Fast Food Discussion: Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell

[kyphysics]

In other news:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dominos-pizza-call-centers-delivery-person-shortage-194334331.html

Domino's Pizza's delivery driver shortage is so bad that 40% of stores are 'utilizing call centers'​

If you call a local Domino's Pizza (DPZ) to place an order, you may be routed to a call center.

Domino's says the practice has freed up workers to deliver pizzas amid a driver shortage that has plagued the company for well over a year.

Utilizing call centers "allows team members to focus on making and delivering pizzas without having to worry about answering phones, especially during the busiest times of the store," Domino's Pizza new CEO Russell Wiener told analysts on an earnings call Thursday.

I have noticed this.

I also swear, the quality of their crust is not as good as before and they seem to put less ingredients on my pizzas vs. a few years ago. On the positive side, their online specials are usually among the cheapest in town.

 

[kimiko847]

I'm a sucker for Wendy's. I've gone to the gym and worked out... only to swing by Wendy's to pick up some fries and chicken nuggets. Their spicy chicken nuggets are especially good.

 

[kyphysics]

I'm a sucker for Wendy's. I've gone to the gym and worked out... only to swing by Wendy's to pick up some fries and chicken nuggets. Their spicy chicken nuggets are especially good.

Really? I am rarely a fan of chicken nuggets, but I love McDonald's version. The batter there is so tasty.

I usually dislike nuggets that have that "crumb" battery texture and taste to them. Wendy's has that...so does Tyson foods' frozen nuggets. I really dislike that style for some reason.

I do like Wendy's fries. They just seem like a higher quality. I'm going to buy some today!

 

[vela]

I do like Wendy's fries. They just seem like a higher quality. I'm going to buy some today!

Are these the newer fries? I heard a little while ago that Wendy's changed how they made fries, and they were much improved.

 

[kyphysics]

Are these the newer fries? I heard a little while ago that Wendy's changed how they made fries, and they were much improved.

Yeah, but I think they are about 1 year old or so. . .

Go try them! I believe they are Idaho potatoes, in case they weren't before. I can usually instantly tell if they are from there or not. The quality is just so much better. But, it's in how they prepare it now too...everything from the cut on the fries to the oil and salt ...I can't describe it. It just tastes like great quality when you eat it.

I like them better than McDonald's fries now. Only Chick-Fil-A's waffle fries or Five Guys' fries can compete imho. Even then, I might rate Wendy's the highest.

I will say that Five Guys' fries are worth the extra money, b/c they cut their potatoes fresh every single morning. And they are shipped from the Midwest. You know you're getting fresh cut/made fries from a quality potato there.

 

[Vanadium 50]

eah, but I think they are about 1 year old

Year old fries? Yuck!

 

[phinds]

My brother, who lived in various parts of the country, had a theory that there is an invisible "okra line", north of which you never see okra on a restaurant menu. In his experience

Forget the okra line --- I don't care which side of that line I'm on. What I care about is the hush puppy line and I live on the wrong side of it

For those of you who don't know (poor souls) hush puppies are ... well, think of extra large donut holes but made with corn batter and deep fried. They are SO good. Plus you get entertained while eating them by the crackle that your arteries make as they harden.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Nutrition doesn't look too bad...

Course, this is for a single hush puppy.

 

[phinds]

Course, this is for a single hush puppy.

And it probably wasn't deep fried long enough

 

[Vanadium 50]

I tried to look up the nutritional information for the deep-fried Mars Bar, but all I got was "if you need to know, you shouldn't be eating one."

 

[kyphysics]

Another thing you see down here but not up north is okra, including fried okra. My brother, who lived in various parts of the country, had a theory that there is an invisible "okra line", north of which you never see okra on a restaurant menu. In his experience, Oklahoma was south of it, but Kansas was north of it, for example.

This post reminded me...Waffle House is a popular restaurant (not technically fast food) that seems more "Southern" too.

They have some locations beyond outside the South, but 85% of stores are in that region.
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And then you have White Castle, which doesn't seem to be in places in the South (I could be wrong). They are more Midwestern.

I never understood their sliders. I dislike boiled burgers (like what the heck??) and find the tiny squares to be too bun-heavy and not enough meat. The bun should be secondary to a flavorful, juicy, and seasoned beef patty. Their burgers, to me, are like the opposite. Bland and thin piece of meat with way too much - cheap (making it worse) - thick bun going on.

I feel like they make the worst burgers on Earth (did they set out to do that?)!

 

[collinsmark]

[...]
View attachment 304794
I never understood their sliders. I dislike boiled burgers (like what the heck??) and find the tiny squares to be too bun-heavy and not enough meat. The bun should be secondary to a flavorful, juicy, and seasoned beef patty. Their burgers, to me, are like the opposite. Bland and thin piece of meat with way too much - cheap (making it worse) - thick bun going on.

I feel like they make the worst burgers on Earth (did they set out to do that?)!

There's some history here. White Castle was the first fast food chain in the world.

Before there was McDonalds, before Burger King, before Wendy's, before Taco Bell or Pizza Hut, there was White Castle. This is "The Fast Food Thread," after all. So, like it or not, any fast-food related concept can -- if traced back far enough -- ultimately show some sort of loose connection to White Castle, even if only as a distant ancestor sort of way.

White Castle burgers weren't always as small as they are now. As a matter of fact, they were almost normal sized; just a lot thinner. Originally, they were thin, square patties that had the advantages of increased surface area, where more of the flavor is, and thinner patties made them fry quicker (i.e., "fast" food). White Castle eventually (in the 1950's) made a patent on placing several holes in the burgers to further increase the surface area and reduce the cooking time.

Originally, in the early 1920's, the burgers were sold for 5¢ each. This fact will become important later.

Many other companies and entrepreneurs tried to copy White Castle's success. Some of them succeeded, at least for a time. It has been said that "plunging into the meat business was the Bitcoin of the 1920s." Eventually, more established competitors sprung up such as McDonalds and Burger King, etc., with somewhat different business models (e.g., real estate).

White Castle tried to differentiate themselves by the price of their burgers. Changing that "5¢" per burger price was a big deal that they didn't want to change.

Eventually they did change the price however: first to 10¢ then to 25¢. It was always a reluctant change though. Instead, to continue making a profit, they were much more willing to shrink their burgers, smaller and smaller, eventually calling them "sliders" when they got small enough. It stuck. After that, they became more flexible on simply raising the price.

Their burgers are not "boiled," (even if it might seem like that). They used to be fried and flipped like normal burgers, but eventually the process changed such that they are "steamed" atop a layer of onions on the fryer. That's from where are all the onion flavor comes.

 

[OCR]

There's some history here. White Castle was the first fast food chain in the world.

Nice write up. . . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Castle_(restaurant)

.

 

[Bystander]

And it probably wasn't deep fried long enough

Seen Arby's latest ad?

 

[kyphysics]

I tried Chick-Fil-A's frosted lemonade today.

Very good. It's more ice cream-y than it is lemonade in terms of texture. It was not runny, but instead like a soft-serve ice cream practically.

My one complaint was that it was pricey at $5.00 essentially (minus a few cents). It wasn't that large (although, not small either). If I were rich, I'd buy these with my meal more frequently.

 

[kyphysics]

I also tried a Taco Bell Crunch Wrap Supreme. It, too, was about $5.00. I would not buy this item again. It is large in size, but had practically no beef in it. The wrap was stuffed with lettuce mostly...there was the tiniest of tiny "spread" of beef (a layer so thin you could easily miss it visually) on the inner crunchy taco shell. The rest was veggies, cheese, and a thick spread of sour cream. ...Felt ripped off with the meat part.

I will admit the idea of the item is appealing and I did enjoy the textures and tastes of a grilled wrap over a crunch shell interior...but the proportion of beef-to-veggies/cheese/sauce/shell was like 5%-to-95%.

 

[WWGD]

Edit: This food thread didn't look very fast to me, though. But then again, the sniffing dogs weren't really explosive...

Still, a nice, filling cheap meal, more for Winter: They sell these beef soups, sometimes at discount, like 4 for $6 or so. I prepare them by throwing in an egg while heating, some raw vegetables. A full, filling meal for around $1.50. But maybe too heavy for Summer.

 

[jtbell]

Waffle House is a popular restaurant (not technically fast food) that seems more "Southern" too.

They have some locations beyond outside the South, but 85% of stores are in that region.

I never noticed Waffle House until I moved down South. Let's see... none in the Detroit area, according to Google Maps. Maybe 3-4 in the whole Cleveland/Akron area. A couple outside Pittsburgh. A couple near Youngstown. None in the Albany NY area. But a whole slew of them around Columbus OH which I don't think of as "Southern."

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! After a while one of them closed and was replaced by one in town, a few blocks from the college. I guess they realized a lot of their customers were students at the college.

When I go on a day or weekend trip, I sometimes have a late breakfast / early lunch at WH, usually a sausage and egg hashbrown bowl. It's enough to keep me going until dinner.

 

[kyphysics]

Is it just me or do breakfast hash browns seem more oily and greasy than french fries? I'm assuming both are fried in their deep fryers.

 

[symbolipoint]

Is it just me or do breakfast hash browns seem more oily and greasy than french fries? I'm assuming both are fried in their deep fryers.

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.

 

[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.