The official ATOT Fast Food discussion thread

[zerocool84]

America's favorite fast food chains according to Foursquare Data

http://www.businessinsider.com/best...te-chick-fil-a-2017-10/#alabama-chick-fil-a-2

It says for the California it's Raising
Crain's. Wtf I've never even seen one of these before. Also I looked and there's only five locations in all of California, and that's in SoCal. I guess the only people that use foursquare in California go to Raising Cain's.

 

[RockinZ28]

It says for the California it's Raising
Crain's. Wtf I've never even seen one of these before. Also I looked and there's only five locations in all of California, and that's in SoCal. I guess the only people that use foursquare in California go to Raising Cain's.

It's whatever retarded formula foursquare used to come up with this nonsense. Lived in SoCal for over 20 years myself and never heard of Raising Cane's. When you talk to Californians in other states, or residents of other states, it's mostly I want or want to try an In-N-Out burger. Not once has anyone ever said I want to go to CA to try fucking Raising Canes lol.

Apparently in some of the states there are only 1 or 2 Chick-fil-A's in the entire state, yet by the formula it's the state's most popular restaurant...

 

[stargazr]

It says for the California it's Raising
Crain's. Wtf I've never even seen one of these before. Also I looked and there's only five locations in all of California, and that's in SoCal. I guess the only people that use foursquare in California go to Raising Cain's.

Yeah, I was surprised it wasn't In N Out. Raising Cain's can actually be good if you get the right one, but only 5 locations?

 

[Kaido]

Arby's Venison Sandwich: (today only!)

https://arbys.com/our-menu/limited-time-offers/venison-sandwich

1. Super dry. But chewable! They should have cooked it sous vide.
2. Crazy high protein. Macros: 490 calories, 50g protein, 45g carbs, 11g fat
3. The sauce is probably the best part (juniper berry)
4. Pretty expensive ($7 for just the sandwich), but it is a one-time specialty item (plus it's basically a small steak, not a burger)

It was fun for a try. I think it has a lot of potential if you were to add more sauce & sous vide it. Maybe I'll pick another one up between jobs today & try sous viding it up at home If you hunt or have friends who hunt or have access to a shop that sells wild game, I'd say don't bother, but if you don't get access to alternative meats & like Arby's and want to try something unique, well, today's the day!

I also got their new deep-fried turkey sandwich. I ordered the Cajun flavor. It was actually pretty good!

 

[Chaotic42]

It's whatever retarded formula foursquare used to come up with this nonsense. Lived in SoCal for over 20 years myself and never heard of Raising Cane's. When you talk to Californians in other states, or residents of other states, it's mostly I want or want to try an In-N-Out burger. Not once has anyone ever said I want to go to CA to try fucking Raising Canes lol.

Apparently in some of the states there are only 1 or 2 Chick-fil-A's in the entire state, yet by the formula it's the state's most popular restaurant...

It's a chicken strip chain from Louisiana. It's okay, kind of bland. They were fairly regional until lately, I believe. I've seen them pop up all over the Midwest.

 

[Kaido]

Snickers Unwrapped Bites:

https://www.snickers.com/Product/Bites

If you like Snickers, these are 10/10. Miniaturizing candy bars is hit or miss. Buncha Crunch was probably the first one to really nail it, in modern memory. They nailed the Snickers bites on 3 counts: 1, they are unwrapped, so unlike the mini ones you get in snack packs or for Halloween, you don't have to unwrap them, which is awesome when you're in the mood for say, 20 of them (lol); 2, they still taste & feel like a Snickers bar, so it's not a sub-par experience...you're still getting a Snickers bar hit; 3, (going along with #2), the size is perfect...they are easy to pop in your mouth and chow down on. Snickers are one of the few candy bars I eat, and I only get them from time to time; I would definitely buy the unwrapped bite-sized version again. In fact, I think I may prefer them over the actual bars, because then you're not stuck eating an entire bar if you're just in the mood for a quick sugar hit (or vice-versa, you can eat a full bag if you really want to go to town, haha). They are sold in different sizes. The small pack is 2.83 ounces and has 2 serverings. Macros per serving: 190 calories, 3g protein, 25g carbs, 9g fat (or 380 calories, 6g protein, 50g carbs, and 18g fat per bag).

 

[ponyo]

I can't eat US chocolate bars anymore. Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups used to be great when I was a kid. But either I developed taste buds or companies substituted cheaper ingredients and are cutting corners. It doesn't taste the same and I refuse to eat it anymore. European chocolates are the only chocolate I eat now.

 

[Chaotic42]

I can't eat US chocolate bars anymore. Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups used to be great when I was a kid. But either I developed taste buds or companies substituted cheaper ingredients and are cutting corners. It doesn't taste the same and I refuse to eat it anymore. European chocolates are the only chocolate I eat now.

It seems like they're a lot sweeter than they were when I was a kid. Soda too.

 

[lxskllr]

I got some seasonal French soda from Aldi today. Apple/cinnamon, Blood orange/gingerbread, and pumpkin spice. I've had the apple/cinnamon so far, and it's quite good. Very natural tasting, and not too flavored. They also come with the nifty stopper tops/bale clips. I may go back next week to get a few more bottles cause that kind of thing goes quick.

Bonus that isn't quite junk food is frozen wheatberry/vegetable with a curry sauce. Very tasty. Was reading the ingredients, and one of them was dried raisins. As opposed to not dried raisins? Grapes? :^D

 

[Kaido]

7-11's exclusive Pillsbury Stuffed Waffle:

http://corp.7-eleven.com/corp-press...bury-to-serve-up-its-first-hot-stuffed-waffle

• $2.49 each
  
• Same idea as a McGriddle, just in waffle format (maple-flavored waffle, egg, cheddar cheese, pork sausage). The waffle is flipped in half to hold it all in & is sealed (like one of those little clamshell sandwich appliances). Clever.
• Tasted pretty decent & didn't leave me feeling icky like after a McGriddle (I love McGriddles but man, I don't feel good after eating them lol)
• You can buy them cold (to heat up at home or at work or whatever), or they can heat them up for you. They have them hot & ready to go in the mornings as well. If heated, they give you a nice no-drip, stay-hot foil-parchment bag. I learned about these particular bags previously in sheet format from Skratch Paper & Feed Zone Portables. Have a box that I use at home for stuff like paninis; the pouch version is very nice.
• "The National Restaurant Association found that 72 percent of adults want breakfast items available all day. Almost half of respondents in another study indicated they would purchase breakfast food for lunch, and approximately 60 percent said they would at dinner time."
  
• Macros: 520 calories, 15g protein, 38g carbs, 34g fat (800mg sodium)

I would buy this again. 8/10. A homemade version would probably be epic.

\

 

[Kaido]

I can't eat US chocolate bars anymore. Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups used to be great when I was a kid. But either I developed taste buds or companies substituted cheaper ingredients and are cutting corners. It doesn't taste the same and I refuse to eat it anymore. European chocolates are the only chocolate I eat now.

Hershey's chocolate bars are awful; they taste like wax these days. US chocolate has really gone downhill with all of the cheap, cost-cutting ingredients they put in them. Just look at Snickers...the 80's version had actually butter in it! Whereas the 1981 version below used milk as an ingredient, the 2017 version has skim milk, milkfat, and lactose, plus palm oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, etc.

 

[Kaido]

It seems like they're a lot sweeter than they were when I was a kid. Soda too.

What's really disappointing is the ingredients in soda these days. It's all the same...corn for sugar, chemicals for flavoring, preservatives for shelf life, and dyes for coloring. Just look at cherry Fanta:

• Carbonated Water
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Citric Acid
• Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste)
• Natural Flavors
• Sodium Benzoate (To Protect Taste)
• Red 40
• Blue 1

Seems to be missing, you know, cherry "Natural flavors":

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-difference-be-2002-07-29/

A natural flavor is the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional." Artificial flavors are those that are made from components that do not meet this definition.

 

[lxskllr]

What's really disappointing is the ingredients in soda these days. It's all the same...corn for sugar, chemicals for flavoring, preservatives for shelf life, and dyes for coloring. Just look at cherry Fanta:

• Carbonated Water
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Citric Acid
• Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste)
• Natural Flavors
• Sodium Benzoate (To Protect Taste)
• Red 40
• Blue 1

Seems to be missing, you know, cherry "Natural flavors":

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-difference-be-2002-07-29/

Here's the ingredient list for my new blood orange/gingerbread soda...

carbonated water
sugar
natural orange and spices flavor(including blood orange juice from concentrate)
citric acid
purple carrot juice from concentrate(as color)
sodium benzoate(as preservative)

 

[Chaotic42]

What's really disappointing is the ingredients in soda these days. It's all the same...corn for sugar, chemicals for flavoring, preservatives for shelf life, and dyes for coloring. Just look at cherry Fanta:

• Carbonated Water
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Citric Acid
• Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste)
• Natural Flavors
• Sodium Benzoate (To Protect Taste)
• Red 40
• Blue 1

Seems to be missing, you know, cherry "Natural flavors":

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-difference-be-2002-07-29/

I used to drink a ton of soda (I'm cutting back), but I can sit and drink an arbitrary amount of HFCS soda, but if it's made with sugar I'm satisfied with one or two servings. HFCS really scares me.

 

[zerocool84]

Arby's Venison Sandwich: (today only!)

https://arbys.com/our-menu/limited-time-offers/venison-sandwich

1. Super dry. But chewable! They should have cooked it sous vide.
2. Crazy high protein. Macros: 490 calories, 50g protein, 45g carbs, 11g fat
3. The sauce is probably the best part (juniper berry)
4. Pretty expensive ($7 for just the sandwich), but it is a one-time specialty item (plus it's basically a small steak, not a burger)

It was fun for a try. I think it has a lot of potential if you were to add more sauce & sous vide it. Maybe I'll pick another one up between jobs today & try sous viding it up at home If you hunt or have friends who hunt or have access to a shop that sells wild game, I'd say don't bother, but if you don't get access to alternative meats & like Arby's and want to try something unique, well, today's the day!

I also got their new deep-fried turkey sandwich. I ordered the Cajun flavor. It was actually pretty good!

I'm sorry but did you just say for a chain restaurant to cook something sous vide?

 

[Kaido]

I forgot to mention that the 7-11 I stopped at had a TurboChef! It was the Encore model:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/tu...king-countertop-oven-208-240v/532ENCOREM.html

It's basically a $10,000 combination microwave-toaster oven. So the inside of your food cooks like a microwave & the outside gets crispy - fast! Very neat. Didn't expect to see one at 7-11, but it makes sense! The clerk was nice enough to let me check it out...super cool gadget!

 

[Kaido]

I used to drink a ton of soda (I'm cutting back), but I can sit and drink an arbitrary amount of HFCS soda, but if it's made with sugar I'm satisfied with one or two servings. HFCS really scares me.

I wonder if that's a thing. I like to get the Mexican Sprites (the glass jars with sugar) & the same thing happens to me...I have a limit on sugar-based soda, but I can kill a lot of corn syrup-based soda.

 

[Kaido]

Here's the ingredient list for my new blood orange/gingerbread soda...

carbonated water
sugar
natural orange and spices flavor(including blood orange juice from concentrate)
citric acid
purple carrot juice from concentrate(as color)
sodium benzoate(as preservative)

I should stop by Aldi's tonight...

 

[Kaido]

I'm sorry but did you just say for a chain restaurant to cook something sous vide?

tbh it would make sense, right? You could stick a piece of meat in a water bath all day & not have any risk factor. Especially if you either printed the in-time on the package, or had some sort of water-activated timing mechanism for individual bags of food.

 

[lxskllr]

I can't really drink much soda anymore. I just lost my taste for it. I used to drink massive quantities at work(I much prefer draught), and when I got laid off, I quit. Add to that, my daughter got diabetes, so I focused on stuff we both could drink. It just doesn't taste as good to me anymore. It's /too much/. Too much sugar, and too much flavor. I came to appreciate more subtle flavoring in my drinks.

I now buy the occasional boutique(read expensive) soda. It's still too sweet, but the flavors are interesting. I probably buy a 4pack/month, and I almost never get soda when I eat out. My drink of choice is seltzer water, and coconut water as a treat. I've been meaning to get back to making unsweetened tea, but haven't as of yet. I do various blends of real tea, herb tea, and combinations thereof.

 

[lxskllr]

I should stop by Aldi's tonight...

If you're interested in the flavors I listed, definitely stop in. They get stuff like this, and it's gone lightning quick. That makes shopping interesting and fun, but also disappointing when you like something, and it's gone for a year, or maybe forever. Always hard to tell with aldi.

edit:
btw, aldi's kinda weird. They opened up a new branch closer to me which is in an upscale part of the county, but they don't seem to have as much interesting stuff as the aldi in the bad part of town. I go to the wrong side of the tracks to do my ghetto shopping, and hit the aldi when I'm there cause they're less crowded, and have a better selection. I go every other week or so, and hit biglots, goodwill, harborfreight(sometimes), sav-a-lot(love their vegetable juice), the generic thrift shop, and aldi. Saves gas, and I can do everything at once.

 

[zerocool84]

tbh it would make sense, right? You could stick a piece of meat in a water bath all day & not have any risk factor. Especially if you either printed the in-time on the package, or had some sort of water-activated timing mechanism for individual bags of food.

Too much time and effort for a national fast food chain.

 

[lxskllr]

Speaking of soda, I forgot. I bought some Bundeburg ginger beer last week. I was so excited to find it in a small grocer near one of my jobs. Got home, popped one open, and... I was disappointed. It's still good, and still has that real brewed taste, but it's not what I remember. I previously could only find it at a certain highland games, at a certain fish & chips truck, and it was new and exciting. My first real ginger beer. Now, I've had some others I think are better. Maine Root and Fentimans are both better imo. Bundeburg is worth a try, especially if you've only had Canada dry, or similar, but it's not the best as I once thought.

 

[Chaotic42]

Speaking of soda, I forgot. I bought some Bundeburg ginger beer last week. I was so excited to find it in a small grocer near one of my jobs. Got home, popped one open, and... I was disappointed. It's still good, and still has that real brewed taste, but it's not what I remember. I previously could only find it at a certain highland games, at a certain fish & chips truck, and it was new and exciting. My first real ginger beer. Now, I've had some others I think are better. Maine Root and Fentimans are both better imo. Bundeburg is worth a try, especially if you've only had Canada dry, or similar, but it's not the best as I once thought.

I really like ginger beer and beech beer. Unfortunately they're both kind of hard to find.

Edit: *birch* beer

 

[Chaotic42]

By the way, I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I accidentally got Doritos Locos tacos at Taco Bell a little while back. Those things are horrible. How the hell are they still on the menu. ESPN had a commercial saying that for every stolen base, they'll give away one Doritos Locos taco per customer. Even free they're a horrible deal.