I had a tough choice between Burger King (always makes me physically ill) and Panda Express (an insultingly bland affront to Americanized Chinese food, which is at its best a pale shadow of real Chinese).
Panda insults me on more levels, so it gets the nod.
I wonder how many international Dopers like me push McD up. I only have McDonalds and Subway here so there’s not much competition for my vote.
I note Krystal and Chik-fil-la are not choices. Krystal has burgers and also imitation White Castle ones, and wings, and the wings are good so I would not pick them as bad.
Chik on the other hand likes to give you just bread with meat and nothing on it, I have to go finish it up so why not just eat at home then? Also I am still mad they will not sell wings, which are so popular. I get mad at them every time I go in for that, as wings with their good coating would be good. The also need some dark meat nuggets in addition to the white, plenty of folks like the dark yet no one wants to do that.
LOL Last summer we took a Romanian friend of mine to the Popeye’s Fried Chicken at Ramstein Airbase. He thought it was better than the other American chain, KFC. He also got introduced to Cinnabon.
He wants to move to America for the junk food… =)
White Castle is anti food.
I’m really voting against the KFC in town. Somebody needs to get in there with some soap and water. Lots of soap and water.
Me too. I don’t eat seafood and I won’t judge them on that, but they claim to do chicken too. And they do. Very poorly.
Jack in the box has a wide variety of food: fish, eggrolls, tacos…
And everything fried tastes of all these foods together. Yuck!
Certainly you wouldn’t expect the most obscure choice to get the most votes, would you?
Breakfast…yes I’ve heard of this…that’s that meal you’re supposed to wake up and eat in the morning, am I right?
I voted for Arby’s, simply because a meal whose main ingredient is salt shouldn’t be considered food.
Are you telling me youtrusted that crusty, old creeper down by the wharf?
McDonalds for myself.
If I eat that crap I know 40 minutes later I’m going to have a bowel movement, something ain’t right.
It’s a shame, because I love roast beef sandwiches. But, Arbys sucks. I get bad indigestion every time I eat there.
Fortunately, my local cafeteria serves excellent roast beef that is sliced when you order. I get a take out dinner and make roast beef sandwiches at home.
If you insist on going to McDonalds, just don’t sign up for the promotional mailing list:
I’ve had some specataularly shite meals at many of the chains on the list. In fact just in the past past month, I’ve had awful experiences at Arby’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, KFC, Panda Express and Wendy’s that have me thinking of never going back to those joints. But one day I’ll be hungry, and I’ll say to myself, “Hey, maybe it was just the wrong choice from the menu, if I get [something else], maybe it won’t be so bad”, and there I am, paying for more intestinal abuse.
I definitely think there’s something to the notion that chains that tend to fry a bunch of different stuff in the same oil have the most disgusting food. OTOH, I don’t get the hatred for Mickey D’s food, except that it’s mostly way oversalted, and I get the trots from any of the items that have mayo in 'em. They’re still at least tasty, though.
For sheer, long-term crapitude and revulsion, though, I’ve got to give the nod to Long John Silvers. I don’t know what sort of fish they use these days, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the same as ten years ago, and given how overfished our oceans are, what are the chances that one is going to get a decent, tasty variety of fish at a place like that, anyway?
You are probably right. I guess I am applying my experience on my opinion since as I’ve said I’ve tried every place on the list except Del Taco. In fact within an easy walk from my home (in other words I’m an old lazy guy and I’ve walked this far… so maybe 1.5 miles) (a couple of these closed recently due to a road construction project which made access difficult)… McDonald’s, Steak 'n Shake, Taco Bell, Subway, Einstein Bros Bagels, Panara Bread, KFC, Burger King, Hardee’s, Wendy’s, Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Blimpie’s, McAlister’s Delli, Hot Box Pizza, Noodles etc., Donato’s Pizza, a local Hot Dog place, a Local Gourmet Pizza place, 3 local Chinese places. This doesn’t include the 4 or so “sit down” places (Macaroni Grill, Local Sports Bar, etc) within the same range.
And I live in Midwest suburbia.
OK, most of the hated places on this list I think have some redeeming values. Arby’s is pretty gross, but those potato cakes are great (and the only thing I would enjoy). McDonald’s has good items for breakfast, even the humble Sausage McMuffin. Church’s Chicken is very tasty, even if the locations are always in slums and they’re dirty. KFC’s comes close to the worst but I think I could find something to eat, same with LJS’s. White Castle has great Fish Nibblers and the breakfast can be good (sausage egg and jalapeno cheese on wheat toast, with a super greasy hash brown!).
Chipotle is inoffensive but I agree that it’s bland. I don’t know why they can’t add some flavor to the meat. I also don’t understand why anyone would eat Chipotle in Chicago when there are excellent Mexican taquerias around.
That brings me to my least favorite choice, Taco Bell. It’s plastic, bland, not fresh, unhealthy, lacks variety and makes my stomach churn (and I generally have an iron stomach). While Chipotle offends me in principle, Taco Bell offends in both principle and execution!
The funny thing is, I’m Chinese and not that offended by Panda Express. I’m not a fan, but I’ll eat it if I need to (like in the airport last week).