Let's discuss your favorite fast food chains and meals.

I liked White Castle when we lived in NJ. Something perversely tasty about those tiny patties grilled over onions. No White Castles here in AZ.

So, my favorite is In 'n Out Burger. They wisely stick to a limited menu of burgers, fries and drinks. Their Double-Double (two patties with cheese and onions) is tops. They also make their french fries fresh--they put a peeled potato in a gadget that looks like a manual orange juicer, pull the handle, and out come strips of potatoes, which are fried from scratch. The help are all very courteous, clean-cut young people. Sonic makes a reasonably good burger with interesting toppings, but their quality control (especially in hiring) is poor.

McDonald's, and to a certain extent, Burger King, used to be known for exceptionally uniform quality and sanitation--you could be confident that you'd get the same satisfying experience anywhere in the world, which was McDonald's raison d'etre when Ray Kroc founded the chain. Alas, the three McDonald's franchise in our area vary from the pits to just fair, and Burger King isn't any better.

Nice topic, TB .

My favorite growing up was White Castle. I grew up on the corner of 187th Street and Hoffman Street in the Bronx. There was (still is) a White Castle on the corner of Fordham Road and Hoffman Street. They used to give you a numbered ticket for your food and the wait was ridiculous, but it was delicious for a young kid. Today, after several bouts of middle aged tummy problems, I can't even think about it. Boy, how the old Italian women in the neighborhood would yell at us for eating that "meddigahn" garbage, if they saw us walking home with the White Castle bags .

Today my favorite fast food is a small chain called "Chirping Chicken." There are maybe half a dozen of them in the city. The one on Amsterdam and 77th is my favorite. When I worked at 76th and Amsterdam, I was there twice a week. They have, in my opinion, the best bird in the city. You get half a chicken, Greek salad and a couple of sides for about 12 bucks. It's delicious, healthy and VERY reasonable for New York City. Hell, a rotisserie chicken at Fairway Market will cost you 15 bucks without the sides.

The last time I went to NY I stayed on the Upper West Side. I believe it was 95th and West End, but I used to stroll down Amsterdam everyday. I love that neighborhood. Chicken place sounds good.

FIVE GUYS burgers are the best I've had, also with fresh-made fries, but I've heard IN 'N OUT were good, too. My brother agreed about Five Guys until he had Shake Shack, and now those are his favorite. Will have to try it next time I'm in the city.

I used to love McDonald's, but I never seem to get anything fresh from them most of the time. Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips is up there, too.


$15?? They're like $4.99 or $5.99 here at BJ's.

Their hot dogs are awesome as well.

Five Guys burgers are awesome. I often pay the toll to get it because there aren't any in the Bronx. But there's one just over the Throggs Neck Bridge on the Queens side (Bayside).

For the record, Geoff. I'd NEVER pay $15 for a friggin chicken. I was just trying to put things in perspective as far as Manhattan prices go.

IN-N-OUT's Double-Double is fantastic. I usually get it Animal Style (extra sauce, extra grilled onions, pickles). IN-N-OUT also has a (not so) secret menu for those who want something a little different.




They're opening one around the corner from my apartment. They'll be opening in about two weeks. I can't wait!

Although I try not to indulge, I love fast food. McDonald's and White Castle are my favorite. I don't love Burger King or Wendy's, though. KFC is really delicious, and even Taco Bell has some good stuff on the menu.

When I was a kid, there was a burger chain called Wetson's. Instead of the Big Mac, I think they had a Big W or some such thing. It was a real special treat when my mom took me there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetson%27s

I also remember going to Horn and Hardart with my mom as a kid. You would put your change in a slot where there was a little window, and the change would open the window and you got your food. They had the world's best rice pudding.

I'll add my 2¢ and include White Castle on my list. For 74¢ you get a small hamburger that tastes good, is somewhat greasy and slides down without too much chewing (they're nicknamed "sliders"). Eat a dozen of them after having a few drinks and you're good to go.

Pros: Cheap, tasty, fun to eat

Cons: Most of the side orders are not very good (their french fries are TERRIBLE, although their onion rings are passable)

I also like their chicken rings. And while I still think McDonald's has the best fries, White Castle's are okay. Don Geoff says that Give Guys are really good, so I'll have to try them one of these days.

Ewwwwww (White Castle fries). Frozen cardboard.

Do they have any Checkers near you? They have decent burgers and their fries are excellent.

I have to agree about Five Guys fries; they're quite good. Nathan's has great fries, too.

McDonald's fries are only good when they're freshly made. If they've been sitting under the heating lamp, fuhgheddaboutit.

I've never been to White Castle, but I've had their frozen sliders, which aren't bad, considering they're frozen.

The best french fries I've EVER had were from Thrasher's, on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Big, and greasy. Sprinkle some salt and a little apple cider vinegar on those bad boys, and you're in deep fried potato heaven.

Kindly do tell, XDCX. Please!


Five Guys here has several locations in Phoenix, which is about 95 miles south of here. Haven't tried them. Reviews credit them with excellent burgers and vast assortment of toppings that you self-apply. Their fries only so-so. Reviewers still give the nod to In ' Out.
Arthur Treacher and Wetson are long gone. In the heyday of franchising (early Seventies) Minnie Pearl, Willie Mays (and probably, the homeless guy in the library in Morristown NJ) all lent their names to chains. All folded.

"Good to go"? That was the problem - you wouldn't stop going...

At the risk of sacrilige, I must say that I never liked White Castle. There used to be two in Brooklyn that were reasonably close (by car) to where I live - one was in Bensonhurst, the other Bay Ridge. The "sliders" (aptly named, unfortunately) tasted like greasy cardboard and the onion rings tasted like they had been soaked in old dishwater. I never saw what the fascination (or nostalgia) was for these unpalatable money-wasters. However, since I appear to be in the minority, I'll admit that it's possible that these two locations were just serving up crap food.

For example:

Just a few blocks walk from my apartment, we had a McDonald's and a Burger King. Over the course of several years, the Burger King went from a nice, clean establishment with good food (and very nice specialty sandwiches) to a dreary, desolate, grimy place with bad food, greasy fries, and everything seemed to be served either at room temperature or just plain cold. In a last-ditch effort to save their business, an Internet Café was added, but to no avail. A once-decent eatery had gone down the dumpers and closed in early 2010. McDonald's is still here, though, but I don't care for their food, the place is way too small (it's in a storefront), and it's usually an overcrowded, rowdy zoo - especially on school days.

Now, the closest "nearby" Burger King is a bus ride away, so if I want any fast food, the only thing near me is a Taco Bell/KFC. And that place used to have a vermin problem. (I know this, because a few years back when I was on line waiting to place an order, I looked up and saw the outline of a rat running around inside one of the ceiling light fixtures. I left immediately.)

So, fast food? Not these days... 'cuz around here it ain't what it used to be.

Signor V.

IN-N-OUT Secret Menu

The Animal Style Double-Double is excellent, as I mentioned, and every now and then I'll get an order of Animal Style Fries...but really...the fries are great as is, so I usually don't bother with the Animal Fries.

The only fast food place I really go to anymore is Chik-Fil-A, it has good customer service, orderly, and clean, plus the nuggets are pretty good. We have Five Guys here in Philadelphia, the burgers are excellent, but the fries are kinda weak, only good thing is they have vinegar on hand for the fries.

I used to like Ranch 1, but my two local places closed. Their chicken sandwich and fries were amazing. BTW, seems that Arthur Treacher's was bought by Nathan's and that there are some locations that have both menus to offer.

http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=23

I remember Burger Chef that way -- always went there as a kid (as well as McDonald's). Mmmmm, Big Shef and Super Shef

As for chicken, KFC has NOTHING on Popeye's! Wish there was one nearby. Roy Rogers is pretty good, too.

I prefer Popeye's to KFC, but my favorite fried chicken (besides my father's) has to be from English's in Maryland. There used to be quite a few English's Family Restaurants around the Eastern Shore area, but they eventually went out of business. There's a diner in Salisbury, Maryland that still serves English's fried chicken, and I remember about once a week, my step-mom would stop by and grab a bucket, plus a side of their delicious red skinned mashed potatoes (with the skin still on) and gravy.

English's fried chicken has a reddish hue to it, and the texture of the breading is more like a crust than normal chicken skin. This keeps all the juices locked in, so as soon as you bite into the chicken, all the juices are released, and it is just indescribable.

Now I want some...

Steak 'n Shake.

All-RIIIGHT! Thanks,XDCX! I bookmarked that page.

Geoff, there were several in my general area of NJ. The Fixin's Bar made a square meal (healthy, too) out of a fairly plain burger. They seemed to all closed or been absorbed by another chain. Last one I remember was the one in Penn Station.

I have no opinion on the Roy Rogers burgers -- never had one -- just the fried chicken. The roast beef sandwiches were nothing special, about on par with (or a step up from) Arby's (which I used to like, too, until the last one I had was spoiled and haven't gone back since)...

But as an aside to fried chicken, the Foodtown by me has great fried chicken. Shop-Rite has terrible fried chicken. And Pathmark seems to be somewhere in the middle, visually, but I won't try them -- their deli area is a disgrace, as bad as their produce, but I get most everything else there (great prices) as it's the closest to me. Well, not great prices for their fried chicken. $1 for a freakin' wing is ridiculous!

Anyone remember Chicken Delite? There was one in my old neighborhood growing up. Not sure if it was Delite or Delight, but I always wanted to try it, it smelled so good, but my parents never bought it.

Edit: The best fried chicken I ever had out was in a restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. Apparently, Sarasota has an Amish population, and a few Amish restaurants, the most famous of which is Yoder's. The food was phenomenal, ridiculously affordable, and we won't even get started on the PIES!! We ate in two different (one was Yoder's) places, but they were equally good. Highly recommended if you're ever in that area.

I'm pretty sure that's where J.J. Evans worked. Seriously.

You didn't miss much!!! The best part of Chicken Delight was their jingle.... "Don't cook tonight, call Chicken Delight"

White Plains Road in the 230's?

I remember it was right near the Wakefield, so it must have been.

Okay, then it's the one I was thinking of, too. After Chicken Delite (Delight?) it became a Kennedy's Fried Chicken. Today I think it's a Dunkin Donuts. Most of the fast food in that neighborhood today is Caribbean. Something like 90 percent of the zip code is either Jamaican or Haitian now.