No this isn't an April fool's joke.
What distinguishes one fast food joint from another? Is it the portions, the taste, the speed of service, convenience, or anything else? I don't think these places should be exempted from a legitimate food critique just because they're "fast food". Some places put some legitimate regulations on quality, though for larger chains this obviously varies. Here I'm going to write down my thoughts on various restaurant chains (going to limit this thread to restaurants with a significant amount of franchises) as well as my first impressions. First impressions are everything and unfortunately for the 16 year old cashier who didn't give a shit about his job, it's probably going to strongly affect the outcome of my experience. Feel free to post your own reviews here for others to see. There are many many franchises that don't exist in Canada that I'd like to hear about before heading down to 'merica again.
Reviews
What distinguishes one fast food joint from another? Is it the portions, the taste, the speed of service, convenience, or anything else? I don't think these places should be exempted from a legitimate food critique just because they're "fast food". Some places put some legitimate regulations on quality, though for larger chains this obviously varies. Here I'm going to write down my thoughts on various restaurant chains (going to limit this thread to restaurants with a significant amount of franchises) as well as my first impressions. First impressions are everything and unfortunately for the 16 year old cashier who didn't give a shit about his job, it's probably going to strongly affect the outcome of my experience. Feel free to post your own reviews here for others to see. There are many many franchises that don't exist in Canada that I'd like to hear about before heading down to 'merica again.
Reviews
Burger King
As far as burgers go, they've done their fair share of experimentation. The first time the angry whopper came out, it was one of few fast food burgers that you could get with onion rings as a topping, which proved to be a hit. The patties themselves are mediocre at best, as they try to make up for the cheap meat they use (like most places) with original ways to garnish their burgers. Their poutine is unfortunately very lacking. Their fries are some of the worst I've had at any restaurant and the cheese curds are more plastic tasting than cheese. I know it isn't their specialty, but if you're going to advertise it at least make it a decent product. The one thing I would come back here for is their milkshakes. Fantastic stuff. Just the right amount of "frozen dessert" flavor with that consistency that's always too thick for a straw.
4/10
As far as burgers go, they've done their fair share of experimentation. The first time the angry whopper came out, it was one of few fast food burgers that you could get with onion rings as a topping, which proved to be a hit. The patties themselves are mediocre at best, as they try to make up for the cheap meat they use (like most places) with original ways to garnish their burgers. Their poutine is unfortunately very lacking. Their fries are some of the worst I've had at any restaurant and the cheese curds are more plastic tasting than cheese. I know it isn't their specialty, but if you're going to advertise it at least make it a decent product. The one thing I would come back here for is their milkshakes. Fantastic stuff. Just the right amount of "frozen dessert" flavor with that consistency that's always too thick for a straw.
4/10
McDonalds
I'm taking on the big guys now. Most people would discredit this place immediately because of their usual menu. Over the past years, they've done quite a bit to revamp their image and add some more "refined" items to their menu. As far as their usual menu goes (big mac, typical burgers, mc chicken, etc.) it's usually mediocre at best. They do however have the right recipe for an addictive flavor that people are very comfortable with. Their prices are probably what makes people to back so often, in combination with their simple product. The one thing I'd like to talk about is their new burgers and McCafé menu. Their new angus burger caught me by surprise as it was a very decent cut of beef with a very nice flavor. The toppings were otherwise just the same but the beef itself more than made up for it. Some of their other specialty sandwiches are quite decent as well. One thing people have started to talk about here lately is the quality of their coffee. People wouldn't usually think of getting coffee at McDonalds, but I'll say this from experience: it's not that bad. Compared to the 42 Tim Hortons franchises in Moncton, this coffee is a nice alternative and actually has flavor. McDonalds' new menu and café style renovations have been a success in my eyes and I certainly wouldn't mind trying a few more things on their menu.
6/10
I'm taking on the big guys now. Most people would discredit this place immediately because of their usual menu. Over the past years, they've done quite a bit to revamp their image and add some more "refined" items to their menu. As far as their usual menu goes (big mac, typical burgers, mc chicken, etc.) it's usually mediocre at best. They do however have the right recipe for an addictive flavor that people are very comfortable with. Their prices are probably what makes people to back so often, in combination with their simple product. The one thing I'd like to talk about is their new burgers and McCafé menu. Their new angus burger caught me by surprise as it was a very decent cut of beef with a very nice flavor. The toppings were otherwise just the same but the beef itself more than made up for it. Some of their other specialty sandwiches are quite decent as well. One thing people have started to talk about here lately is the quality of their coffee. People wouldn't usually think of getting coffee at McDonalds, but I'll say this from experience: it's not that bad. Compared to the 42 Tim Hortons franchises in Moncton, this coffee is a nice alternative and actually has flavor. McDonalds' new menu and café style renovations have been a success in my eyes and I certainly wouldn't mind trying a few more things on their menu.
6/10
Harvey's
Harvey's is part of a big chain of restaurants which includes Swiss Chalet, Milestones, and a few other places. As soon as you walk in you can see their serious about the freshness of their burgers. All made to order, they're doing it right. Being heavily involved in the food industry, I know that their burgers are unfortunately full of fillers and aren't 100% quality as far as "100% pure beef" is concerned. Their handling of the beef however is more than enough to make up for this as they're all flame grilled in front of you and they fully take advantage of the potential flavor. Sort of like subway, once the burger is done they bring it in front of you and ask which toppings you'd like, which is fantastic. They don't have a huge variety of burgers (usually alternates between chicken, angus, or adding bacon and cheese) but I'd be safe in saying they've more or less perfected their product. The poutine here is decent, their fries/frings/onion rings being decent as well. The beef gravy on the poutine has a decent beef flavor, yet is obviously packaged powder like 99% of places. Overall this place delivers a great taste experience and I would highly recommend it.
8/10
Harvey's is part of a big chain of restaurants which includes Swiss Chalet, Milestones, and a few other places. As soon as you walk in you can see their serious about the freshness of their burgers. All made to order, they're doing it right. Being heavily involved in the food industry, I know that their burgers are unfortunately full of fillers and aren't 100% quality as far as "100% pure beef" is concerned. Their handling of the beef however is more than enough to make up for this as they're all flame grilled in front of you and they fully take advantage of the potential flavor. Sort of like subway, once the burger is done they bring it in front of you and ask which toppings you'd like, which is fantastic. They don't have a huge variety of burgers (usually alternates between chicken, angus, or adding bacon and cheese) but I'd be safe in saying they've more or less perfected their product. The poutine here is decent, their fries/frings/onion rings being decent as well. The beef gravy on the poutine has a decent beef flavor, yet is obviously packaged powder like 99% of places. Overall this place delivers a great taste experience and I would highly recommend it.
8/10
Dairy Queen
So I'm hearing mixed opinions on this place. I guess there was a time where their "hot eats" were pretty decent and were nice juicy burgers. This is no longer the case for when I went as their burgers were dry pressed sad little patties with barely any juice or meat left. I tried their grilled fajita burger expecting some nice spices to punch me in the mouth. Again I was disappointed. The meat itself didn't offer anything palatable and the grilled fajita spices/vegetables barely had any flavor. The best thing I've had on their menu was their chicken strips, and it was -decent- to say the least. On the other hand, their frozen desserts menu is great. Historically speaking, this place obviously has much more emphasis on their ice cream desserts rather than their burgers and fries (the fries are abominable never eat those omg). When I'm in the mood for a peanut buster parfait, I have no regrets adding those calories on. They have a nice variation of sundaes and parfaits which mostly involve strawberry, hot fudge, or caramel. The melted syrup decadently oozes from your spoon as you pick it up to shove that delicious cholesterol down your throat <3. The cons of their ice cream menu are the blizzards. Not because the blizzards aren't good; some are very tasty and offer a grand variety of flavors (brownie batter <333). The problem is the pricing. Blizzards used to be a decent price, roughly 4$ for a large. Now I'm paying 4,50$ for a SMALL blizzard, and they even have the balls to serve a tiny mini size that has maybe 8 ounces of ice cream for like 3$. I was very disappointed at the move. Really, you can get the same amount of ice cream without the toppings for 2 bucks cheaper. Are the toppings in blizzards THAT expensive?
Hot eats: 3/10
Cool treats: 7/10
So I'm hearing mixed opinions on this place. I guess there was a time where their "hot eats" were pretty decent and were nice juicy burgers. This is no longer the case for when I went as their burgers were dry pressed sad little patties with barely any juice or meat left. I tried their grilled fajita burger expecting some nice spices to punch me in the mouth. Again I was disappointed. The meat itself didn't offer anything palatable and the grilled fajita spices/vegetables barely had any flavor. The best thing I've had on their menu was their chicken strips, and it was -decent- to say the least. On the other hand, their frozen desserts menu is great. Historically speaking, this place obviously has much more emphasis on their ice cream desserts rather than their burgers and fries (the fries are abominable never eat those omg). When I'm in the mood for a peanut buster parfait, I have no regrets adding those calories on. They have a nice variation of sundaes and parfaits which mostly involve strawberry, hot fudge, or caramel. The melted syrup decadently oozes from your spoon as you pick it up to shove that delicious cholesterol down your throat <3. The cons of their ice cream menu are the blizzards. Not because the blizzards aren't good; some are very tasty and offer a grand variety of flavors (brownie batter <333). The problem is the pricing. Blizzards used to be a decent price, roughly 4$ for a large. Now I'm paying 4,50$ for a SMALL blizzard, and they even have the balls to serve a tiny mini size that has maybe 8 ounces of ice cream for like 3$. I was very disappointed at the move. Really, you can get the same amount of ice cream without the toppings for 2 bucks cheaper. Are the toppings in blizzards THAT expensive?
Hot eats: 3/10
Cool treats: 7/10
Taco Bell
We're lucky enough on the east coast to have a few Taco Bells. The one here is connected to KFC, since they're owned by the same company along with Pizza Hut. Service-wise at this location it's absolutely abominable. 30 minute wait for a meal during lunch time is a little ridiculous, but I guess that varies from one location to another. Taco Bell is notorious for giving people the hugest shits you'll ever have and being frequent donors of food poisoning. The taco "meat" if you want to call it that is basically a protein paste of some sort. That's really the only complaints I have about Taco Bell, since the amount of food you can get for your buck is awesome. The tacos/burritos have a simple safe taste that satisfies and come in a nice large box that won't leave you hungry.
7/10
We're lucky enough on the east coast to have a few Taco Bells. The one here is connected to KFC, since they're owned by the same company along with Pizza Hut. Service-wise at this location it's absolutely abominable. 30 minute wait for a meal during lunch time is a little ridiculous, but I guess that varies from one location to another. Taco Bell is notorious for giving people the hugest shits you'll ever have and being frequent donors of food poisoning. The taco "meat" if you want to call it that is basically a protein paste of some sort. That's really the only complaints I have about Taco Bell, since the amount of food you can get for your buck is awesome. The tacos/burritos have a simple safe taste that satisfies and come in a nice large box that won't leave you hungry.
7/10
Arby's
As a kid, I loved eating here. It was the best place in town to get curly fries and cheddar baked potatoes. Before Wendy's was advertising them, Arby's was already selling some great garnished baked potatoes ranging from cheddar and broccoli to straight up sour cream and butter. They are of course famous for their roast beef sandwiches. Beef and cheddar curly fries jingle still resonates in some people's heads and with reason; it's fantastic. I must admit though that without the Arby's sauce, the roast beef sandwiches would be really dry. Their deals are fairly priced, but unfortunately offer very little variety for their sandwiches. 5$ for 4 junior roast beef sandwiches is good enough for me though.
7/10
As a kid, I loved eating here. It was the best place in town to get curly fries and cheddar baked potatoes. Before Wendy's was advertising them, Arby's was already selling some great garnished baked potatoes ranging from cheddar and broccoli to straight up sour cream and butter. They are of course famous for their roast beef sandwiches. Beef and cheddar curly fries jingle still resonates in some people's heads and with reason; it's fantastic. I must admit though that without the Arby's sauce, the roast beef sandwiches would be really dry. Their deals are fairly priced, but unfortunately offer very little variety for their sandwiches. 5$ for 4 junior roast beef sandwiches is good enough for me though.
7/10
A&W
I'm just gonna throw it out there, I find the 50's diner look is awesome. These guys have, hands down, the best onion rings any fast food joint has to offer. Their own recipe for root beer is also a great novelty. Their root beer floats are delicious and they have some fairly decent fries. On to the burgers, there are some pros and cons. The cons are that the burgers are very thin and disappointing, but are however very juicy to make up for it. The burgers also don't have that same fresh taste some other places have, and feel like they were kept warm under a heat lamp or something. The flavor certainly doesn't disappoint though. I often find myself having a grandpa burger to feel that awesome grease just ooze down my arm after I take a bite:
Their soda is kept cold in the machine, rather than have the syrup drowned by the melted ice after getting a drink with too much of it. They also keep their burgers in a small foil pouch to keep them warm, which is great. If you want one of their tastier burgers, the uncle burger is a great patty to try out.
7/10
I'm just gonna throw it out there, I find the 50's diner look is awesome. These guys have, hands down, the best onion rings any fast food joint has to offer. Their own recipe for root beer is also a great novelty. Their root beer floats are delicious and they have some fairly decent fries. On to the burgers, there are some pros and cons. The cons are that the burgers are very thin and disappointing, but are however very juicy to make up for it. The burgers also don't have that same fresh taste some other places have, and feel like they were kept warm under a heat lamp or something. The flavor certainly doesn't disappoint though. I often find myself having a grandpa burger to feel that awesome grease just ooze down my arm after I take a bite:
Their soda is kept cold in the machine, rather than have the syrup drowned by the melted ice after getting a drink with too much of it. They also keep their burgers in a small foil pouch to keep them warm, which is great. If you want one of their tastier burgers, the uncle burger is a great patty to try out.
7/10
New York Fries
I'm not sure how many places have this restaurant (probably just here but whatever). I've worked here myself so I can probably talk a lot about the preparation of things. I'll start with the cons. The gravy is of course powdered stuff, their chili is dehydrated vegetables with powdered sauce, and the cheese sauce is disgusting. Having taken that out of the way, the rest of their ingredients are quite fresh. Their fame comes from the fries themselves. If you're getting your potatoes from Alberta or Prince Edward Island, you're in for a treat. The sunflower oil taste you get from the fries is fantastic. The fries themselves are always crispy, have a lovely coating and have a very satisfying fluffy inside to top it all off. They leave the peels on to retain some of the nutritional value, but mostly for good taste. The presentation is great, especially with the works fries which is topped with chili, cheese sauce, sour cream and chives. They have one of the best poutines in town, and coming from me, that means a lot. They've recently introduced two other types of poutines: Butter chicken poutine and braised beef poutine. The butter chicken poutine has a nice light butter chicken flavor and compliments the cheese curds quite nicely, but isn't the explosion of curry flavor I'm looking for. The braised beef poutine on the other hand has a very nice flavor and is more or less beef stew with cheese curds. The original poutine is what you're looking for though, as this place offers some of the best fries in town.
8/10
I'm not sure how many places have this restaurant (probably just here but whatever). I've worked here myself so I can probably talk a lot about the preparation of things. I'll start with the cons. The gravy is of course powdered stuff, their chili is dehydrated vegetables with powdered sauce, and the cheese sauce is disgusting. Having taken that out of the way, the rest of their ingredients are quite fresh. Their fame comes from the fries themselves. If you're getting your potatoes from Alberta or Prince Edward Island, you're in for a treat. The sunflower oil taste you get from the fries is fantastic. The fries themselves are always crispy, have a lovely coating and have a very satisfying fluffy inside to top it all off. They leave the peels on to retain some of the nutritional value, but mostly for good taste. The presentation is great, especially with the works fries which is topped with chili, cheese sauce, sour cream and chives. They have one of the best poutines in town, and coming from me, that means a lot. They've recently introduced two other types of poutines: Butter chicken poutine and braised beef poutine. The butter chicken poutine has a nice light butter chicken flavor and compliments the cheese curds quite nicely, but isn't the explosion of curry flavor I'm looking for. The braised beef poutine on the other hand has a very nice flavor and is more or less beef stew with cheese curds. The original poutine is what you're looking for though, as this place offers some of the best fries in town.
8/10
KFC
First off, KFC in Canada is highly superior to the ones in America simply because of our food regulations which basically force a certain sort of quality for their chicken. Other than that, I think the following points come pretty standard. Other than their "secret" herbs and spices, that's all there really is to that chicken. It's deep fried in the worst oil conceivable and tastes like plastic. The flavor is there, but the texture certainly isn't. The popcorn chicken is dry as all hell and you'll usually end up getting more crunchy batter than actual chicken. Their sandwiches are decent. The season chicken breasts in the sandwiches are pretty good and have a nice spicy zing to it. Whenever it comes around, I like to try the double down just to say I did. After 4 bites it really feels like you're shoving a whole chicken down your throat. The sauce they use for the double down is great and I often find myself asking for that same sauce on their regular chicken sandwiches. The chicken is freshly breaded daily and at least retains that fresh value. This place is a hit or miss for many. As far as I'm concerned, I'd really only go there for one of their sandwiches.
5/10
First off, KFC in Canada is highly superior to the ones in America simply because of our food regulations which basically force a certain sort of quality for their chicken. Other than that, I think the following points come pretty standard. Other than their "secret" herbs and spices, that's all there really is to that chicken. It's deep fried in the worst oil conceivable and tastes like plastic. The flavor is there, but the texture certainly isn't. The popcorn chicken is dry as all hell and you'll usually end up getting more crunchy batter than actual chicken. Their sandwiches are decent. The season chicken breasts in the sandwiches are pretty good and have a nice spicy zing to it. Whenever it comes around, I like to try the double down just to say I did. After 4 bites it really feels like you're shoving a whole chicken down your throat. The sauce they use for the double down is great and I often find myself asking for that same sauce on their regular chicken sandwiches. The chicken is freshly breaded daily and at least retains that fresh value. This place is a hit or miss for many. As far as I'm concerned, I'd really only go there for one of their sandwiches.
5/10
Wendy's
When I want a greasy satisfaction, this is usually my restaurant of choice. I'm gonna start things off with their burgers. The never frozen fresh beef is a plus, and their original square patties are always nice and juicy when I visit. When I'm eating a burger, I want the grease to drip on my tray, which the baconator does very nicely. They have above par fries, which was complimented by their new promotion of sea salt (which you need much less of to get the same intensity). It's a shame they don't serve poutine here, because it would make a really nice addition to their menu. I'm not a huge fan of their chili or baked potatoes, but their frosty deserts are tasty even though it's not real ice cream. I'd consider their burgers to be almost as good as Harveys, mainly based on freshness and preparation.
7/10
When I want a greasy satisfaction, this is usually my restaurant of choice. I'm gonna start things off with their burgers. The never frozen fresh beef is a plus, and their original square patties are always nice and juicy when I visit. When I'm eating a burger, I want the grease to drip on my tray, which the baconator does very nicely. They have above par fries, which was complimented by their new promotion of sea salt (which you need much less of to get the same intensity). It's a shame they don't serve poutine here, because it would make a really nice addition to their menu. I'm not a huge fan of their chili or baked potatoes, but their frosty deserts are tasty even though it's not real ice cream. I'd consider their burgers to be almost as good as Harveys, mainly based on freshness and preparation.
7/10
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