What is the best chain fast food restaurant?

[Parmandur]

In defense of McDonald's food....

Spoiler

I lied. Their food is indefensible.

However, their coffee is okay. I mean, it isn't great, but it's better than most.

McDonalds food is, of all random things, OK because it doesn't trigger soy issues for my GI tract.

 

[Greg K]

In defense of McDonald's food....

Spoiler

I lied. Their food is indefensible.

However, their coffee is okay. I mean, it isn't great, but it's better than most.

Lol. I just went to a local McDonald's a few days ago. The breading was changed and the breading texture was like really bad store bought nuggets.

 

[Greg K]

Is that a question? Because the answer is no

They are limp and under/un-seasoned

I have never had limp fries at In-N-Out. Underseasoned might be due to concerns for people with high blood pressure, but they do give you salt. Even my last few visits to various McDonalds have had unsalted or low salted fries.

 

[Parmandur]

I have never had limp fries at In-N-Out. Underseasoned might be due to concerns for people with high blood pressure, but they do give you salt. Even my last few visits to various McDonalds have had unsalted or low salted fries.

Understanding is common for fries in restaurants, because most people reflexively add salt. So, to ensure most people don't get oversalted fries, the resteraunt will underseason them and provide the salt to add.

 

[Greg K]

I mean, sure, add the salt packet that they include with every box. But the flavor and texture are awesome, don't even need ketchup.

Agreed (although, I don't use/like ketchup).

 

[CleverNickName]

McDonalds food is, of all random things, OK because it doesn't trigger soy issues for my GI tract.

I worked there for two years while I was in high school...started out at the register, then transitioned to drive-thru. When I quit to go to college, I held the records for number of cars served per hour (88) and lowest average time per car (0:48). This was before debit cards and the Internet, so I imagine those records have long been beaten.

Here's what I remember about their food. As a matter of company policy:

• Their french fries are cooked fresh every 3 minutes. When you pull them, the machine automatically sets a timer and it goes of after 180 seconds. At that time, you are required to throw out any unsold fries and start another batch. If you don't, you will be fired. (They take their fries very seriously.)
• Chicken nuggets, chicken patties, etc., can be cooked ahead of time and kept in a warming bin for up to 30 minutes before they have to be wasted (again, automatic timers are used. They aren't as strict with this as they are with their fries, though...you will just be written up if you get caught ignoring/resetting the timer.) However, their fish patties must always be cooked to order, every time, no exceptions...they cannot be kept in a warming bin for any amount of time.
• Coffee is brewed fresh every 30 minutes (more automatic timers, ugh, I still hear them beeping in my sleep.) Decaf is almost always brewed fresh to order, because it is so rarely requested and it isn't economical to brew something twice an hour only to end up throwing it away.
• The fountain drinks are recalibrated twice a day to ensure they use the correct amount of syrup, water, and CO₂. The ice bin, however, isn't cleaned very often...maybe once a week.

So. If you want the freshest food at McDonald's, order the Fillet o'Fish and a side of fries, decaf coffee or a fountain drink with no ice, and do it at the drive-thru. Do not order the chicken nuggets or the hash browns; they have been sitting in the warming bin the longest.

 

[Parmandur]

Agreed (although, I don't use/like ketchup).

I actually love.kwtchup, but for In-N-Out I usually forgo it because I like the flavor of the fries as is (after adding salt).

 

[Parmandur]

I worked there for two years while I was in high school...started out at the register, then transitioned to drive-thru. When I quit to go to college, I held the records for number of cars served per hour (88) and lowest average time per car (0:48). This was before debit cards and the Internet, so I imagine those records have long been beaten.

Here's what I remember about their food. As a matter of company policy:

• Their french fries are cooked fresh every 3 minutes. When you pull them, the machine automatically sets a timer and it goes of after 180 seconds. At that time, you are required to throw out any unsold fries and start another batch. If you don't, you will be fired. (They take their fries very seriously.)
• Chicken nuggets, chicken patties, etc., can be cooked ahead of time and kept in a warming bin for up to 30 minutes before they have to be wasted (again, automatic timers are used. They aren't as strict with this as they are with their fries, though...you will just be written up if you get caught ignoring/resetting the timer.) However, their fish patties must always be cooked to order, every time, no exceptions...they cannot be kept in a warming bin for any amount of time.
• Coffee is brewed fresh every 30 minutes (more automatic timers, ugh, I still hear them beeping in my sleep.) Decaf is almost always brewed fresh to order, because it is so rarely requested and it isn't economical to brew something twice an hour only to end up throwing it away.
• The fountain drinks are recalibrated twice a day to ensure they use the correct amount of syrup, water, and CO₂. The ice bin, however, isn't cleaned very often...maybe once a week.

So. If you want the freshest food at McDonald's, order the Fillet o'Fish and a side of fries, a fountain drink with no ice, and do it at the drive-thru. Do not order the chicken nuggets or the hash browns; they have been sitting in the warming bin the longest.

Wow, so my Lenten order is the healthiest?? Wild.

I do appreciate that the food quality, if not amazing, is at least consistent and doesn't kill me. Much tastier, homier restraints can do me in hard.

 

[CleverNickName]

Wow, so my Lenten order is the healthiest?? Wild.

I do appreciate that the food quality, if not amazing, is at least consistent and doesn't kill me. Much tastier, homier restraints can do me in hard.

Freshest, not necessarily the healthiest.

Weirdly, the healthiest item on the menu is their lowfat frozen yogurt cone. At least it was, anyway, they might have changed the recipe in the decades since I worked there. I remember it having more protein per calorie than most other items on the menu, only 1 or 2 grams of fat and no cholesterol, and about the same amount of carbs as one of their hamburger buns.

 

[Scribe]

Speaking of hot garbage…

Why can’t any of the big chains produce a simple fish sandwich that’s worth a damn? Flavor-wise, that’s NOT rocket science!

Being on the coast as I am, if fish isnt FRESH, I'm just not interested. That may be part of the problem.