Fast Food Breakfast

[Toliver]

I was surprised to see a local Der Weinerschnitzel pasting up a sign promoting their new breakfast menu. Apparently, they've been offering breakfast in other regions of the U.S. and our area is just now catching up. Lucky us.

Of course, when I think "breakfast", I don't immediately think "Der Weinerschnitzel" (it's not even in my Top 50). Looking at their online menu (click the link above), I'm surprised they don't offer a "breakfast sausage"-themed menu item which would make them stand out in the crowded Fast Food Breakfast market.

It seems like it would be a natural pairing. Afterall, how many different ways can you combine eggs, bacon and bread?

Has anyone tried Der Weinerschnitzel's breakfast?

Are you a fan of Fast Food Breakfast?

What is your guilty drive-thru breakfast pleasure?

I have to admit, many years ago while working during my college years, Arby's Breakfast Croissants and potato cakes (think giant Tater Tot) would start my day off right.

How about you?

[markk]

Well, I honestly can't think of a better dish served in America than a freshly made Egg and Sausage Mc Muffin. (Or, sadly, a less healthy one.) I indulge only very, very, very rarely. But man oh man, somebody sure got that right!

[viva]

I very, very, very infrequently indulge in the McGriddle (the sausage variation, with cheese, no egg). I'm one of those people who dip their breakfast sausage in maple syrup, so the McGriddle hits my food quirk to a T.

[alanamoana]

McDonalds: bacon-egg-and-cheese-biscuit

but this has sadly gone downhill since i actually worked at mcdonalds and made the biscuits 'from scratch' (there was a dry mix and we added the liquids and actually mixed, rolled, cut and baked them). the bacon used to be bigger and thicker as well.

a better substitute popped up when living in new york in the form (although not fast food, per se) of the bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-a-soft-kaiser-roll from whichever bodega was closest to home...$2.50 including coffee and you can get it delivered to your door as well. man, i miss new york. no drive throughs, but delivery everywhere.

[Fat Guy]

I concur. The Sausage & Egg McMuffin (this is the current official nomenclature, though it used to be Sausage McMuffin with Egg, which is still used on the nutrition facts sheet, and the actual people in the restaurants say "Sausage Egg Mac") is a really nice breakfast sandwich. I abandoned the Egg McMuffin (with inferior Canadian bacon) about a minute after I was introduced to the Sausage Egg Mac.

The thing I don't like about fast food breakfast menus, however, is that it's almost impossible now to get the regular food in the morning. It used to be that you could go to McDonald's whenever it was open and get fries. Now you have to wait until late morning. I love some of the 24-hour McDonald's places on the interstates out West, where you can get both menus all the time.

[CaliPoutine]

I'll get

either. The egg mcmuffin( only with a folded egg( not the white yellow puck thing that they normally offer)

or, a fruit and fiber muffin

or a breakfast burrito.

McDonalds or Tim Hortons are the only fast food breakfast options in my town ( unless you get subway, but no thanks).

[Della]

I too am guilty of liking the McDonald's Sausage McMuffin - but no egg for me. I just want the sausage, cheese and bread.....guilty pleasure which I don't have very often.....but once in a while..........

[Andrew Fenton]

Okay, I'm going to have to represent for the Egg McMuffin, the finest item on McDonald's menu. None of that funky-tasting breakfast sausage or crumbly biscuit-like (but not actually biscuit) pastry for me; I'm old school. I want my coffee scalding hot, my Canadians sliced thin and greasy, and my English in muffin form.

It's all about the Notorious E-G-G.

[heidih]

I was surprised to see a local Der Weinerschnitzel pasting up a sign promoting their new breakfast menu.    Apparently, they've been offering breakfast in other regions of the U.S. and our area is just now catching up.  Lucky us.

Of course, when I think "breakfast", I don't immediately think "Der Weinerschnitzel" (it's not even in my Top 50). Looking at their online menu (click the link above), I'm surprised they don't offer a "breakfast sausage"-themed menu item which would make them stand out in the crowded Fast Food Breakfast market.

It seems like it would be a natural pairing. Afterall, how many different ways can you combine eggs, bacon and bread?

Has anyone tried Der Weinerschnitzel's breakfast?

Are you a fan of Fast Food Breakfast?

What is your guilty drive-thru breakfast pleasure?

I have to admit, many years ago while working during my college years, Arby's Breakfast Croissants and potato cakes (think giant Tater Tot) would start my day off right.

How about you?

←

even

I agree a breakfast sausage in a more breakfasty roll would have been at least interesting. Of course the whole history of the chain reflects the use of wording simply to draw attention - "Der Wienerschnitzel" was a complete misnomer.They just thought its sounded cute and Wienerschnitzel isn't even a masculine noun ("der" being the masculine) Actually I think they have removed the "Der"- my dad just mentioned it the other day and he was along for the ride of their early years (supplied their dogs). As for the McD egg-McMuffin I have to say I know alot of people who would not touch fast food, but choose this as their guilty pleasure breakfast.

Edited April 16, 2007 by heidih (log)

[munchymom]

I second those who have chosen Sausage McMuffins and Sausage (no egg) McGriddles. I always dip my sausage in the maple syrup, so the sausage McGriddle is a perfect combination for me - but egg with syrup? That's just weird.

I used to work at a place near a Hardees restaurant, and at that time they had a "Frisco Breakfast Sandwich" - ham, egg and cheese on grilled-in-butter "sourdough" bread. I was addicted to those things, and also to Hardees' Tater Tot-like hash browns. That was my default breakfast in those days. Probably not unrelated to that fact, I weighed 190 pounds in those days.

These days, I try not to abuse the fast food breakfast too much, but sometimes it's just irresistible, and on those occasions it's a sausage McGriddle for me. (The McDonald's hash brown patty is officially Not Worth The Calories, but about half the time I succumb and get one anyway.)

[Toliver]

I agree a breakfast sausage in a more breakfasty roll would have been at least interesting.

←

Hillshire Farms makes these sausages with cheddar cheese inside which would be great in a breakfast sandwich.

(Der) Weinerschnitzel should make a similar Sourdough Sausage sandwich, a sort of breakfast take-off of their regular menu item, the Polish Sausage sandwich, which is served on rye bread.

And why aren't I getting the big bucks for improving their menu?

I used to enjoy the Jack-in-the-Box Breakfast Croissant sandwiches (which they still offer) up until they stopped serving them with mayo. Guess they had too many problems with keeping the mayo untainted.

[Kent D]

A hot, well-made sausage/egg mcmuffin is always my first choice in a hurry. I tried the McGriddle, but that syrup/egg combo left me queasy. I've never been a big fan of French Toast for the same reason.

Our local competitor to McDonalds in the breakfast market, Spangles, has a variety of egg/meat scrambles served on bagels, sourdough buns, or pita bread, and they've now introduced a "Breakfast bowl" featuring scrambled eggs, choice of sausage/bacon/steak, cheese, hash brown nuggets, and then a warm layer of country gravy ladeled on top.

No, I haven't got the nerve up to try one yet, but I'm sure one of these Saturday mornings when I'm working OT I'm going to pull through the drive-through and risk it. Test-marketers LOVE me -- I'm always willing to try something once.

[onrushpam]

Chik-Fil-A chicken minis are my favorite. DH gets the Chikin Biscuit. We split some tater-tots.

My 2nd choice is What-A-Burger's Gravy Biscuit. DH gets the Sausage Biscuit with Egg.

(When you have 18 greyhounds on board, headed for new homes, fast food is the ONLY choice! We have learned where the good spots are for grab-it-and-go!)

[Lilija]

I used to have a once a week habit of a McDonald's Sausage Biscuit, small coffee, and hashbrown. I LOVE their biscuits. I would peel the sausage off, cover it with black pepper and eat it, then eat the biscuit.

Now, it's a once every 6 month habit, but it's still so damn good.

[LaurieB]

Arby's Breakfast Croissants were the ABSOLUTE best.

I just remembered how much I miss them.

[newbie]

I'm with the sausage egg mcmuffin camp but do not indulge in this very often. Best hangover breakfast ever.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

McD's Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit... I used to get them all the time when my brother and I would go fishing with Grandpa.

The Croissanwiches at BK are ok.

[pennbrew]

North Carolina has a chain called Biscuitville

Biscuitville webpage

Their country ham biscuit beats hollow anything McDonalds offers.

---Guy

Edited April 19, 2007 by pennbrew (log)

[jesskidden]

In 1976, I drove a truck in the LA metro area for a living. Had an early morning delivery and tried the then-new (to me, at least) McDonald's Egg McMuffin meal, complete with styrofoam-like disc of "hash brown potatoes" and tasteless-but-too-hot-to-drink coffee.

Last year, driving to the Finger Lakes from NJ in the early morning, I tried it again.

I think once every 30 years is about right for this "food"- tho' I am somewhat distressed at the idea that I still may be alive in 2036 to have one in my mid-80's... ("Hey, this sandwich tastes just like the one I had in '06- in fact, it tastes like it may have been COOKED alongside the one I had then!")

Give me a good Jersey diner breakfast special any day. Fresh cooked-to-order eggs, home fries, toast, coffee and juice- served on real plates and cups, with real silverware, unlimited coffee refills, sitting in a comfortable booth or stool, instead of a prison-like plastic seat.

And probably cheaper, too.

Edited April 19, 2007 by jesskidden (log)

[Kouign Aman]

Jack-in-the-Box serves a regular menu at all hours - I've had many a bacon cheeseburger at 6 am, with fries. (or spicy chicken sandwich)

I still like what I believe to be the original fastfood breakfast sandwich, the Breakfast Jack - limp tho it be. (I think it predates all of McD's offerings)

I also favor the sausage egg mcmuffin. McD's has good breakfast sausage. Wish I could buy it uncooked, retail.

I used to be very fond of their sausage biscuit, but that ended. They just didnt seem as good one day.

Carls Jr is a washout in the am. Bleah.

Absolute fav is a sausage egg everything bagel, from a bagel shop. Not as many of those around as there were 10 years ago (my fav was Max Bialystock - their sausage was almost as good as McD's). And never did I find one with drivethru service.

<editted - I will learn to proofread!>

Edited April 19, 2007 by Kouign Aman (log)

[Toliver]

Carls Jr is a washout in the am. Bleah.

←

A few months ago, Carl's Jr. featured a keilbasa breakfast sandwich that was surprisingly quite good. It was almost like homemade. It was about a fourth of a sausage, split in half and then grilled/fried. I was sorry to see it dropped off the menu.

They also seem to be the only ones still offering a "breakfast bowl" (deconstructed breakfast sandwich...without the bread) for the pro-Atkins crowd.

[MGLloyd]

they've now introduced a "Breakfast bowl" featuring scrambled eggs, choice of sausage/bacon/steak, cheese, hash brown nuggets, and then a warm layer of country gravy ladeled on top.

My gosh. I would eat that in about two seconds. And it has been decades since I ate any sort of fast food breakfast.

[alanamoana]

forgot to add regional specialty...i worked at mcd's in hawaii where one of the breakfast offerings is "portugese sausage, eggs and rice"...it is fried linguica (portugese sausage), scrambled eggs and a couple of scoops of eggs. along with pepper, ketchup and soy sauce condiments, it is a great fast food breakfast.

[Hest88]

Nice to see I'm in good company. Once or twice a year I indulge in a Sausage & Egg McMuffin, usually on cold winter days.

[Bueno]

I feel so at home here. You are my people.

Put me in the camp that staunchly defend the original, humble Egg McMuffin as the best breakfast sandwich in existence. I do enjoy a hashbrown or two with said McMuffin when I do indulge. Which is at least once a month. In fact, I've now got breakfast lined up for the morning. I'd go right now if they were serving them. eGullet owns me.

Edited April 22, 2007 by Bueno (log)