c/fast-food-rankings

Tried the new burger from that drive-thru place I always hated

I thought Culver's was overhyped for years. Their butter burger actually slaps though. Got one last Tuesday and the patty was crispy on the edges. What's a fast food item you wrote off and then changed your mind on?

Why does nobody talk about how much ice you actually get in your drink

I was at a Wendy's in Phoenix last week and decided to weigh my large soda before drinking it. Turns out nearly half the cup was just ice. When I poured it out and measured the liquid, I only got about 12 ounces of actual soda instead of the 30 ounces they advertise. That felt like a rip-off honestly. I get that ice keeps things cold but do they really need to fill it up that much? I started noticing it at other places too like McDonald's and Burger King. Has anyone else actually measured their drink to see what you're really getting?

The Taco Bell drive-thru guy in Dallas remembered my order after 3 weeks

I pulled up last night and he just said 'two cheesy gordita crunches and a Baja Blast, right?' before I even spoke, has anyone else had a fast food worker remember their regular order like that?

Had to choose between Wendy's and Burger King for lunch yesterday

Went with Wendy's because their spicy chicken sandwich is always $5 where I'm at. Burger King's chicken is hit or miss in my town, last time I got it the bun was soggy within 10 minutes. Anyone else notice Wendy's holds up better on a delivery run?

Used to swear by Taco Bell for quick lunches, now I hit up Del Taco instead

For years I'd grab a Crunchwrap Supreme almost every day after morning jobs. It was fast, cheap, and filled me up good. But about 6 months ago I pulled into a Del Taco in Fontana because the Taco Bell line was wrapped around the building. Got their carne asada fries and a couple of soft tacos. Honestly blew me away. The meat tastes way more real and the fries are actually crispy, not soggy. Now I make the extra 4 minute drive just to skip Taco Bell entirely. Anyone else make a similar switch between the two?

Rant: The McFlurry machine was actually working for once and I didn't have cash

Went through the drive-thru last Thursday and they said the machine was fine, but their card reader was down. Learned to always keep a $5 bill in my console just for the rare times everything aligns.

Tried the drive thru at a diner in Ohio and it changed my Friday routine

I was driving through Youngstown last Friday and saw a local diner had a drive thru window. I figured I'd give it a shot since I was in a hurry. Got their double cheeseburger and a side of onion rings for $8.50. The burger was way better than anything I get from the national chains around here. The patty was thin and crispy on the edges, tasted like real beef. Has anyone else found a local place that beats the big chains on speed and quality?

Shoutout to the cashier at Taco Bell who talked me into trying the Cheesy Gordita Crunch

She said it's her go-to order and that the regular tacos are boring lol. I've been ordering nothing else for 6 months now - do you guys usually trust the workers' personal rankings or stick to the menu classics?

Traded my 20-year Popeyes loyalty for Chick-fil-A last month and it hurt my wallet

I used to hit Popeyes every Tuesday for their $5 chicken sandwich deal, but after I moved to Charlotte and saw the Chick-fil-A drive-thru moving faster, I gave in. Now I'm spending $8.50 a meal and the speed is nice, but has anyone else felt guilty dropping a long-time fast food spot just for convenience?

Swapped from McDonalds to Wendy's for lunch this week and I'm not going back

I used to hit the McDonalds drive thru near my station at least twice a week. This past Monday I tried Wendy's instead because the line was shorter. Their spicy chicken sandwich is way bigger and actually has some crunch to it. Have any of you made a similar switch and found a better option?

Took me 20 years to realize I was ruining my burgers by pressing them down on the grill

I always pressed my burger patties flat with a spatula while they cooked, thinking it made them cook faster and get a better crust. Then last month at a cookout, my buddy stopped me and said I was squeezing out all the juice. I tried one burger without pressing it and the difference was huge. That single tip changed how every burger tastes for me now. Anyone else learn a basic cooking habit they had totally wrong for years?

Popeyes chicken sandwich hype train - I finally caved last week

I was one of those people who rolled their eyes at the whole chicken sandwich war a few years back. But last Thursday I was in Baton Rouge for work and saw a Popeyes that actually had no line. Figured why not try it since it only cost $4.49. Man, I was wrong about that thing - the breading was crispy and the pickles actually made sense on a chicken sandwich. Has anyone else put off trying something because of the hype and then regretted waiting?

Appreciation post: the McDouble is way better than the McChicken and nobody talks about it

So I was at McDonald's last Tuesday around 2pm grabbing lunch after a dentist appointment. This guy in front of me orders 2 McChickens and I'm like alright whatever. But then I started thinking about how people always pick McChicken over McDouble like it's not even a contest. The McDouble is cheaper ($2.19 here in Austin TX) and actually fills you up. McChicken is like biting air on a bun with mayo. Plus if you ask for it with Mac sauce it's basically a poor man's Big Mac. Am I the only one who thinks the McDouble is the most underrated thing on the menu?

Taco Bell gave me the wrong order 3 times in one week and I finally snapped

Last month I hit the Taco Bell on Broadway in Denver during my lunch break. I ordered a crunchwrap supreme but they handed me a cheesy gordita crunch instead. I went back inside and they swapped it but forgot the sour cream. Third time I went there they gave me someone else's bag entirely with like 6 tacos I didn't order. I finally told the manager I'd just go elsewhere from now on. Has anyone else had a fast food place mess up that many times in a row?

The shrink ray hit Hardee's biscuits over the last 5 years

I stopped going to Hardee's for a while, maybe 3 years. Went back last week and ordered their sausage biscuit like I used to. The biscuit was noticeably smaller, more like a dinner roll than the big fluffy thing I remember. The sausage patty was thinner too, almost see-through on the edges. Is this just me imagining things or did they really scale down the portions that much?

Drowning in sauce wasn't the flex I thought it was

30 years of fast food and I finally realized I was putting my chicken nuggets directly into the sauce cup. Last week a kid at the table next to me showed me you're supposed to dip, not soak. Anyone else get this wrong their whole life?

Nobody ever mentions the bun to meat ratio at chicken places...

I keep ordering spicy chicken sandwiches and finding a huge bun with a skinny little patty inside. At the Popeyes on Main Street last Tuesday, I literally took the top bun off and just ate the bottom half with the chicken. Is there a chain that actually gets the bread to chicken balance right?

I finally tried that "secret menu" item at Del Taco and wasted $8

Saw some tiktok raving about a "loaded quesadilla" you can get by asking for a quesadilla with carne asada and crinkle cut fries inside. Drove 15 minutes to the nearest one, ordered it, got home and it was basically a regular quesadilla with like 4 soggy fries thrown in. Paid almost 9 bucks for something that tasted worse than their $2 regular one. Has anyone ever actually gotten a good secret menu item from a fast food place or is it all just hype?

Warning: don't order the spicy chicken sandwich after 9pm at the Drive-Thru on 3rd Ave

Went there last Friday around 9:15 and got a chicken sandwich that was basically just breading and grease... had to toss it after two bites. Anyone else notice the quality drops that late?

Had a chat with a Wendy's shift manager that flipped my burger ranking

Stopped at a Wendy's outside Nashville last Tuesday. Dead afternoon. Manager came out to grab trash. We got talking. He told me they chop their lettuce fresh every 4 hours. Not bagged stuff. That hit different because I always thought their burgers were just average. Now I gotta redo my whole fast food burger list. Anyone else ever have a worker change your mind on a place?

Tried that $7.99 Wendy's biggie bag everyone's been talking about

My buddy at work told me to get the spicy chicken sandwich with the biggie bag deal. Said it's the best value in fast food right now. He was right. Got it yesterday for lunch. For $7.99 you get a sandwich, fries, nuggets, and a drink. That's a full meal for less than most combo prices. Anyone else tried this deal yet?

I used to think Chick-fil-A was overrated until a dude at a gas station in Ohio changed my mind

He told me their spicy chicken sandwich is the only fast food item that actually tastes like it was made by someone who cares, and after giving it another shot (for real this time, not just the nuggets), I gotta admit the breading-to-chicken ratio is dead on. Has anyone else flipped on a chain after a random stranger's comment stuck with you?

I used to think Taco Bell was overrated until I went to one in Phoenix

Drove through Phoenix last week and stopped at a Taco Bell off I-10 around 8 PM. The line was long but the food came out crazy fresh, like the shells were actually crispy and not soggy. I ordered a Crunchwrap Supreme and it had way more filling than I get back home in Ohio. Maybe it's just that location, but now I'm wondering if other Taco Bells are this good or if I just got lucky. Has anyone else found a random location that totally changed their mind on a chain?

The cashier at Taco Bell in Tulsa handed me my change with a smile and said 'you got this' when I was having a rough day.

Warning: the $8 spicy chicken sandwich from that gas station chain was either a genius move or a regret

I grabbed one on a road trip last week near Tulsa for $7.89 and it was actually decent crispy chicken, but I spent the next 2 hours wondering if the mystery meat would come back to haunt me. Has anyone else had a surprisingly good gas station meal that either saved your trip or ruined your day?