We care a lot about fast food here. It’s a real hobby and we delve into it. From breaking down the most productive sandwiches and poultry offerings in fast food to hyper-specificity, such as exploring which fast-food burger tastes the best or how to make the best Chipotle burrito. Build: We had it all done.
Have we gone too deep? Maybe!
As a result, I know more about fast food than I probably need to. Do you have any questions about something similar to fast food?I can tell you, from the most recent menu items, where the most productive offerings are and what food is the type. the highest quality. And since I have a pretty deep understanding of the menus of some of the biggest fast-food chains, it’s time to rank the top 10 most sensible fast-food restaurants in America.
Before you dive in, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Of the 10 restaurants chosen, I’ll give them a score from 1 to five on a few factors:
Well, enough of the rules: let’s rank the 10 most sensible fast-food restaurants, starting with the one we like the least. If you’ve ever read Uproxx’s fast-food media policy, you realized this one was coming.
Thoughts:
I, like most of America, am not a fan of Burger King. And it’s not for lack of trying. Anytime the chain drops a new menu item I always pull up to that drive-thru hoping they’re finally going to wow me. They did once in 2021 with the Ch’King sandwich, a direct response to Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. This chicken sandwich was big, juicy, and hand-breaded on-site.
It’s not smart on the level of Popeyes, but it’s a sign that BK is heading in the right direction.
And then the logo abandoned it, replaced the preparation procedure to be less labor-intensive, and renamed it “Crispy Chicken Sandwich. “It’s garbage. And now Burger King is going back to its roots with a long poultry sandwich, which is a step in the right direction but doesn’t fit the taste and shape of the Ch’King. Elsewhere on the menu, there’s the fries, which are almost too salty if they’re not stale and cold, the poultry nuggets, which are terrible, and the Whopper, which would have arguably been a novelty at some point in fast food. space, but today it tastes like the kind of burger you’d find in a dingy coffee shop.
It has nothing to do with food, but I think it’s worth mentioning:
Burger King now asks its workers to say “You are in charge” and at the end of each customer’s order. To which we will have to ask ourselves: why? Which day will be greater?Why does BK focus on things like this instead of just creating better food?If you make smart foods, all is forgiven, and considering how many fast food chains legitimately offer smart foods, we know that. It’s possible!
Go back to the lab and start modifying those recipes. BK, we need something better for you!
Best Order:
A Whopper with cheese and a side of Onion Rings.
Thoughts:
Growing up, I enjoyed Jack in the Box. In a time when every fast food menu seemed the same, it was because of random menu inclusions like egg rolls, teriyaki bowls, bacon slices, potatoes and cheddar cheese, mozzarella sticks, and this delicious Oreo smoothie. Nowadays, the menu doesn’t seem so adventurous. JiB does pretty much what big restaurants like McDonald’s and Wendy’s do, but not as well.
Not to mention, JiB turned out to have ended its original “we don’t do it until you ask for it” policy. This policy ensured that the food was at least very hot, which at most makes the fast food taste better. Consistency is everywhere those days. I’ve received reports that the food is new and tasty, but most of the time I eat something old. An old strip of chicken, stale fries, bloodless tacos, it’s anything.
However, it seems that things are looking up at JiB. The recently introduced Smashed Jack is one of the most productive new fast food burgers I’ve tried this year (it’s still January) and the new menu includes boba and diverse Munchie Meals. The exclusives show that JiB is still experimenting, which is a smart thing to do.
Best Order:
A Double Smashed Jack that looks like French fries.
Thoughts:
I know, I know, accept it as true with me, I know. I’m going to off a lot of fast food enthusiasts for rating Popeyes so low. And look, I’m even a little angry with myself. I love Popeyes, I eat them regularly, for fun, not for work. But we have to be genuine about the things we love. The coherence of Popeyes is everywhere.
Eating here is a gamble, you never know what you’re going to get in terms of quality. And I know it’s not express to one position because I run into this in various positions to eat. Part of that has to do with the naturaleza. de preparation of fried poultry: each and every eating position has poultry in it, whether it’s mild, spicy, bone-in, or tender, and you rarely arrive at the wrong time and get old. A few times I’ve gone in and bought old, stale steaks and nuggets, or I’ve noticed that Cajun fries reheat under a heat lamp instead of being fried on the spot.
Normally I don’t hold this against Popeyes, it’s just what I’ve come to expect. And when you get lucky, the food is amazing. But you just can’t count on it, and because of that, I can’t rank this chain any higher.
Best Order:
Popeyes sandwich with Cajun potatoes.
Thoughts:
People drive or die because of Taco Bell, and I get it. What the restaurant chain does (smokers and drunks, mixing pleasures with adjacent Mexican flavors) it does incredibly well. But let’s assume that this food is of quality.
The cheese is pre-grated, all the protein characteristics are of poor quality (the steak is absolutely inedible), the beans are powdered, the hot sauce (packet and cup of sauce) is watery and lacks flavor, and the product is just plain sad. . .
But when all those ingredients come together, something special happens. I can’t explain why Mexican pizza or Crunchwrap Supreme turns on all the arousal centers in my brain, but it does. And given how reasonable the food is and how consistent the product is (Taco Bell still tastes like Taco Bell), I know Taco Bell is going to scratch that itch when I have it.
Best Order:
One between the Crunchwrap Supreme, the Mexican pizza and the Classic Crunchy Taco.
Thoughts:
I give McDonald’s a slight edge over Popeyes and Taco Bell because the consistency of their product doesn’t vary that much, however, I’ve received many reports at McDonald’s where I’ve been put off by bloodless fries or stale poultry McNuggets. And what’s that ice apparatus that never works?
At McDonald’s you’re not going to find a whole lot of fresh food, the fries are frozen before frying, same with the burgers, chicken, and most of the breakfast. For the most part, you’re essentially paying for warmed-up pre-cooked food.
The burgers have stepped up in quality as of late and if you haven’t been in the last year, it’s worth checking out. The smartest move for McDonald’s to make is to elevate their game when it comes to their core line of products, and it seems like they’re doing just that.
We have high hopes that McDonald’s will continue to improve.
Best Order:
A quarter pounder and fries. For the best experience, please eat them after ordering. Park the car if necessary!
Thoughts:
Before the era of what I like to call the new classics (chipotles, Chick-fil-As, etc. ), Wendy’s was popular gold when it came to fast food. The burgers are made from fresh, unfrozen beef, everything is made to order, and the menu is plentiful. The cheeseburgers are amazing, the poultry sandwiches are amazing, the aspects are appealing – where else can you find a chili look and a baked potato?Everything Wendy’s does, they do well and if I’m on a road trip, Wendy’s is the place to be.
It just doesn’t have the quality control of the fast food restaurants we’ve ranked higher. Your experience is going to vary, sometimes your fries will be stale, or the chicken sandwich will taste like it has been sitting around for a long time. The burgers are almost always on point, so your safest bet is to order a cheeseburger.
Best Order:
Baconator with very spiced nuggets.
Thoughts:
Chipotle has a lot of enemies, and as a Los Angeles native, I get it. Chipotle is advertised as Mexican food, and for other people in some parts of the country, it’s one of the only representations of Mexican food, and there’s nothing on the menu that matches the intensity of the flavor of a true taqueria. What I mean is that Chipotle is rarely very Mexican food and when you think of it as such, it misses the mark.
But if, on the other hand, you look at Chipotle as a typical fast-food practice, it’s pretty surprising. All dishes are new and prepared daily in the restaurant (except for the omelettes). guacamole is prepared in the restaurant, fajitas are grilled in the restaurant, cheese is grated in the restaurant; You get what we mean. They have new food, that’s their strong point.
Has this led to some cases of foodborne illness?Yes, unfortunately, though anecdotally, this has never been my experience at Chipotle. One thing I don’t like about the restaurant is its lack of consistency. Sometimes, natural guacamole is rarely good. Sometimes, get beans without blood. Sometimes, the meat will be warm at best.
That said, I appreciate what the dining place is doing and hope that more places to eat take notice and start valuing the new ingredients as much as their hungry clientele.
Best Order:
Oh, boy are you in for a treat. We’ve done the research here, this is the best burrito build, best taco build, and best bowl build.
Thoughts:
Chick-fil-A has declining service, more so than any other fast-food chain. And not because their workers say “It’s a pleasure” every time you ask or thank them for something. Your order ships at lightning speed. Whether you order at the drive-thru or at a restaurant. More than once, I placed an order at a Chick-fil-A, went to get my favorite sauces, napkins, and a straw, and made my way to my table to locate a worker who is already there with my food.
The food is hot and I have never made a mistake on any of my orders. I honestly don’t know how they do it or why other fast food restaurants can’t offer that quality of service. And most of the dishes are ready daily via hand in the restaurant. Chick-fil-A offers a quality experience, and that’s why we want to rate this logo highly.
That said, the most productive pieces of the menu are all the dishes I’d rather eat elsewhere. The chain doesn’t have the most productive poultry sandwich, it doesn’t have the most productive fries, and it doesn’t have the most productive breakfast. The glitter is those nuggets.
Best Order:
An 8-piece poultry nugget with fries and a SunJoy (Arnold Palmer).
Thoughts:
Raising Canes does one thing: poultry fillets, and they do it well. Chicken is one of the few poultry chains that uses fresh, thawed poultry fillets, hand-breads them on sight, and cooks them to order. He pointed out the Texas toast and grills it to order, and they even make their own lemonade. The only thing new at Raising Canes are the crinkle-cut fries, which are fried to order but frozen.
There are days when I wish Raising Cane’s had more variety, but on days when I don’t feel like eating chicken strips, I simply go somewhere else.
Overall, I wouldn’t say the food is mind-blowing, as I prefer a poultry sandwich or cheeseburger to the strips (to be honest, Raising Canes has a poultry sandwich, but it’s made with poultry strips, which don’t count), so in terms of overall taste, I’ll have to make a comment to you, But if you need bird fillets, this is the place to be.
Best Order:
3 Finger Combo with a side of fries and Texas Toast buttered on both sides.
Thoughts:
Oh trust me, I’m fully aware that putting In-N-Out at number 1 is going to make a lot of people mad.
I’ve heard it all before, “In-N-Out is overrated!” “The fries suck!” “The burger isn’t that good” but, I’m sorry. You’re wrong.
I don’t have a problem if you don’t like In-N-Out, that’s a fair opinion, but when you start saying things like “In-N-Out is overrated” or just “In-N-Out sucks”, it turns out that you are going in against the current for the simple fact of being against the current. It’s like saying the Beatles suck or claiming Radiohead is the most productive rock band of the ’90s. It sounds ridiculous.
Tell me how there’s a stand that makes burgers with new meat to order, peels and fries on the spot, flips through lettuce by hand, has ripe tomatoes, bakes your new rolls, and offers delicious and sumptuous smoothies. overrated? There’s an explanation for why In-N-Out only closed one location (and it wasn’t for sales reasons): the place to eat is remarkably consistent, new, and delicious.
Is this my favorite fast food burger? Not really, it would be Shake Shack, but In-N-Out still tastes like In-N-Out. I’ve eaten at this place to eat in several states and in California and it still tastes exactly as I expected. In order for something to be advertised in the first place, it will have to be praised consistently and broadly, which is what In-N-Out is. If it doesn’t live up to the expectations you’ve placed in your own head, it’s. . . It’s a little bit your fault.
If I had to choose only one fast food restaurant to eat at for the rest of my life, it would be this one, no question.
Best Order:
Double Double with French fries and chocolate milkshake.