I hardly eat at fast food “restaurants” but I like to eat my food fast. 
Of course that’s another can of worms.
Of course that’s another can of worms.
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Fast Food - Changes
- Thread starter dk001
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Slow Food, for me, that is, slow in the preparation, slow in the cooking, slow in the eating.I hardly eat at fast food “restaurants” but I like to eat my food fast.
And, as @Apple fanboy observed earlier, this also means the use of proper glassware, china, or an earthenware mug, or crockery, when consuming a beverage, and real proper plates, when actually eating; proper cutlery, too, none of this plastic or paper nonsense, which is find for a picnic, or after a night on the town, but nowhere else.
I'd just add, as somebody involved with financial markets and finance, that the shift in the fast food and fast-casual restaurant industries to single companies buying up and operating multiple brands and, worse, the involvement of private equity investment firms—whose very existence is predicated on shedding assets, minimizing costs, and increasing debt levels, all within a 1-5 year timespan before a company is either shut down or sold—has had a huge effect on how "cheap" restaurants are operated. While an independent chain has a lot of incentive to act in its long term interests through food quality, service standards, or innovation, a multi-brand company can simply shut down an underperforming concept and a private equity-backed company in almost all circumstances is focused on extracting as much money as possible as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of societal aspects to shopping, cooking, and eating that are very significant in the US too but I don't want to cross into PRSI territory...
There are a lot of societal aspects to shopping, cooking, and eating that are very significant in the US too but I don't want to cross into PRSI territory...
It is sad to say that at least around here, service as a whole post-covid has really suffered to where my wife and I really do not like to go out as we can make what we want, have it faster, cheaper, fresher and better than what we would get dining out. There are a few restaurants in town that have managed to maintain their experience and my wife and I patron these when we can but all in, we are eating out very rarely these days which historically was a favorite weekly occurrence for us (before kids of course - there is that piece too) - a couple nice meals and drinks (wine for her and either an old fashioned for myself or a craft beer).
Outside of the other hurdles spoken to earlier like cogs, cam, tax, labor etc. service has seemingly really suffered in my area.
McDonald's $8 Extra Value Big Mac meal deal is ridiculous, when compared to Chili's everyday burger/side/chips/drink for $10.99, and Loghorn's lunchtime burger/side meal for $10.
McDonald's is suppose to be cheap; they (and others) have just been cheating customers, especially since COVID.
McDonald's is suppose to be cheap; they (and others) have just been cheating customers, especially since COVID.
Friday is pizza day at our humble abode as well. We typically order medium (14") pies and get three small meals out of each. I'm at the age where I pay a pretty heavy price the following two days for overindulgence. That's tough during Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I so feel this. I used to eat a whole medium pie in my very young mile-a-minute metabolism years (20-30s) but nowadays fast approaching 50, my robust appetite chapter has quickly come to a close. Out of a pie, I might eat two slices? Otherwise, like you, I pay for it haha
No worries about waste though. My three bottomless pits ... I mean boys will make quick work of the whole thing.
I am now 40. I used to have eating contests (non professional) - I could almost down an entire large pizza (very large). Then a tiny little girl (half my size) managed to down 1.5 and what I couldn't finish (I'm a big guy - hence the name). Ahh to be young again. Wouldn't want to do that even if paid today... (Now 2 slices and I'm good).
Spent a few days hanging out with close friends my age - we noticed that we spent the time mentioning how we were reacting to the food eaten, lol. We actually erred on the side of going to the grocery store and cooking ourselves instead of going out during this short vacation (helped a lot with cost and ... ability to enjoy after meal time).
Spent a few days hanging out with close friends my age - we noticed that we spent the time mentioning how we were reacting to the food eaten, lol. We actually erred on the side of going to the grocery store and cooking ourselves instead of going out during this short vacation (helped a lot with cost and ... ability to enjoy after meal time).
It was not by choice, trust me!! We didnt even finish what we ordered
So I've been to Burger King in the last few years. It was astoundingly bad, at least here in CA. I also went to Carls Jr a few years ago and was unable to finish the burgers - or the fries. Wendy's does not seem to be faring very well either (albeit it was a few years ago that I went).
Granted, I remember Hardees in the midwest and really enjoying the "thick burgers" there. But even back in the 90s in CA, I don't remember fast food being this inedible (completely ignoring cost).
In & Out is about the only hamburger place I can eat at and actually enjoy - but the lines are usually a deterrent.
I hear good and bad things about Five Guys - never been.
Granted, I remember Hardees in the midwest and really enjoying the "thick burgers" there. But even back in the 90s in CA, I don't remember fast food being this inedible (completely ignoring cost).
In & Out is about the only hamburger place I can eat at and actually enjoy - but the lines are usually a deterrent.
I hear good and bad things about Five Guys - never been.
I agree. First time I was in CA as an adult in 2016, I really enjoyed I&O. I had never been and they were very good.The wait and lines were long as you describe but I wanted to try them out so I stayed. I ate there once in lobby and once through drive through. As was expected, in-lobby was better. Their product did not fare well in a busy evening car ride. Anyways, they remind me of the CA hamburger version of the midwest Freddy's Steakburger (also typically very good) and my preference however lines are long there and waits in drive thru are long which keep me away. Quality is there but the fast-casual model they stick to is really not that fast on a typical busy day part unfortunately but at least the food is good and fountain drinks can be refilled at will while one waits.
We have a couple 5 Guys in town. I like their single with grilled onions & cheese. They are good. I like their fries. They are not frozen potato pulp, rather cut potatoes they do in house and deep fry - a very good french fry. Burgers are fine and the wait is about on par with Freddys & I&O. I prefer steak burgers to hamburgers (obviously I have no issue with eating either LOL) so if I had the choice, I'd probably go to Freddys but 5G is a very good burger, comfortable and clean atmosphere if you can get past the $15 for a burger. Freddys is not cheap. either at around $7 for a single but if memory serves correctly, 5G is a bigger burger at around 3.5 ounces precook weight vs the steak burger at 2oz precook weight. So if you compare price wise, for a Freddys double which would get you to 4oz equivalent to 5G single, that is around $10 bucks - again not cheap but where COGs have gone.
Anyways, those to me are different animals to FSR like McDs BK etc. Those burger joints are what Id consider more along the lines of fast casual or QSR and they definitely for a similar price point at this time are serving up a much better quality meal albeit it takes longer to get it. The value is there though. If you get the chance to dine at 5G, you should. I mean it's a hamburger lol, but they do it very well IMO albeit at a cost.
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My favorite Burger King memory happened while we were still in Germany in the mid ‘80s. There was a bomb threat made on base where I lived, so they evacuated the school and had us all up in the movie theater for most of the day until they gave the all clear. They werent able to make lunch for us, so Burger King arranged to have burgers and fries sent over to the classrooms, and they sent over so much that at the end of the day, they were handing out bags of burgers and fries from the back of their truck. My 2 brothers and I each came home with a bag full of fries and burgers. We ate good that night!!
"Fast Food Nation" is an excellent book on the subject.
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So true. I have changed to buying my beef from a local rancher. What an improvement in taste!
Range fed Angus beef.
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I buy my vegetables (and fruit) from organic stalls in the weekly farmers' market, - products grown, for the most part, by the people from whom I buy them, and buy almost all of my meat from the (organic, ethically run, environmentally aware) butcher's stall in the same market (they rear, slaughter and age all of their meat themselves), and, occasionally, some particular cuts, from a local (almost century old), family run, pork butcher which is located near to the market.
This means that I don't buy meat all that often, but I do buy the very good stuff.
Now, granted, in general, these products are quite a bit more expensive (especially the meat) than one might find in a large store, but I like the fact that 1): The products taste better (and tend to be organic), and 2): My money goes directly to the people who have actually done the work, (not some anonymous, faceless, multinational company) who, 3): Tend to be locally based (within a range of 30 miles/50 kms) and who taken the time and trouble to grow crops, and raise animals (and fowl) ethically, and in an environmentally aware and responsible manner.
So true. Our veggies out here very seasonal but farmers market is a great place.
We do have a couple of local markets that buy from local ranches / farms and that makes for a great alternative.
For meat it is a bit more but well worth it in taste and quality.
It costs our family of 5 around $45 to $50 to get fast food . . . so it makes more sense to stop at a favorite diner for a sit down meal that probably tastes better and might actually cost less. But the truth is we love to cook and started to get good at it after lots of practicing
I assume that fast-food chains are the ones affected the most by a lack of customers. But as peoples around the world become more aware of the health problems associated with the consumption of various fast foods, specially "junk foods," these peoples tend to refrain from eating it too often. Even the foods served at restaurants are often loaded with salt, sugars of various kinds, and fat, simple because most of us have become accustomed to it from childhood to adulthood. My wife and I eat various foods from the local restaurants, but only once or twice per month, and maybe twice per year from fast-food joints.
That said, it is quite difficult for the young portion of the working class, students, and so on to avoid eating "junk foods" that are available near their workplaces, schools, etc. Not only that, but when one is young one usually does not worry about one's health. That mostly happens as one starts getting old 😊
That said, it is quite difficult for the young portion of the working class, students, and so on to avoid eating "junk foods" that are available near their workplaces, schools, etc. Not only that, but when one is young one usually does not worry about one's health. That mostly happens as one starts getting old 😊
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I used to eat at McDs when they had special burgers like the "McRaclette" a Swiss inspired burger with a better bun and raclette cheese. Now, not even that for a couple of years or so. I prefer an actual raclette which I can prepare at home as I have an appliance for that, there are local burger restaurants with similar offerings and much better if really heavy as well. If I eat out I occasionally go for a kebab or shwarma (or falafel), not super healthy but better than the fast food and also supporting local restaurants. Funny that American chains are much higher quality here in Europe than the States which makes me shudder.
Has to eat at the service yesterday evening. So my evening meal was KFC.
I ordered some burger and fries.
The service was disgraceful, having to use those stupid (dirty) touchscreen things.
Food was disgusting. First time I’ve eaten there in 30-40 years. I doubt I’ll ever go back.
I ordered some burger and fries.
The service was disgraceful, having to use those stupid (dirty) touchscreen things.
Food was disgusting. First time I’ve eaten there in 30-40 years. I doubt I’ll ever go back.
Interesting.
Oh, wow.
I've seen people use the appliance that I think you refer to.
Consider me impressed (and a little envious).
Much better, agreed.
An excellent idea: if buying anything remotely resembling "fast food" (it is not "fast" as it tends to be cooked from scratch), I, also, will give my business to small, usually family run, local, - often ethnic - places.
It is funny, agreed, but this doesn't surprise me, as the quality - and standards (standards buttressed by, and reinforced by, regulation) - of food are both so much higher in Europe, that I suspect that were the US chains to adhere to their domestic standards, they wouldn't attract very many customers, most of whom are used to somewhat better quality.
When I went to Peru I was surprised to see how amazing KFC was. It was clean, they brought you your food, the food was really good, and not like it is here in the USA. Here in the USA it's run down, food is barely edible - make sure to have a restroom nearby.
When I went to Germany for work years ago I was astounded at how amazing bread and food tasted - how friendly people were at restaurants. The very tall beers (and no water in sight) were also a surprise (but that's another story).
I couldn't agree more with you about the touchscreen menus at restaurants and fast-food joints. One has to seriously consider washing one's hands before eating the foods being served.
Indeed. What was wrong with someone behind a till. I mean what do they expect students to do for most of the week to earn a crust?I could agree more about the touchscreen menus, and even cardiac card transactions on a touch screen. One has to consider thoroughly washing one's hands before eating the foods being served
I am not from US but I mostly eat at home. Supermarkets in Europe offer quality food, especially tasty pastry. Interestingly enough, my maximum fast food is a grilled hot dog at gas station, they have good ones and ingredients are much more natural than any local McDonalds (which doesn’t even taste good anymore)