I have to admit I feel that way about Chik-fil-a....which I get about once every five years. (Seriously, they need to open just a few more units.)

I had a Big Mac once that was freshly made (shortly after they were introduced by McDonalds) and it was the best I've ever had. I compare all fast food to that Big Mac and nothing has ever been that good since! (The service was better back then, too).

Mudlady, good for you indulging your small guilty pleasures! Although I had to laugh at the diet Coke!

Must say I am not tempted by fast food burgers but once in a very blue moon I'll have KFC and savour every bite!

Oh, if you try an In-N-Out Burger, you wouldn't be able to resist for 5 years! That Big Mac pales in comparison with a Double-Double.

Nancy - I would love to have been there with you! I had a Big Mac about a year ago. When made properly, there is nothing better thana Big Mac and fries!

Alexa

YES!!!!! In-N-Out Burger (the animal) is the best!!!

Linda

Wow, I wish I had that much self discipline! I used to never eat beef at all and I've had Rib-eye's from Steak-Out six times in the last two weeks. I keep telling myself it has to stop!

I gotta say McD is probably my favorite fast food. Best french fries, best shakes, like the fish sandwich, love the southwest salad, the breakfast stuff. I travel 4 hours to see my mother in a different state about 1 every 2 months. She's 85 and eats nothing I could eat so that tends to be a McD weekend. Other than that its just their coffee on the way to work every morning. I know they its awful for you and I do feel guilty because of what fast food seems to contribute too but...hey you've been so good for 5 years! Don't sweat it

"But, the BEST lunch you've had in 5 years? What do you usually eat??"

Rachelellen--I try to eat "good" food even though it doesn't taste as "good" as a Big Mac.

Some of the responses in agreement with my taste make me think of Kinsey Millhone, the private eye in Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries ;-)

Maybe twice a year I give in to MacD's or another fast food joint. It always smells wonderful and the first few bites are good, but after, I feel like I've got a wad of grease in my stomach, which I guess I do.

I remember when the fries were fried in lard. OMG, were they good -- and bad for you!

In-N-Out Burger -- makes me want to hop on a plane to CA.

We have a new (at least to us) burger spot called Elevation Burger, that uses really good ingredients. Can't wait to try them, but I do have to stay away from the REAL milkshakes!

Glad you enjoyed your lunch!

Here is a link that might be useful: Elevation Burger

OK, I'm cracking up here. Once or twice a year I'll get an A&W chili cheese dog and their draft root beer, we have a drive in nearby that still has carhops and hangs the tray on the window. I love 'em but I have heartburn for hours afterward and they aren't anywhere near the best lunch I've had, so I restrict them to just a few times a year.

We do go to McDonald's where I'll get a small mocha but Cooper and Pancho want the McDouble or a Egg McMuffin.

Yup, we feed the dogs at McDonald's if we're out and about, LOL. The Princess and Bruvver also love McDonald's but they don't eat much of anything except the french fries. What they really love is the toys in the Happy Meals.

Dedtired, I also remember when McDonald's fries were really good, back when they were still fried in lard. I used to love 'em, don't really care about them now. I don't want to eat the trans fats but other than that they'll never make a french fry healthy and I fail to see why they bother to try. They shoulda kept the lard.

Chase, I only like Diet Coke, I don't like the regular stuff, so I always get Diet Coke if I order a soft drink, unless I can get that draft A&W rootbeer.

Annie

Oooo Mmmm A carhop served frosty mug of A&W root beer! That's bringing back the memories

Oh yeah-- we all know how "bad" the fast food joints food is for us-- maybe that's why they taste so good when we do indulge!
MacD's & Burger King doesn't do much for me tho before the trans fat scare I couldn't pass up a MD Sausage & biscuit-- now their biscuits taste terrible--- but Wendy's Cheddar Mushroom Burger-- that's still to die for ( don't tell me how many calories or fat or sodium are in that baby)-- that's my once a year treat !

Glad you enjoyed your lunch !!

Best fast food I've ever had is still Roy Roger's Roast Beef, horseradish sauce, and their fries. All washed down with Birch Beer.

In-N-Out Burger! Now I'm homesick. That's the best burger ever.

After owning an A&W I'll never drink rootbeer again. Just the thought of a rootbeer float sorta gets my gag reflex going. I must have had a thousand of those things... :)

Don't feel bad about indulging. I indulged yesterday with baby back ribs & mac 'n cheese. Heck, there's as much fat in that meal as a Big Mac...maybe, more! Homemade cooking may taste better in many instances; but it's certainly not always healthier.

/tricia

I don't know what it is with the In-N-Out here, but it's not very good, espeically compared to the one we used to live near in CA.

Now if we're expanding these fast food confessions to breakfast foods, I have to say I really, really miss the country fried steak biscuits from Biscuitville. Sunday morning breakfast used to be one of those and a tall sweet iced tea. Wonder if they are still good?

tricia...you owned an A&W !!!!!! Did I miss that before or is this new info?

I loved A&W , pretty much gone now except in a few fast food courts at the mall. Can't bring myself to do that. To me the A&W is a drive in.

Teen Burger, fries and a large orange...never cared for the root beer! I recall the orange was always so cold.

Long, long time ago!

Keep them baby mugs chilling...

Yes, chase, owned an A&W in Rancho Mirage, CA. Have you ever tried to keep mugs frosted in 120 degree heat?!

They were expanding the highway during our ownership & we were the closest fast food for the construction workers. We literally could not push those 1/2 ga. root beer containers out the window fast enough to keep those guys hydrated in the summer.

We served the standard A&W menu, Papa, Mama, Baby burgers, Bacon Cheeseburgers, BBQ Beef, etc. plus many others. The menu was way too extensive. Anyway, I've had enough root beer to last me a lifetime and then some. :)

/tricia

I've never been to a McD - I've been boycotting them since the 1970s, and they did not exist in the town where I grew up. I've been to In-N-Out and like them (especially their fries, which are made from freshly cut potatoes), but I can't remember when I was last there.

In Venice I lived a couple of blocks from a drive-through Lebanese restaurant that served falafel, hummus, tabouli, kefto, kabobs, etc., and it is still my favorite fast food, even though I usually go inside to eat it. Other than falafel and kabobs, I don't get fast food cravings, unless you count sushi. Hamburgers just aren't as good as kabobs to me.

Lars

Y'all are such foodie purists! I get snack wraps every once in a while, chick-fil-a's every so often, Taco Bell occasionally....so about once a week I have fast food.
I get Dad something too and he really looks forward to it.
Dh and I both like Wendy's salads.

I like McDonald's frappes at the moment. I had a coupon for a free one last week and I'll definitely buy one soon.

But I don't imagine all this fast food is good for me, just my mental health.

I was in a MacDonalds once in the early 70s. I decided then that it was not what I considered food. I have never eaten at any other fast food place either.

Why would you boycott them if you've never been to one? *shaking head*

I've never had a Big Mac in my life. But it's on my "bucket list" now. LOL

Love a fish wich and fries about once a year or so though.

This thread is such a hoot! Especially after the sodium thread. In-N-Out are notorious for the amount of salt. You can do animal at home, you know. It's mustard seed and onions.

Lars, drive through Lebanese?? Where? You don't mean Gaby's, do you?

Plllog, yes there is now a Gaby's Express in Venice on Washington, just west of Lincoln. Their website says Marina Del Rey, but they are on the Venice side of Washington. Then they have another location a little further west on Washington on the beach.

I boycotted McD's because of their policy of buying beef raised in South American on land that was formerly rain forest but had been burned to create grazing land. I don't know what their policy is now, but there is no reason for me to go there anyway.

Lars

McDonalds does not buy, nor has it ever bought it's beef from South America, raised on land that was formerly rain forest or not. It is one of those urban legends. No offense to you personally, Lars, but I really wish that facts would travel as quickly and be repeated as zealously as rumors and slander. In years past, it was a lot of work to check into the validity of such things, but with the internet available, there is no longer any excuse for not taking 2 minutes to verify information that has the potential to hurt a person or a business before spreading it around.

About 4 or 5 years ago, Greenpeace did allege that a lot of the soy-based animal feed used in chicken production for European fast food restaurants including McDonalds was responsible for South American deforestation. I don't know about the other companies, but McDonalds promised an investigation, and then shortly instituted a company wide policy that eschewed such soy. We raise enough soy in this country that such was never an issue here. In any case, I doubt that prior to the Greenpeace allegations anyone in McDonald's corporate structure had any idea where soybeans used in food for the chickens they bought to make their nuggets came from. They likely purchased it in some sort of world market exchange, much like you or I might buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store and have no idea where the flour was ground, or the wheat that flour was made from was grown.

Here is a link that might be useful: Snopes on McDonald's beef

I have a few cravings that must be taken care of too.

Taco Bueno
KFC
Wendy's frosty and fries....dunk the salty fries in the frosty.
Arby's turnovers for a treat.

I admit I do eat too much fast food or junk when on the road. I do have a few favorite mom and pop places that I stopped at for a to go sandwich but they are far from healthy.

I wish MD still made their fries in lard. They were the best back in the day. The only other thing I still like there is the sausage biscuit.

I remember A&W too. Loved the root beer in the mug. Funny, growing up going to these places was a great once in a while treat. Now they have become just the norm for so many.

David

Now don't you all know that a diet Coke taken with a greasy meal cancells out the fat and calories???????

I rarely eat fast food. I have a McDonalds at the end of my road. I can see it from my front porch. I think I've ate there 2-3 times in the 12 years I've lived here. You folks do have me craving a Big Mac and fries now though! I used to work at MD as a 16 year old kid and you can make good food with care and the right ingredients. We ate good after closing time.

About once or twice a year I get a White Castle or Taco Bell craving. I used to love love love Wendy's chicken sandwich....then about 5 years ago they revamped it...you know make it bigger and supposedly better. Nope....don't like the new one at all. Why change a good thing?

Duane

Ya! Fun thread!

I admit that I indulge in the evils of fast food on occasion, rare though it might be. But especially if I've been drinking, Jack in the Box's 2/1 tacos (which I've mentioned before) and a jumbo jack are exactly what the doctor ordered! I hang my head in shame but I just can't help it!!

For a more tasty burger though, I prefer a whopper, which I eat maybe a couple times a year. And I do Chic-fil-a a few times a year as well. Those are gooood!

For a good graezy breakfast, nothing'll do like a McGriddle sandwich from McDonald's. What GENIUS figured out to put the syrup IN the pancakes?? I love that!!

"...there is no longer any excuse for not taking 2 minutes to verify information that has the potential to hurt a person or a business before spreading it around."

A big AMEN to that!

Lars, Amanda boycotted McDonald's for a long time because they used styrofoam packages for their sandwiches. The big environmental issue at that time was the CFCs that were leached into the environment through styrofoam packaging, so she wrote a letter to McDonald's and said she'd not eat there until they changed their packaging. They eventually did, although I doubt her letter had anything to do with the decision. By the time that happened, she realized that she didn't like their food. I agree, I don't care for their food either, which is evidenced by the fact that I only feed the dogs there, but I will drink their coffee.

If I want a fast food burger, I have to drive 30 miles to Big Rapids to find one anyway. If I'm going there, I'm going to Schuberg's, the local small town independently owned dive bar, and get a really good greasy bar burger. Too bad they don't serve chili dogs, I could get one to go and then drive 1/4 mile to A&W for the root beer, LOL.

Now, does anyone else do that? Get a sandwich at once place, fries or something at another? Amanda wants a mocha from Biggby Coffee with a chili dog from A&W and onion rings from Sonic. The real problem is that Sonic is in Grand Rapids, that's 50 miles away, LOL.

Annie

Best fast food burger place IMO is Carls Jr I only have had this when I visited family 3 times in the 80's in Thousand Oaks California....I havent had one in 20yrs but often dream of them...especially they had a bacon cheeseburger with BBQ sauce that was soooooooo good!

LOL Annie, I'm way too lazy to do that for myself! However, I have done it for my kids (a few times only) when one wanted one thing and the other wanted something different. It's a pain!!

I forgot to mention about root beer in my previous post. I don't like the stuff, never have. But there is a small beer brewery here in Houston called St. Arnold's which makes some mighty fine beer. They have "tours" every Saturday where you pay $7 and get a small glass which they fill four times for you with whatever kind of beer you want. They also sell larger glasses (or you can bring your own) and they'll fill that four times instead. People bring their "picnic" lunch and games, and hang out at the picnic tables or just sit on the floor, drinking beer, eating, playing and talking. It's great fun!

The point of all that is that they also brew their own root beer. My DH and 19yo don't drink alcohol but they come along and indulge in the root beer (for free). According to them, it's primo. I don't know how far and wide St. Arnold's ships their products but if you ever see the brand, pick up a six pack of the root beer and give it a try!!

I don't work for them or have any interest, I just love how they do things!

Here is a link that might be useful: St. Arnold's Root Beer

lowspark, I'd be sitting with your DH and son, I just hate beer, LOL, but I always try the "artisan" root beer whenever I find a brewery that makes it. I never buy it at the grocery store, only at A&W drive ins and those breweries, but I'll look for St. Arnold's, thanks.

Annie

My choice of a dive or a great restaurnat is strongly influenced by whether they serve Coke Vs. Pepsi. Pepsi is just sweet glop and Coke is the taste that means soda to me. If I am forced into eating in a place that doesn't have Coke I will order ginger ale or iced tea. I never drink water while I eat--it adds nothing to the taste and just dilutes the taste of what I am eating. Coffee is for breakfast or pastry. My mother used to drive me nuts because she ordered coffee with a burger or pizza! I never drink soda with deserts or any swets. For that, I want skim milk, coffee or tea. I don't know why I have such odd preferences, but they are really important to me. Soda and cake or cookies-----never!
Nancy

There is a chain of restaurants that has been expanding here in the Midwest region by the name of Culvers. It's much better than the National fast food chains.
Their Root Beer is even better than A+W's.

I get a taste for a Burger King Whopper at times, other wise I much prefer to make my own fast food here at home.

Nancy

Nancy, there's a Culver's on Alpine, right next to Gordon Food Service, across the street from Sam's Club and Menard's.

I've never been there but I see they have walleye on special occasionally, so I will probably not be able to resist the lure of that!

Annie

I'm a Whopper Girl! On the rare occasion that I eat fast food.
Yes, I used to work there and I STILL like 'em!

I was an A & W carhop right after high school (one of 3 jobs at the time). My boss was a slave driver (oh, wait! that was WORK ETHICS he taught us!! LOL).
I had to make that root beer and I've never been a fan.
I'd have a glass once in great while, but it was more about the frosty mug than the root beer. I usually just filled my mug with Tab at the time!

OT slightly: One of my most embarrasing moments was working at A & W. This really, really cute guy used to come in driving a turquoise Trans Am (remember, this was 1981). As I took his order out to him one day, I bumped the edge of the window with the hooks on the tray and dumped a large Coke INSIDE his car, all over his lap.
I was mortified!!! Did I mention I was 18 and he was really cute?!?!?

I never delivered his order again even though he was the ultimate gentleman over the whole thing!

I. Just. Couldn't.

Deanna

I'm all for enjoying a food splurge occasionally, and I mean no disrespect to the folks above who shared their enthusiasm for McDonald's burgers and other fast food.
I had planned to keep quiet about my views on McD's until the boycott issue came up.
I decided to boycott MacD's after seeing the movie, McLibel (2005, available from Netflix).
Here's a portion of a review from IMDpdPro:
"McDonald's loved using the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Major media organisations like the BBC and The Guardian crumbled and apologised. But then they sued gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris. In the longest trial in English legal history, the "McLibel Two" represented themselves against McDonald's 10 million legal team. Every aspect of the corporation's business was cross-examined: from junk food and McJobs, to animal cruelty, environmental damage and advertising to children."
I swore off them for reasons of ethics and my health.
I'll end on a positive note: if you're ever in Northern Virginia (and I understand the small chain is spreading) try a burger at FOSTER'S. Oh, boy! Tomatobob

Well, if someone made a movie about it, I guess it must be true.

:P

Maybe it was Michael Moore (g, d, r)

Alexa

At least once a year I have to hit Krystals - do they have those up North? Great little slidders and little chili dogs! Lousy fries though.

But the all time winner around here would be to go to the Varsity. If you are ever in Atlanta, you have to make a trip to the Varsity - largest drive-in in U.S. Has these wonderful steak burgers that are a little like a country-fried steak with gravey. Messy, but oh so good!

Beth

In this instance it's easy to check Wikipedia, that two minute check that's been espoused.

You will see that McDonald's spent millions, that the defendant spent very little since they had no money and represented themselves and that various courts agreed with them on some counts and with McDonald's on some counts.

It was also found that the trial was unfair because of the disparity of the amount of money spent by each side.

So, I'm sure the movie is strictly from the defendant's point of view, but the courts have found that they were at least partially correct.

Annie

Annie, I am fairly familiar with the case. British law on such things is different than American law, and I won't enter into all that except to say that under the British system, the burden of truth regarding public accusations against another is on the accuser. Like it or not, that is their law.

I also am not even going to try and defend the actions of a howmanybillion dollar company, or pretend to know the truth behind the allegations of both sides. However, it was enlightening to me to know that the defendants were members of a fringe environmentalist organization that didn't want to affiliate itself with Greenpeace because it was "too mainstream" (Jeepers!) Also, that the fliers they were distributing made the claims that:

McDonald's:
* is complicit in Third World starvation;
* buys from greedy rulers and elites and practices economic imperialism;
* wastes vast quantities of grain and water;
* destroys rainforests with poisons and colonial invasions;
* sells unhealthy, addictive junk food;
* alters its food with artificial chemistry;
* exploits children with its advertising;
* is responsible for torture and murder of animals;
* poisons customers with contaminated meat;
* exploits its workers and bans unions;
* destroys rainforests;
* hides its malfeasance.*

Now. Did McDonalds overreact? React too harshly? Was McDonalds mean? I don't know. But here we are, 20 years after the fact, hearing from people who were influenced against the company by the case to the point of boycotting their products.

I've never owned or had any significant financial interest in a company as big as McDonalds. But if I found out that someone here in town was distributing fliers that accused me of committing horrendous and possibly criminal practices in the course of my daily business, I would fight it.

That someone not particularly educated in either law or experienced in any field related to the case made a film, apparently portraying the defendants as puny, helpless victims bullied by an Evil Mega Corp does not impress me. Biased, slanted "documentaries" are produced every day.

As for being partially correct in the allegations, I suppose I could be accused of some of those things with equal accuracy. I could well be accused of being, "complicit in Third World starvation" because I eat beef on a regular basis...if I ate lentils instead, I could feed any number of starving people by sending them the money I would save. I expect that I buy from what some would consider "greedy rulers and elites" as well. I would have no defense to the charge that I waste grain and water, depending on the accuser's perspective. I water my roses...frivolous things, and shower far more often than absolutely needed. I don't know how poisons, "colonial invasions" and rainforests could be attributed to me, but then, I don't know how they could be attributed to McDonald's either. Are my contributions to church bake sales selling "unhealthy, addictive junk food?"

Okay, okay, I'll quit...but you get my point, right?

Likely, I'm far too sensitive on these subjects. I get itchy over attacks on "Big Evil Corporate America" because so often, we jump on the band wagon before we look into it, and so very often, the attacks have less to do with actual facts and more to do with the agendas of the attackers.

This is funny, really. Here I am, speaking up for a restaurant I don't even frequent! Once every couple of years or so I drive through to grab something because I'm in a huge rush, on a road trip, whatever...and I ALWAYS regret it! The first two bites taste good because I'm hungry and after that I'm increasingly grossed out. Inevitably, I end up throwing out half my food and wonder what the heck I was thinking!

I'll boycott MacD's because I don't like their products. How's that for a good reason? I think I ate there wayyyy too often when the kiddoes were little. Even they won't eat there anymore.

The only fast food place I patronize now is Tim Horton's, but only when we're travelling. I used to proclaim that their "sour cream glazed" was the donut that all others were measured against, but I haven't eaten one in years. Still think about them sometimes though.... Lately Tim's has diversified, and their lunch sandwich combos are quite good value for the money. There must be at least 6 Tim's locations in our local airport, and since the airlines started charging for meals and snacks, we always carry on a Tim's because they are better and cheaper than what is offered on the plane. Wouldn't cross the street for their coffee, though...

Rachelellen, that's exactly why I posted. Everything has two sides. I believe McDonald's, or any other companies that are marketing to the public need to adhere to certain standards, and those standards are subject to scrutiny by their customers. If I believe they do not meet whatever standards I think are reasonable, I get to choose not to frequent them. Since this is America, I also get to say that I don't frequent them and why, whether I am right or wrong or unreasonable in the standards I believe should be meet. You certainly can disagree with me publicly, which is also your right to free speech.

I also believe, as I mentioned, that the movie is most likely slanted toward the perspective of the defendants. Each side believed they were right, and apparently still believe so. In reality, they were both right and both wrong and the courts recognized that.

But, if you are a big corporation, your customers get to choose what they think and believe about you and if they want to boycott because of poor work conditions or lousy food or whatever, that is certainly the prerogative of the customer.

What really grosses me out isn't the food, it's the allegation that whoever McDonald's hired to "infiltrate" actually had sex with one of the "enemy" in order to gain information for their law suit and that's just icky.

Annie

Oh, man! Lars! What a thing! Thanks for explaining my confusion because I knew about the other Gaby's down there. I usually go to the one on Venice in Palms. Drive through Gabys!!! This is the sort of food you're supposed to linger over, rather than shovel in while driving, but it's a fascinating concept!

'Course, y'all influenced me. I was running around on empty yesterday and really needed a quick lunch. Because of all your priming I went animal style. Sigh. Puffed up from all the salt, but it was good. :)

I've seen the movie under discussion. Yes, terribly biased on the side of the defendants who have some pretty expansive accusations agains McDonalds which I think were unfair, even though I don't like McDonalds just in general for their red and yellow color scheme, lol! McD's is what it is, and I'm not crazy about it for a whole host of other reasons--particularly the amount of trash that a fast food meal generates. But that's not unique to McD's. But it's fast food, so that's the way it goes, and I go there from time to time for just that reason, I'm starving, I need something FAST, and there's no other option nearby. But oddly, my experience of late is that McD's service is SLOW, which is not a good thing IMHO, because FAST is the ONLY thing they have going for me, lol! I can't abide by the stuff anymore though, the buns taste too much like cardboard to me, and the meat has additives that give it an odd chemical taste, IMHO. I am a fry addict though, I think mostly because I love ketchup. I have a serious fast food problem, but it's not the burgers, it's chocolate donuts and coffee at Dunkin Donuts. I have all kinds of splurges there.
I remember 89 cent whoppers on Wed. in college (or was it 69 cents, that was 26 years ago and I can't remember) but we did walk down to our neighborhood Burger King to join the crowd on Wed. nights, quite the college ritual.
Yes, even vegetarian me did that. I've always been a "flexetarian" and eat meat occasionally. I have no great love for it though. I found I was craving beef at certain times of my menstrual cycle and could fend off the cravings by taking an iron pill. That's the only time I have any taste for beef at all. I feel lucky that I don't have that fast food jones to deal with. My weakness is cheese, so pizza is a problem for me, and one of my pleasant indulgences every once and a while. I even love it cold for breakfast, especially with warm Coke to wash it down.

Culvers actually makes the burgers to order so they are hot and fresh, although it may take a few minutes to cook so drive-through can be very slow. I eat in on the rare times we go. Like most fast food very high in calories, salt etc. When you are not used to eating like that you can really feel your body's negative reaction to all that junk. But hey, it does TASTE GREAT! One issue I have with Culvers is the french fries are frozen crinkle cut. Give me fresh cut 'taters any day!

I think the fast food I miss the most is Hardee's. Used to be able to get the 39 cent burgers and then add toppings at the salad bar....sliced onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles etc. You could make your own mini-whopper...2 burgers and fries for just over a dollar. No wonder they went out of business (at least in this area!)

Duane

We came across Culvers while in South Dakota last summer. We were in Sioux Falls for the National Championship and ended up at Culvers with our team at least 5 times during the week. Obviously we liked it or perhaps it was just something different.

As far as Hardee's, that's our go to place for breakfast when on the road.