Dare to eat fast food

[Hallie]

This question came up during a recent conversation about Subway - which seems to be appearing in every gap between two buildings at the moment. A friend of mine said that 'for a fast food chain, some of the sandwiches weren't too bad'. Frankly, I've never been tempted, but it begs the question; can one find edible, even tasty and enjoyable food at fast food chains? It's probably been about 8 years since I've darkened the doors of a McDonalds, so perhaps their offerings have improved. How would I know? And as I walk past countless Pizza Huts, Buger Kings and KFCs , I feel a bit like the extremists who condemned Rushdie's Satanic Verses, without so much as opening the cover.

It seems to me that convenience food comes in several guises:

lunchtime chains (Pret, Eat, etc.) which can be pretty good

Coffee chains (on which most of us rely - IMHO, I think Caffe Nero's probably the best)

and then;

Big Fast Food (McDonalds, KFC, Subway, etc.)

This does not include all chains (Pizza Express, Wagamamma, etc.) - which is another thread altogether.

Thoughts?

[Carlovski]

I very occasionally resort to the evil delights of KFC but I can't have been in a McDonalds for years. I might have had the odd mushroom double swiss at Burger King in Waterloo statioon though.

I also have a slight weakness for Subway's Meatball subs - mainly due to there not being a lot of other options in Southampton (A shop opened recently called Po' Boys - which sounded good, but they don't think they actually sell anything resembling a genuine New Orleans Po Boy - it's just another sandwich shop).

Normally a safer bet at lunchtime is a pasty from one of the growing number of chain pasty shops (Maybe it's just round here but I've seen at least three differenty chains).

[origamicrane]

well my vote for best fast food joint is Nando's

do i hear a second?

[jennahan]

Second, third, and fourth for Nando's (myself, hubby, and bb)

[Carlovski]

I don't really class Nando's in with the rest of the fast food places - it is more of a chain restaurant.

[Hallie]

I don't really class Nando's in with the rest of the fast food places - it is more of a chain restaurant.

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Nandos is an obvious choice and seems to be in a league of it's own. What about other places, though?

[silverbrow]

Leon

[battleofthebulge]

Does somewhere like Gourmet Burger Kitchen count?

It's a chain, and it sells burgers.

But it's very good indeed!

Haven't yet tried the Real Burger Co.

Sarah

[ludja]

I just discovered that Nando's makes "Portuguese-style flame grilled chicken". I guess this would be something close to Piri Piri chicken. This sounds like a good concept.

Are there any other fast food chains in the UK that specialize in non (traditional) British/American food? Indian? Middle Eastern?

[Digijam]

If Carlsberg made fast food joints...

Leon

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[beaker]

but it begs the question; can one find edible, even tasty and enjoyable food at fast food chains? .

maoz vegetarian - falafel chain

[camp_dick]

This question came up during a recent conversation about Subway - which seems to be appearing in every gap between two buildings at the moment.

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I'm grieving because the Famous Walworth Road Cafe - which was genuinely famous because it did serve the best breakfast in South London, as offcially determined by the South London Press, has been taken out and is being turned into a Subway. A great shame...

As to the wider discussion, I think Nando's chicken is too cheap and that the piri piri treatment (probably) masks the absence of true chicken flavour. If you're within striking distance of Stockwell, I suggest you try the Portugese caffs down there for the real thing. I loathe Mickey D and BK on principle, but in reality I did have a bit of a McFlurry flirtation over the Summer and I've been having a secret, on/off affair with BK onion rings (but I'm pretty sure it's over now. For now.)

You'd have to be certifiable to eat any of their meat though, surely?

[Richard_D]

If you're going to go to BK or McD type places then I reckon you could do far worse than subway but a lot of the best places are your local burger joints or kebab shops. If you're ever in the Cheltenham area (and judging by the number of posts about Le Champignon Sauvage I see a lot of people on this forum are), I'd head to Burger Star where the burgers are great and everything the chains should be.

R

[jennahan]

If you're going to go to BK or McD type places then I reckon you could do far worse than subway but a lot of the best places are your local burger joints or kebab shops.R

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or maybe even the local fish-and-chip shop

[Richard_D]

or maybe even the local fish-and-chip shop

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Definitely, but only if you live north of Birmingham as everyone knows that the best fish and chips are found in the North

[magnolia]

I used to really like a couple of the above-mentioned fast-food places - notably Pret and Eat - which started out as kind of 'anti-fast food' fast food. Eat, in particular, had really good brownies and other baked goods. But both chains grew and/or were bought out, started carrying brands in common with everyone else, and they are now really poor.

The sandwiches at Pret (which is or was owned by McD's) have a very high bread-to-filling ratio, which I find very mean, and they put stuff in one of those heated glass cabinets, which is the equivalent of leaving food under a hairdryer for hours.

Nero has decent coffee but its pastries &tc seem identical to Costa, Starbucks etc.etc. - and taste like cardboard. You'd think that these places make such a huge margin on their coffee they could throw a little money at the food.

[MobyP]

Still a big fan of pret, though it's not quite as brilliant as it was. McD's I do occasionally to punish myself with (or my liver, I haven't decided). I was in nandos last night with the family - surrounded by a dozen other families with nippers, which tells you all you need to know. The price for 2 was in the 14 pound range, so that has to be saying something. In stark contrast to the Ducasse fast food joints in Paris, Monaco and New York, where I couldn't get bloody piri piri sauce for love nor begging.

Edited November 13, 2005 by MobyP (log)

[Hallie]

Pret and Eat - now we're straying into a different category of food; 'lunch fast food', grab a sandwich and drop crumbs on your keyboard eating. I'm thinking Big fast food: Mickey D's, Burger King, KFC, and generally those other heart clogging types of places that are open around the clock for three meals a day.

I really like Eat. Their soups are by far and away the best you can get at lunchtime. It's a shame that Soup Works disappeared. I used to walk for 15 minutes just to eat at their place on Monmouth Street. Their offerings were seriously good - especially their sweet potato, coconut and chicken soup.

[camp_dick]

Pret (which is or was owned by McD's)

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They bought in @ 33% a few years ago in their orgy of post-BSE diversification. The effectiveness of McD's in acquiring property is demonstrated by the density of Pret in central London: that's one thing they are good at. Now I notice McD's is responding to the expansion of Subway with their own 'freshly made toasted deli sandwiches'. Anyone had one?

Thanks, beaker, for the reminder to try Maoz. I nominate Felafel King in Portobello as a concept that deserves to be a chain. It's got the system and a triffic name. It's also got a less-than happy owner, called Schlomo (aka the gumpy falafel baron).

[johnsmith45678]

I like Subway and eat there 1-2 times a week. I like Taco Bell once in a while too. I recently tried Good Times (think they're only in Colorado) and they were pretty good (burgers, chicken sandwiches, custard), but overpriced. I haven't eaten at McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King etc. in years - I always feel like crap afterwords (I remember a Bourdain quote of eating at such places only when you're in a real self-hating mood).

I never go to coffee places like Starbucks, etc. Way overpriced, which amounts to a good chunk of change for a sustained habit. Plus I just don't like the yuppie image of Starbucks. I just make my coffee at home.

[Just loafing]

My very first food in London (in about 1969) was a Wimpy burger ... my recollection is that it made McDonald's fine dining!

[Hallie]

In stark contrast to the Ducasse fast food joints in Paris, Monaco and New York, where I couldn't get bloody piri piri sauce for love nor begging.

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Err...Moby, what were you doing eating fast food in Paris?

[Gary Marshall]

This question came up during a recent conversation about Subway - which seems to be appearing in every gap between two buildings at the moment.

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from what i've read, this is a quirk of their franchising agreement, usually you would get a dedicated area with your franchise but not with subway so if you take out one franchise you end up having to take out more to protect your patch!

i think york has gone from none to 3-4 in just over a year

[degusto]

Still a big fan of pret, though it's not quite as brilliant as it was. McD's I do occasionally to punish myself with (or my liver, I haven't decided). I was in nandos last night with the family - surrounded by a dozen other families with nippers, which tells you all you need to know. The price for 2 was in the 14 pound range, so that has to be saying something. In stark contrast to the Ducasse fast food joints in Paris, Monaco and New York, where I couldn't get bloody piri piri sauce for love nor begging.

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Ducasse's fast food joint in Monaco was not bad, was it? I think you liked the crudités even if it came without piri piri sauce.

Edited November 15, 2005 by degusto (log)

[adt]

Pret (which is or was owned by McD's)

That's a shame, they used to be handy for their apple cakes when passing through stansted. Will have to boycott them now