A: Chick-fil-A (gold standard), Cook Out, Bojangles

B+: Domino's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Jersey Mike's

B-: Subway, Popeye's, Papa John's, Zaxby's

C: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King

F: ??

9/17/2024 8:23:38 PM

Taco Bell should be lower, to be honest. Zaxby's... I instinctively feel that it should be higher, but I think it's fine where it it is. Subway should also probably be lower.

let's also throw in some other guys


A: Chick-fil-A (gold standard), Cook Out, Bojangles

B+: Domino's, Pizza Hut, Jersey Mike's, DP Dough

B-: Popeye's, Papa John's, Zaxby's, Taco Bell

C: Subway, McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Gumby's

F: ??

[Edited on September 17, 2024 at 8:31 PM. Reason : 1]

9/17/2024 8:26:19 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpL04AGscEM

9/17/2024 8:35:09 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoIoO8I0VE

9/17/2024 8:35:48 PM

I feel like bojangles here is in b- category

Popeyes here is like b+ territory

Cookout would kill here. Can't imagine why not here

Dillas, mod pizza, torchys, hawaiian bros are like the A/B places here, along with chickfila. Like as pricey as mcdonalds but way better food

[Edited on September 17, 2024 at 8:42 PM. Reason : Dfw]

[Edited on September 17, 2024 at 8:42 PM. Reason : Oh and mooyah. ]

9/17/2024 8:39:57 PM

Cookout is there! (oh wait, do you mean where you live?)

Popeyes, ehhh, I feel like they just overbread it and their chicken isn't as good, and prone to being dry. Why so bearish on Bojangles?

[Edited on September 17, 2024 at 8:47 PM. Reason : 1]

9/17/2024 8:46:41 PM

The one here just wasn't good experience. Too cold, it was like a month or less old. Food wasn't good, staff didn't really seem to appreciate what bojangles stood for etc

9/17/2024 8:52:00 PM

I hope Papa John's improves their quality. Outside of their sides and specialty pizzas, it's honestly like cardboard now. I like their style, and love the dip and pepper that comes with the pie.

9/17/2024 9:39:56 PM

Potbelly https://potbelly.com/
Hangry Joes https://hangryjoes.com
Wing Zone https://wingzone.com/
Poke DC https://pokidc.com/
Naz's https://pokidc.com/
Dishonorable mention: jimmy johns https://www.jimmyjohns.com/

9/17/2024 9:43:58 PM

I feel like DC is so underrated. It's funny, cause it's the capital, so how could that be, right? But you always hear of New York, Boston, LA, San Francisco, and then it jumps to Texas. Hell, you even hear of Denver. I never hear of DC. Perhaps it's just so obvious that no one seems to mention it. Or maybe I'm missing something, I've only ever visited.

I did a bit of a deep dive into their lack of economic mobility a few years ago. that was fun

[Edited on September 17, 2024 at 10:30 PM. Reason : s2]

9/17/2024 10:27:46 PM

Chick fil a is overrated. Zaxby's is better.

McDonald's is F tier because they have incredibly mid food and it's no longer remotely cheap. Wendy's gets bumped up because biggie bags are still one of the best values in fast food.

9/17/2024 11:40:03 PM

I agree about cfa being overrated. It’s not bad. But would be in my B tier

9/18/2024 6:13:22 AM

The food scene in and around DC is nothing short of amazing. It is an extremely diverse area with tons of authentic cuisine; brought here by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrants. There are also many regional cuisines available.
And usually not really considered DC, there are also tons of good food, breweries , and distilleries in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Richmond.

[Edited on September 18, 2024 at 11:19 AM. Reason : n]

9/18/2024 11:18:53 AM

Neomonde, Sassool, PitaBowl, Fresko, Jasmines, Yaba

9/18/2024 11:37:45 AM

Bojangles in Eastern NC has gone down hill. Not elite anymore, most of them are TANDS i believe and that's where the problem starts.

9/18/2024 11:38:48 AM

CFA hands-down the most overrated fast food out.

And the way they make the employees stand around outside in the elements is bullshit.

9/18/2024 2:34:52 PM

^

Who's better? And I mean among chains with nationwide attention, not counting local places.

^^^^
If any big military event or something happens, you should ring up Domino's locations closest to the Pentagon to see what the wait times are for a pie. Test out the theory

[Edited on September 18, 2024 at 2:40 PM. Reason : 1]

9/18/2024 2:39:09 PM

I recently tried a Pollo Campero, and it was one of the better "fast-food" chicken sandwiches I've had (and they have plantains and yucca fries)

9/18/2024 3:14:39 PM

Quote :

"Neomonde, Sassool, PitaBowl, Fresko, Jasmines, Yaba"

That sounds like a lot of fast casual.

9/18/2024 5:36:17 PM

^yup!

9/18/2024 6:48:19 PM

^^^I like to imagine a Gus Fring type ownership situation with that place

9/18/2024 6:53:56 PM

^^^so what's the definition of fast-food vs. fast casual? Is it that fast-food has to be greasy and unhealthy? If so, are sandwich places (subway, jersey mike's) also fast casual?

9/19/2024 11:08:26 AM

No set definition, just a bunch of aspects that reach an unofficial consensus among people.

Subway is all over the place, a national chain, and their ingredients while they may look "fresh" and pretty "supply chained".

The same way, a local fast food chain may not be national, but they maintain the criteria by basically being a better version of McDonalds in some way, maybe a difference in menu/cuisine.

Also, price point, probably the main differentiator. Now, not so much, but the past matters in how we think of things as well, plus even when they are more expensive, you can get an item for a few bucks that counts as a meal in some form, which you still couldn't do at fast casual (the minimum you'd spend at fast casual would still be like 8/9 bucks, but you could spend 2-4 on a small burger or something.

It's self evident

[Edited on September 19, 2024 at 11:39 AM. Reason : and it doesn't really matter lol, so feel free to include whatever you want on this thread ]

9/19/2024 11:39:24 AM

Quote :

"so what's the definition of fast-food"

Do they have a drive through? Then it's fast food.

9/19/2024 11:42:55 AM

well done JT3bucky, well done

9/19/2024 11:53:03 AM

Applebee's >>> McDonald's

9/19/2024 12:37:33 PM

Char-grills and snoopy's don't have drive-thrus

9/19/2024 12:42:52 PM

Also, we haven't Hardee's over here. They have a few closer to B-more. But Checkers is the same company, right? - https://www.checkers.com/

BGR has good burgers too. I think they're being phased out though - https://bgrtheburgerjoint.com/

9/22/2024 4:43:48 PM

You might be confusing Checkers with Carls Jr

9/22/2024 5:11:06 PM

Oh shit, you're right, Checkers = Rallys

9/22/2024 5:20:18 PM

If BGR is the same place that I've been to at BWI, they have the saltiest hamburgers of all time! Not a fan.

9/22/2024 8:53:09 PM

Did you by chance get the truffle burger? That joker is saltier than an ex gf.

9/22/2024 8:57:15 PM

It's possible, but most of the time I stick to regular beef, cheese, and bacon.

9/23/2024 11:48:36 AM

I'll concur with the A tier: Bojangles, Cook Out, Chick-fil-A. These are places I will make special trips to eat at.

B: Taco Bell, sure. I will be happy to eat at a Taco Bell in many circumstances, but I won't normally go way out of my way to eat there.

C: Wendy's, Zaxby's, Hardee's, Potbelly. I will eat at these establishments with minor complaint.

D: McDonald's, Burger King, Popeye's, KFC. I will eat at these establishments only absent any other option, and I will be grumpy about it. I don't get what people like about Popeye's. My experience has been that it's bland and greasy and in every capacity inferior to Bojangles.

F: Subway, Jersey Mike's, Jimmy John's, White Castle, Arby's. I will skip meals and go hungry rather than eat at these establishments, which I consider to be beneath contempt.

9/23/2024 1:34:36 PM

damn you must have had a shitty experience at a Jersey Mike's

9/23/2024 7:11:58 PM

Or he just hates cold cuts

9/23/2024 7:16:49 PM

A: Chick-fil-A (gold standard), Cook Out, Bojangles, Char-grill, jet's pizza

B+: Chipotle/qdoba, Little Caesars, Jersey Mike's

B-: Wendy's, Zaxby's, marco's, moe's

C: Hardees, del taco, domino's, steak 'n shake

D: taco bell, popeyes, papa johns, burger king, kfc, rally's/checkers, subway

F: mcdonalds, long john silvers, captain d's, sbarro, krystal/whitecastle, sonic

[Edited on September 23, 2024 at 9:49 PM. Reason : subway]

9/23/2024 9:38:48 PM

^^
Lil dinos made me a cold cut lover

9/24/2024 11:47:25 PM

I don't understand how Jersey Mike's could be "beneath someone's contempt", unless you just hate sandwiches, which I don't get. It's not my favorite sandwich shop, and it is a chain, which I try to avoid most of the time, but it seems to be quality ingredients and is usually pretty tasty, as far as sandwiches go. Help me understand.

9/25/2024 8:59:43 AM

It's true that in most situations I don't like cold cuts, but there's a couple of legit delis near me that make sandwiches (including with cold cuts) that I will absolutely inhale.

The bread in all those chains usually disgusts me. I'm not a huge bread aficionado, but I practically gag on putting one of those shitty subs near my face. And the stores themselves have a smell that repels me.

But, hey, I probably haven't eaten at a Jersey Mike's in 15 years, so maybe it's improved or my standards have gone down. I'm not likely to find out, though.

9/25/2024 9:17:51 AM

Quote :

" I will eat at these establishments only absent any other option, and I will be grumpy about it."

that is meta af, GrumpyG

9/25/2024 4:43:10 PM

Quote :

"Bojangles in Eastern NC has gone down hill. Not elite anymore, most of them are TANDS i believe and that's where the problem starts."

Couldn't agree more. Quality of service/ingredients/portion sizes have decreased (I STG the biscuits are smaller in diameter and more "dense" than they were in the recent past) while prices have increased.

Kids Meal Leg is the only play on the menu IMO. Leg, side, biscuit, & drink for $5 bucks and change.

9/25/2024 11:39:36 PM

A: Gumby's, Lil Dinos, Sbarro, Subway

F: Bojangles, Chick-Fil-A

9/26/2024 1:50:47 AM