Best burger: Wendy's

New Zagat poll shows ranking of fast food joints: http://www.zagat.com/promo.aspx?pn=37&wid=wb_fastfood_ns&hid=wb_noloc_screen1_ns

[Jenise]

Wendy's? I've been to a Wendy's exactly once, so I guess I'm not really qualified to opine on that, but the sorry burger is the reason I never went back. Wouldn't be hard to beat McDonalds. Limit the survey to Californians and the vote would surely go to In n Out.

I guess this survey is limited to national chains, though Chic-fil-a is not exactly national. It's just the only exclusively chicken place besides KFC, so they get votes.

I'd love to try an In and Out, but we don't have any.

No fast food joint has what I would call a real hamburger, but the Wendy's in Albuquerque do a good job--far better than the pasty, steamed McD burgers I've railed about in other threads. In fact, I actually like their el cheapo cheeseburger for 99 cents. Perhaps your one trial at a Wendy's was at a substandard one.

I think Dairy Queen makes the best burgers for a national chain.

[Robin Garr]

Chic-fil-a is not exactly national.

It's not? It's pretty widespread!

The regional Red Robin chain makes a pretty decent hamburger, and so does Fuddrucker's, although both of them are probably more "upscale casual" than fast food, with higher pricing, table service and full bars.

[Jenise]

Robin, if you remember your So Cal geography, there was a Chick-Fil-A about 20 miles inland from us in Cerritos, but I knew of no other within 50 miles. And there are none up here. Widespread is probably true, but not national and not equal to the others on this list where quite literally every town of X number of people or better has at least one.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, if you remember your So Cal geography, there was a Chick-Fil-A about 20 miles inland from us in Cerritos, but I knew of no other within 50 miles. And there are none up here. Widespread is probably true, but not national and not equal to the others on this list where quite literally every town of X number of people or better has at least one.

Okay, I see your point. It's certainly not as big as Mickey D's or Wendy's. I'm stickin' with "national," though - 38 states out of 50 comes purty close. Here's a factoid from the Chick-fil-A Website:

<i>Chick-fil-A is one of the largest privately-held restaurant chains – with 1,240-plus restaurants* in 38 states and Washington, D.C. – and the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the nation, based on annual sales.</i>

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/FactSheet.asp

Take a basically bland meat (i.e. chicken) and make it even more bland?

Give it to Chick Filet!

Whoa...I can't stand that chain. I'd rather eat anywhere else. Even Mikey D's.

Richard

IMO, Chick-Fila has the best chicken sandwich on thefast food market. And probably on the "not so fast" food market as well. I am only talking about the chicken sandwich, I'll buy my fries at Rally's.

I just noticed a few days ago that a former "salad bar" place here called "Eat Your Vegetables" is now a Chick-fil-a. Haven't had the nerve to try it yet, though.

Out of those mentioned, the only one I've patronized with any regularity over the last few years is Subway. If I'm going to go with chain fast food, I'll take theirs. It tastes no worse to me than any of the others and it's arguably not as unhealthy. (Well, barely arguably.) I've also been to a Panera bread twice and had pretty good sandwiches both times.


Mike

Burger King -- Whopper with cheese, hold the mayo, add mustard, heavy pickles, heavy onions.

Robin, thirty eight out of 50 is "national" to you?

I know which side you would've gone with in the War Between The States.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, thirty eight out of 50 is "national" to you?

I know which side you would've gone with in the War Between The States.

It's hardly worth joking about, but I'd say 1,240 properties spread widely across a significant majority of the states is a national chain, Hoke. That's probably why the Zagat popularity poll listed them under, well, "national."

IMO, Chick-Fila has the best chicken sandwich on thefast food market. And probably on the "not so fast" food market as well. I am only talking about the chicken sandwich, I'll buy my fries at Rally's.

I like the fries at Rally's too. But I don't think they are really fries....aren't they actually potato flakes formed into a fry shape?

Robin, thirty eight out of 50 is "national" to you?

I know which side you would've gone with in the War Between The States.

It's hardly worth joking about, but I'd say 1,240 properties spread widely across a significant majority of the states is a national chain, Hoke. That's probably why the Zagat popularity poll listed them under, well, "national."

Hoke, I'm with you on this one. Twelve states don't have a Chik-Fil-A. That's almost 25%. How many states don't have a McDonald's? I don't know but I bet the answer is pretty close to zero. How about Wendy's? Burger King?

They may be coast-to-coast, but they aren't national.

But we call a couple of soldiers from Peru and a few dozen from Australia a "coalition."

[Robin Garr]

They may be coast-to-coast, but they aren't national.

To me, having more than a thousand properties distributed in 38 states across the country (including both coasts) <i>is</i> national, albeit not as widespread as Mickey D's (or Starbucks). It's certainly more than just regional like White Castle, Krystal or In and Out.

This seems like a mighty small matter to be debating, though ...

We can settle this in a civilized manner: out in the parking lot.

I like the fries at Rally's too. But I don't think they are really fries....aren't they actually potato flakes formed into a fry shape?

I don't think so Mike. I believe they are potato sticks that have a seasoned coating on them. I googled for them and even got a recipe for the coating.

Wendy's chicken breast sandwich with Mayo and lettuce is just about my favorite fast food item. Agree with Howie on the Dairy Queen burger.

I grew up on Chick-fil-a. I wasn't aware there were any in CA, so I was pleased when we bought the place in NC and found one in our town. Now that I've had one again, I won't be eager to go back. The chicken was so salty I could hardly eat it.

In-N-Out Burger rules around here for sure. Love it. Also agree with Robin, that Red Robin's burgers are actually very good. If I could only stand the screaming, ill-behaved kids that always get seated next to us.

Not only are there no Chick-fil-a places where I live (or that I've entered in my travels), I recently embarrassed myself when talking with a friend by not realizing that the name was a pun on filet. It may be nationwide, but it's got significant gaps in coverage.

Bob:

Yeah, I'm still struggling with the idea that a "national" chain can be so unrepresented that it only covers..what, about 75% of the states that represent that market. And even then, the chain is not necessarily widely represented in each of those states.

I'd agree that there are huge, yawning chasms of representation, considering that as much as I travel around this country, Chik-Fil-A is not one of the restaurant chains that I see in a great many places. And curiously, many of those places are in airports, and not in the communities.

Pretty easy to drive through large portions of this country and not see a Chik-Fil-A. Can't say that about McDonalds, Burger King, etc.

Guess your definition of "national" depends on whether there is one near you, eh?

[Robin Garr]

Guess your definition of "national" depends on whether there is one near you, eh?

Just out of curiosity, Hoke, which part of "1,247 properties" is so frickin difficult to understand?

They may also pass with relatively little notice because, until recently, the chain as a matter of policy has built its outlets in malls and airports; they've only begun launching free-standing facilities in any number within the lsst couple of years.

For whatever reason, I've always found the airport Chick-Fil-A's very poor compared with the chain's other facilities.