Best Fast Food

[Cool Chris]

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

There was such a thing as a Double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder?

Also I believe that is pre-cooked weight, so not a true pound. Sorry to burst your belly, I mean, bubble.

[wolfking]

McDonald's is shyte.  Only thing I ever get of theirs is coffee or breakfast sammiches.  The lunch/dinner menu is awful, and the fries aren't anything I'd put in my body after watching Super Size Me.  I don't think they're made from ingredients found on this planet.

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

And Quizno's ... yeah... didn't know any of that, so fuck them.

Super Size Me was a crock of shit.  You do that with any fast food and you get the same result.  If you are stupid enough to eat fast food every meal for a month, you deserve to get sick.

[wolfking]

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

There was such a thing as a Double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder?

Also I believe that is pre-cooked weight, so not a true pound. Sorry to burst your belly, I mean, bubble.

Yeah,  I wouldn't think that would be a pound.

[SystematicThought]

I'm partial to McDonald's only because it's the most prevalent where I roam (close to home or on my commute), but man if I had a Burger King closer to me, I would go there first. They have a superior chicken sandwich and the Whopper is actually quite good. Everything else around me isn't the easiest to get to or just not a fan of the service at some of the other places. The late night crew at Taco Bell here in Stillwater used to be really cool! They would give me a free fountain pop if it took awhile to get my order and would throw in free cinnamon twists every so often.

I don't know if it's Fast Food, but I really enjoy Jimmy John's or Jersey Mike's for a nice sub sandwich.

[jingle.boy]

McDonald's is shyte.  Only thing I ever get of theirs is coffee or breakfast sammiches.  The lunch/dinner menu is awful, and the fries aren't anything I'd put in my body after watching Super Size Me.  I don't think they're made from ingredients found on this planet.

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

And Quizno's ... yeah... didn't know any of that, so fuck them.

Super Size Me was a crock of shit.  You do that with any fast food and you get the same result.  If you are stupid enough to eat fast food every meal for a month, you deserve to get sick.

Yeah, of course... I was referring to how the french fries are seemingly impervious to mold, and didn't decompose or anything after 10 weeks.

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

There was such a thing as a Double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder?

Also I believe that is pre-cooked weight, so not a true pound. Sorry to burst your belly, I mean, bubble.

@ Chris ... it was a brief promo in the mid 90s.  And yeah, I know it wasn't truly a pound of meat ... but it makes for a comical anecdote.

I also worked at McDs from the age of 14 to 21.  It was a lot of fun, but man... the food there is prepared like shit.

[ReaperKK]

Anyway, +1 on Quiznos though, I miss those sandwiches.  The honey mustard chicken sandwich was sooo good. I don't think Potbelly comes close to what Quiznos was.

I ate Quiznos a couple of times and: A. thought it was highly overrated, and B. felt like shit afterward. Suffice it to say, when they went bankrupt I was thrilled about it. In the meantime, the Wreck from Potbelly's is a very good sandwich.

Also, the story of how Quiznos imploded is pretty interesting. As I recall it's the textbook on how not to franchise.

I thought the same thing about Potbelly's , we have in downtown Charlotte and every bit of it is terrible. It might just be that store.

[cramx3]

McDonald's is shyte.  Only thing I ever get of theirs is coffee or breakfast sammiches.  The lunch/dinner menu is awful, and the fries aren't anything I'd put in my body after watching Super Size Me.  I don't think they're made from ingredients found on this planet.

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

And Quizno's ... yeah... didn't know any of that, so fuck them.

Super Size Me was a crock of shit.  You do that with any fast food and you get the same result.  If you are stupid enough to eat fast food every meal for a month, you deserve to get sick.

Yeah, of course... I was referring to how the french fries are seemingly impervious to mold, and didn't decompose or anything after 10 weeks.

I don't think it's just the fries, everything at McDonald's like doesn't go bad.  There's big macs from 20 years ago on display that still look exactly the same.  It's really weird and definitely makes you question the contents. https://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/19/is-this-the-worlds-oldest-mcdonalds-burger-and-would-you-eat-it.html

I am baffled as to why anyone would go to McDs if there is another burger option anywhere nearby.

Wanted to come back to this.... for me, I wouldn't say I go to McDonalds for burgers, I go to McDonalds for McDonalds.  If that makes sense.  Like, I almost put their food into it's own category because it really doesn't even taste like a burger.  It's almost how Dominos isn't really the same as a normal pizza.  I don't order Dominos to get good pizza, but sometimes you just want that specific taste/style.

[kaos2900]

If anyone drives through Nebraska be sure to hit up Runza.

https://www.runza.com/

[Stadler]

McDonald's is shyte.  Only thing I ever get of theirs is coffee or breakfast sammiches.  The lunch/dinner menu is awful, and the fries aren't anything I'd put in my body after watching Super Size Me.  I don't think they're made from ingredients found on this planet.

Though, as a 20-something, I once had a 2-for-1 coupon, and they were testing the double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder at the time, so I went with the latter.  Yup, I ate 2 double quarter pounders.  Told that story to my boss at the time, and he quickly pointed out that I'd eaten a pound of meat for lunch.  I'm amazed I didn't have heart palpitations to be honest.

And Quizno's ... yeah... didn't know any of that, so fuck them.

Super Size Me was a crock of shit.  You do that with any fast food and you get the same result.  If you are stupid enough to eat fast food every meal for a month, you deserve to get sick.

Yeah, of course... I was referring to how the french fries are seemingly impervious to mold, and didn't decompose or anything after 10 weeks.

I don't think it's just the fries, everything at McDonald's like doesn't go bad.  There's big macs from 20 years ago on display that still look exactly the same.  It's really weird and definitely makes you question the contents. https://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/19/is-this-the-worlds-oldest-mcdonalds-burger-and-would-you-eat-it.html

I am baffled as to why anyone would go to McDs if there is another burger option anywhere nearby.

Wanted to come back to this.... for me, I wouldn't say I go to McDonalds for burgers, I go to McDonalds for McDonalds.  If that makes sense.  Like, I almost put their food into it's own category because it really doesn't even taste like a burger.  It's almost how Dominos isn't really the same as a normal pizza.  I don't order Dominos to get good pizza, but sometimes you just want that specific taste/style.

And it SOUNDS bad, but it's not necessarily indicative of something truly bad.    The conditions of the burger (or fries) are important; the fries don't surprise me, because optimal frying is when ALL the moisture is out, and the oil hasn't seeped in yet (I got this from Alton Brown, if you need a source).   Since mold needs moisture to grow, that explains the fries.   This article explains that and applies the same concept to the burgers.

[pg1067]

Not sure what Taco Bell is like in the states but here, it's fucking horrid.

It's fucking Alpo on a tortilla.

 

This nearly made me do a spit take!  Alpo was the dog food of record when I was growing up, but I don't think I've heard a reference to it in 20 year.

Wanted to come back to this.... for me, I wouldn't say I go to McDonalds for burgers, I go to McDonalds for McDonalds.  If that makes sense.  Like, I almost put their food into it's own category because it really doesn't even taste like a burger.  It's almost how Dominos isn't really the same as a normal pizza.  I don't order Dominos to get good pizza, but sometimes you just want that specific taste/style.

Makes perfect sense.


Also, the old, deep-fried McDonald's apple pies were the absolute best!

[jingle.boy]

Also, the old, deep-fried McDonald's apple pies were the absolute best!

You mean molten lava inside of pastry?

[El Barto]

Also, the old, deep-fried McDonald's apple pies were the absolute best!

When they stopped frying them and started baking them may well be when McD's jumped the shark. One of the better burger joints in town actually sells hand made fried pies. Been meaning to check one out.

[Zantera]

I've only eaten at a few of these since some don't exist in Sweden but I always feel surprised Burger King gets a lukewarm reception by most because out of the burger places it's definitely up there for me. The burgers have more flavor and 'identity' to them than Mcdonalds, and the food also makes you full faster IMO. Mcdonalds for example can have that effect where you can eat 2 menus without a problem and 15 minutes later you don't feel full anymore.

Not hating on Mcdonalds though, they have their place for sure. It's probably the place I eat at most regularly because I have a job that is out in the field so I eat lunch on the go a lot and Mcdonalds is quick and it's accessible in more places than Burger King. I got a craving for their chili cheese balls recently and it's something I get almost every time now.

[El Barto]

I've only eaten at a few of these since some don't exist in Sweden but I always feel surprised Burger King gets a lukewarm reception by most because out of the burger places it's definitely up there for me. The burgers have more flavor and 'identity' to them than Mcdonalds, and the food also makes you full faster IMO. Mcdonalds for example can have that effect where you can eat 2 menus without a problem and 15 minutes later you don't feel full anymore.

Not hating on Mcdonalds though, they have their place for sure. It's probably the place I eat at most regularly because I have a job that is out in the field so I eat lunch on the go a lot and Mcdonalds is quick and it's accessible in more places than Burger King. I got a craving for their chili cheese balls recently and it's something I get almost every time now.

This brings up an interesting point. International McD's are a very different bread of animal from American McD's. I've never heard of chili cheese balls, and I'd probably steer clear of them from a US McD's, but they're at least an interesting addition of the sort that we don't get here. The rest of the world gets all kinds of unique stuff other than the cheap burgers and pseudo-chicken nuggets that we get.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

If anyone else here has been there, does anyone else feel like Raising Canes' chicken fingers have been getting smaller?

[Anguyen92]

I should try Raising Canes someday, but I'm so sick of chicken tenders nowadays, so now's not the time.

As for McDonald's, ever since I moved to the OC and got a job in the area, for the most part, I go to McDonald's mainly for the breakfast items (back when they were doing the 2 for $4 Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffins).  Before that, I would go there for the McChicken Sandwich (back when it was actually a dollar) and a McFlurry (that's one of their better items).  I also was a moron and opted to stuff a Jalapeno cheeseburger in a McRib after hearing about it in a podcast.  It was so disgusting, but dang it, I should do that again, this week, when the McRib is still out (not for pleasure, but for pain).

[cramx3]

I've only eaten at a few of these since some don't exist in Sweden but I always feel surprised Burger King gets a lukewarm reception by most because out of the burger places it's definitely up there for me. The burgers have more flavor and 'identity' to them than Mcdonalds, and the food also makes you full faster IMO. Mcdonalds for example can have that effect where you can eat 2 menus without a problem and 15 minutes later you don't feel full anymore.

Not hating on Mcdonalds though, they have their place for sure. It's probably the place I eat at most regularly because I have a job that is out in the field so I eat lunch on the go a lot and Mcdonalds is quick and it's accessible in more places than Burger King. I got a craving for their chili cheese balls recently and it's something I get almost every time now.

This brings up an interesting point. International McD's are a very different bread of animal from American McD's. I've never heard of chili cheese balls, and I'd probably steer clear of them from a US McD's, but they're at least an interesting addition of the sort that we don't get here. The rest of the world gets all kinds of unique stuff other than the cheap burgers and pseudo-chicken nuggets that we get.

They aren't that different internationally from my experience.  The McDonalds in Netherlands is less greasy and has the cheeseballs but not much else is different.  A bit of a smaller menu overall, but basically the same thing.  In Germany they had the McRib as a standard menu item from what I remember but also not much different.  I think they also had a curry dipping sauce.  The KFC in netherlands was also much less greasy, but menuwise almost the same with a few less options.

I've only eaten at a few of these since some don't exist in Sweden but I always feel surprised Burger King gets a lukewarm reception by most because out of the burger places it's definitely up there for me. The burgers have more flavor and 'identity' to them than Mcdonalds, and the food also makes you full faster IMO.

I think Burger king does have a more legit burger, but for some reason, I really just don't enjoy the food there. Like, none of their food.  It's really the only fast food place that I outright will not eat at all unless I'm out of options.

[bosk1]

For my votes, I went with Popeye's and "other" with "other" being regional burger franchise Habit or Smashburger.  Both are good, and they are somewhat interchangeable.  If those are too regional, I guess I can go with Five Guys.  But both of the ones I mentioned are better.  I remember hearing 5G hyped on this forum, and not being very impressed when I first tried them.  But I think that, similar to the oft-described phenomenon with In-N-Out, I think it was just a case of a "good" burger joint being way overhyped.  I have tried it a few times since then, and thought it was very good (for fast food) every time since. 

I know it isn't the topic of this thread, but if I were doing a "favorite burger" thread, I couldn't even bring myself to pick any of the ones listed here.  My top 3 would probably be:
1.  The classic at Dad's, which is a bleu cheese/bacon crusted lamb and beef patty, served with habanero oil fries.  I once very timidly asked my server whether it would be blasphemy to add slice of cheddar, and she said it was absolutely fine, so I did.  That took it over the top.  Best burger ever.  (found that place years ago because of Guy Fieri's show)
2.  They Doyle burger at a local pub called--you guessed it--Doyle's.
3.  The buffalo bacon cheddar burger (as in, ground buffalo patty--not buffalo sauce) at a local sit down restaurant chain called Land and Ocean. 

Anyhow, sorry for the digression. 

Where the above poll gets tricky is that I very rarely do fast food--except breakfast.  And for breakfast choices, I would actually change the above.  I am VERY much addicted to McD's and Chick-Fil-A's breakfast sandwhiches.

This is the problem, IMO, of having 5 guys listed here with the likes of McDonalds and whatnot.  I don't consider 5 guys fast food.

I don't see the difference.  Both are burger places where you walk in and order at a counter where you pay before you get your food, which you receive within a matter of minutes after placing your order.  You can either get it to go or eat it at tables that you find yourself.  There's no waiter/waitress service.  Price and perceived quality aside, they're the same (except that I've never seen a 5G with a drive-thru).  All of the fast food places fall somewhere on gradients of price and perceived quality, but they're still the same thing on the most basic level.

Exactly.  There can be a fair amount of variation in both price and quality within the realm of fast food.  To try to classify Five Guys as something else, at least for purposes of this thread, is a distinction without a real difference. 

[Chino]

Five Guys don't have drive-thrus. That makes it ineligible for a fast-food classification, imo.

[Anguyen92]

In terms of favorite burger joint outside fast food, I'm going to mention Red Robins.  I think they are good burgers.  Well-priced enough (unless you get one of those fancy burgers).  Fries are good.  Offers ok variety in all areas like side dishes, desserts, shakes, non-burger options, etc.  Would easily put that over McDonald's on my burger tier-list even if I have to pay a little more.

[pg1067]

Also, the old, deep-fried McDonald's apple pies were the absolute best!

You mean molten lava inside of pastry?

Damn right.  Best thing ever.  For a while, Taco Bell had a caramel apple "empanada" with a similarly scalding filling, but I think they stopped making them.

If anyone else here has been there, does anyone else feel like Raising Canes' chicken fingers have been getting smaller?

I think I've been to RC maybe ten times and can't say I noticed a difference.  When they first opened around here, they had huge lines.  That seems to have settled down now that everyone realizes that the chicken is nothing special.

Habit or Smashburger.

Those are both pretty good, although I've only had Smashburger 2-3 times.

Five Guys don't have drive-thrus. That makes it ineligible for a fast-food classification, imo.

By that logic, McDonald's in Manhattan is...what?  Fine dining?

In terms of favorite burger joint outside fast food, I'm going to mention Red Robins.  I think they are good burgers.  Well-priced enough (unless you get one of those fancy burgers).  Fries are good.  Offers ok variety in all areas like side dishes, desserts, shakes, non-burger options, etc.  Would easily put that over McDonald's on my burger tier-list even if I have to pay a little more.

While I agree that it beats out McDonald's, I can't remember ever having a Red Robin Burger that didn't disappoint.  The fam and I used to have the RR over by the Los Alamitos race track in our regular rotation, but it had fallen out even before COVID.

[El Barto]

This is the problem, IMO, of having 5 guys listed here with the likes of McDonalds and whatnot.  I don't consider 5 guys fast food.

I don't see the difference.  Both are burger places where you walk in and order at a counter where you pay before you get your food, which you receive within a matter of minutes after placing your order.  You can either get it to go or eat it at tables that you find yourself.  There's no waiter/waitress service.  Price and perceived quality aside, they're the same (except that I've never seen a 5G with a drive-thru).  All of the fast food places fall somewhere on gradients of price and perceived quality, but they're still the same thing on the most basic level.

Exactly.  There can be a fair amount of variation in both price and quality within the realm of fast food.  To try to classify Five Guys as something else, at least for purposes of this thread, is a distinction without a real difference. 

The problem is that there's already a commonplace classification for the middle ground, which is fast casual. A lot of the better sandwich places fit into that category. Jason's Deli certainly isn't fast food. Same with Panera Bread. I don't think we consider Boston Market fast food, but it's certainly not a proper restaurant. Panda Express? I think selling a good quality burger in the $15 range moves you out of fast food and into casual dining territory.

[Chino]

Five Guys don't have drive-thrus. That makes it ineligible for a fast-food classification, imo.

By that logic, McDonald's in Manhattan is...what?  Fine dining?

There's of course always going to be exceptions to the core design of a franchise based on location, but the vast majority of McDonalds have drivethrus. I personally can't think of any outside of a major city that don't have a drive thru. The windows account for nearly 70% of McDonald's overall sales (pre-Covid). 0% of Five Guys locations have drive thrus.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

If anyone else here has been there, does anyone else feel like Raising Canes' chicken fingers have been getting smaller?

I think I've been to RC maybe ten times and can't say I noticed a difference.  When they first opened around here, they had huge lines.  That seems to have settled down now that everyone realizes that the chicken is nothing special.

Yeah, the chicken doesn't compare to most other chicken joints. The main draw for me is their sauce, which in itself is nothing special as it's incredibly easy to make on your own. Still, it's good enough for a quick bite if I'm in the mood. Their fries are good, but pretty much only immediately after it's made.

[King Postwhore]

When it comes to the 3 major hamburger fast food staples (McDonalds, Wendy's & Burger King) Only Burger King I don't like.  Their burgers taste funky to me.  Now we have local burger joints I go to here but haven't gone to the fast food ones in a long time.

[pg1067]

When it comes to the 3 major hamburger fast food staples (McDonalds, Wendy's & Burger King) Only Burger King I don't like.  Their burgers taste funky to me.  Now we have local burger joints I go to here but haven't gone to the fast food ones in a long time.

I used to (late 80s) work at a Baskin Robbins in a mall that, at the time, didn't have a food court, and Burger King was the only fast food option (well...Orange Julius too, but...).  The Whopper Jr. was my go-to.  However, the last few times I've had a BK burger, they were pretty bleh...  And that's a shame because their fries are really good.

[King Postwhore]

When it comes to the 3 major hamburger fast food staples (McDonalds, Wendy's & Burger King) Only Burger King I don't like.  Their burgers taste funky to me.  Now we have local burger joints I go to here but haven't gone to the fast food ones in a long time.

I used to (late 80s) work at a Baskin Robbins in a mall that, at the time, didn't have a food court, and Burger King was the only fast food option (well...Orange Julius too, but...).  The Whopper Jr. was my go-to.  However, the last few times I've had a BK burger, they were pretty bleh...  And that's a shame because their fries are really good.

Back in my mall rat days I was a Papa Gino's guy.  One night my buddies and I were eating there and a black man with long hair and a leather coat was walking towards us.  He had this tall gorgeous blond in leather next to him.  It was John Butcher. He was from the area.  I recognized him as he got closer so I pointed at him and said "Hey, John Butcher."  He pointed back and walked on by.


So the joke with my buddies was I would only be allowed to eat a tuna in a pocket from Papa Gino's so famous musicians would always walk by us.

[cramx3]

The local mall by me was the only place I had known that had a chick fil a.  I'd eat it everytime my parents took me to the mall and loved it, still do.  But that was like 30 years ago and I'm kind of surprised that was even there.  Even now, Chick Fil A is rare in NJ (I haven't been to that mall in ages to know if it's still there, but it was last time I checked like 8 years ago).  However, they are building a chick fil a very close to my home so that's something to look forward too, but honestly, I just don't eat this type of food that much anymore. 

I guess the common go to mall food for me otherwise is Sbarros.  They seem to be in like every mall and while not anything special, I do enjoy the ziti and garlic bread.

[bosk1]

BK has changed several times through the years, and I'm not sure why.  I definitely go through phases were I like them, dislike them, like them again, etc.  And it isn't just changing tastes.  It is clearly them that keep changing. 

[pg1067]

Back in my mall rat days I was a Papa Gino's guy.  One night my buddies and I were eating there and a black man with long hair and a leather coat was walking towards us.  He had this tall gorgeous blond in leather next to him.  It was John Butcher. He was from the area.  I recognized him as he got closer so I pointed at him and said "Hey, John Butcher."  He pointed back and walked on by.


So the joke with my buddies was I would only be allowed to eat a tuna in a pocket from Papa Gino's so famous musicians would always walk by us.

And now I'm off to google who that is....

[El Barto]

I guess the common go to mall food for me otherwise is Sbarros.  They seem to be in like every mall and while not anything special, I do enjoy the ziti and garlic bread.

After looking up the Quizno's catastrophe I went down the YT rabbit hole of failed restaurant chains, and Sbarro was included. What made them so popular was that everybody who's ever been in a mall knows who and what they are. It was free advertising. It was also a big part of their undoing. They took on a ridiculous amount of debt expanding just as the economy was beginning to crater, and more importantly, when malls were becoming a thing of the past. A mostly mall based chain is not a good thing to be right now. For my part, the only time I've ever eaten Sbarro's was at NHV, waiting for a train. Typical fast food pizza. Not terrible, and not something I'd order if I really wanted pizza.

[cramx3]

I guess the common go to mall food for me otherwise is Sbarros.  They seem to be in like every mall and while not anything special, I do enjoy the ziti and garlic bread.

After looking up the Quizno's catastrophe I went down the YT rabbit hole of failed restaurant chains, and Sbarro was included. What made them so popular was that everybody who's ever been in a mall knows who and what they are. It was free advertising. It was also a big part of their undoing. They took on a ridiculous amount of debt expanding just as the economy was beginning to crater, and more importantly, when malls were becoming a thing of the past. A mostly mall based chain is not a good thing to be right now. For my part, the only time I've ever eaten Sbarro's was at NHV, waiting for a train. Typical fast food pizza. Not terrible, and not something I'd order if I really wanted pizza.

Interesting, I didn't know they were a failure since I still see them around.  But yea, it's nothing special, but just so common that I've eaten it plenty of times.  When I work in Denver I almost always eat lunch at the local mall food court cause it's close by and has options which includes a Sbarro.

[T-ski]

I guess the common go to mall food for me otherwise is Sbarros.  They seem to be in like every mall and while not anything special, I do enjoy the ziti and garlic bread.

After looking up the Quizno's catastrophe I went down the YT rabbit hole of failed restaurant chains, and Sbarro was included. What made them so popular was that everybody who's ever been in a mall knows who and what they are. It was free advertising. It was also a big part of their undoing. They took on a ridiculous amount of debt expanding just as the economy was beginning to crater, and more importantly, when malls were becoming a thing of the past. A mostly mall based chain is not a good thing to be right now. For my part, the only time I've ever eaten Sbarro's was at NHV, waiting for a train. Typical fast food pizza. Not terrible, and not something I'd order if I really wanted pizza.

This is what I think of now when I hear or read Sbarro...

https://youtu.be/TRgEeDR98X8

[DragonAttack]

Love the variety of Sonic (especially the Chicago and chili dogs and shakes).  Arby's and Taco Bell do the trick when I want a change of pace.  Still like to have a Whopper a few times a year.  And, I'll admit, we do McD's when we travel.  An Egga Muffin and potato cake and coffee for me, oatmeal and coffee for the wife are treats, and far less expensive than diner fare (especially NYC).  Fillaye o fish and fries works for a quick stop when driving. 

[Stadler]

I guess the common go to mall food for me otherwise is Sbarros.  They seem to be in like every mall and while not anything special, I do enjoy the ziti and garlic bread.

After looking up the Quizno's catastrophe I went down the YT rabbit hole of failed restaurant chains, and Sbarro was included. What made them so popular was that everybody who's ever been in a mall knows who and what they are. It was free advertising. It was also a big part of their undoing. They took on a ridiculous amount of debt expanding just as the economy was beginning to crater, and more importantly, when malls were becoming a thing of the past. A mostly mall based chain is not a good thing to be right now. For my part, the only time I've ever eaten Sbarro's was at NHV, waiting for a train. Typical fast food pizza. Not terrible, and not something I'd order if I really wanted pizza.

This is what I think of now when I hear or read Sbarro...

https://youtu.be/TRgEeDR98X8

I don't even have to click the link, do I?    "My meeting isn't until 3, but I like to come early...."