Advertisement
People keep asking me why I am undertaking this mighty Odyssey! AM i looking for myself? Am i looking for someone else? Am i just a deplorable person who wants to drink his way across the most decadent country on the planet, living off charity of others? I guess all of these are kind of true. This entry however is focused one a more tangible and coherent goal. It's simple really, I love fast food, i
really love fast food.
My goal is to eat at as many fast food places and chain restaurants as i can find. to find the best? yeah not really...
Jimmy Johns Jimmy Johns is what Subway really wants to be. By dropping the build your own concept and running with a set menu of sandwiches they can focus on nicer ingredients and most importantly, better bread. Oh, and they deliver till 3am! There is nothing better than a loaf of day-old bread for 50c for the walk home after a big night. These guys have just got it right.
Burgers etc.
Fuddruckers These guys have changed the game on burgers. When you order, all you do is order your meat, how big
you want it and how cooked you ant it and whether you want cheese, 'shrooms etc. The rest of this burger making shit is done by the customer, it's like a goddamn burger creating salad bar with sauces on the reg. Good shit, very well executed. Fucking good times.
In 'n Out Burger is for real some awesome burger-ness, apart from the fact they have a cool as shit secret menu and that they are run by Mormons they have without a doubt the best cheeseburger in the world and anybody that says otherwise is one of two things, stupid or really stupid, that is all....
Five Guys Burgers and Fries This place was explained to me as a close east-coast equivalent to In 'n Out. It's a fair comparison because the quality is definitely comparable. The double cheeseburger with everything is pimping and the large fries are enough to feed 3 people. All in all a damn good establishment but i think In 'n Out just beats it out.
Hardees Burgers and curly fries, that's all there really is to it. Hardees is like the
naked man, it will give you exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less.
Arby's The Arby's roast beef sandwich is quite frankly disgusting and unenjoyable. However they do curly fries, really good curly fries. Therefore, Arby's gets a thumbs up from me, albeit, a grudging you.
Jack in the Box decidedly average burgers and what-not, 99c Tacos are pretty awesome.
Burger King Yes, we have burger king (Hungry Jacks) in Australia, but NO we do not have the Jalapeno and cheese stuffed steak house! there are jalapenos and cheese in the burger pattie, for real. And it is for real tastie!
Macdonalds Yes, we also have Macdonalds in Australia but we also cannot purchase 20 nuggets for $4.99. Speaks for itself really.
Chicken
Zaxby's Zaxby's is good chicken, reall good fried chicken, the kinda stuff you read about. With some thick cut toast and some Zaxby's dipping sauce all the worries in the world just seem to melt away.
Chick-fil-A Get me a chicken sandwich BITCH!!!! they're NOT burgers, they're sandwiches and they taste freaking amazing. Chick-fil-A sauce is required and what we need to do is get some of that to dip the sandwich in and also get around some waffle fries which are equaly as dank!!!
Wendys Wendy's chicken sandwiches are
not as good as Chick-fil-A's but their sea salt fries are a revelation and Wendy's is freaking everywhere where the Fil-A is not.
Popyeyes Where Zaxby's is good chicken, Popeyes is bad chicken, like worse than Australian KFC bad, lets just leave it at that.
Mexican
Tace Bueno ...gave us free shit. That's pretty much the most memorable part of the experience. The food is a step up from Taco Bell but that step is not a big one and it is a long way below Qdoba or Chipotle.It has its niche and it fills it very well, beyond that forget about it.
Taco Bell This one is a real love it or leave it drug of choice. Funny that the first one i went to was at was it is staffed exclusively (at least according to carli) by cross-dressers. personally I'm not big on it, it's really really seedy mexican food and its pretty easy to find better stuff.
Qdoba This is probably the cheapest mexican food you can actually enjoy eating. Described often as the mexican Subway equivalent their chicken quesadilla is dank sauce. Special mention should also go to their Queso cheese sauce, infused with peppers
it is something to behold, perfect for dipping your 'dilla in!
Chipotle Chipotle is the best of the mexican chains by far. It is for mexican food what In 'n Out is for burgers. Focusing on fresh, quality ingredients, a Burrito whipped up in 30 seconds will taste like something you've been pining for all your goddamn life.
Sonic (I have put this under Mexican because all i ever get is the breakfast burrito, when i explore the menu more it will probably move) Sonic is cool as shit, it's also properly old school drive through style. Their breakfast burritos, with some steak, tots and jalapenos will make any man smile. Cherry limade with REAL lime in it will also open your eyes to a whole world of awesome, real big awesome. Straight respect to Roisin for yelling at me to go there.
Other
Shawarma Station Shawarma is a very Ottawa thing, the lebanese-ish equivalent of a Yiros on a plate you're looking at chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, pickled vegetable with garlic sauce and hummus. Good hangover food, a generally enjoyable insurance.
Pizza Pizza (Canadian Chain) The Pizza is not bad here, honestly it's about as good as the
name is inventive. However there is a tradition that you get a bit of dipping sauce, preferably ranch or garlic, and you dip that shit straight in, the result is a fucking good time.
Dions In Mexico and as a surprise in some parts of Texas they'll make you a good sandwich and a better pizza but it's the ranch you'll come for. Arguably the best ranch in town, those who understand won't argue, those who don't can get the fuck outa town....
Noodles and Company This one is a little bit esoteric. Choosing to base their business around an ingredient rather than a a cuisine means that you can have your Pad Thai while you're mate is having an italian style pasta. Serviceable food for a good price, nothing to complain about.
Chain Restaurants
Dave and Busters This place is a restaurant within a giant arcade, if you remember your passport then you might actually be able to eat there! Anyway, the concept is sound and the experience is awesome. Pure American silliness.
On the Border Mexican food of the order of the best of the fast food places plus huge, and cheap, margaritas makes for a great experience at a good price. It's an uncomplicated experience with a good pay off.
Macaroni Grill Carmen works at a Macaroni Grill in Alburqueque and when i say that this is good shit that fact does not affect my opinion. The meals are good, the free bread is the best i've had so far and they have some of the best fried cheese (mac & cheese and mozzarella triangles). Forget Olive garden, this shit is way cheaper and way way better.
Olive Garden Overpriced mediocre Italian food. This stuff isn't that hard to do well and beyond the purely basic, there is nothing really appealing, go to a more local place, you'll thank me later.
Outback Steakhouse Yep, this is the big one!! Usually second only to 'Do Australian's really drink Fosters?' is 'have you been to Outback Steakhouse yet?' Now this place is classic chain restaurant fare with a weird attempt at being Australian. With things such as 'Shrimp on the Barbie' and 'Aussie cheese fries' you would be forgiven for thinking this place was a joke. And honestly, i think it kind of is. The Bloomin onion (basically an entire onion ring-ified) is the only really good thing in the menu and for god's sake it's a deep fried onion, take from that what you will.
Applebee's This was probably the first real disappointment of my trip so far. However the fault is all mine, i thought this shit would be tight but it turns out it is, at best, on the bottom end of the chain restaurant scale and for that reason you could go, it okay, but there are better places out there.
Bennigans This place is fairly chilled, pretty rare too. I went to an outlet in Chicago and got a burger which was fantastically memorable because it was on a pretzel bread bun which was a god damn revelation.
Red Robin I had a fake birthday at Red Robin and it was awesome, also they have bottomless fries which is fairly chill. In addition for a dollar you can make your burger a monster. I won't tell you exactly what that means, you can find out on your own.
Hooters Hooters does great wings, really great wings and tots with cheese and bacon if fairly epic too. Also of note are the lovely serving ladies, who speak for themselves really.
Buffalo Wild Wings I just finished eating 20 of Buffalo Wild Wing's best, like just then so i'm kinda on a wings high. Our pick up order for two included 8 sets of cutlery, that's how many wings we got. Anyway, if Hooters does great wings then BWs wings are awesome, truly awesome. You gotta him 'em, that's all there is to it.
Dennys Dennys on the strip in Honolulu is open 24/7. At 3am you can eat chicken strips and a sundae and the only other people in the place are drunks and prostitutes. Good times
Desserts
For some reason I have yet to hit up all the dessert places on my travels but there is a list of places which will be visited.
CinnaBon A cinnamon swirl with custard on it sounds like a good idea, it even tastes like a good idea, a great idea in fact. But to be totally honest while eating this deplorably decadent creation there is a very good chance your body will go into cardiac arrest, just saying.
Local Places
Lombardi's Pizza Lombardi's is New York's first Pizzeria (est. 1905) and it has a reputation as an institution in this pizza mad city. In my mind this reputation is well earned, the base is perfectly crisp and the toppings are generous. A simple New York style cheese pizza with a bit of basil and an incomparable sweetness make for a perfect meal.
Gino's East There is something very special about Deep Dish Pizza which is unique to Chicago. What makes it special is how epic it is, that all can really be said for it. You gotta eat it and to eat it you gotta go to Chicago so get amongst it at pace...
Big City Burrito You would think a potato burrito would be a pretty average outing wouldn't you? Well, mother fucker, you'd be wrong. Cheap as shit and tasting damn fine you gotta check this place out if you're in the area.....
Jim's Wings The local wings joint in Fort Collins. Quality, uncomplicated wings at a reasonable price. Nothing to complain about and plenty to enjoy.
Iceberg Walla Walla, Washington (go ahead and google earth it, don't feel bad) is the home to a dank little drive up burger joint which cooks a mean double cheese burger. Uncomplicated and high quality, nuf said.
Tamarack Brewing Company Tamarack has a special place in my heart, i mean, it would have to because i went there like seven times in ten days. The beers are local micor-brews and the pub fare is awesome. Amazing nachos and pretty dank wings. Just don't expect it to be a cheap night.
The Varsity The worlds largest drive through can handle 600 cars at a time and is in downtown Atlanta. That's pretty much where the good stuff about the place end. The chilli dog and chilli cheese hamburger are okay but not worth crossing the Pacific Ocean for.
Questions and comments with be greatly appreciated and this list will be updated periodically so stay tuned.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.155s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0468s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Mat
non-member comment
Hooters wings
If you think Hooters makes good wings, you need to go have more wings buddy... Hooters wings are salty and dry... go north... Minnesota and Canada make good wings... hit up any average pub up there and you will find out... i recommend one of the 'Firkin' variety... aka Crown and Firkin, or Fox and Firkin, or Ox and Firkin, or Rat and Firkin (any 'Firkin' pub)