Fast food: a treasured American pastime, a childhood staple, a college student’s sustenance. Well, at least it’s all of those things to me! As someone who has been told time and again that I have the palette of a 12 year-old, and as a self-proclaimed chicken finger connoisseur, I have eaten my fair share of fast food. So I have devised a list the best places to get all of your favorite fast food delights. From fast food regulars like fries and burgers, to sandwiches and burritos and even your favorite breakfast items, this list should help you decide where your next fast food fix should come from and what the best item on the menu is!
1. McDonald's: French fries
Okay, so maybe they are not thick steak fries, or natural slices of potato, but you’ve got to admit, McDonald’s french fries are uniquely tasty. There is just something about them that makes me crave them, so much so that I’ve been known to order a burger at Burger King, then drive down the road to get my fries from McDonalds. (Although this is possibly due to Burger King’s latest incarnation of fries, which are too potatoey and not salty enough). You know there’s something addictive about McDonald’s french fries when you realize you’ve eaten half the bag in the car before you even get home! Other yummy things McDonald’s has to offer include their two-for-a-dollar apple pies, Shamrock Shakes, and their coffee is, dare I say, better than Dunkin Donuts!
2. Taco Bell: tacos
You might be thinking I’ve picked Taco Bell because they’re the only place that offers tacos, but this is not true! Most burrito places (such as Moe’s and Chipotle) include tacos on their menu, but nothing stands up to a Taco Bell taco. Of course, Taco Bell tacos aren’t anything like legitimate Mexican food, and I’m not pretending to compare them to tacos you might get at a Mexican restaurant, or even to the tacos you make at home. But that doesn’t diminish how good Taco Bell tacos are, especially the Doritos Locos tacos. I love nothing more than eating a bag of Doritos, except maybe stuffing a Dorito shell with taco fixings. I love just about everything Taco Bell has on the menu, from their tacos, to their burritos, to their quesadillas. And where else can you get Baja Blast Mountain Dew?
3. White Castle: sliders
I’ve known plenty of people who have mixed feelings about White Castle, but I really don’t understand how anyone could dislike White Castle’s tiny burgers! Alright, so maybe a place that nicknames their signature meal a “rat burger” doesn’t exactly sound appealing, but White Castle burgers are uniquely wonderful. I think that their onion mixture is what really amps up the flavor. And who hasn’t tried to build the tallest tower of empty slider boxes, trying to set a personal record of just how many you can eat in one sitting? To be honest, I don’t order too much from White Castle aside from their sliders, because they are just the best thing ever, but if you’re going for variety, White Castle has tasty chicken sandwiches and onion rings as well.
4. Qdoba: burritos
I know, I know. You’re thinking, how can she not choose Chipotle? I’ll tell you why: I’ve never once had a good experience at Chipotle. Granted, I’ve only ever been to Chipotles in New York City, which are usually overcrowded, forcing the staff to rush through burrito assembly. But every burrito I’ve gotten from Chipotle is so haphazardly assembled that I usually get a mouthful of only rice, a mouthful of only beans, and so on, rather than an evenly spread ratio of ingredients per bite. And that’s what Qdoba manages to accomplish. At Qdoba, you get a football-sized burrito jampacked with flavorful fillings, and it’s actually put together well. I am going to throw Moe’s an honorable mention too, because Moe’s also has a salsa bar and includes chips with every burrito!
5. Five Guys: burgers
When you’re looking for a burger less, well less questionable, that resembles a legitimate restaurant burger, look no further than Five Guys. Five Guys definitely has some of the best burgers you can get at a fast food place, with lots of options for additional toppings, as well as good french fries. And a big barrel of peanuts for some reason. My only problem with Five Guys is that it really isn’t very unique. Five Guys is basically interchangeable with Smashburger and Tiff Burger, and a place like B. Goode in Boston may actually have a nicer vibe to it. But all in all, Five Guys provides really tasty burgers.
6. Burger King: onions rings (and desert)
Burger King might honestly be my least favorite of the common fast food chains, but there is no denying that they have some killer onion rings. In my opinion, onion rings are the saving grace of Burger King, because ever since they changed their fries a few years ago, onion rings are my go-to side for Burger King meals. I’ve actually went out of my way to just get an order of onion rings from Burger King. Burger King also has some really good desserts, like Hershey pies and cinnamon buns. Although, I’m not sure I can ever forgive Burger King for getting rid of my favorite fast food restaurant dessert, their cinnamon sticks with dipping frosting.
7. Wendy's: chicken sandwich
Wendy’s is an all-around good fast food restaurant, with decent enough burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets, but my favorite thing on the Wendy’s menu are their chicken sandwiches. Whether you get the regular chicken sandwich or the spicy chicken sandwich, Wendy’s really brings it with these yummy meals. I also love that they have a value version of the chicken sandwich, which is good for a filling snack. I also really like Wendy’s frosties, but the drawback is that they need to “defrost” a little bit before they are drinkable!
8. KFC: "homecooked" meal
Of course, no fast food place is really providing you with a seemingly home-cooked meal, but if one were to come close it would be KFC. KFC’s chicken is obviously really good, but for me, it’s the whole meal together that makes going to KFC a good experience. I like that you get a side of mashed potatoes with your meal at KFC rather than french fries. I like their macaroni and cheese. I like their rolls, especially with honey. If you want to get fast food but you don’t exactly want it to feel like you’re getting fast food, then head to a KFC!
9. Nathan's: hot dogs
Perhaps there aren’t many standalone Nathan’s, but they are a staple fixture in most mall food courts, so Nathan’s gets added to the list of best fast food restaurants! There aren’t many fast food places that serve hot dogs, but Nathan’s would win anyway because they basically invented the hot dog. It was the original Nathan’s hot dog stand in Coney Island that popularized the hot dog at the turn of the century, so we really owe it to them that we have this tasty meal. My favorite thing to order at Nathan’s are the hot dog nuggets, which are miniature corn dogs, that send you back to going to a carnival as a kid for a brief moment when you eat them.
10. Dunkin Donuts: hash browns
Having worked next door to a Dunkin Donuts for a number of years, I am pretty sick of most of Dunkin Donuts’ menu by now, but there is one thing they offer that I’ll never be sick of: hash browns. Dunkin Donuts hash browns are some of the yummiest I’ve ever had, and very convenient to eat. The miniature hash brown patties are perfect for dipping, and make a great side dish to any breakfast sandwich. In fact, I’ve been known to order the hash browns on their own just as a snack. They are so good, that when I worked next to Dunkin Donuts, I would have to order double the hash browns because everyone would want one when I brought them back to the store I worked in. So if you haven’t gotten Dunkin’s hash browns yet, what are you waiting for?
11. Pizza Hut: breadsticks
I love Pizza Hut’s pizza, but the real reason I go to Pizza Hut is for the breadsticks. There is just something about how the seasoning mixes with the greasiness, that when paired with marinara sauce is just the best thing ever. Pizza Hut’s cheesy breadsticks are also really good, like the perfect mixture of breadsticks and pizza together. There is nothing like ordering a deep dish pizza and breadsticks from Pizza Hut. In fact, I just did last night. Hmm, I still have leftovers in the fridge...
12. Panera: healthy fast food
I might be stretching the definition of fast food by including Panera on this list, but I wanted to have something on here that wasn’t necessarily greasy burgers and fries. Panera is a bit on the expensive side, but they definitely have some really awesome food, and the good news is that they are slowly eliminating artificial additives from their menu. They also have a huge variety of food on their menu ranging from sandwiches, to salads, to soup, and they have some of the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had (and as someone who has considered mac-n-cheese their favorite food since birth, that’s saying something). Plus they’ve got bagels (although as someone from New Jersey I can’t really consider these pastries bagels), and a whole bakery. My new favorite addition to the Panera menu is the turkey cranberry sandwich. It tastes like Thanksgiving on a flatbread, and I highly recommend it.
Do you agree with my list? Let me know what your favorite fast food places are!
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