Support NeoGAF

[Amory]

is it just so they can feel superior? or do they think everyone else hates it so they lie to try to fit in? mcdonald's served like 25 billion customers last year. apparently people like the food.

i hear it about almost every chain. there are a few darlings though that even the cynics have to admit they like, Chick fil A for example.

lately subway has been getting torn up because of the 'fake tuna' BS and all it did was make me want subway.

I don't get it often because it's not healthy, but any day i'm getting fast food is a good day as far as I'm concerned.

 

[p_xavier]

 

[StreetsofBeige]

is it just so they can feel superior? or do they think everyone else hates it so they lie to try to fit in? mcdonald's served like 25 billion customers last year. apparently people like the food.

i hear it about almost every chain. there are a few darlings though that even the cynics have to admit they like, Chick fil A for example.

lately subway has been getting torn up because of the 'fake tuna' BS and all it did was make me want subway.

I don't get it often because it's not healthy, but any day i'm getting fast food is a good day as far as I'm concerned.

Snob attitude. I love FF too. Quick, tasty and cheap. And locations all over the place. McD, Burger King and KFC are my favs. Two Whoppers at a time is hard to beat! lol

It's like Walmart. The retailer pigeon holed as the bottom of the barrel, yet it has record sales, locations everywhere, and when they get built in small towns everyone loves them even though people supposedly protest against big box stores. The second it gets built, it's jam packed.

If people dont like cheap stores, fine. Go eat at steakhouses and shop at Williams Sonoma for everything you need.

 

[epicnemesis]

The only anti Fast food arguments I accept are that it is not good for you or it makes you feel like shit. If you say it’s not good you are a liar. Full stop.

 

[stn]

It tastes good but the quality is usually shit. I think that's what people mean when they criticize it.

 

[DeepBreath87]

Nutritionally it is trash. Well, it depends, I guess. But if you’re eating it regularly, you’d better be taking your vitamins.

 

[Ballthyrm]

I don't think Fast Food is gross, most of the time. (Big Chains have quality control, not so on your local shops)
I think it mostly has to do with our dumb Monkey Brain loving Fat, Sugar, Salt and other "hard to get" in nature items.

And I wouldn't praise McDonald for making a ton of money on our basic impulses.
Just like I wouldn't praise Budweiser for selling a ton of low quality Beer.

 

[thefool]

Probably not gross but unhealthy.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Mossybrew]

I hear ya OP. My go-to is Jack in the Box, I go by there like once a week and I don't feel an ounce of shame.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I had to google that imagw and see it's from In and Out Burger. Never tried it as it's not around here. Man that looks good. Sonic Burger is another place I've wanted to try.

 

[Sub_Level]

Depends on the chain.

Burger King legit sucks for everything outside the regular ass Whopper. Their nuggets are pathetic. Remember $1.50 for 10? Yeah you get what you pay for.

Taco Bell has gone way downhill. Their current food often just has dumps of that gross thick nacho cheese. They used to instead use melted cheese in stuff like their shredded chicken burrito (which they discontinued).

Little Caesars, which used to be a beacon of consistency & great value, now often insists on selling you the extra most bestest pizzas instead of their $5 classics. The $6 ones have an insane amount of grease; you can usually see it seeping through the bottom of the box after a few hours.

I like fast food but there's gross stuff out there. You gotta know what to look for, what time of day to go.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Probably not gross but unhealthy.

True.

And when combined with the sheer number of customers and locations it makes FF look bad.

However, people should do a health calorie count from eating at a family restaurant with a salad with dressing, big plate of pasta, dessert and drinks. I bet the meal is worse than a Whopper combo.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Burger King legit sucks for everything outside the regular ass Whopper. Their nuggets are pathetic. Remember $1.50 for 10? Yeah you get what you pay for.

Spot on. Only thing I get are whoppers and their apple pies are great. They are like old school fried Mcdonalds pies. Two whoppers for $7-8 on special deal days is tough to beat.

 

[Amory]

True.

And when combined with the sheer number of customers and locations it makes FF look bad.

However, people should do a health calorie count from eating at a family restaurant with a salad with dressing, big plate of pasta, dessert and drinks. I bet the meal is worse than a Whopper combo.

That's the thing. Going out to eat is generally not good for you, whether you're going to a nice restaurant or McDonalds.

Some restaurants put calorie counts on their menus and it drives me insane. I don't want to know. Now I'm not gonna end up getting what I wanted to get.

 

[QSD]

I like subway, doesn't seem too terrible healthwise to me. I can enjoy an occasional whopper too. McDonalds does nothing for me, everything about it is strictly mediocre. It's like the Phil Collins of food, so MOR it pleases no-one.

I do get the argument about the negativity being excessive, that seems to me to just be people trying to encourage each other to stay away from junk food. A kind of group think if you will. Same goes for smoking, some ex-smokers will tell me with dry eyes that smoking does nothing for you, it's purely a bad habit. Everyone who's ever smoked knows that tobacco makes you feel good. There's no need to lie about that to acknowledge that it's extremely unhealthy.

 

[ArtemisClydeFrog]

I had to google that imagw and see it's from In and Out Burger. Never tried it as it's not around here. Man that looks good. Sonic Burger is another place I've wanted to try.

In N Out can fuck right off with limiting their stores to certain states to keep their food "special". That shit is the food of the gods and should be able to be eaten by EVERYONE. Best burgers and it's not particularly close. I love In N Out.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

In n Out is overrated. Burger is good but not god tier like everyone claims. Fries are god awful

 

[dem]

McDonalds is really.. not good.
Their burgers have their own flavor. I don't even know what it is... but it tastes like nothing else. And it aint good. At least to me.


A well made Whopper is really the king of fast food burgers. A lot of BK's are really slipping these days, though. Its turned into a real ghetto joint. Its hard to find a good one.

And they really ruined the Whopper brand with all the special whoppers. Every day there is a new special whopper that tastes like garbage. Maybe I'm wrong and those are King burgers.

 

[ArtemisClydeFrog]

In n Out is overrated. Burger is good but not god tier like everyone claims. Fries are god awful

The fries are average to below average, but put cheese on em and they're a lot better. Their burgers are god tier, not "good" like you're claiming.

 

[Amory]

McDonalds is really.. not good.
Their burgers have their own flavor. I don't even know what it is... but it tastes like nothing else. And it aint good. At least to me.


A well made Whopper is really the king of fast food burgers. A lot of BK's are really slipping these days, though. Its turned into a real ghetto joint. Its hard to find a good one.

I don't really consider fast food to be the food items that they're selling. McDonalds is McDonalds, not burgers. If I want pizza I'll go to a local pizza place. If I specifically want Domino's it's a completely different, usually inebriated craving for carbs and salt.

 

[GymWolf]

Some are trash, some are good.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

The fries are average to below average, but put cheese on em and they're a lot better. Their burgers are god tier, not "good" like you're claiming.

I'd rather go to Jack in the Box or Wendys.

 

[Rival]

I’m my experience those animal style fries look far better than they taste. Burgers are great though. I love me some Chick-fil-A, Portillos, and BK.

 

[Alx]

I'm fine with eating fast food from time to time, but you don't go there expecting a great meal, at best you'll get a good one, or most likely ok-ish.
You usually know what to expect though.

 

[Fbh]

Yeah it's nice. I won't argue they aren't bad for your health or that you shouldn't eat them in moderation, but it's nice.

With that said, they are sort of their own category.
Generally if I want a burger I'll go to a local burger place where they use higher quality ingredients, and it's not even that much more expensive. But from time to time I do get a craving for that highly processed flavor of fast food chains.

 

[ZywyPL]

There are fast foods and fast foods. Most people associate fast food with those fat, unhealthy burgers, deep fried fries, and huge cup of coca cola, those are garbage no doubt, some tase good, some tast like shit, but nevertheless all are absolutely terrible quality food.

Then there's pizza, which I honestly can say anything bad about as far as the ingredients go, sure it's fat, but that's because the cheese is fat, which itself if a healthy food, waaay better than cold cuts we have nowadays, but hey, you don't have to eat an entire pizza on you own, half will do just fine.

Kebab is a tricky one, at first glance it looks just as bad as the burgers, but if you order one without the saises, which is all the garbage, you actually end up with quite a fit food with nothing but a grilled meat, veggies and a wrap, tastes good and is indeed good.

Asian food, love it, can't say anything bad about it.

And there are also those pay-per-weight kind of shops, where you have dozens of meals at you disposal and it's all up to you what you compose out of them, and how much, and again, you can end up with something delicious, light and healthy.

 

[CatsGamesWhatever]

Mcdonald's is not good. They repeatedly do survey groups and the poor taste of their food is always sometthing their adult customers mention (that and their children are the reason they eat there anyway).
I don't consider myself a snob but I've had bone shards in my Mcdonald's burgers on 3 separate occasions which is why I stopped eating there. This is basic food preparation that they get wrong.
Not to mention they cut their patties with TVP (soy protein) to cut costs as well as various other "fillers". But big fast food franchises are all guilty of having done the same in a bid to cut costs and make more money at the expense of quality.
Mcdonalds are no doubt successful but it's like trying to say Fortnite/Roblox are the best video games ever because they make the most money. It's simply not true.

 

[CatsGamesWhatever]

Also just to mention the nasty processed chicken patties that places Mcdonald's, Subway or Tim Hortons serve.
Not the more upmarket chicken "selects" but the $1 menu chicken burgers you find at McDonalds.
The producers of these patties mechanically separate the chicken and all pieces of the chicken that are edible including things like veins, tendons, cartilage etc. is thrown into a large industrial mixer not unlike one that mixes concrete.
They add a whitening agent because customers prefer a white looking chicken patty instead of the gray mix it actually is. They tumble it all together until it becomes the consistency of a sludge and inject it into patty molds where it is formed and cooked. They sometimes use food glue & a bread mixture to have "fried" like patties or just cut the patty for things like "protinis" that is packaged and sold at grocery stores.
One of the worst things they do is use food grade paint to spray on grill marks but this chicken has been nowhere near a grill ever. It's more palatable for the customer I guess.

Tim Horton's is notorious for using this bargain basement chicken garbage. TH only have a crisping drawer, toaster and microwave in the whole place.
When you want a sandwich they literally microwave the frozen patty before they serve it to you. It is disgusting.
TH used to be a proper bakery style restaurant. They employed a baker and cooked all the donuts/pastries in house. They also made all their food in house.
When they got sold to that Brazilian conglomerate 10 or so years ago their quality nose dived. All they have is frozen donuts now!
So whenever I see someone say Canadian's love Tim Hortons I squirm because I hate that place with a passion for what they've become.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Just curious, you guys agree that there's a tier between fast food and sit down family restaurants (not even spiffy steakhouses or anything)?

Like portuguese chicken places and afghan kebob kind of places IMO are definitely a step above McDonalds food, but the places can be sketchy in terms of looks and they might not have any seats inside. So food better, aesthetics dumpier than a chain.

Or do you guys classify these places with Burger King?

 

[BigBooper]

People that make a point to say that are riding their superiority high horse. Some restaurants are gross, some are good.

 

[gamescoltsfan]

I love me chick fil a!!

 

[BigBooper]

Just curious, you guys agree that there's a tier between fast food and sit down family restaurants (not even spiffy steakhouses or anything)?

Like portuguese chicken places and afghan kebob kind of places IMO are definitely a step above McDonalds food, but the places can be sketchy in terms of looks and they might not have any seats inside. So food better, aesthetics dumpier than a chain.

Or do you guys classify these places with Burger King?

It's all loosey goosey anyways but I think if the food isn't premade and you couldn't drive off from a takeout windows and eat it, it's not fast food. That has nothing to do with the level of quality though. A lot of fast food sandwiches are better quality than say Olive Garden spaghetti.

 

[SafeOrAlone]

In n Out is awesome and I'm tired of hearing "it's overrated". I think people are beginning to hate-eat it.

 

[niilokin]

fast food is too good but I only have it like once a year.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Thatsapenis.jpeg

Anyway, it's gross because of the affect it has on your body. It's not healthy at all. It's not made with real ingredients, at least not undiluted ones. I think it was the Subway bread that was like compositionally similar to cardboard or whatever. McDonald's cheeseburgers can be set out on driveways for days and days and won't decay at all because of high sodium and preservatives. Like, shit tastes good, no duh. But if antifreeze tasted like salted fries, would you just buy a bottle and guzzle it when you got hungry because it's convenient?

 

[Raziel]

As someone that grew up on McDonalds, Jack In the Box, Wendys, Carls Jr, Subway, and Yoshinoya, let me tell you, it is shit.

Exceptions would be McDonalds breakfast sandwiches (Egg McMuffin) and I guess the fries are fine at most of these places, because they're almost impossible to fuck up/make gross. I also still like Taco Bell and Panda Express.

"Elevated" fast food like In N Out and Shake Shack are much better for burgers and fries. For chicken sandwiches, try any of the million places making Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches right now. Your Chick Fill-A mind will be blown.

Also one of the biggest reasons fast food chains serve billions it because it's cheap. A food stamp family can feed their entire house without breaking the bank. Please don't let that be the reason you choose it over something better.

 

[Spaceman292]

is it just so they can feel superior? or do they think everyone else hates it so they lie to try to fit in? mcdonald's served like 25 billion customers last year. apparently people like the food.

i hear it about almost every chain. there are a few darlings though that even the cynics have to admit they like, Chick fil A for example.

lately subway has been getting torn up because of the 'fake tuna' BS and all it did was make me want subway.

I don't get it often because it's not healthy, but any day i'm getting fast food is a good day as far as I'm concerned.

It tastes like shit and the people who eat it are gross

 

[Kamina]

Often they are just grossed out by the people who eat it rather than the food itself.
I was once on a plane with some middle eastern family sitting close by. The mother had bought the kids hamburgers and fries to eat. They were eating with open mouth and even talking with food in their mouths.
The stench of cold fat and food soon flooded the cabin.
I was disgusted to say the least.

 

[Kev Kev]

its not that it doesnt taste good, its that its horrible for your health and gives you diarrhea

 

[GeekyDad]

...I don't get it often because it's not healthy, but any day i'm getting fast food is a good day as far as I'm concerned.

That pretty much sums it up for me. It's "junk" food, but yeah, I luddat shit. But my wife and I try to limit ourselves to one treat meal a month, whether it be fastfood or a nice meal full of stuff we normally try to keep out of our everyday diet.

 

[Vagswarm]

It tastes good and fills certain cravings, but yea, it's not that good for you. It also depends on what you get and how often. I used to just eat whatever sounded good, but now that I'm older becoming healthy is a focus.

I'm currently eating a Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Chick Fil-A, which is only 6g fat, 680mg Sodium, and 28g protein. If I get McDonald's, it's usually regular hamburgers with no salt or pickles, med fries and coke with extra ice. At Fizoli's it's Spaghetti w/ Marinara (no meatballs). Basically just check the nutritional value and don't get too much fat or sodium. Big Macs were one of my favorites but they are horrible for you. Burger King I don't even bother with anymore.

 

[Coolwhhip]

It makes you fat and destroys your gut bacteria balance, among other things. So... great?

 

[TheMan]

I think it's funny that people always complain of getting the shits after eating taco bell. Like, really? Is your GI system really that fucking terrible? Do you just have the bad luck of getting food poisoning every single time you eat there?

 

[Sybrix]

So they can convince their brain to not eat it so they become healthier

Make no mistake, fast food is bad for you

Tastes damn good sometimes

it will also kill you

 

[dr_octagon]

I've worked making fast food before and it has put me off eating certain stuff for life.

fast food is moreish but so is coke (and coke). no disrespect to people or any superiority complex. look at how KFC in Ghana (or another African country) resulted in obesity, there are clear health issues.

 

[Taxexemption]

McDonald's has quality control issues. They often are not following the instructions precisely so you get breakfast burritos that have cold chunks in the middle. I'm not complaining to anyone making my food as I'd rather it not be spat in or tainted, if I have a few bad experiences at a place I quit going.


I've had vastly different experiences ordering the same item at the same fast food place depending on who is working.


Also, there are a bunch of better places than McDonald's, yeah they are a bit pricier but sometimes it's worth it. I'd challenge someone to go get a chicken sandwich at all of the major fast food chains and compare, there is such a quality difference that even when they do it right some of these places really stand out as having better sandwiches.

 

[Corgi1985]

People acting like they too good for McDonalds are liars. You know you all like that Mcdouble quit lyin

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Speaking of fast food. Told ya two whoppers is awesome....