Fast Food Junkie Tell All

[Gular]

I admit it, I am a junkie. I would venture to say fast food is at least 1/3 of my daily intake. I'm working on changing this, but the biggest obstacle for me is the time factor. My mainstay is the "DOLLAR" menu....be it McD's, Wendy's or Del Taco....I also hit the local, cheap greasy bag places. I delude myself into the logic of lettuce and tomato being major vegeatables for the sake of a more "balanced" diet. My most favorite indulgance is any place I can get "extra sauce" on the side......love the sauces.....taco sauce, green chile sauce, arby's bbq and horsey sauces'(btw anyone know a clone recipe for arby's "special dressing" like they use on the "super" man that stuff is great) anyway....wanted to try and start a fun topic that people can divulge their secret indulgences in so everyone else can tell them how bad they are. Oh yeah I'm an organ donor so when my lungs give out from smoking....my choelesterol clogged heart can be transplanted into someone who can then sue McD's for millions for clogging it up.

Gotta go.....charging......clear! ZZZZZTTTTT VWVWVWVW-_____________________

[tommy]

you are a sick, sick man.

however, i stop at McDonalds for breakfast whenever i'm hungover. 3, 4 times a week. actually, maybe once or twice a month for breakfast. lunch, however, i think i'm too embarrassed to say. never ever ever for dinner. i just realized that. i wonder why that is?

[Katherine]

We used to stop at Burger King when we were on the road at mealtime and there was noplace else to eat (this happened far too often), but now, never.

[fifi]

I confess to a dark and secret longing for McD's sausage and biscuit.

There... I feel a lot better.

[tjaehnigen]

OK, here is an angle on this thread...

If you could merge your favorites from a variety of different fast food chains, what would your best meal consist of?

I have many possibilities. But, for arguments sake, I will start with--

Burger King Whopper with Cheese (with everything)

McDonald's Fries

Wendy's Frosty

Yeah.

[Ellen Shapiro]

Tommy I can try to help you understand your McDonald's dinner anxiety. Your posts indicate that you prefer a formal dinner environment. As you know McDonald's discontinued its "Candlelight Dinner at McDonald's" program in the late 1970s. The cost-savings on those little red candles has been significant, approximately six trillion dollars, but the loss of some dinnertime customers such as yoursef has been an unfortunate effect.

Tjaehnigen in my family (me and Fat Guy that is) we have a name for this and even a discussion on egullet: Parking Lot Dinner.

[tommy]

Tommy I can try to help you understand your McDonald's dinner anxiety. Your posts indicate that you prefer a formal dinner environment. As you know McDonald's discontinued its "Candlelight Dinner at McDonald's" program in the late 1970s. The cost-savings on those little red candles has been significant, approximately six trillion dollars, but the loss of some dinnertime customers such as yoursef has been an unfortunate effect.

you are probably right.

i should note that just about 100% of my fastfood consumption is done at home, in the car, on the road, in the parking lot, or at the office. never in the restaurant itself. oh heavens no.

[mcdowell]

i should note that just about 100% of my fastfood consumption is done at home, in the car, on the road, in the parking lot...

The space between the driver's seat and center console in my car is a monument to french fries lost. A knowlegeable food archeologist could map my meals...

[fresco]

"i should note that just about 100% of my fastfood consumption is done at home, in the car, on the road, in the parking lot, or at the office. never in the restaurant itself. oh heavens no."

I heard/read somewhere that McDonalds and other fast food chains design their premises to discourage people from staying for very long because profits depend on extremely rapid turnover. Uncomfortable seats way too close together, overbright lights, colors so lurid they hurt your eyes--it makes sense.

[tommy]

I heard/read somewhere that McDonalds and other fast food chains design their premises to discourage people from staying for very long because profits depend on extremely rapid turnover. Uncomfortable seats way too close together, overbright lights, colors so lurid they hurt your eyes--it makes sense.

...and a bunch of kids and depressed looking people.

[Busboy]

I heard/read somewhere that McDonalds and other fast food chains design their premises to discourage people from staying for very long because profits depend on extremely rapid turnover. Uncomfortable seats way too close together, overbright lights, colors so lurid they hurt your eyes--it makes sense.

Seems to have the opposite effect on the homeless, the deranged and the silently menacing, though.

[fresco]

"deranged and the silently menacing"

Could simply be a natural response to the surroundings.

[Busboy]

"deranged and the silently menacing"

Could simply be a natural response to the surroundings.

Or a diet based on chicken tenders and kelp-based "milkshakes."

Does food purchased at grease-oriented carryouts which are not chains count as 'fast food? ' Or are we discussing McDonalds et al only?

[fresco]

"Does food purchased at grease-oriented carryouts which are not chains count as 'fast food? ' Or are we discussing McDonalds et al only?"

Depends on your definition of "fast". Or "food".

[Busboy]

Well, I don't spend too much time at the chains, but calling ahead to Philadelphia Pizza for wings or Trio's for a cheesesteak meakes them pretty much as fast as a drive-thru, and the food is right there in terms nutrition and aesthetic appeal. So I'd argue for the "big tent" approach. Which puts me at the skin-popper level of fast-food junkie-ness. Twice a week, maybe.

[melkor]

I'll eat obscene amounts of fast food when on a road trip (more than 4 hours each direction) but other than that I only eat fast food maybe three or four times a year.

[KNorthrup]

I never eat fast food anymore. I kind of miss it. It's not a health thing at all. It's just because I no longer have a car. I'm not willing to sit and eat in any of them, for the atmosphere reasons Tommy already covered, and there's nothing close enough to my house that I'd get it home before it was cold and thus utterly inedible. There's a BK close enough to my office that I could get there and back in time but there are also half a dozen food carts and at least three deli sandwich places on the way so it seems irresponsible or something to go. I miss Big Macs.

[fresco]

"It's not a health thing at all. It's just because I no longer have a car."

When do you think the first obesity lawsuits will be filed against carmakers?

[Elizabeth_11]

I've actually been hitting up Wendy's and Mcy-Dee's lately for thier southwest chicken caesar salad and the new grilled chicken california cobb salad. In no way a high class/high quality meal, but much better than burgers and fries when I need something quick. Just wish they wouldn't skimp me on the blue cheese so much! Even when I request extra! Then again--why would I expect them to actually oblige anyways....

[KateW]

We eat at Wendy's a couple times a week at most. We don't touch McD's or BK and we rarely go to KFC and Taco Bell. Wendy's it is. He gets a spicy chicken sandwich and I get a non-spicy chicken sandwich. Usually a combo, where he subs the fries for chili. The chili isn't bad.

We used to eat fast food a lot more often in Tennessee because neither one of us worked for a while and we had a lot of free time and used to stay up until the wee hours of the morning. We'd go to Jack in the Box and Wendy's most often. And Steak and Shake. Then Jack in the Box started taking half an hour to go through drive through even when there wasn't really a line, so we'd just go to Wendy's. The KFC also sucked. Took forever and often gave us the wrong thing.

OH, I almost forgot about Sonic. Good place.

Anyone ever been to a Shlotsky's? (Almost definitely spelled wrong) They had decent sandwiches but my boyfriend hated it because "Six dollars for a sandwich is way too much". Arggg. Luckily they closed and a Quiznos opened, which is almost better. I don't know if sandwich places count as fast food, though. Do they?

[KNorthrup]

See to me, oven-toasted does not taste better. I love KFC. What other fast food place serves mac & cheese? Those boneless honey bbq things. Yum. Too bad they're so greasy though. Bit disconcerting. Juicy... wait, no. The one I really really miss is Boston Market. They were all over Portland for a bit and then gone. Meatloaf, creamed spinach, ah.

[SobaAddict70]

There's like one Boston Market that I know of in NYC. On 23rd, between Seventh and Eighth. One ff chain I'll never go to again is Popeye's. I thought I'd never say this of ff, but their food is way too salty, even for me.

I haven't been to a KFC in ages, much less a Burger King. I think I stopped going to Burger King because one day I found that their fries weren't as good as McD's.

Never been to an Arby's. I go to Wendy's on occasion, Taco Bell VERY occasionally.

There doesn't seem to be any In-N-Outs in San Francisco.

Soba

[fresco]

Can't remember the last time I was in a fast food joint (unless you include Starbucks and various dim sum places) but would strenuously defend my right to do so if I felt like it and to hell with the burger bigots and all their joyless allies.

[KateW]

Forgot about Boston Market. We go there a couple times a month I guess.

There's one near JWU, so when I was living there and the SO would come pick me up for the weekend, we would go there most weekends.

[MatthewB]

Forgot about Boston Market.  We go there a couple times a month I guess.

There's one near JWU, so when I was living there and the SO would come pick me up for the weekend, we would go there most weekends.

Boston Market is a bed-and-breakfast?