Favourite fast food chains 2021

[DoomYoshi]

[2dimes]

Yeah a bit.

Partially because I keep getting ads for the $25 variety pack.

[Dukasaur]

I'm going to assume that fact that KFC has more votes than Popeyes is because most of you KFC voters simply don't have a Popeyes location to frequent in your area.

We have a couple Popeye's here in the Falls. I went once. Never again. I thought KFC has become a ripoff! Popeye's was worse. Same shit but for 50% more money.

Wendy's never really did it for me, tbh - i think i thought the chilli was ok.

Yeah, chili is definitely the standout dish at Wendy's. The burgers are bland.

[2dimes]

Well if you make it to an In-n-out bring something to dress up the burgers with.

[Dukasaur]

Well if you make it to an In-n-out bring something to dress up the burgers with.

Yeah, looks like they're in Phoenix. I'll be there in October.

[2dimes]

Let us know what you think.

I have been in Salt Lake City and L.A. both times the burgers were good but it made Wendy's seem like a flavour overload.

In their defence, I hear you should request animal style but I never did that.

[DoomYoshi]

The magic of In-N-Out is that there's only 4 things on the menu: hamburger, french fries, milkshake, cheeseburger. What they don't tell you is that you can make the stuff anyway you want, so there has developed a cult following "secret menu" over the years. You can read about it here:
https://www.baconismagic.ca/united-stat ... cret-menu/

Due to that ludicrous system, mass confusion results.
Say you want onions on your burger. That could mean 6 things:

In-N-Out's burger customization offers customers a choice of six different onion styles – three variations of the two ways that onions can be cut (sliced versus chopped).

With onion or chopped onion – standard placement, onion is put on top of the meat/cheese as the burger is cooking.
Raw onion or raw chopped onion – onion is cold and more crisp, placed on top of the spread.
Whole grilled onion or grilled onion – onions are grilled until brown, placed on top of meat

There used to be a guy who ran an In-N-Out randomizer website. I can't find it anymore though.

[jusplay4fun]

I vote for Chick-Fil-A, NOT listed. GREAT Chicken sandwich, which seem FRESHLY made, at least at the one I go to.
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/?gclid=EAIa ... gJoOfD_BwE


We have very few Popeyes around here. I think it is a chain based on Louisiana and spreading (Slowly?) from there.

From their website:

Forty-seven years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana, a taste sensation was born. What began with one small restaurant and one big idea turned into a craze that swept the nation—and the world.

1984
Popeyes goes global and expands to Toronto, Canada.

1985
Popeyes opens its 500th restaurant in Landover, Maryland, putting the brand on equal footing with national competitors.

2011
Popeyes opens 2,000th restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.

yeah, i've never seen a Popeye's joint in my life...

[2dimes]

Yeah, Chick-fil-A is good, we only had one at the Airport. Limited menu and of course a pain to get unless you want to pay for parking. They closed down. I sure miss those waffle fries.

The magic of In-N-Out is that there's only 4 things on the menu: hamburger, french fries, milkshake, cheeseburger. What they don't tell you is that you can make the stuff anyway you want, so there has developed a cult following "secret menu" over the years. You can read about it here:
https://www.baconismagic.ca/united-stat ... cret-menu/

Due to that ludicrous system, mass confusion results.
Say you want onions on your burger. That could mean 6 things:

In-N-Out's burger customization offers customers a choice of six different onion styles – three variations of the two ways that onions can be cut (sliced versus chopped).

With onion or chopped onion – standard placement, onion is put on top of the meat/cheese as the burger is cooking.
Raw onion or raw chopped onion – onion is cold and more crisp, placed on top of the spread.
Whole grilled onion or grilled onion – onions are grilled until brown, placed on top of meat

There used to be a guy who ran an In-N-Out randomizer website. I can't find it anymore though.

I had a junior hamburger deluxe the other day, it has raw onions. It is still just a Wendy's burger. I like the flavours but Dukasaur and Llama figure they are bland.

Fair enough, I understand that.

I found In-and-out even less flavourful. Yet the place is always full of people enjoying the food. I understand that too, the quality is noticeable, it's like eating a hamburger from a few of the places I would get to go to for a hamburger as a child with my parents in the 1970s. The problem is not In-and-out. The problem is I am too used to going to other fast food places that add things for flavour. Some of those things are not good for us like way too much sodium.

We had Harvey's* last month and we love their burgers but my wife remarked, "I like Harvey's but there's something weird about the meat in their patties." I agree and don't know if there is extra ingredients or they just blend them and use a bit more fat. The burger is plumper, softer and holds more moisture. Yet if you put one in the fridge it does not get gross lard spots from too much fat getting cold.

At Burger King I usually get a whopper. I have often in the past eaten just a hamburger or cheeseburger, the only toppings are Ketchup, Mustard and Pickles. The beef is flame broiled, some people don't like the strong flavour that creates. I certainly do.

* people that don't hang around in Canada are probably wondering what Harvey's is. If there were enough choices I would have included them and other regional places like Zippys - Hawaii, Happy Jacks - Australian Burger King knock off, Chicken Lickin - South Africa, etc.

Obviosly I'm being somewhat hypocritical and disingenuous since I love Jolibees so much and unless you are Filipino or somehow discovered the place and took to it. You are wondering, " What's Jolibees?"

I watched a few food shows, particularly Anthony Bourdain go to Jolibees and I wanted to try it. I went down the day they opened the first one. There is a pretty good sized Filipino community here. I did not try it the first week, the line ups were over 500 people and several hours long.

For the first several months during busy times there were still line ups for over an hour, even though it was winter and they had a huge tent with limited heat to gather in.

The first or second time we finally went to Jolibees a young black employee stopped and stared for a moment, then said, "Wow, white people." It was awesome. We were the only family of all white people that actually got in line and stayed long enough to get food. He was surprised to see us. I talked to him a bit and asked how he liked working there. He was not loving it because they were so busy.

Now there is a second location and we go to it, because there is a drive through and you don't need to phone ahead to order.

I kept posting about Jolibees back when they were still new here. One of my all time besties, who moved 45 minutes from a place with McDonalds in Saskatchewan, came back to visit. He's like "this place must be something for you to be going on about it so much." We go and it was for sure the most disapointing trip. One bonus to the hour long line ups when a new place opens here is how fresh everything is.

[riskllama]

i didn't say that.

[2dimes]

Ok. Duke said bland. Point is just because something is popular does not ensure everyone likes it.

So, when they opened the first Popeyes here in a Taco Bell building on International avenue (17th) in Forest Lawn. The line ups were huge. After a while we decided to get some food. Even though it was lined up quite a way out the door it only took twenty minutes to get food. Pretty impressive really. Now that location is slow. I suspect it won’t last until next year.

I hope they don’t all disappear. Sometimes that happens here. Burger King even left for a few years. No more Krispy Kreame no more Chick-Fil-A here. We’re down to only a few Arby’s.

[2dimes]

Ok, perusing the secret menu. I’m thinking Mustard Fried might be able to get me smiling.

[mookiemcgee]

I agree on In and Out... Great 'freshness and quality', but also leaves them a bit behind in the 'depth of flavor' dept (and the patty in tiny). Fries though extremely fresh always disappoint me a bit because they don't blanch them. I had a buddy who always gets it 'protein style', no bun but wrapped in lettuce. It's a mess

The 2020-2030 era of fast food wars seems like they will center around chicken not beef... and with that in mind, I think we need to add a few more names:

Zaxsby's

Raising Cains

Bojangles

Fire Wings

Zaxbys and Cains are among the fastest growing chains out there, and their sole focus is tendies! Bojangles is like a popeyes, and firewings is more like a wingstop (focus on wings + many falvor/sauce combos)

[2dimes]

I heard ads for Raising Cains when we went to Houston, then in New Orleans on the same trip, I quite liked Willie’s Chicken Shack. Expensive but delicious! Of course there you could also get slushys with booze in them.

This city Calgary, was famous for beef because of the giant ranches that were here in when the train came. It was even called Cowtown by many.They finally completely closed the giant stock yards used to gather cattle for live transport in the 1990s.

Chicken has risen here and in addition to KFC, Popeyes and for a few years that airport Chick-Fil-A, we have a few Buffalo Wild Wings and there are lots of other chains, plus some really decent one offs.

There are a few Korean fried chicken places that I love but my family is not as keen about.

I didn’t know where they are from or how big they are but another fried chicken place I like that my wife does not is, https://fritou.com/en/about_us.html
Looks like they are from Kaybec.

This might segue into Shawarma talk soon.
Anyone want to explain donairs?

[riskllama]

did you ever try Dixie Lee chicken? there was one up by you on Memorial around Marloboro, think it closed sometime in the early 00's, tho... . was pretty much just a KFC clone but they served JoJo's in addition to french fries, which was why i went there. their salads were better, as well.

[2dimes]

No but I might have been avoiding the area at the time. Between around 12 and 18 I was always hanging out there.

Now if we go to Smittys that moved to Marlborough Mall at some point, maybe eight years ago or so. We tease my kids about going there. I don’t want to be too uppity but, the mall is pretty, um? Interesting.

I’m on the lookout for a Dixie Lee. Possibly they got run out of town for having that name.

I’m sad the Hooters closed and I never even made it to the Tilted Kilt. Last time I went to Kokos the server was a bit too young and tattooed but it was still interesting and a bit nostalgic. There used to be lots of bikini bars around here in the 1990s.

Was Dixie Lee across from Woolco with the PetroCan where Churches was in the early 1990s?

[riskllama]

no, same side of Memorial, tho - think it was in a little two storey strip mall.

[2dimes]

I think I remember where it was now. The other side of the mall on 36th street. Across from Canadian tire and Pacific Place.

Humptys was on one end of the block and the other end is a 7-11. Most of the Humptys closed down I think there might only be three left, they even closed the main one on McLeod trail.

Never made it to Dixie Lee’s.

[riskllama]

dang, Humpty's is dying? i'd much rather go there for breakfast over Denny's or Smitty's any day...

[2dimes]

Well there’s still two left for sure.

Ever go to the Deerhead cafe? Tiny place on Edmonton Trail. Tables from the 1970s.

[riskllama]

yessir, many times. truth be told, i actually preferred going to Sunrise Cup, literally just across the street & about 1/2 a block south. they had amazing farmer sausage there...

[2dimes]

I never went to Sunrise Cup but they had moved next door in the corner of the Kal-tire. They closed a couple of years ago. One of the jr manager guys at Kal said they took out a few tons of mice when they cleaned out the area. I laughed.

[riskllama]

chinamen...

[2dimes]

Speaking of restaurants run by Canadians that have moved here from China...

There is one on Centre Street and 14th ave currently called Sun's BBQ that is pretty authentic. It's always packed and usually there is a line up to get in. When I first started going, me and whoever I went with were often the only gweilo in the place. Definitely the only unaccompanied ones.

Spoiler

[youtube]ryrIuelWCOw[/youtube]

Yesterday, I went to Carstairs for lunch with my buddy who lives there. He is a regular at a couple of those places. He asks for water and makes a hand gesture because he wants a pitcher, the restaurant guy makes gesture back, they have a moment. I say, "He wants a bucket." My buddy says, "He knows what I mean." The guy brings the pitcher and two glasses of water. My buddy says thank you and I say, "Shi Shi." He, says surprised, "What did you say?" It is often a huge surprise when some weird city whitey smart alec uses chopsticks in those small towns or says a few phrases in Madrin.

In Red Deer when I was working at the Nova plant near Joffree around the turn of the century. I used to go to a buffet at a place I think was called China Ben's. One day a young lady working there watched me for a while then wandered over to bus an empty plate. She said, "You use chopsticks really well." Sounded like it could be pretty entertaining to watch when a local whitey attempts to use them.

Meanwhile back in Carstairs... Soon the guy is taking our order and starts writing Combo C on his little order form, my buddy announces, "I'm going to be different today, I want Pho." The guy strikes Combo C from the pad and make a slightly unimpressed face. I joke that he is throwing the guys routine off. We get our appetizers, then the soups. After a few more minutes the guy comes over and explains, "You get Combo C so much that when I saw you coming I went to the kitchen and said, 'Here comes Combo C.' My brother started preparing the food for it."

Mrs dimes said the province of Alberta is closing restaurants for eat in again on Friday.

I guess it is good I managed to drag her out to a couple last week during spring break.

[KoolBak]

Who voted dairy queen? Wondering why. Been going occasionally for 40 years. ONLY thing I like is peanut buster parfait and they're half the size they used to be. And DQs in Oregon are uniformly dirty with shit service.

In n out: f*ck NO. Wife and youngest son waited an hour in Vegas for lunch (oldest son and I sat in bar and drank). Their lunch sucked. Our cocktails were great.They built one here 6 months ago. Drive thru line is 40 cars deep, always. f*ck that.

Chick-fil-a: f*ck NO AGAIN. They built one here in a busy area. Drive thru line always 40 cars deep and it's not set up for it. Fucks up 3 major roads AND I205. Fucking insane. Trying to close them down. Who in their right minds sits thru that shit???? Idiots.

As far as quality, service, customization, ease...5 Guys all the way. Here, they're clean, polite, fast and no fucked up drive thru. You get mushrooms free! And free peanuts!!