# Jack In The Box, or McDonald's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130 "2014-04-27T19:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/1 "2014-04-27T19:32:30Z")
Those are the only two choices. Everyone knows there are better (_much_ better) burgers out there. Given the choice of these two, which do you like better? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/2 "2014-04-27T19:46:01Z")
Haven’t been to a J in the B in ages, andI recall they are less consistent from store to store. Their food has more character to it, IMO. McDonald’s has a robotic consistency you can almost bank on, but it’s rather bland and safe. If both places are well managed and trafficked, I’d probably go for Jack in the Box. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/3 "2014-04-27T19:55:14Z")
Jack In The Box, definitely. Better breakfast selections, tastier burgers and sandwiches, and I love those greasy little tacos. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/4 "2014-04-27T19:57:27Z")
I voted McDonalds, but it’s a little unfair, last time I ate at Jack in the Box was ages ago, and it was awful. That’s probably the last time I ever saw one too. I think it was the early 80s. Even in California where there was at least one of every chain restaurant I don’t recall seeing a Jack in the Box. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/5 "2014-04-27T20:10:01Z")
I haven’t been to Jack in the Box in years, since I moved to Michigan. I don’t think they’re out here. But they used to have pretty damn good burgers with toppings that no other chain offered - swiss cheese and mushrooms was good. And at one point they had great jalapeno poppers that I ate way too many of. Assuming they haven’t gone significantly downhill, Jack gets my vote. McDonalds is OK but as **levdrakon** says, somewhat bland. I suspect McDonalds will get more votes simply because they’re ubiqitous, not on their merits. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/6 "2014-04-27T20:20:07Z")
Jack In The Box has a much better, more flavorful selection. I love their Southwestern Salad, although I haven’t had one since last summer so I hope they still have it. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/7 "2014-04-27T20:22:54Z")
Live in MA, never seen a Jack. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/8 "2014-04-27T20:23:48Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I haven’t been to Jack in the Box in years, since I moved to Michigan. I don’t think they’re out here. But they used to have pretty damn good burgers with toppings that no other chain offered - swiss cheese and mushrooms was good. And at one point they had great jalapeno poppers that I ate way too many of. > > Assuming they haven’t gone significantly downhill, Jack gets my vote. McDonalds is OK but as **levdrakon** says, somewhat bland. > > I suspect McDonalds will get more votes simply because they’re ubiqitous, not on their merits. Yeah, they used to have a sourdough burger that was great. And hot peppers - actual flavor! Not a burger, but I think they had a reuben with sour kraut and everything, that was also pretty tasty. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/9 "2014-04-27T20:26:52Z")
Jack in the Box is really, really good. I eat at and like McD’s, too, but you’re not going to find a better burger than the Sourdough Jack. Food of the Ogs, says I! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/10 "2014-04-27T20:30:38Z")
Not a contest in my book. If I lived next door to both and could only eat at the two, I’d probably eat Jack in the Box 6 out of 7 days a week. As has been stated, McDonald’s food is very bland by comparison. There’s good variety for a fast food restaurant at Jack in the Box, and I love that I can get any sandwich on sourdough bread. I also love that they serve breakfast all day (and their breakfast sandwiches are good, too). The only reason I’d EVER go to McDonald’s in my scenario is for the soft serve and the occasional cardboard sandwich with extra tartar sauce. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/11 "2014-04-27T20:43:59Z")
Jack in the Crack, especially since I now know that I can still get burgers with the old special sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/12 "2014-04-27T20:45:37Z")
Jack in the Box, doesn’t exist within 150 miles. I don’t plan on driving that far for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/13 "2014-04-27T20:55:45Z")
If we are on the road and need a place to piss, it is darn handy that there are mickey-ds on every corner. As for eating there, I went a decade without going there to eat, and never missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/14 "2014-04-27T21:12:23Z")
I voted McDonald’s. When I want fast fuel and I don’t care what it tastes like, I usually go to Jack In The Box. It’s convenient to where I get on the freeway. When I was a kid, I always preferred JITB – and not just for the balloons. I liked the Bonus Jack better than anything McDonald’s had. In my teens and early-'20s I went to another, not-in-the-poll place and that became my default burger. When I tried JITB again, it just wasn’t as good as I remembered. And they eventually got rid of the Bonus Jack. McDonald’s has been consistent over the years. JITB’s beef patties taste very bland to me. McDonald’s seems to add at least a little salt. JITB has some different burgers, but to me they seem to be trying to be something they’re not. Just because you make ‘sirloin burgers’ doesn’t mean they’re as good as burgers I can get elsewhere. JITB and McDonald’s are just for fuel. I like the Big Mac better than the Jumbo Jack. Also, McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish actually almost kind of has a fish flavour. I like Jack’s Fish Filet, but it’s not always on the menu. I like Jack’s All-American Burger better than the Big Mac, but it’s only available for a couple/few months a year. So between the two, I have to vote for McDonald’s because the Big Mac is better than the Jumbo Jack, and they have their Filet-O-Fish. (But for disgusting tacos, you can’t beat JITB. They’re good.) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/15 "2014-04-27T21:20:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I voted McDonald’s. > > When I want fast fuel and I don’t care what it tastes like, I usually go to Jack In The Box. It’s convenient to where I get on the freeway. When I was a kid, I always preferred JITB – and not just for the balloons. I liked the Bonus Jack better than anything McDonald’s had. In my teens and early-'20s I went to another, not-in-the-poll place and that became my default burger. When I tried JITB again, it just wasn’t as good as I remembered. And they eventually got rid of the Bonus Jack. > > McDonald’s has been consistent over the years. JITB’s beef patties taste very bland to me. McDonald’s seems to add at least a little salt. JITB has some different burgers, but to me they seem to be trying to be something they’re not. Just because you make ‘sirloin burgers’ doesn’t mean they’re as good as burgers I can get elsewhere. JITB and McDonald’s are just for fuel. I like the Big Mac better than the Jumbo Jack. Also, McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish actually almost kind of has a fish flavour. I like Jack’s Fish Filet, but it’s not always on the menu. I like Jack’s All-American Burger better than the Big Mac, but it’s only available for a couple/few months a year. > > So between the two, I have to vote for McDonald’s because the Big Mac is better than the Jumbo Jack, and they have their Filet-O-Fish. (But for disgusting tacos, you can’t beat JITB. They’re good.) Speaking of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, am I the only one who’s noticed that it’s _significantly_ smaller than it used to be? It used to be a fairly substantial sandwich, but it became so puny over the last few years I stopped ordering it. I agree that for me, most fast food drive-through fare is simply fuel during a busy work day on the go. So I am not that picky and if I do McD’s I get a dollar menu item and water, because [del] I am a cheap bitch [/del] don’t want to eat, or can’t stomach, the full-size meal. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/16 "2014-04-27T21:35:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Jack in the Crack, especially since I now know that I can still get burgers with the old special sauce. That’s “Gag in the Bag”, pal. Lived in South CA for 54 years, and IMHO there’s no contest. For dependable consistency (store-to-store, franchise-to-franchise quality control), McDonald’s. All other considerations: Hack in the Sack by a mile. ETA: “_Secret_ Sauce” ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/17 "2014-04-27T21:42:12Z")
Since there are no JITB’s anywhere near me, I appreciate them when I’m traveling. I think I’d pick it over McD’s due to the variety. But I’d really miss that Filet o Fish and seasonal McRib. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/18 "2014-04-27T21:44:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Jack In The Box, definitely. Better breakfast selections, tastier burgers and sandwiches, and I love those greasy little tacos. Complete agreement (though sometimes I just need McDs fries and a Big Mac). ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/19 "2014-04-28T00:03:51Z")
Jack, but that probably goes back to the 1970s/80s when Jack had no problem with “special” orders while McD’s treated them as if they had to seriously go out of their way to make a burger (which, when you consider the McD’s system, they more or less did). ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130/20 "2014-04-28T00:07:07Z")
“Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us!” That was BK. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-in-the-box-or-mcdonalds/687130.md?page=2)