Fast Food “Freebies”

Cafe Society
21

Not that you don’t already know this, but for any passing through a random airport and wanting to experiment - this is not the best option (although it may be the only option for our non USA posters). Airport food is often the worst, and certainly most expensive version of any chain food in the states. Captive audience, generally fewer cooking options, and all that.

The one that hurts me the most is the Salt Lick BBQ “restaurant” at the Austin Airport. I mean, yeah, it’s still better than any Dickie’s I’ve ever encountered (which, if you know my opinion on Dickie’s from other threads is an epic put down) but it’s just at best 2/3 as good as the stuff from the main locations.

22

Kirk’s Steakburgers in Campbell had a legendary condiment bar with just about anything you’d want to put on your burger. That understandably went away during the pandemic, but sadly never came back.

As far as the little condiment packets go, one place I go to has Grey Poupon mustard, which is a nice upgrade over your basic generic yellow style.

23

I went to Fuddruckers decades ago (I think in Texas) and I remember an elaborate “fixins” bar. Do they still have that? And I think Habit Burger has a small one, mostly with various peppers.

And regarding those ketchup packets, yes, they suck. Some places now have Heinz Dip & Squeeze packets, which are better, though obviously more expensive. And some places have those pump dispensers for ketchup with tiny little paper cups you can fill.

24

Apparently the Japanese have a better option. Because of course they do.

25

Though that provides a ketchup/mustard mix and isn’t perhaps ideally for dipping one’s fries.

26

You have to find a Fuddruckers, first. One near me closed recently. The only one left is in a furniture store, and does have the fixins bar.

Ive seen those new packets, but rarely. The pump and paper cup is the best option, but probably a hassle for the restaurant to keep clean.

I have long suspected that Heinz goes out of their way to make their bottles impractical as a mean of dispensing ketchup, but their restuarant options have been improving.

27

KFC does not, and has instead the monster concoction you mention.

The Taco Time in The Dalles, Oregon has a salsa bar that has different types of salsa, hot sauce, and guac as well as fresh veggies like lettuce and sliced jalapenos and tomatoes. That’s probably the most expensive “free” stuff that I’m aware of although I don’t know how common those are at other Taco Times.

Interestingly, the salsa bar at this Taco Time was one of the targets of the Rajneesh’s poisoning attacks in 1984.

28

There was a restaurant in Walt Disney World- Pecos Bill? Famed for it’s fixins bar, including chili sauce, grated cheese, etc. Until assholes started bragging over making whole meals with it- even to the extent of making YT vids IIRC. Why do assholes have to ruin things for everyone else?

Yep, but they REFUSE to have 1000 island dressing for their burgers- and their burgers are just okay. Fries are great, I admit.

29

I think their burgers are about as good as a fast food burger can get, but I don’t have them very often at all, as they’re a bit spendy.

30

In & Out are better, and cheaper. Mind you, I do not care for In & Out fries,

31

Yeah, I’d say they were the best fries I’ve eaten in a burger place.

32

I do love In N Out’s burgers. I have said on this board that if there’s one fast food burger I would choose to eat for the rest of my life, it would be In N Out. That said, I don’t really think they’re in a different class than Five Guys. But I don’t care about thousand island/burger sauce. When I eat a Five Guys, it’s just pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup for me.

33

Honestly the cut up lemons you see places like Arby’s and Farmer Boys have for you to use with their iced tea or water is the best freebie I regularly see anymore.

Supposedly McDonald’s is supposed to have the same thing since I always see lemons for free in their app but whenever I request it I never actually see them put it in my drinks.

34

There’s a taco chain in Florida called Tijuana Flats that has a hot sauce bar. If you like spicy, they got you covered.

I’m not too adventurous (DeathWish and MoFo’en Insane are a no for me, dawg) but I can go for the Smack My Ass and Call Me Sally

35

Actually, Chik Fil A might have those ketchup dipping cups, which may have been what impressed me aside from the mayo.

36

Interestingly enough, I ate at one in the Kingdom of Bahrain a few years ago.

37

That can’t be the wholesale price restaurants pay for mayonnaise. I mean, a bottle of mayo and a bottle of ketchup cost about the same in Canada.

38

I don’t know if this qualifies as “fast food” but the Firehouse Subs near me has a large rack of assorted hot sauces at the pickup point. All of them are labelled 1-5 to indicate the degree of hotness.

39

We went to a Japanese McDonald’s and got some potato wedges with a mayo packet like that. We literally could not figure out how to get the mayo out; we had to ask an employee. I would have preferred a container with a peel-off top for dipping, though.

40

They absolutely do around here. I try to stock up on those when I’m there so I have some for the kids’ school lunches when I need them. They are awesome and should be ubiquitous, but I suspect they cost enough more than those stupid packets that most businesses don’t bother.