Best Fast Food

[El Barto]

What is the name of that Chinese chain in Minnesota (or at least, in the Minneapolis metro area)?

Panda Distress?

That's an interesting example of a place that exists to do only one thing. They serve 15 different dishes, and only sell one of them with any regularity. "Yes, I'd like the combo plate with orange chicken, orange chicken, and can I get orange chicken instead of rice, please?" The other fourteen are for people who've never been there before.

[cramx3]

I wasn't sure where else to post this outside of the food thread, but it seemed fitting.

Has anyone tried Dunkin's new Sourdough breakfast sandwich? I must confess, they're pretty freaking good and I find myself getting one or two of them a week. Don't get me wrong, it's not as good as a fresh BEC off the grill, but it's damn near perfect as far as fast food goes. The sourdough is awesome in both texture and flavor. There's a healthy amount of bacon that's actually good tasting, and you get two eggs instead of one like all the other sandwiches. It's hot and filling, and I would highly recommend. 4.5/5 stars.
*snip*

Jack in the Box does pretty much the same thing (including two fried eggs) but also includes a slice of ham. Haven't had one in 20 years, but I was pretty fond of them back in the day. Insofar as breakfast sandwiches go, there's was the tops. I like a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit as much as the next guy, but it doesn't come close to that sandwich.

I like sourdough so I'm sure I'd like that breakfast sandwich, but I find DD eggs not to be very good.  That alone makes it hard to believe any of their breakfast sandwiches would be top tier for me.  Maybe I'm wrong, I'd certainly try it.

What is the name of that Chinese chain in Minnesota (or at least, in the Minneapolis metro area)?

Panda Distress?

That's an interesting example of a place that exists to do only one thing. They serve 15 different dishes, and only sell one of them with any regularity. "Yes, I'd like the combo plate with orange chicken, orange chicken, and can I get orange chicken instead of rice, please?" The other fourteen are for people who've never been there before.

I was gifted a Panda Orange Chicken marinade, no need to go there anymore now  but honestly, I do enjoy all their other dishes too.  The orange chicken can be too much for me.  But then again, I'd probably never eat there if there wasn't one conveniently close to work

[pg1067]

I wasn't sure where else to post this outside of the food thread, but it seemed fitting.

Has anyone tried Dunkin's new Sourdough breakfast sandwich? I must confess, they're pretty freaking good and I find myself getting one or two of them a week. Don't get me wrong, it's not as good as a fresh BEC off the grill, but it's damn near perfect as far as fast food goes. The sourdough is awesome in both texture and flavor. There's a healthy amount of bacon that's actually good tasting, and you get two eggs instead of one like all the other sandwiches. It's hot and filling, and I would highly recommend. 4.5/5 stars.

That looks pretty damn tasty, although I think I had some sort of breakfast sandwich from an airport Dunkin' somewhere in the 2-5 years ago range, and it wasn't very good at all.

[Chino]

Dunkins have been upping their game as part of their rebranding efforts over the last few years. I've noticed a notable uptick in their sandwich quality and coffee. Also, I'd take anything from an airport with a grain of salt. Those franchises don't really worry about customer retention like the standalone locations do.

[Stadler]

There are two Dunkin's in the Bradley Airport, and they BLOW compared to all but one of the seven or eight (I'm not kidding you) that are in my town (the last one is in a gas station, and sucks too).

[CrimsonSunrise]

Went with..

1. In and Out - Nothing can beat the Double double with raw onions and a chocolate shake!
2. Taco Bell

Honorable mentions...

3. Jersey Mikes
4. Carl's Jr/ Hardees - I must say though, the one time in Atlanta I ate at Hardees it was nowhere near the same as a Car's burger.  Carl's was WAY better

[cramx3]

It's been way too long and all this talk about this place recently had me salivating for a good sandwich...

Jersey Mikes is being delivered for dinner tonight, number 13 mikes way with banana peppers and pickles 

[CrimsonSunrise]

It's been way too long and all this talk about this place recently had me salivating for a good sandwich...

Jersey Mikes is being delivered for dinner tonight, number 13 mikes way with banana peppers and pickles 

Pretty spot on Bro!  I do a #13 , Mike's way, no lettuce and extra capicola!

[ReaperKK]

Dammit in hungry, I'm going to jersey mikes for lunch now

[SoundscapeMN]

What is the name of that Chinese chain in Minnesota (or at least, in the Minneapolis metro area)?

Panda Distress?

No.  It's a local chain.  Or, at least, was in the mid and late '90s.  I just can't remember the name.  So, when I was there in '95, I ate at what I think is the original restaurant, which was a pretty nice Asian bistro.  When I went back there with my wife in '98, I asked some friends if we could go there, and they took us to another location, which was not at all like what I had eaten at before, and was just cafeteria-style counter service fast-food "Chinese," very much akin to Panda Express.  I guess the main restaurant spun off a fast food chain?  I don't know.

LeeAnn Chin?

[bosk1]

Yes, that's the one!  Thanks.  Does it still exist?  And is it still basically two completely different things (the pretty nice Asian bistro, and then the separate fast food chain)?

[TempusVox]

My "go to"when I am in doubt as to what to eat when I need to eat something on the fly will always be tacos. Be that as it may, I chose Five Guys and Chik-Fil A.

But speaking of tacos, I am surprised that no one has picked Jack in the Box on the poll. Allegedly, they sell 554 million of their grotesque version of tacos. For me they are an even lower class version of tacos than anything out there; sort of akin to White Castle burgers. And if memory serves me they are indeed nasty. But some one is eating all of those damn nasty JitB tacos.

[pg1067]

I hadn't actually looked at the poll in a while.  NO votes for Jack while Burger King got 3 and the relatively regional Del Taco got 1?  Interesting.

As far as JitB tacos, I suspect the largest percentage are consumed by stoned/drunk college kids after 10:00 p.m.

[hunnus2000]

We've talked about JiTB tacos earlier in the thread and I still crave them. It's a good thing I am 2 hrs away from the closest store but hey, I can at least go to the store, grab some canned dog food and put it between a tortillas and get pretty close. 

[El Barto]

Yeah, we've already had the JitB taco discussion. And when you're stoned/drunk after 10 they're perfectly fine, though now terribly overpriced.

Tacos are a staple food for me, but very rarely the crunchy kind. Proper Mexican tacos are ubiquitous down here now. I can find fare better fare at half the gas stations in town than what Taco Bell/Bueno/Casa will serve up. Also, my recollection was that Del Taco was crap. They try to move into Dallas from time to time and quickly disappear. They're the low-rent knockoff chain, happy to eek out a marginal living off of the coattails of it's superior competitor, just like Captain D's.

[CrimsonSunrise]

One of our favs back in the day, 70's and 80's was "Naugles"  relegated to SoCal but was many steps above Taco Bell, Del Taco and from the same era Pup and Taco.  Naugles was the bomb!  They closed in the mid 90's.  Someone revived the name and menu around 2015 in Huntington Beach and the one location is still open.   I should be seriously chastised because I haven't eaten there, and I live in Huntington Beach.  Need to rectify that situation. 

[Stadler]

Yeah, we've already had the JitB taco discussion. And when you're stoned/drunk after 10 they're perfectly fine, though now terribly overpriced.

Tacos are a staple food for me, but very rarely the crunchy kind. Proper Mexican tacos are ubiquitous down here now. I can find fare better fare at half the gas stations in town than what Taco Bell/Bueno/Casa will serve up. Also, my recollection was that Del Taco was crap. They try to move into Dallas from time to time and quickly disappear.

Even up here, I'm kind of with you.  I can go to Sarape's, a local place, and for cheap get three tacos al pastore and they smoke anything you can get from a drive-through for only slightly more.  I'll suffer through Taco Bell if I need to, but I'd much rather get a burger if I'm getting fast food, sober, and that's even more true when I'm banged up.  My local Irish bar had an all night pizza and grinder shop, and I would more likely get a cheeseburger grinder or something like that.

Del Taco was around in Georgia; there was another place called Taco Mac that was a slightly higher level place (they also boasted like 100 different beers or something like that as well).  They were decent, so I would have gone there. 

[pg1067]

One of our favs back in the day, 70's and 80's was "Naugles"  relegated to SoCal but was many steps above Taco Bell, Del Taco and from the same era Pup and Taco.  Naugles was the bomb!  They closed in the mid 90's.  Someone revived the name and menu around 2015 in Huntington Beach and the one location is still open.   I should be seriously chastised because I haven't eaten there, and I live in Huntington Beach.  Need to rectify that situation. 

Those are two classic names.  There was a Pup 'n' Taco near the local public high school (it's now a Taco Bell), and PnT was a big item in the late 70s and very early 80s.  The joke was that PnT served kangaroo meat (as though that was something that could be more easily and cheaply obtained than beef).  Naugles was ubiquitous when I was in high school, although I never really thought of it as being any better than TB or DT.  There are three locations (HB, Stanton and Fountain Valley), although I haven't been to any of them either.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Those are two classic names.  There was a Pup 'n' Taco near the local public high school (it's now a Taco Bell), and PnT was a big item in the late 70s and very early 80s.  The joke was that PnT served kangaroo meat (as though that was something that could be more easily and cheaply obtained than beef).  Naugles was ubiquitous when I was in high school, although I never really thought of it as being any better than TB or DT.  There are three locations (HB, Stanton and Fountain Valley), although I haven't been to any of them either.

Yeah I was never a P&T fan.  But I really thought Naugles was much better than TB and DT.  I've never been a fan of DT, I think most folks are either or, TB or DT.  I love TB!  The Fountain Valley one I think is in an industrial park?

[cramx3]

It's been way too long and all this talk about this place recently had me salivating for a good sandwich...

Jersey Mikes is being delivered for dinner tonight, number 13 mikes way with banana peppers and pickles 

Ate half of it right away, the other half later while watching Cobra Kai. I haven't eaten out much and even less gotten delivery the last year, but this was delish. I will however once again say that I don't believe this is fast food 

[Cool Chris]

What the heck did you cut that in to 4ths or did they?

"Yes, I'd like the combo plate with orange chicken, orange chicken, and can I get orange chicken instead of rice, please?" The other fourteen are for people who've never been there before.

 

[ReaperKK]

Looks like a giant sub, my local jersey mikes will cut the sub into 4 if you order giant size

[black_biff_stadler]

I'd rather it cut into 1.

[cramx3]

Looks like a giant sub, my local jersey mikes will cut the sub into 4 if you order giant size

Yup, if I'm getting it delivered might as well get Giant and they cut it in 4ths

[Cool Chris]

I would have told them I was a man and halves would have sufficed

[Anguyen92]

Yeah, we've already had the JitB taco discussion. And when you're stoned/drunk after 10 they're perfectly fine, though now terribly overpriced.

Tacos are a staple food for me, but very rarely the crunchy kind. Proper Mexican tacos are ubiquitous down here now. I can find fare better fare at half the gas stations in town than what Taco Bell/Bueno/Casa will serve up. Also, my recollection was that Del Taco was crap. They try to move into Dallas from time to time and quickly disappear. They're the low-rent knockoff chain, happy to eek out a marginal living off of the coattails of it's superior competitor, just like Captain D's.

Interesting that you find the Jack in the Box Tacos overpriced.  There are like $1.60 for 2 if you order it at the drive thru and there are times you can get it for $1.00 for 2 if you order it on the app and pick it up at the drive thru.  I agree though.  Sometimes, you just want greasy and unhealthy stuff in your meal and those tacos more than suffice enough.

[ReaperKK]

Looks like a giant sub, my local jersey mikes will cut the sub into 4 if you order giant size

Yup, if I'm getting it delivered might as well get Giant and they cut it in 4ths

I highly approve of the giant sub

[hunnus2000]

I think this is a North Texas thing but the Great Outdoors makes a hell of a sub sandwich! 

[Stadler]

It's been way too long and all this talk about this place recently had me salivating for a good sandwich...

Jersey Mikes is being delivered for dinner tonight, number 13 mikes way with banana peppers and pickles 

Ate half of it right away, the other half later while watching Cobra Kai. I haven't eaten out much and even less gotten delivery the last year, but this was delish. I will however once again say that I don't believe this is fast food 

We're two peas in a pod.  That looks like something I'd have no problem tucking into, and I would ABSOLUTELY get it like that to each the other half (or even another quarter) later in the day or the next morning (while I like breakfast food, I'm a big one for eating leftovers for breakfast.  Not everything works that way, but a lot of things do.)

[El Barto]

Yeah, we've already had the JitB taco discussion. And when you're stoned/drunk after 10 they're perfectly fine, though now terribly overpriced.

Tacos are a staple food for me, but very rarely the crunchy kind. Proper Mexican tacos are ubiquitous down here now. I can find fare better fare at half the gas stations in town than what Taco Bell/Bueno/Casa will serve up. Also, my recollection was that Del Taco was crap. They try to move into Dallas from time to time and quickly disappear. They're the low-rent knockoff chain, happy to eek out a marginal living off of the coattails of it's superior competitor, just like Captain D's.

Interesting that you find the Jack in the Box Tacos overpriced.  There are like $1.60 for 2 if you order it at the drive thru and there are times you can get it for $1.00 for 2 if you order it on the app and pick it up at the drive thru.  I agree though.  Sometimes, you just want greasy and unhealthy stuff in your meal and those tacos more than suffice enough.

Down here they've been 2/$1 for most of my life. Last time I drove past one the lettering out on the windows said in giant letters "now only $2 for two!" as if that were a good thing. Honestly, it's been years since I've been in a JitB, so I don't know what's normal, but that's not a good deal.

[Cool Chris]

I cannot recall the last time I did either, but growing up I had more than my share of those sourdough breakfast sandwiches. In my drinking days the $0.99 chicken sandwiches were my go-to 2am feast.

[pg1067]

Yeah I was never a P&T fan.  But I really thought Naugles was much better than TB and DT.  I've never been a fan of DT, I think most folks are either or, TB or DT.  I love TB!  The Fountain Valley one I think is in an industrial park?

It is...just off Ellis between Ward and the 405.  Odd location.

[SoundscapeMN]

Yes, that's the one!  Thanks.  Does it still exist?  And is it still basically two completely different things (the pretty nice Asian bistro, and then the separate fast food chain)?

yes they do still do exist. I used to go there often, but that was more often with my parents and not my wife per my wife doesn't care for Leeann Chin

They don't have the Shrimp Toast which used to be my favorite thing they had. I normally get the Peking Chicken and the Cream Cheese Wontons.

https://www.leeannchin.com/

And they also make chocolate covered Fortune Cookies.

But if I am having Chinese food, my wife and i go to a Mom and Pop's place that my wife and her mom have gone to for decades.

Cool story though, the actual Leeann Chin does/did reside in the Twin Cities, and did Catering for events, and on more than 1 occasion growing up, my Grandmother had her cater for an event at her home in St.Louis Park. I used to think as a kid, that was all they did (not totally knowing the restaurant well at the time).

[CrimsonSunrise]

Yeah I was never a P&T fan.  But I really thought Naugles was much better than TB and DT.  I've never been a fan of DT, I think most folks are either or, TB or DT.  I love TB!  The Fountain Valley one I think is in an industrial park?

It is...just off Ellis between Ward and the 405.  Odd location.

Right!  Over near the 24hr emergency Vet.  Have to run by there seeing it's closer for us.  We're around Newland and Slater.  I grew up on Brookhurst/Yorktown but still went to HBHS.

[pg1067]

Yeah I was never a P&T fan.  But I really thought Naugles was much better than TB and DT.  I've never been a fan of DT, I think most folks are either or, TB or DT.  I love TB!  The Fountain Valley one I think is in an industrial park?

It is...just off Ellis between Ward and the 405.  Odd location.

Right!  Over near the 24hr emergency Vet.  Have to run by there seeing it's closer for us.  We're around Newland and Slater.  I grew up on Brookhurst/Yorktown but still went to HBHS.

I grew up in Seal Beach but went to Mater Dei.  Prepared myself for crappy commutes early.  Did you ever go to Music Market in Costa Mesa?  My absolute favorite record store.