So Carls Jr

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

It's probably not just your memory.  Food quality in fast food places has been given a back seat in favor of speed of cooking.  In the 70s, McDonalds was probably still cooking the patties on a fry top.  These days I'm pretty sure that they're just microwaved, then maybe given a few seconds on the fry top for looks.

[Orin J.]

quality in fast food has always taken a back seat to speed of cooking though. we've just made great strides in the field of quickly preparing things just barely able to be called food fast enough for people to eat them before they know what it is. ah, Mr. C.M.O.T Dribbler would be proud.....

[garhkal]

quality in fast food has always taken a back seat to speed of cooking though. we've just made great strides in the field of quickly preparing things just barely able to be called food fast enough for people to eat them before they know what it is. ah, Mr. C.M.O.T Dribbler would be proud.....

That's why i much prefer the oven system carls Jr used..

[Kidd]

I like a little more cheese so for me the double cheeseburger is the standard to beat. It could do with a slice of tomato, onion and lettuce though.

[Ruger]

Did McDonalds ever offer pizza in the US?  The only time I ever remember seeing it for sale was when my family took a vacation to Canada.

Very much, yes. Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s (can’t remember which), I had them for quite a while in South Carolina.

As to McDonalds hamburgers, at least the meat to bread ratio is better than White Castle or Crystal burgers. I can’t even taste the meat in those unless I take the bread off.

Ruger

[rebs]

As to McDonalds hamburgers, at least the meat to bread ratio is better than White Castle or Crystal burgers. I can’t even taste the meat in those unless I take the bread off.

White Castle burger patties have holes in them like swiss cheese.  You're getting more grease than meat with them. 

[NeonKnight]

Did McDonalds ever offer pizza in the US?  The only time I ever remember seeing it for sale was when my family took a vacation to Canada.

https://mcdonalds.fandom.com/wiki/McPizza

Apparently, still available.

[Garrand]

I like a little more cheese so for me the double cheeseburger is the standard to beat. It could do with a slice of tomato, onion and lettuce though.

As an aside, I never really understood the use of lettuce on a burger. What exactly does it add? Usually when I order things I tell them to leave off the lettuce & tomato...

Damon.

[NeonKnight]

As an aside, I never really understood the use of lettuce on a burger. What exactly does it add? Usually when I order things I tell them to leave off the lettuce & tomato...

Damon.

It does add a nice taste I find (I prefer the crispness of a full leaf of Iceberg as opposed to shredded or Romaine).

But a for a true WTF moment, I need to think back to 1997-98 when I was traveling on Cheju Island in the south of Korea, and while at the Airport waiting for our flight received a burger with... wait for it...a leaf of CABBAGE instead of lettuce. Even my Wife (girlfriend at the time) who is FROM Korea was like "What the Heck?!?"

This was the same trip we took where she was craving for French Fries and was looking for somewhere to get some. At the time Cheju was not the huge Foreigner Tourist location it is slowly becoming, and so no McD's or Burger Kings or other Western Fast Food Chains, but all over Korea there is Lotteria's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotteria

So, we were walking down the street, and she asked an elderly gentleman if there was a Lotteria close by, and he lit into me about why would I come to a foreign company and NOT try the local cuisine. Had to tell him, it was HER who wanted to get some fries, not me.

[dgorsman]

As an aside, I never really understood the use of lettuce on a burger. What exactly does it add? Usually when I order things I tell them to leave off the lettuce & tomato...

Damon.

Relatively neutral flavor, it's more about texture.  It also mechanically separates the greasy burger from the bun so it doesn't deteriorate to quickly.  The tomato provides acid, which aside from flavor also helps beak down the fat and reduces the greasy taste.

[Easy]

cleanup

[Kidd]

As an aside, I never really understood the use of lettuce on a burger. What exactly does it add? Usually when I order things I tell them to leave off the lettuce & tomato...

Damon.

You get a kind of fresh crisp taste in one bite that cuts through the heavy meat taste. It works well with a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato and a few rings of raw onions.

(It's like having a bite of salad between bites of steak, but with less steps...)

There's a triple cheeseburger in our McD's, 3 patties and 3 slices of cheeze. It's cool for when one is hungry, but the meat can be overpowering after a while, because it lacks the veggies of a quarter pounder or big mac.

About 15 years ago our Mcd used to have a strict 2 pickle pieces per cheeseburger policy, but now they've upped it to about 4-6 pieces per burger. As a kid I used to dread pickles and pick em out before eating, but now I love em, so I'm a pretty happy bunny.

The pickle does the same. Cuts the savoury meat and grease taste down a bit. Sauerkraut and kimchi works on the same principle.

[dgorsman]

The salt in the pickles also balances the acid from the tomato and onion.  Gastronomic science for the win!   :thumbsup:

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

And it adds more fiber to help get all that greasy meat through you.

[garhkal]

White Castle burger patties have holes in them like swiss cheese.  You're getting more grease than meat with them.

Which is why i can't understand why people love white castle so much.

[Ruger]

Which is why i can't understand why people love white castle so much.

Not to mention that the meat is so thin, especially in comparison to the bun, and so bland, you really can’t taste it.

At least in my experience.

Ruger

[ANS Kamas P81]

Just gonna leave this here from Tripadvisor.



"On arrival, you get this hospital dress, and you nurse waitress will take you to your table. Wine will be serve in IV bags, and be careful if you don't finish your plate... The nurse will spank you in public... and it hurts.  The Burger was really good, but don't expect any lettuce, as it may hurt your health. All is cooked in lard fat."

I left Vegas before they set up in the Fremont Street Experience but I might just need to go back.

[Hellraiser]

 In my ongoing quest for the perfect burger I've come to regard the McDonalds Quarter pounder as the baseline. On a scale of 1 - 10 it's a 3.5. Anything worse you never order again.

So its like the Vedette of tanks.  :)

Its a baseline measuring stick.

[Hellraiser]

It's probably not just your memory.  Food quality in fast food places has been given a back seat in favor of speed of cooking.  In the 70s, McDonalds was probably still cooking the patties on a fry top.  These days I'm pretty sure that they're just microwaved, then maybe given a few seconds on the fry top for looks.

quality in fast food has always taken a back seat to speed of cooking though. we've just made great strides in the field of quickly preparing things just barely able to be called food fast enough for people to eat them before they know what it is. ah, Mr. C.M.O.T Dribbler would be proud.....

If only that were the case.

The food tastes worse than ever for sure, but its not for "speed".

I swear,  these days I sit in line waiting for the food for-ever.

I remember when you would just see the lines of pre-made burgers sitting on shelves w/ #s next to them saying how long they were "good" for, so a 9 was good till 1/4 till the hour.  A 5 till 25 after.

Now days they make everyone of them fresh & you wait 5-10 minutes instead of 30-60 seconds.

Honestly, if I wanted a fresh made meal, I'd go to a sit down restaurant or to decent fast food like Chipotle.  I go to McD's because I want the chicken nuggets that were made 5 minutes ago & can be handed to me in 30 seconds.

[guardiandashi]

I know there must be something on the menu at mcdonalds, that's actually decent, but IMO the line from Smokey and the Bandit sums them up... Choke and Puke

on the other hand around here Oregon/sw Washington all the A&W's I see are co located with KFC and any more that's just foul, I would rather get the fried chicken from safeway or winco its not swimming in grease like the KFC is.

[Firesprocket]

I would rather get the fried chicken from safeway or winco its not swimming in grease like the KFC is.

Almost every other chain or grocery store is going to have better fried chicken than KFC.  The only reasons I ever go to KFC are for the following:

1) chicken littles- tenders on a roll with pickle and mayo
2) biscuits
3) all you can eat buffet.   Which, lets face it, you are filling up on sides, so why not get as much as you what of them!

In addition to multiple grocery stores that make their own fried chicken we have Popeyes, Bojangles, Royal Farms (which I'm not fond of) and an assortment of gas station fried chicken.  I think my last trip into KFC was 2 years ago.  It was about 15 minutes for the last sit down restaurants were going to close and I found a KFC.  Got my cheap chicken and then went back to my hotel.  I sucked down that grease pile while watching an episode of Penn and Teller's BS, that by coincident, was reviewing how good or bad fast is for you and included details about both Carl's Jr's and KFC  ;D

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I found Safeway fried chicken to be fairly bland and tasteless, myself.

In Oregon and Washington, the actual best place to get fried chicken that I'm aware of is Abby's Pizza (though I recommend against getting their pizza).

[Ruger]

I know there must be something on the menu at mcdonalds, that's actually decent, but IMO the line from Smokey and the Bandit sums them up... Choke and Puke

Their current chicken tenders (I forget the official name).

Edit: they also had an excellent signature grilled chicken sandwich back when they had that one with brown mustard and some other toppings, but that was apparently discontinued.

Ruger

[Garrand]

Almost every other chain or grocery store is going to have better fried chicken than KFC. 

I used to work in the deli at a local grocery store in one of my many, many college jobs. We used to make the fried chicken. That job turned me off on grocery store fried chicken for years. Also Hatfield domestic ham. Gross.

Damon.

[JadeHellbringer]

I used to work in the deli at a local grocery store in one of my many, many college jobs. We used to make the fried chicken. That job turned me off on grocery store fried chicken for years. Also Hatfield domestic ham. Gross.

Damon.

Truth. During my last year of high school, I worked for a soft pretzel shop in a now-demolished Denver-area mall. I still can't eat soft pretzels over two decades later. Ditto for Slurpees after working at a 7-11 through my first two years of college. Just the sight of them makes me start sweating in fear.

[Colt Ward]

Lol, I figured it out due to KP before becoming a waiter . . . never work somewhere you like to eat.

[Kidd]

Had an audit engagement at a pig slaughterhouse once. Upside: the cafeteria served fresh roast and barbecue pork every day. Downside: the smell of offal permeated the entire site, even through to the admin building offices.

Put me off tripe and chitterlings for a full year after.

[dgorsman]

Mixed bag here.  I've made more donuts than a person could eat in a lifetime and don't much care for them.  But I still make pretzels on a regular basis (make it the size of a bagel and slice it as such, put in some ham, cheese, mustard... oh yeah   :thumbsup: ).

[Daryk]

Stop making me hungry!  ;D

[Firesprocket]

We used to make the fried chicken. That job turned me off on grocery store fried chicken for years. Also Hatfield domestic ham.

I believe that anyone that has worked grocery or in a restaurant will get naturally turned off by something you had to make, smell, or deal with for an extended period of time.  I've never had any hatfield meats that I can recall.  I think the only reason I even know the name is because they used to advertise Hatfield sausages at Nat's Park.