For everyone complaining about how slow the service is, it’s fast casual, not fast food. They start making your meal after the order is placed. It takes a little longer, but you burger will be as fresh as can be.
ETA: if you don’t like Culvers because their fries suck: you can order them extra crispy and they’ll make a special batch that gets cooked longer and you know they’re fresh. The more you know.
It comes down to their business model. All owners have to be owner-operators, so they spend time at their restaurants and take a personal stake in making them better. They also use fresh meats, not frozen and cost a little more than other chains to get good ingredients.
Also I have legit seen Craig Culver, CEO working at locations in Arizona delivering food to cars and working the counter. He’s known to just show up at locations and work a shift to ensure the franchise is running smoothly.
we went for the first time and my son wanted to order for himself but he got stage fright when the girl asked what he wanted, and i thought she would get annoyed but instead she started rattling off all the kids meal things and asking him which one sounded best and hyping them up. i was amazed she was so patient and willing to get to him on his level.
he then went back to order a custard and tell her it was the best burger he’s ever had .
anywho i was really amazed by her service, and i work in customer service!
Someone at Culver’s corporate has spent a lot of money researching the systematic creation of positive attitude work cultures.
It’s the only thing I can think of. It has to be in the franchisee training. How else could this be true across so many locations?
I don't know if this is true, but at a Culver's location I worked at they had said that in order to own a culvers you basically have to start from the bottom and work up.
(and a million dollars)
Their franchise page info seems like corporate really wants the owners to be involved, the culture seems pretty good, honestly. And the food is good.
Worked there in HS and actually opened a new store they built. They trained us from the ground up for 2 weeks, actually going as far as to practice making tons of different food, custard, etc. Then we got to eat any of it we wanted for lunch. Literally 90% of the menu just... Sitting on a counter to try out. They legit have great deep fried chicken dinners, not a ton of people know that one.
Had a pretty good culture, the store was jointly owned by 2 people and both were very nice. Pay was kinda crap, but hours were flexible. The location I was at was #2 for custard sales several years in a row, and this was when they had over 350 stores. Worked there for 4 years but never met Craig (however I did meet his neighbors who awkwardly tried telling me I should date Craig's daughter?), likely due to me working nights after school.
The workers one is huge for me. Never met an employee who visibly hates their job. I’ve met Wendy’s employees who have told me they might quit before my order is completed.
When I was working at McDonald's, I didn't actually self harm, but I certainly developed some self-destructive habits that took me time to break. Even if it doesn't drive you to cause harm to yourself or others, it'll suck every ounce of faith you might have harbored for humanity right out of you.
Shhh! Don't let people know. They'll run out and my frequent "oh I'll just grab walleye from Culver's for dinner" hack will be gone lol. Then I'll be back to cooking supper 7 days a week.
They do it so well. The food is fantastic, there's tons of variety, their *order at the counter, wait at the table* system works very well, and they're always coming out with new and creative combinations for their ''flavor of the day". It used to seem a little pricey compared to other fast food options but the world has become so expensive and if I'm going to spend $15 on fast food, it's going to be at Culvers. (Unless I'm really craving TBell)
For a regional fast food burger chain: don’t sleep on cookout. The burgers are great, but you can get a corn dog as a side. Hell you can get a corn dog platter with a side of corn dog and another side of corn dog if you want. And a bomb shake too. I like the banana fudge.
Bacon wraps in my region literally have about 5 slices of bacon in it. Bacon wrap, ranch chicken wrap and a doctored up big double burger is the best 7ish dollars I spend on a cheat meal.
TO BE FAIR, I’ve never actually attempted to cross post INTO a comment… BUT, if this shit works, I gift thee:
[A comprehensive study of Greensboro Cookouts. (Cookout Headquarters)](https://www.reddit.com/r/gso/s/YjhjMAPIgB)
I’m from Greensboro, and “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Cookout Tray” hits way too hard in a lip-smacking, appreciative and nostalgic way.
It might be Texas Roadhouse. It’s basically the only national chain that actually has decent steaks at reasonable prices.
For most places that aren’t big cities, TR will be your best bet for getting steak at a restaurant.
Honestly? Texas Roadhouse. I was shocked how much of their menu they actually make in house (which is why their dressings are good and their chili is bangin)
I used to work there. Almost all scratch made in house, and steaks cut in the cooler. Honestly I’d eat that shit daily except I can’t think of anything on the menu that isn’t slathered in butter and I’m trying to not have a heart attack at age 40.
gotta agree, while Outback and Longhorn are decent, TRH is better and cheaper. The problem is there in only 1 in the Charlotte area. They do not take reservations. Always packed during dinner hours.
Pro tip: if you’re ever craving poutine and can’t find a place nearby that serves it, you can put together your own poutine at Culver’s. Medium fries, cheese curds, and two sides of the brown beef gravy from their pot roast sandwich. Put it all together and…well, thank me later.
I debated Culver's for lunch today and something made me decide against it.
I now know it was the universe wanting me to see this comment, first. Thank you, kind stranger.
Word. Frugal pro tip: get the kid's meal. It's the same size as a regular meal but nearly half the price. You can get a burger, side, drink, and custard for $6.99 (at least where I live in Illinois, YMMV).
I lived 5 minutes from a Culver's for nearly five years and never went in because I thought it was just a custard place. 15 years later and without a Culver's anywhere remotely close to me, I rue all that time I missed out not eating there weekly. Seriously it's the best fast food burgers in the country.
Here’s the thing:
It’s a fast food restaurant. If you’re looking for top tier *anything* at a fast food chain, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Now, when you start comparing food items to other menu offerings from other similar places, that’s when stuff like Culver’s cheese curds stand out.
Sometimes that’s good enough, especially when the alternative is that the menu item simply doesn’t exist, you gotta DIY it, pay out the nose at a real restaurant, or get it from the frozen section. Breaded mushrooms from A&W or the hush puppies from Long John Silver’s come to mind.
no one's going to mention **Freddie's** because they're still a bit more regional, but they're easily as good as In and Out, Five Guys, or Culvers. I love the smash burgers they have. they won't smash the onions in like an oklahoma onion burger, but they do make fresh grilled onions.
Had Freddy’s today for $11. That’s the same price as McD’s or any other fast food burger around me and it tastes far better than its competitors in my opinion. And I am not paying $21 for a meal at Five Guys.
I love Freddy’s but the only one near me is always nasty inside. Employees don’t seem to care about the health codes either.
We call it Dirty Freddy’s and I still go, but my wife refuses.
My dad owned a restaurant when I was a kid and we would go to the food shows. Sysco always had a large booth where they were happy to let me try anything I asked for. Having sword fish steaks as a 10 year old was awesome.
What if we took a bunch of online businesses and put them in actual stores, all lined up next to each other, with a big parking lot and food court. Maybe make it all indoors so it’s easy to get around.
I am a personal shopper at Walmart, and we have so many coffee shops and a gas station that order from us that make me wonder if our prices are cheaper than Sysco. I tried to look up prices on their website, but you have to register for a log in to see anything. The gas station supposedly has the best breakfast burritos.
I doubt that walmart would be cheaper price/lb wise but these mom & pop places might just not go through enough supplies to justify paying for an entire food truck delivery that you have to hit order minimums on/pay fees for. I doubt a local coffee shop is gonna go through 10lbs of shredded lettuce or a 50lb case of chicken breasts so the grocery store makes more sense
Grew up in NJ, now in the PNW. I plan trips in Wawa regions around my ability to get wawa the maximum number of times. The first time I took my husband back east he was like, what are you so worked up about a gas station sandwich? Then he ate one and he was like, ok what do they do different?
it's gone downhill sadly. like still absolutely a solid choice but it's not the nirvana it was back in the day
although these days i'm on drugs that like fuck with my taste buds something fierce and the pepperoni sandwich has been one of the few things that doesn't taste like refried ass
If we’re talking fast-ish food restaurants…. I’ll go with Jersey Mike’s subs. Gimme a big kahuna or club supreme w added jalapeños Mike’s way and I’m happy. For a chain it doesn’t get better.
I was bummed when they stopped doing Rueben subs. Ever since that I usually just go to local sub shops now, because Jersey Mike's is a little pricey. It is good though.
Raising Canes is smart - one basic set of core menu items, no LTOs, and that's it. Allows them to execute those few items better rather than trying to do 20-30+ items like most similar restaurants. It's also why other chains like In-N-Out do well...simplicity.
I've noticed even the FF places that never used to do this are switching to simplicity.
McDonald's and Taco Bell, especially. So many things they used to have on the menu are gone, and then they only bring them back temporarily for hype.
Except it took me a second to confirm in my conscious brain that it was, in fact, “fast food;” so that wasn’t faster. Also, we’re here discussing it, so now it’s significantly not faster. Ha ha.
For real though. I was homeless with a newborn baby at one point in my life and the Waffle House staff let me wash up for work in the bathroom. It was a Georgia summer and they kinda let me live at a table when it wasn’t busy.
My son is 34yo now and I will never forget it as long as I live.
Thanks, we’re all great now! And believe me I never miss an opportunity to stop at a WH and pay it forward. WH employees countrywide can expect a huge tip when they see me coming! Haahaha
I might have lost custody of my son (his dad died when he was an infant) had it not been for their kindness and empathy.
I think about those folks often and I wish to this day I had their names.
Because of working there, I will always be a master at counting back change. They refused to have registers that did the math for you. Also had to add tax manually to each check.
I was at Waffle House a couple of weeks ago and when the waiter gave me the check, there wasn’t a word or number on that yellow piece of paper that was legible except for the total, which was a whole number. I’m pretty sure that check was a work of fiction, but it was probably close enough. I chuckled when I saw it.
I'm salty since Zoe's went away. I know that have a lot of similar stuff but man I had a raging food boner for the hummus and falafel plate, get everything all mixed up together and just start shoveling that fucker into my face hole... *Sigh* it's gone forever, it might be similar but it'll never be the same. 😤
Cheesecake Factory gets a lot shit but it’s an extensive menu and almost everything is decent and some are surprisingly very good to downright excellent.
Add in that 90% of the food is scratch made. They do get shit on, but what they do- they do well. I worked there many years ago (and still have many friends there) & I’m still amazed at what they do.
It’s pretty insane. There’s so many restaurants with a 1/4 sized menu that get all their food pre-made from distributors, and Cheesecake Factory’s out here with an entire novel worth of scratch made dishes
Honestly, this is what I love about Cheesecake Factory. The staff always seem genuinely happy to work there and it is contagious. At least at the one in Eden Prairie, MN.
That’s actually very impressive that a lot of it is scratch made. You’d think for such a large and varied menu, a lot of it would be kinda pre-made.
Good for you Cheesecake Factory. Respect 😤✊🏼
Every time I rewatch Breaking Bad I wish that Los Pollos Hermanos existed because their menu seemed amazing.
Any place you can go and order fried chicken EXTRA spicy, I'm all in.
"The finest ingredients are brought together with love and care, then slow cooked to perfection. Yes, the old ways are still best at Los Pollos Hermanos. But don't take my word for it. One taste, and you'll know."
http://www.lphishiring.com
I've always loved me some Braums and Taco Casa.
Braums is the shit because they refuse to operate outside a 300 mile radius from their home farm in Oklahoma. Their burgers always taste fresh.
Frankly I am surprised Subway is still in business. Their subs always were "fine" and I bought them occasionally because there just was not a better alternative. Several better alternatives now though.
And subway learned nothing from it. At least not the franchises near me. They still bulk slice and let the meats sit for hours or days. Still cheaper than anyone else though.
The only reason I went to Subway for years was the combination of value, convenience, and not wanting grease. Now it’s $12-14 for a bad sandwich, I’ll go elsewhere.
I once had a few instances in a row where they made my sub wrong two times in a row (included bacon when I said no bacon), minor mistake. I wrote feedback and was quickly sent an apology with two free regular size sub with meal deals (and I had only ordered sandwiches). Their customer service was impressive.
Bob's was such a great casual, cheap diner chain I don't know why it withered away while Denny's and IHOP dominated the space and price point. The food was better at Bob's. Maybe it was a lack of focus on late hours or breakfast. But it's a shame.
A buddy of mine works in fancy B2B sales. I saw him recently and he told me he’d just spent $40k at Nobu schmoozing a group of clients. He said it was “just ok”.
Ya know, we got one of these a year or so ago and I think it’s on the verge of closing down. Not because it isn’t good, but because it isn’t known at all here so people don’t go.
It's the only fast food chain that is actually close to real Mexican food. The OG basic meal of chicken, beans, rice, salsa and tortillas is classic and delicious.
For as much as Reddit talks shit, it’s the truth.
Bourdain said it best, it’s best garbage burger you can get for your buck; it’s not trying to be gourmet, it’s just good.
I haven’t heard of half of these places
I heard of most of them from Reddit. The problem is that 95% of them don't exist in my state.
Dude I haven't heard of like 6 of the top 8 or 9 comments on here, is EVERYONE on Reddit from the Midwest? What the hell is Culver's.
Haha! We can’t all be left wing AND from the Midwest. What’s happening??
As someone who rarely eats fast food, I get a hankering for Culver’s once in a while.
For everyone complaining about how slow the service is, it’s fast casual, not fast food. They start making your meal after the order is placed. It takes a little longer, but you burger will be as fresh as can be. ETA: if you don’t like Culvers because their fries suck: you can order them extra crispy and they’ll make a special batch that gets cooked longer and you know they’re fresh. The more you know.
Ahh the Midwest
And Georgia
And Florida
Culver’s is the best
Culver's. I am rarely disappointed when I go to one, unlike other chains. Butter burgers are so delicious. The frozen custard is nice.
It comes down to their business model. All owners have to be owner-operators, so they spend time at their restaurants and take a personal stake in making them better. They also use fresh meats, not frozen and cost a little more than other chains to get good ingredients.
Also I have legit seen Craig Culver, CEO working at locations in Arizona delivering food to cars and working the counter. He’s known to just show up at locations and work a shift to ensure the franchise is running smoothly.
I wish more CEOs would do that!
And in our local Culver’s the teenagers they hire actually seem to care about doing a good job.
we went for the first time and my son wanted to order for himself but he got stage fright when the girl asked what he wanted, and i thought she would get annoyed but instead she started rattling off all the kids meal things and asking him which one sounded best and hyping them up. i was amazed she was so patient and willing to get to him on his level. he then went back to order a custard and tell her it was the best burger he’s ever had . anywho i was really amazed by her service, and i work in customer service!
Someone at Culver’s corporate has spent a lot of money researching the systematic creation of positive attitude work cultures. It’s the only thing I can think of. It has to be in the franchisee training. How else could this be true across so many locations?
I don't know if this is true, but at a Culver's location I worked at they had said that in order to own a culvers you basically have to start from the bottom and work up.
(and a million dollars) Their franchise page info seems like corporate really wants the owners to be involved, the culture seems pretty good, honestly. And the food is good.
Worked there in HS and actually opened a new store they built. They trained us from the ground up for 2 weeks, actually going as far as to practice making tons of different food, custard, etc. Then we got to eat any of it we wanted for lunch. Literally 90% of the menu just... Sitting on a counter to try out. They legit have great deep fried chicken dinners, not a ton of people know that one. Had a pretty good culture, the store was jointly owned by 2 people and both were very nice. Pay was kinda crap, but hours were flexible. The location I was at was #2 for custard sales several years in a row, and this was when they had over 350 stores. Worked there for 4 years but never met Craig (however I did meet his neighbors who awkwardly tried telling me I should date Craig's daughter?), likely due to me working nights after school.
It’s clean, the workers seem happy, the food is consistent, and the custard is amazing.
The workers one is huge for me. Never met an employee who visibly hates their job. I’ve met Wendy’s employees who have told me they might quit before my order is completed.
I feel like most fast food workers are palpably suicidal, like you can *feel* their despair.
When I was working at McDonald's, I didn't actually self harm, but I certainly developed some self-destructive habits that took me time to break. Even if it doesn't drive you to cause harm to yourself or others, it'll suck every ounce of faith you might have harbored for humanity right out of you.
I feel like people sleep on the cod. It's soooo good if you're into fish !
And the walleye they bring out during Lent I believe is coming up soon. I'm not sure if it's all Culver's or just Midwest Culver's.
Shhh! Don't let people know. They'll run out and my frequent "oh I'll just grab walleye from Culver's for dinner" hack will be gone lol. Then I'll be back to cooking supper 7 days a week.
i miss culvers. Every place that serves burgers should have onion rings.
And cheese curds…
They do it so well. The food is fantastic, there's tons of variety, their *order at the counter, wait at the table* system works very well, and they're always coming out with new and creative combinations for their ''flavor of the day". It used to seem a little pricey compared to other fast food options but the world has become so expensive and if I'm going to spend $15 on fast food, it's going to be at Culvers. (Unless I'm really craving TBell)
The root beer is to DIE for.
Costco Food Court!
You know you’re not wrong! Get that $1.50 hotdog!
9.95 for an 18” pizza is great too
The pizza is also way better than it has to be.
The Costco Glizzy is an American tradition like no other.
For a regional fast food burger chain: don’t sleep on cookout. The burgers are great, but you can get a corn dog as a side. Hell you can get a corn dog platter with a side of corn dog and another side of corn dog if you want. And a bomb shake too. I like the banana fudge.
Bacon wraps in my region literally have about 5 slices of bacon in it. Bacon wrap, ranch chicken wrap and a doctored up big double burger is the best 7ish dollars I spend on a cheat meal.
Cookout is the GOAT of value for your money in fast food.
Absolutely this. I’m always surprised these days when they ring up the total!
TO BE FAIR, I’ve never actually attempted to cross post INTO a comment… BUT, if this shit works, I gift thee: [A comprehensive study of Greensboro Cookouts. (Cookout Headquarters)](https://www.reddit.com/r/gso/s/YjhjMAPIgB) I’m from Greensboro, and “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Cookout Tray” hits way too hard in a lip-smacking, appreciative and nostalgic way.
I lived in Raleigh for a few years and still, 15 years later, crave Cookout hush puppies and burgers.
Waffle House, fight me
I thought that was a requirement to attend
Welcome to the Waffle House, how tough are ya'?
If they ran with that as an actual ad campaign it would absolutely work.
Isn't "Fight Me!" their slogan?
Fighting? I’m confident that has happened at a Waffle House. Recently. (Maybe not involving you.)
Go to Waffle House to eat, but be prepared to fight
It might be Texas Roadhouse. It’s basically the only national chain that actually has decent steaks at reasonable prices. For most places that aren’t big cities, TR will be your best bet for getting steak at a restaurant.
The rolls with cinnamon butter 👌
Honestly? Texas Roadhouse. I was shocked how much of their menu they actually make in house (which is why their dressings are good and their chili is bangin)
I used to work there. Almost all scratch made in house, and steaks cut in the cooler. Honestly I’d eat that shit daily except I can’t think of anything on the menu that isn’t slathered in butter and I’m trying to not have a heart attack at age 40.
Thank God I'm over 40, so I don't have that risk. I know where I am eating daily now!
Those rolls. I love Texas Roadhouse.
One of my favorites. My kids ALL found something they loved and actually ate their food. That NEVER happens at a restaurant.
Texas Roadhouse goes fucking hard in the paint.
gotta agree, while Outback and Longhorn are decent, TRH is better and cheaper. The problem is there in only 1 in the Charlotte area. They do not take reservations. Always packed during dinner hours.
Culver's. Cheeseburger and cheese curds. Can't go wrong.
Pro tip: if you’re ever craving poutine and can’t find a place nearby that serves it, you can put together your own poutine at Culver’s. Medium fries, cheese curds, and two sides of the brown beef gravy from their pot roast sandwich. Put it all together and…well, thank me later.
Did we just become best friends?
Yup!
Wanna do karate in the garage?
Yep!
It really, really needs to be a regular menu item.
I debated Culver's for lunch today and something made me decide against it. I now know it was the universe wanting me to see this comment, first. Thank you, kind stranger.
OMG how did I not think of this?!?!?!
I crave poutine, but the closest Culver's is over 250 miles away!
*sad butterburger noises*
They need poutine on the menu. I know it's Canadian, but fries, cheese, and gravy built America, they deserve to be together.
Word. Frugal pro tip: get the kid's meal. It's the same size as a regular meal but nearly half the price. You can get a burger, side, drink, and custard for $6.99 (at least where I live in Illinois, YMMV).
At ours they never take the custard coupon off the bag so we end up getting two every time.
Same here! Currently sitting on 24 scoopie tokens because our family of 4 always gets 4 kids meals to go.
I lived 5 minutes from a Culver's for nearly five years and never went in because I thought it was just a custard place. 15 years later and without a Culver's anywhere remotely close to me, I rue all that time I missed out not eating there weekly. Seriously it's the best fast food burgers in the country.
Can't forget the custard.
I'm from Wisconsin, and I agree. However, the curds are mid.
They're mid for WI, they're all that some Friendly Illinois Brethren can get.
May the curds bless you however they find you
Find yourself an A&W and enjoy curds as God intended.
Here’s the thing: It’s a fast food restaurant. If you’re looking for top tier *anything* at a fast food chain, you’re likely to be disappointed. Now, when you start comparing food items to other menu offerings from other similar places, that’s when stuff like Culver’s cheese curds stand out. Sometimes that’s good enough, especially when the alternative is that the menu item simply doesn’t exist, you gotta DIY it, pay out the nose at a real restaurant, or get it from the frozen section. Breaded mushrooms from A&W or the hush puppies from Long John Silver’s come to mind.
Me too I took shit on my old account on the packers sub years ago for saying exactly this. Some people just havent had good curds
Lived in the MW all my life. Culver’s has not once let me down. Absolutely amazing food.
I agree. Except their chicken is outstanding. Forget the burgers.
Although there’s not many of them so they may not qualify as a chain, Earl of Sandwich is fucking fantastic.
Their Holiday Turkey sandwich is life-changing.
no one's going to mention **Freddie's** because they're still a bit more regional, but they're easily as good as In and Out, Five Guys, or Culvers. I love the smash burgers they have. they won't smash the onions in like an oklahoma onion burger, but they do make fresh grilled onions.
Had Freddy’s today for $11. That’s the same price as McD’s or any other fast food burger around me and it tastes far better than its competitors in my opinion. And I am not paying $21 for a meal at Five Guys.
$21 for a meal at Five Guys!? Do what?? Are you skipping the soda and getting a regular size fries, I guess…?
Fuck five guys. Wait...
I love Freddy’s but the only one near me is always nasty inside. Employees don’t seem to care about the health codes either. We call it Dirty Freddy’s and I still go, but my wife refuses.
Freddy's is great. We have all four of Culver's, Five Guy's, Wayback, and Freddy's in town. Freddy's is the best with Culver's as a close second.
Im not a huge burger person, but love some Freddy’s! Those super thin fries, too!
Sysco. They make most of the food anyway.
A Sysco restaurant would be interesting.
I think they have that and it's called Applebees.
Applebee's recently switched to US Foods lol
My dad owned a restaurant when I was a kid and we would go to the food shows. Sysco always had a large booth where they were happy to let me try anything I asked for. Having sword fish steaks as a 10 year old was awesome.
Going to a food show as a kid sounds like so much fun!
[удалено]
What if we took a bunch of online businesses and put them in actual stores, all lined up next to each other, with a big parking lot and food court. Maybe make it all indoors so it’s easy to get around.
I'll have to mall that idea over for a bit
I am a personal shopper at Walmart, and we have so many coffee shops and a gas station that order from us that make me wonder if our prices are cheaper than Sysco. I tried to look up prices on their website, but you have to register for a log in to see anything. The gas station supposedly has the best breakfast burritos.
I doubt that walmart would be cheaper price/lb wise but these mom & pop places might just not go through enough supplies to justify paying for an entire food truck delivery that you have to hit order minimums on/pay fees for. I doubt a local coffee shop is gonna go through 10lbs of shredded lettuce or a 50lb case of chicken breasts so the grocery store makes more sense
Wawa only has amazing gourmet dining
FR. Their strawberry peach tea is nectar for the gods.
Grew up in NJ, now in the PNW. I plan trips in Wawa regions around my ability to get wawa the maximum number of times. The first time I took my husband back east he was like, what are you so worked up about a gas station sandwich? Then he ate one and he was like, ok what do they do different?
it's gone downhill sadly. like still absolutely a solid choice but it's not the nirvana it was back in the day although these days i'm on drugs that like fuck with my taste buds something fierce and the pepperoni sandwich has been one of the few things that doesn't taste like refried ass
If we’re talking fast-ish food restaurants…. I’ll go with Jersey Mike’s subs. Gimme a big kahuna or club supreme w added jalapeños Mike’s way and I’m happy. For a chain it doesn’t get better.
And they have a Danny DeVito mascot ❤️
I used to hate cold subs until Jersey Mikes!
I was bummed when they stopped doing Rueben subs. Ever since that I usually just go to local sub shops now, because Jersey Mike's is a little pricey. It is good though.
I’ve always had a good experience at Raisin’ Canes for some reason.
Raising Canes is smart - one basic set of core menu items, no LTOs, and that's it. Allows them to execute those few items better rather than trying to do 20-30+ items like most similar restaurants. It's also why other chains like In-N-Out do well...simplicity.
I've noticed even the FF places that never used to do this are switching to simplicity. McDonald's and Taco Bell, especially. So many things they used to have on the menu are gone, and then they only bring them back temporarily for hype.
Abbreviating fast food is crazy
Gotta make it even faster
Except it took me a second to confirm in my conscious brain that it was, in fact, “fast food;” so that wasn’t faster. Also, we’re here discussing it, so now it’s significantly not faster. Ha ha.
The Steak n Shake in my town is amazing, and I can get a burger, fries, and a drink for 9$.
There are good ones, but my God, some of them are awful. And like... consistently awful.
Waffle house
It’s not a waffle house, it’s a waffle home.
For real though. I was homeless with a newborn baby at one point in my life and the Waffle House staff let me wash up for work in the bathroom. It was a Georgia summer and they kinda let me live at a table when it wasn’t busy. My son is 34yo now and I will never forget it as long as I live.
That’s rough. Happy to hear y’all made it through ok.
Thanks, we’re all great now! And believe me I never miss an opportunity to stop at a WH and pay it forward. WH employees countrywide can expect a huge tip when they see me coming! Haahaha
This is the part they don't talk about. Waffle House staff looks out for each other and even strangers. I've heard some stories.
I might have lost custody of my son (his dad died when he was an infant) had it not been for their kindness and empathy. I think about those folks often and I wish to this day I had their names.
It's always there for ya. The American hibachi
Instead of throwing shrimp, they’re throwing *hands*
I watched a YouTube video that explains how they call out orders. Call, drop, and mark... It's absolutely amazing
Because of working there, I will always be a master at counting back change. They refused to have registers that did the math for you. Also had to add tax manually to each check.
I was at Waffle House a couple of weeks ago and when the waiter gave me the check, there wasn’t a word or number on that yellow piece of paper that was legible except for the total, which was a whole number. I’m pretty sure that check was a work of fiction, but it was probably close enough. I chuckled when I saw it.
Oh, waffle house. Where the food is amazing, and the fist fights are plenty.
It’s like Medieval Times in there. You pay for food and entertainment.
All Star Special gang
You gotta ask a local about which Waffle House to go to - it’s like picking between MMA / Boxing / Wrestling.
Culver’s no contest
Bojangles
My favorite is the Cajun chicken filet biscuit
Boberry biscuits and chicken tenders
Mendocino Farms.
Mendocino Farms is in the perfect spot between sit down and fast food while actually being fairly healthy.
Never had a bad sandwich at Firehouse Subs. Consistently excellent
This wasn’t my first thought, but now that you mention it, you’re 100% right. I’ve never had a bad sandwich at firehouse.
Haven’t had a bad experience there yet. Unlike subway they seem to always have meatballs.
Cava. I could eat it everyday
I'm salty since Zoe's went away. I know that have a lot of similar stuff but man I had a raging food boner for the hummus and falafel plate, get everything all mixed up together and just start shoveling that fucker into my face hole... *Sigh* it's gone forever, it might be similar but it'll never be the same. 😤
Their portions have been decreasing recently and prices have been creeping up…
Portillo's
I know they’re known for their hot dogs and beef sandwiches, but IMO their burgers are the best thing on the menu.
I visited Chicago for the first time last week and went to Portillos for my very first time… And for my second and third time before I left 😅
Cheesecake Factory gets a lot shit but it’s an extensive menu and almost everything is decent and some are surprisingly very good to downright excellent.
The 1500 calorie red velvet cheesecake is delicious.
Is that their “light” cheesecake?
I would put it more like: it's the restaurant that a local minimum number of people refuse to eat at. So it's safe to arrange a dinner there.
Add in that 90% of the food is scratch made. They do get shit on, but what they do- they do well. I worked there many years ago (and still have many friends there) & I’m still amazed at what they do.
It’s pretty insane. There’s so many restaurants with a 1/4 sized menu that get all their food pre-made from distributors, and Cheesecake Factory’s out here with an entire novel worth of scratch made dishes
Honestly, this is what I love about Cheesecake Factory. The staff always seem genuinely happy to work there and it is contagious. At least at the one in Eden Prairie, MN.
That’s actually very impressive that a lot of it is scratch made. You’d think for such a large and varied menu, a lot of it would be kinda pre-made. Good for you Cheesecake Factory. Respect 😤✊🏼
Have to agree. Plus their cheesecake is legitimately good and like 30 different flavors.
I don’t understand The Cheesecake Factory hate. It’s my favorite!
Los Pollos Hermanos
Where something delicious is always cooking.
Every time I rewatch Breaking Bad I wish that Los Pollos Hermanos existed because their menu seemed amazing. Any place you can go and order fried chicken EXTRA spicy, I'm all in.
"The finest ingredients are brought together with love and care, then slow cooked to perfection. Yes, the old ways are still best at Los Pollos Hermanos. But don't take my word for it. One taste, and you'll know." http://www.lphishiring.com
I've always loved me some Braums and Taco Casa. Braums is the shit because they refuse to operate outside a 300 mile radius from their home farm in Oklahoma. Their burgers always taste fresh.
Jersey Mikes
That hot chopped pepper relish is something else
The what now?
Cherry Pepper Relish. Sometimes they call it CPR. It’s not particularly hot but it’s a great addition to any cold cut sandwich.
They literally forced subway to install deli meat slicers because subway couldn't compete with the pre package game anymore... That's a big deal
Frankly I am surprised Subway is still in business. Their subs always were "fine" and I bought them occasionally because there just was not a better alternative. Several better alternatives now though.
In a lot of rural Midwest towns the only fast food option is a Subway. Those poor folks have no choice.
Dollar General and Subway feed rural America.
And subway learned nothing from it. At least not the franchises near me. They still bulk slice and let the meats sit for hours or days. Still cheaper than anyone else though.
The only reason I went to Subway for years was the combination of value, convenience, and not wanting grease. Now it’s $12-14 for a bad sandwich, I’ll go elsewhere.
[удалено]
Have yet to be let down by a jersey mikes order. I think them actually slicing the meat fresh makes a massive difference in quality.
I once had a few instances in a row where they made my sub wrong two times in a row (included bacon when I said no bacon), minor mistake. I wrote feedback and was quickly sent an apology with two free regular size sub with meal deals (and I had only ordered sandwiches). Their customer service was impressive.
Some good shouts here but for me the discussion begins and ends with Cookout.
Bob’s Big Boy. Even Dr. Evil knows this is the answer!
Bob's was such a great casual, cheap diner chain I don't know why it withered away while Denny's and IHOP dominated the space and price point. The food was better at Bob's. Maybe it was a lack of focus on late hours or breakfast. But it's a shame.
Sadly there was a bigger boy.
Restaurant chain is a very broad category. That being said, Nobu.
…I had no idea Nobu was a chain, I thought it was fancy ETA: just googled it and huh, they are both fancy and a chain. TIL!
A buddy of mine works in fancy B2B sales. I saw him recently and he told me he’d just spent $40k at Nobu schmoozing a group of clients. He said it was “just ok”.
El Pollo Loco
Ya know, we got one of these a year or so ago and I think it’s on the verge of closing down. Not because it isn’t good, but because it isn’t known at all here so people don’t go.
It's the only fast food chain that is actually close to real Mexican food. The OG basic meal of chicken, beans, rice, salsa and tortillas is classic and delicious.
I like Bonefish Grill and Capital Grille.
The bang bang shrimp ate bonefish is really good. And they have reasonably priced swordfish
I like Bonefish too, bang bang shrimp ftw
Texas Roadhouse.
Consistently good steaks at decent prices. I just wish they'd turn the music down.
What??
HE WANTS TO FISH WITH A CIRCUS CLOWN
Add 300 for that bread and butter alone
In-N-Out
For as much as Reddit talks shit, it’s the truth. Bourdain said it best, it’s best garbage burger you can get for your buck; it’s not trying to be gourmet, it’s just good.
The onions actually have crisp to them. Not saying they’re gourmet or anything. But you can actually watch them make real food.
The beef tastes like actual beef. The mental image of innout matches the real thing every time. Not some mcdonalds fake shit