot of those places, I’d have no idea where to find one, even if I wanted to order a burger. Which, at most places, would these days be way down on my list of possibilities. I did use to like Wendy’s, probably about 40 years ago. I have no idea what they’re like now, or if they still exist. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7811 "2025-07-29T17:17:40Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I did use to like Wendy’s, probably about 40 years ago. I have no idea what they’re like now, or if they still exist. They’re absolutely still around, and are [the #5 fast-food chain in the U.S., size-wise](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/the-2024-qsr-50-fast-foods-leading-annual-report/). But, it seems like they may have some franchisee issues – from what I’ve seen they have vanished from some cities. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7812 "2025-07-29T17:35:32Z")
Yeah, several of those burger places are location-restricted. I think In-n-Out and The Habit are only rated as low as they are because they’re not all that widespread – especially The Habit. I think there were three of the places on the list that are not anywhere near me – like not even in the state. McD’s? I’d never opt for one if I wanted a good burger. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7813 "2025-07-29T17:39:12Z")
I assume we have all had burgers better than the ones in that poll; they just come from independent or very small chain joints. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7814 "2025-07-29T17:58:52Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > We had to watch for it, and I felt bad if we forgot to check and we noticed a little blood on the couch cover. She never complained though. Animal stoicism? Same with the cat. But once we let it go far too long, and the claw had grown well into one of her pads. That must have hurt when she walked. It bled when we cut it (and pulled it out of the pad) but that healed quickly. The vet suggested surgically removing that claw, but agreed that if we kept on top of trimming it, surgery wasn’t needed. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7815 "2025-07-29T18:00:51Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Yeah, several of those burger places are location-restricted. Yeah, I realize many of the burgers on that list are from regional chains and most of us likely haven’t had the opportunity to try all of them. So lets say if you haven’t tried any of them, or feel you haven’t tried enough of them to have a valid opinion as to which one is best, you may vote for the one you most want to try based on whatever you may know about them. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I assume we have all had burgers better than the ones in that poll; they just come from independent or very small chain joints. Yeah, the _best_ burger I’ve had was at a place called Dad’s Kitchen in Sacramento. But they’re not a chain (well, they had two locations at one point, but then the original location closed). The poll was specifically limited to the 10 burgers USA Today declared America’s “10 Best”. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7816 "2025-07-29T18:08:08Z")
A double burger is just too much for me. About halfway through it would stop tasting good and taste of regret and bad decisions. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7817 "2025-07-29T18:58:07Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t clip my cats’ claws. All of them are good enough about velveting their paws, and they like to climb the cat tree. I respect your cats self-discipline! My cats like their 3 scratching post/trees, and lurv their cardboard scratch mobius-strip. But they’re inconsistent in effectiveness. My Kai therefore needs a bit of touching up, because he’s the “I want attention and I want it now, fear the deathblades!” when it comes to demanding attention. Coco is pretty good about not doing so, but because she’s so paw shy (I have no idea about what the first owner did, but we’re the third and even after having her years she isn’t happy about having them touched) I have to sneak the occasional snip in. I’ve seen her _caught_ on the scratching post, the carpet, even on the bed. And she gets (understandably) upset and defensive - growls, hisses, the whole bit. It’s to the point when we have a standing request _FROM_ the vet to only bring her in with some cat valium in her system, and she is so hostile that the last time they wanted to do some tests that they refused unless she was formally sedated. Which speaks to for this cat, it’s not about desire, or lack of talent/technique, but sheer difficulty and possible poor early treatment making her utterly uncooperative. So yes, a complicated little kitty! Burgers Poll - I’ve only eaten at three on the specific list. So I voted for the top burger in my personal experience from the list: Five Guys. In second and third place were Whataburger and the Whopper. Generally I don’t do fast food anymore, and if I’m travelling, it makes more sense to bring something to eat in the car considering the quality of food and time lost. Every other year or so I get a craving and may give in, and then remember why I don’t bother, _especially_ given the cost of fast food these days sans a coupon/app option. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7818 "2025-07-29T19:31:05Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > It’s to the point when we have a standing request _FROM_ the vet to only bring her in with some cat valium in her system, and she is so hostile that the last time they wanted to do some tests that they refused unless she was formally sedated. Which speaks to for this cat, it’s not about desire, or lack of talent/technique, but sheer difficulty and possible poor early treatment making her utterly uncooperative. We have one cat who needs to be drugged to see the vet, but that’s because she hates being restrained, and of course they need to restrain her to draw blood. And she does need regular blood work. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7819 "2025-07-29T19:44:25Z")
Yeah, she’s a lovely dear, but only feels comfortable when she’s in familiar circumstance. She’ll deal pretty well with strangers _in her house_ but anything outside the house is a threat. She’s generally more scared to death than hostile, but there will be a metric ton of hostile growls, screeches and aggression if you get close. And even at her best, she doesn’t like being picked up, though she’ll tolerate it (briefly) from me, my wife is NOT allowed to do so. Still love her though. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7820 "2025-07-29T20:06:04Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Yeah, I was kind of surprised by that. That would be the most common possibility around here – a lot of those places, I’d have no idea where to find one, even if I wanted to order a burger. Which, at most places, would these days be way down on my list of possibilities. > > I did use to like Wendy’s, probably about 40 years ago. I have no idea what they’re like now, or if they still exist. The list comes from a USA Today poll of the best burgers, not the most common. I am surprised that the Whopper is on there. Wendy’s is far superior to that. As mentioned most of the others are regional chains, although some of them are in rather large regions. I only had Whataburger because I had to spend some months in Texas training before my last deployment. I’ve never seen an In-n-out. Last time I was in California was in the 80s. I’m not sure where Habit started but they are beginning to move into my area. The poll was the first time I’ve heard of Freddy’s and Culver. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7821 "2025-07-29T20:07:31Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The poll was the first time I’ve heard of Freddy’s and Culver. Culver’s originated in Wisconsin, and is still mostly Midwestern, though they’re up to about 1000 locations now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=390) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=392)