Fast Food Discussion: Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell

[WWGD]

Some of the food items over the counter delicatessen department of grocery stores has some of what might be called "Fast Food". ONE good example is the potato wedges. Not exactly the same as "fries" but for many people, close enough, and not really too expensive. Some other items over the delicatessen counter are not really what people want for Fast Food.

Reminds me of the story of the Scottish golfer that would ask his caddy for a sand wedge and get a turkey on rye in return.

 

[kyphysics]

Ate at Chick-Fil-A again...

I literally eat there every other day...3-4x a week. My endocrinologist is not happy with me from my latest A1c test. Blood sugar up a little bit and I've gained some weight too.

I am surprised it's not up a lot more, given CFA is still fast food. But, I feel they are relatively healthier on the fast food hierarchy. I believe Burger King tends to have some of the relatively more unhealthy options.

Anyone have any relatively healthy fast food ideas?

 

[gmax137]

And then you have White Castle, which doesn't seem to be in places in the South (I could be wrong).

I think you're right. Down south and into Florida you see Krystal Burgers, which make the small slider style burgers. My first visit to a Krystal was late at night in Daytona Beach, with a friend. At the counter he ordered "six cheeseburgers." Good god, I thought, is he that drunk? So when my turn came, I asked for two. They're tiny...

My small town had a WH out by the Interstate that got so busy, they built another one at the same exit, on the other side of the Interstate!

I was in a WH in South Carolina, when a regular came in and asked the wait staff for his pal "Y'all seen Skeeter?" The waitress told him "he's been stayin at the other Waffle House" -- the one on the other side of the I-20 interchange.

When I moved out here to Reno a few years ago I checked and the closest WH "cluster" is in Arizona, around Phoenix, next closest is in Denver. Too far for breakfast. BTW, I usually get the grits, but if I want potatoes, I like mine "scattered, smothered, and covered..."

 

[kyphysics]

I think you're right. Down south and into Florida you see Krystal Burgers, which make the small slider style burgers. My first visit to a Krystal was late at night in Daytona Beach, with a friend. At the counter he ordered "six cheeseburgers." Good god, I thought, is he that drunk? So when my turn came, I asked for two. They're tiny...

https://www.krystal.com/menu/product/204584?cat=31524
I had to look this place up. We don't have any near me.

The slider picture in that link does look a lot like White Castle's version.

I guess I just don't understand their appeal. I've seen restaurant sliders where the meat isn't that thin on them and/or the bun not so big (proportionally). So, I feel you can make a good tasting slider with the right proportions.

I just don't understand the appeal of something like a Krystal's/White Castle (steamed burger...yuck...plus super thin meat vs. giant bun) slider. I've been to WC twice and never returned.

 

[pinball1970]

@kyphysics I feel like they make the worst burgers on Earth (did they set out to do that?)!
[/QUOTE]
That looks horrible. They should be congratulated if that was their goal. If you bit into that, I doubt your taste buds would register anything other than bread.

This thread is bad news. Every time I read it I start thinking of all the good stuff out there waiting for me that over time will kill me.

I dipped into thread yesterday on the way into Manchester and found myself in the food market stalls in Piccadilly.
I went back on myself and did a quick video. Probably a bit too quick for pf as you cannot see a huge amount of detail and I realized I only actually knew what a couple of the stalls do.
I will check the rules on vids and think about uploading.

Pretty lame when you think about it, 7 years on the site and I am considering uploading my first instructive vid on burgers..

 

[JT Smith]

Anyone have any relatively healthy fast food ideas?

I used to buy plain baked potatoes at Wendy's for about $1. That was quite a while ago. They got rid of them so back to the usual fat-infused junk. I haven't been back to a Wendy's since.

If you set aside the notion that fast food has to include a drive-thru then burrito trucks and falafel stands are reasonably healthy, depending on what you order. If a drive-thru is mandatory then the choices are pretty limited. Maybe an unadorned bean burrito at Taco Bell...

 

[gmax137]

used to buy plain baked potatoes at Wendy's for about $1. That was quite a while ago. They got rid of them so back to the usual fat-infused junk. I haven't been back to a Wendy's since.

Wow, I had forgotten about Wendy's baked potatoes. Those were tasty, and as I recall you could add (or not) toppings so the bad junk was under your control. The last time I remember having one was late 1990s. But I don't go there often! Looking online it seems they're still on the menu.

 

[JT Smith]

Yeah, 1990s sounds about right. I haven't been to a Wendy's in 25 years or so.

Looking online it seems they're still on the menu.

I could find a page for the baked potato but their menu doesn't seem to link to that page. So is it on the menu or not? And if so, what stores actually sell it? I checked the online menu of a store nearby and: no potato.

Hamburgers hamburgers hamburgers and fries fries fries. It's a very boring menu that we are mostly presented with. So little imagination.

 

[Vanadium 50]

CFA is still fast food

Really? You think your A1C knows the time between your order and receiving the food? Really?

Your endrocrinologist probably gave you a bunch of pamphlets. Those are for reading, not for lining bird cages. So you should look at the total carbohydrates in what you eat.

A Chik-Fil-A sandwich, medium fries, and frosted lemonade has 151 grams of carbohydrates. A Whopper, small fries and medium Coke is 212. In both cases, almost half come from the drink. If you need an endrocrinologist and are monitoring your A1C, you should be looking at nutrition sheets, not just guessing by the brand.

If you went with the fruit cup instead of fries, and the diet lemonade (which is very good - and you can buy by the gallon) you go from 151 grams (twice the recommendation) to about 60 (the lower edge of the recommendation - these are generic recommendations; your doctor may recommend something different).

But your carbs are driven by what you eat, not the name of the restaurant.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Hamburgers hamburgers hamburgers and fries fries fries.

What country is this? Wendy's claims to have baked potatoes nationwide (US). I can get one delivered here in 20 minutes.

They also have chicken, at least in the US.

 

[Mondayman]

Played in a ball hockey tournament today. Our team has orange jerseys, and we joked about representing A&W and slapping on a logo with Rooty the Bear. Someone was cheering "That's a double-teen combo right there" after a nice one-timer goal.

I went for A&W afterwards, of course.

 

[kyphysics]

Which fast food joint do you all think has the best breakfast chicken biscuit?

I have yet to find a better version than Chick-Fil-A's. I laughed so hard at this review above. It 100% reflects how I feel about McD's vs. CFA. Hardee's version doesn't do it for me, b/c their biscuits aren't as soft, nor flavorful as CFA's.

 

[JT Smith]

What country is this? Wendy's claims to have baked potatoes nationwide (US). I can get one delivered here in 20 minutes.

They also have chicken, at least in the US.

I live in the United States of America where every other freeway off-ramp has five different hamburger places to choose from. True, you can also get chicken sandwiches encrusted in two inches of fried breading.

But baked potatoes? They disappeared from the Wendy's around here over twenty years ago. Did they come back? I looked again more thoroughly at the Wendy's official website menu and, yes, they are there. But when I looked at the online menus for several Wendy's here in California there were no baked potatoes. So maybe they are only available at certain locations. Or maybe it's regional? Or maybe you can only get them in person around here?

What specific Wendy's locations do you know of that actually sell plain baked potatoes?

 

[Vanadium 50]

The Wendy's in Redwood City has (and delivers potatoes). So does the one in Hollywood. And at least one in Bakersfield.

I think they are there - you may have to ask.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Does anyone here actually dislike fast food?

I like the taste of it, but I actually rather stay hungry than eat garbage.
The only fast food I eat regularly are tacos with plenty of meat and veggies. Also hamburgers can have nice protein to energy ratio. The fries and the soda are the silent killers there.

If I am downtown and feeling hungry and have to eat, I go to a grocery store and get two bananas and package of natural yoghurt. Solid 700 kcal for a small penny.

 

[Mondayman]

The fries and the soda are the silent killers there.

It's hard to overstate how bad pop is. I used to drink it, not a lot like some people, but maybe a few times a week.

Giving it up made a drastic difference in how I felt. Same with when I cut sugar out of my coffee.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Same with when I cut sugar out of my coffee.

The only sugar than enters my coffee is the small amount that is naturally occurring in milk!

 

[jtbell]

On my day-trips to Charlotte, I usually stop at a Dairy Queen for a Blizzard on the way home. In the past, this was a DQ "embedded" inside a truck stop at the NC/SC state line on I-85. Last month I discovered that this DQ has closed, and its logo removed from the truck stop.

Yesterday I was in Charlotte again, checked Google Maps for other DQs near the route home, and found one in Gastonia NC, on the main drag just east of downtown. "Hmmm, I don't remember that one, and I've driven through there many times..."

When I got there I found out why I had overlooked it before. It's not one of the modern buildings with indoor seating, but one of the old-style places where you stand or sit outside and order through a window. It doesn't even have the red and white DQ logo on it.

But it has the usual DQ stuff, including Blizzards. Mine was this month's special: caramel drumstick.

This reminded me of the DQ my parents and I stopped at regularly, not far from our house, back in the '60s.

 

[gmax137]

this month's special: caramel drumstick

Is that turkey or chicken drumstick?

 

[jtbell]

Is that turkey or chicken drumstick?

 

[berkeman]

It doesn't even have the red and white DQ logo on it.

Was there a McDowell's down the street?

https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/mcdowells-has-finally-come-hollywood/102818

 

[kyphysics]

On my day-trips to Charlotte, I usually stop at a Dairy Queen for a Blizzard on the way home. In the past, this was a DQ "embedded" inside a truck stop at the NC/SC state line on I-85. Last month I discovered that this DQ has closed, and its logo removed from the truck stop.

Yesterday I was in Charlotte again, checked Google Maps for other DQs near the route home, and found one in Gastonia NC, on the main drag just east of downtown. "Hmmm, I don't remember that one, and I've driven through there many times..."

When I got there I found out why I had overlooked it before. It's not one of the modern buildings with indoor seating, but one of the old-style places where you stand or sit outside and order through a window. It doesn't even have the red and white DQ logo on it.

DQ buildings can be very bifurcated in terms of their look.

I've seen some like that one in my city, where it's got either an "older" or "run-down" type of look. Then, I've also seen some that are in upscale shopping areas...although, those are usually the DQ Grill and Chill concepts. They've got a modern interior with TVs mounted on the wall.

Surprised corporate doesn't mandate a more universally upgraded look.

 

[jtbell]

Was there a McDowell's down the street?

View attachment 305224
https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/mcdowells-has-finally-come-hollywood/102818

You made me wonder, so I checked the DQ web site's location finder. North Carolina --> Gastonia... yup, there it is at 904 E Franklin Blvd, matching my credit card receipt.

A couple of months ago, I visited another "vintage" outdoor-only DQ in Hickory NC. A bit spiffier, with a proper logo sign in front or on top. The one in Gastonia surprised me mainly because of the lack of a logo sign.

 

[kyphysics]

I bought the brownie tray (12) from Chick-Fil-A today. It was $17 and some change. The brownies pieces are very small (12 total) and tasted okay. Not great per se... yet, not bad. They were soft and gooey in the middle.

I think that's how most people like brownies. Often people complain about brownies being too hard. I'm the opposite! It's not that I disliked a gooey middle; rather, I just prefer hard brownies. There's something about that texture that I really like.

I'm going to freeze the rest of mine and eat them hard. Flavor-wise, they are quite good. It's just a texture thing for me. Probably not worth $17, though. I'd pay $13 for the tray...not $17. Not going to get these again.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Let me see if I get this straight. You're worried about your A1C, but you just ate a tray of brownies?

 

[Melbourne Guy]

On my day-trips to Charlotte, I usually stop at a Dairy Queen for a Blizzard on the way home.

We visited America when I was a kid, and Dairy Queen was the absolute bomb, @jtbell. Cheap and sooo much ice cream, there was nothing like it at home. I'd hope that if I visited again, nothing would be lost in the memory, and from your photo, the store experience would be the same, at least, it's just as I recall

 

[kyphysics]

One thing I don't understand about Popeye's.

They make great tasting food (imho), but their locations are really run down. With all that traffic and business, can they not use some profits to enhance their stores? It'd go a long way towards bringing me back more often.

I stick with Chick-Fil-A as my default weekly fast food delight (eat there several times a week), b/c it's tasty, clean, and friendly. I trust them (if something goes wrong, I know they'll have my back...and they rarely mess things up anyways).

Popeye's is sometimes friendly, mostly dirty, but very tasty.

 

[kyphysics]

I've also noticed the deterioration of Pizza Huts and simultaneous rise of Domino's over the past 10 years. PH locations are drab and run down, while D's has modernized and looks clean and inviting.

D's business and stock price have been fantastic the past 10 years. PH is just depressing nowadays.

 

[jtbell]

We visited America when I was a kid, and Dairy Queen was the absolute bomb, @jtbell. Cheap and sooo much ice cream, there was nothing like it at home. I'd hope that if I visited again, nothing would be lost in the memory, and from your photo, the store experience would be the same, at least, it's just as I recall

Most of the Dairy Queen branded places around here are the modern indoor sit-down type that also serve hamburgers etc., or ice-cream-only places that are "embedded" in truck stops etc. Old-style DQs like the one in my photo are uncommon.

In other parts of the US, I think there are still many small window-service ice-cream places, but they're often or usually not Dairy Queens. Instead, they're small local chains or individual operations, with names like Tastee Freeze, Dairy Dream, etc. I remember these being very common in the Midwest. Not so common down here in the Southeast. I can't remember a single one in the towns within a couple hours' drive.

What we do have down here are pop-up "shaved ice" places during the summer. These serve paper cones filled with ground/shaved ice drenched in a variety of colored/flavored liquids.

Over the years, going back to the early 1980s, when I've driven across northern Ohio between the Cleveland/Akron and Toledo areas, I've always avoided the Ohio Turnpike because I have to pay to be bored. Instead, I take US-20 which runs parallel to the south. The small towns along that route slow me down a bit, but they break up the monotony and keep me alert. Norwalk, Bellevue, Clyde, Fremont, Woodville, Stony Ridge. Most or all of them have small-chain or independent ice cream places. Sometimes there's one at each end of town, so if you skip one as you enter town, you can change your mind as you leave.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Is Sushi fast-food?

I wanted to ask you something regarding that. If this is not the place for sushi, then I'll go elsewhere.