They discontinued those back in 2021. I complained to no avail back then.
Yes,the declining quality of fast foods to save costs is a major issue. Another example is that KFC gravy used to be excellent, and I think some of their side dishes, too, and the gravy is now basically brown wallpaper paste. And probably the chicken itself, too, though I don’t much care as I haven’t been to KFC in ages.
Not exactly fast food but when I was at university, a new modestly-priced seafood restaurant opened nearby. I loved their “fisherman’s platter”. which is typically code for “whatever junk we have lying around that might once have been a piece of a marine creature of some sort” but not when they first opened! It was a delicious assortment of various fried and grilled fish, fried calamari, and fried smelt – a really stellar seafood assortment. Naturally, as time went on and they did their accounts, the ingredients got cheaper and less varied until eventually it met the cynical but realistic definition I just gave above. There were other restaurants, too, in those years that were excellent early on and then went into decline.
The 11 herbs and spices is now effectively salt, pepper and MSG. Their potato wedges were awesome but now they are those abomination of fries.
I rarely eat there these days, and tend to be slightly disheartened when I do. There are better places. The minuscule amount of dried spices required to make a meal taste good would not add a lot to the cost of the meal, and avoiding spices has not prevented an enormous percentage increase in cost. But avoiding any significant spice does make the resulting product much less flavourful and nutritious.
Speaking of (nearly) discontinued restaurants, I dined in a Big Boy restaurant for the first time since 1997 just last week. I’d grown up with the chain, and it was a huge treat for me in the 1960’s when Grandpa would take me there. But they vanished from our area.
Yet one remains in Manistique, MI (and other places). And the Mrs. and I stopped there on a recent trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed my Brawny Lad burger (burger patty on a rye roll). It’s not excellent cuisine by any means, but its aroma and taste and texture brought back some marvelous memories.
Haven’t had schlotzky’s in a while (none around me), but when I traveled for work a decade-plus ago, I’d always look for one in the city I was staying. My absolute favorite on the menu was a jalapeno turkey pizza. It was sliced turkey and sliced jalapenos and cheese and olive oil on a sour dough crust. It was the food of royalty. No longer on the menu, apparently. I’ve attempted to recreate it at home a few times, but, unfortunately, without the sourdough.
I’d love to see more schlotzky’s open up and for them to bring back this delicacy.
Oh, that brings back memories. They closed their California locations about 20 years ago. Now the closest one is in Las Vegas. The pastrami reuben on dark rye was an amazing sandwich that I miss dearly.
And the vintage Mickey D fries cooked in beef tallow. Mmmmm…
Actually, they’ve redeemed themselves with their Sausage Burrito. It’s my Sunday (post-church, waiting for the bar to open) treat.
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Did you get a cheap little Big Boy comic book?
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Hey, does Arby’s still serve Jamocha Shakes? Coffee and chocolate and thickeners… and fuel for my post-college road trips.
MexiCones from Little Ol’ TacoMaker (from Southern California).
There was an independently owned fast food joint in the town I grew up in. The food was Krusty Burger quality. They sold these “Dandy” burgers that had like an entire salad bar on it. You were a goddamn mess after eating one. The fried chicken was the greasiest shit you ever had. They had these cards you’d fill out and on your birthday they’d send you a coupon for a free burger, fires, or shake. Kids would fill out multiple cards with multiple dates and get tons of those coupons. I don’t think anyone I went to high school with ever paid to eat there.
I’d like to bring the place back just for nostalgic reasons.
Maccas used to have a Mcfeast which was like a quarter pounder with lettuce and tomato and my go to burger. These new Angus versions don’t do it for me.
And while it’s not an item as such, bring back the Pizza Hut all you can eat buffet. Pizza, Pasta, Salad and Desert.
Nope. Nor their original potato cakes. I just looked for both recently.
Sounds like you want a Pizza Ranch. Lots of locations here in the upper Midwest, mostly in small towns it seems. Salad bar, pizza, broasted chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy, and self-serve ice cream. Our local Shakey’s had such a buffet, before it went out of business. It was a great place to take a bunch of hungry young co-workers.
I think I’ve said before here that I literally owe my existence to Shakey’s Pizza.
My parents met at the first Shakey’s restaurant in Sacramento.
Arby’s still carries jamocha shakes the last 2 cities I’ve lived in
I haven’t been to an Arby’s in years, but they still list the Jamocha shake on their online menu.
Looking online, you are both correct. They apparently just don’t offer them through doordash, which is strange, since I can order all the other shakes through doordash, just not that one. I guess I just assumed they got rid of it. Apologies all around. The potato cakes, however, are no more.
As mentioned previously, Arby’s used to have onion petals, and I’m STILL mad at them for discontinuing those.
This explains so much. I just got a McD chocolate shake, after years of being told, “Sorry, the machine is down” and eventually giving up on ordering one at all.
Last time I went through - I don’t go often, but I had a hankerin’ - on a whim, I asked if I could get a shake and got a cheerful, “Sure!”
I … was not emotionally prepared for this development!
But I rolled with the news & got … the most disappointing “chocolate” shake I’ve ever slurped into my mouth-hole.
“Chemical” taste is exactly right.
What an emotional roller coaster.
Arby’s also used to have delicious roast beef sandwiches. I discovered that back in the late 60’s. They used to have a whole beef roast slowly cooking in a glass oven, visible to customers. I’d love to bring back that level of quality and flavor. The only sandwich I liked at Arby’s over the last few decades was their hot ham and cheese sandwiches, then they went and discontinued them.
The Committee, hard at work.