# food places you avoid **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102 "2008-11-30T23:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/61 "2008-12-01T20:39:29Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > Yes, we do. Really, we do. Sorry to be disappointing, but somewhere among the 11 secret herbs and spices is one that leads to serious wolf ass. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/62 "2008-12-01T20:40:11Z")
McDonald’s, Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday’s, Bennigan’s (see a theme), most Chinese places that are indistinguishable from one another, anything TexMex (prefer just “Mex”), Krystals/White Castle. Probably more, that’s just at first thought. I don’t mind BK and Wendy’s, they’re better than McDs, but if I have to get a fast food burger I’d prefer it were In-n-Out. Only I live on the wrong side of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Ducktail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@Ducktail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ducktail)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/63 "2008-12-01T20:41:06Z")
I once ordered a shredded chicken sandwich at KFC and bit into a whole chicken bone. I don’t eat there anymore. I generally avoid fast food restaurants, but I have a serious weakness for Arby’s. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/64 "2008-12-01T21:10:59Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > That’s the reason I \*do \*go there… something about the blinding yellow everywhere (even on some of the ceiling tiles… eww), the greasy, half collapsed ductwork hanging over the food, and the juxtaposition of touch-screen wireless card readers with decades-old fixtures makes me feel like I’m eating in the men’s room at the Mos Eisley cantina. Yeah, they definitely exude a certain atmosphere all right. What can you say about a franchise that proudly embraces a logo depicting a pizza pie topped with a decapitated human head? They’re like a made-up business that you might see featured in a series of torture-porn films by Lion’s Gate Studios, or perhaps in an early Wes Craven offering. > [@](#): > > But Waffle House? It’s pretty bad when the place you’re supposed to be eating from isn’t even fit to take a dump in. Now see, that’s where you’re going wrong. You don’t go to Waffle House for the “food” (or even to take a dump-- though it is my personal hypothesis that the success of the chain is based solely on its 24-hour restrooms, placed strategically along interstate highways: I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it were originally a pay-toilet franchise, and the owner just decided to offer waffles on the side for some reason). No, you go to Waffle House for the conversations. You go there to hear things that you can’t hear anywhere else-- why the government puts addictive drugs in Oreo cookies, for example; or how many organs and structures can be medically replaced in a single living human body by the VA hospital. Many of these conversations are based on facts that don’t exist in any other environment. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/65 "2008-12-02T01:44:19Z")
I don’t do KFC anymore. It seems like such a good idea when I’m watching TV and hungry and there’s a KFC 5 minutes up the road, but after 2 bites of Original Recipe (AKA Rhino Ass) I can’t even stand the smell. And I’m no pixie when it comes to grease, I likes me some fast food, but I just don’t have the stomach for that shit. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/66 "2008-12-02T03:51:49Z")
Taco Bell (just gross), Subway (have eaten there 3 times, got food poisoning twice), and now, McD’s (too pricey for crap) and BK. I haven’t eaten at a BK in about 15 years or so, after a 3 day stint working there one summer. The burgers came off the flame-broiler thing raw under a thinly-cooked layer of burger, but I was told “oh, put them in the steamer anyways”. Yeah, so they can drip foul gunk all over it. Ugh. Hardees/Carl’s Jr. I should probably spoiler this next part: One of my sister’s high school friends worked for one. One of that guy’s co-workers was fired. After a YEAR of pissing in the buckets of pickles. Apparently this was a past-time he enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/67 "2008-12-02T04:12:51Z")
Political reasons: Red Lobster Olive Garden Dominos Wendy’s Because food from there has made me physically ill: Wendy’s Subway Cafeteria at my former employer’s Because I hate them and all they represent: Applebee’s Benigans TGIFridays Ruby Tuesdays Joe’s Crab Shack (mainly for the birthday obnoxiousness) Because they are not any good: Sea Ranch (used to be my favorite Sushi restaurant, but now the people running it have the same menu but it tastes worse than grocery store sushi.) The Thai restaurant near my old house has gravy that makes dishwater look good. Because they were rude: Denny’s in Melrose Park Applebee’s Mrs V Waffles Tiffany’s ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/68 "2008-12-02T04:22:22Z")
Can you tell us (briefly) about the political reasons for avoiding the restaurants in the first grouping, please? I’m really not familiar with them and would rather not patronize a place that is involved in unsavory (so to speak) practices! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/69 "2008-12-02T04:23:24Z")
**lee** , can you tell us (briefly) about the political reasons for avoiding the restaurants in the first grouping, please? I’m really not familiar with them and would rather not patronize a place that is involved in unsavory (so to speak) practices! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/70 "2008-12-02T04:34:13Z")
> [@psycat90](#): > > I read on this board a few months ago that it was on Food Network or something, and I can’t imagine why. I know for a fact neither my husband nor I will ever step foot in the place again. Maybe it was **Kitchen Nightmares**? ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/71 "2008-12-02T04:36:08Z")
Chipotle. I’ve only been to that place twice at two different locales and they both made me sick to the stomach. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/72 "2008-12-02T04:59:27Z")
> [@Ducktail](#): > > I once ordered a shredded chicken sandwich at KFC and bit into a whole chicken bone. I don’t eat there anymore. > > I generally avoid fast food restaurants, but I have a serious weakness for Arby’s. I don’t avoid fast food restaurants, but I went to Arby’s last year for the first time in many - many years. I don’t expect to go again for another many - many years. Not to hate on Arby’s, it can’t be any more disgusting than any other fast food joint. ---
**Author:** ![Momofgirls](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/momofgirls/32/21798_2.png) [@Momofgirls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Momofgirls)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/73 "2008-12-02T06:14:35Z")
> [@Ceejaytee](#): > > McDonald’s. I like the way the food smells, actually, and I can never walk past one without being tempted to go inside. I haven’t done that in years, though, because to me, everything tastes the same–it has a particular grease flavor that just makes me queasy. I swear, even the sodas take greasy sometimes. I think there’s just so much grease floating around that it even coats the cups, because once in a while I see a film on the soda after I’ve filled the cup. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/74 "2008-12-02T06:45:34Z")
I love Arby’s but I always seem to get sick after eating there. It’s very bittersweet. I refuse to eat at Friendly’s because it’s disgusting. As for Lee’s culinary enemies list, I’ll say that I know a lot people refuse to patronize Domino’s because the founder is a very militant anti-abortion dude, but he sold the whole chain ten years ago, so I don’t know what purpose a boycott would serve today. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/75 "2008-12-02T14:04:51Z")
Sonic - I have eaten at several of them and after doing so, I consistently experienced major problems of the lower intestines. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/76 "2008-12-02T14:53:12Z")
Why all the hate for Papa John’s? It is far and away my favorite pizza - nothing else will do! ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/77 "2008-12-02T15:00:04Z")
I can honestly say no food from any restaurant ever made me sick to my stomach. It’s going to my head though, because I go out for sushi about once a week to one of about five different places (we alternate week to week). I’m asking for trouble. Also, I’m getting more and more into seafood in general, as well as ordering my steaks more rare (I’m down to medium-rare). I’ve had food poisoning before, but that was from my dad’s split pea soup somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/78 "2008-12-02T15:09:37Z")
> [@Momofgirls](#): > > I swear, even the sodas take greasy sometimes. I think there’s just so much grease floating around that it even coats the cups, because once in a while I see a film on the soda after I’ve filled the cup. You’re not alone in this. Diet Coke _should_ taste like Diet Coke no matter where you get it, barring differences in fountain mixes, but their soda makes me feel fat like nobody else’s does. There’s this feeling of fakeness and shaped fat to everything they sell. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/79 "2008-12-02T15:24:24Z")
I haven’t eaten at a McDonald’s in more than 17 years. Not since shortly after I became a vegetarian and it was revealed that McDonald’s uses beef flavoring on their cooked-in-vegetable-oil french fries. They haven’t gotten a penny from me since, and I haven’t consumed so much as a sip of soda from them in all this time. I got sick from 3 different Papa John’s, 2 in Las Vegas and 1 in Denver… never again. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102/80 "2008-12-02T15:31:39Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > I got roped into eating at one of those with some friends a few years ago. Ye gods, what a mess! Every single thing on the table was previously frozen and then microwaved or deep fried. Without a doubt the worst of the TGI-whoever, goofy stuff on the walls, sit-down casual chains. Who the heck is their target market? People who hate food but want to pay more than they would at McDonald’s? Yes. And I see I forgot to mention the terrible ambience. It was like a Hard Rock Cafe done by itinerant coal miners. (not that HRC is any great shakes). The decor, the seats and booths too close together, the badly positioned and poorly chosen “artwork” and “artifacts” for the walls… there was nothing, NOTHING about the experience that made me want to repeat it, ever. I never will have to, thank goodness. I’d say the same about Ruby Tuesday’s, but I went there on vaca (I don’t think they’re around here). I tend to avoid chain restaurants, unless I’m on the road. I like Steak and Shake (their cheesy fries are very good. As cheesy fries go). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-places-you-avoid/475102.md?page=5)