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Is recently bankrupted Sbarro America's least essential (chain) restaurant? Justin Peters, writing at Slate, makes a very strong case for the affirmative. He cites:
1. The lack of a distinctive signature food item.
2. The fact that it's expensive, relatively speaking—a slice of pizza ran him $3.49. And of course:
3. Pizza that's doughy and overly sweet, and mediocre by-the-book Americanized pasta. (In Sbarro's defense, the genre-defining Fat Boys video "All You Can Eat" was filmed there.)
Fat Boys aside, Peters makes a plausible argument. Speaking personally, I'd make two counternominations for the least essential chain.
White Castle gets my first big no-vote. Why?
1. The burgers are nigh inedible. Yes, they're very affordable, and have a cute form-factor, and are distinctive-looking. But just try choking one down, even while intoxicated: They're mealy, greasy, often mushy, and lack much flavor beyond salt and onions. Even the sterile, borderline inorganic burgers of McDonald's are preferable to these rank little pucks of sadness.
2. Clam strips. White Castle sells clam strips. Those poor clams! Who thought this was a good idea? I've tried some dodgy things over the course of my career as a mass-market food critic, but there isn't enough money in the world to get me to eat these. Well. OK. $250. But it would need to be stacked up, in cash, in front of me next to the clam strips.
3. Have you tried the burgers?
A brilliant new franchise could be started up—call it Black Castle or White Palace or whatever you'd like—simply premised on making small square sliders that are maybe 150 percent the price of White Castle's, but taste somewhere between serviceable and delicious: the In-N-Out of tiny burgers. It would kill.
KFC gets my second vote. Yeah, I'll go there. One bullet point:
1. The fried chicken is lousy. If other chains (I'm looking at you, Pollo Campero) can pull off the straightforward and naturally ravishing dish of fried chicken with aplomb, KFC could, in theory. Yet KFC manages to turn one of the most delicious foods known to humanity into a humdrum, almost depressing experience.
Taking other nominations right now, in the comments section.
UPDATE: A reader writes in and notes that there is, in fact, a burger joint called Black Castle in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The more you know ...
Image source: Flickr member The Pizza Review under Creative Commons
Though I really agree that KFC here in North America is pretty crap, but I went to one in South Korea and it was really good. HELL, it wasn't soggy, it was actually CRISPY!!!
Got to agree with TexSquared Mcd's has better coffee than Timmies, its the habit of the "T". And the herd mentality. It could be so much more. Starbuck's has burnt low grade coffee for $7.00 I don't get it. Though, I do like to put my own condiments in my coffee.... hee hee they lose on that with me! I'm a Fly!! Sugar!!!!!!!;)
easy. old Country Buffet. Minnesota and environs. all you can eat crap.
Tim Horton's. I am embarrassed that my fellow Canadians are addicted to this crap. Bad watery burnt tasting coffee, donuts and muffins that are frozen at the factory and defrosted for serving at the restaurants, disgusting minuscule bagels and sandwiches that look like they came out of a vending machine. It's unfortunate that Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts, with superior products, couldn't last...+READ
Tim Horton's. I am embarrassed that my fellow Canadians are addicted to this crap. Bad watery burnt tasting coffee, donuts and muffins that are frozen at the factory and defrosted for serving at the restaurants, disgusting minuscule bagels and sandwiches that look like they came out of a vending machine. It's unfortunate that Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts, with superior products, couldn't last in Canada. 2-day-old Krispy Kreme tastes better than "fresh" Timmies. If you're an American traveling through my country, ignore the stupid Canadians lining up 10-deep at Timmies and go somewhere else. It sucks. I'm Canadian and I HATE TIM HORTON'S.-COLLAPSE
Every other week if im working late ill grab a sack of white castle cheese burgers, and grab an order of clam strips with tartar sauce. The clam strips usually dont make it home. I devour them in my car. DELICIOSO!!
I would put in a vote for Olive Garden. It edible, but only barely. Its kind of sad that its classified as "Italian" food.
As with many food experiences, sometimes personal history and nostalgia for younger days colors one's eating experience. I can't refute some of the White Castle criticism (although "rank little pucks of sadness" might be a bit over the top) but when I return to Michigan there has to be a White Castle meal on my agenda. Perhaps it has a lot to do with my childhood, pre McDonalds et al, when a...+READ
As with many food experiences, sometimes personal history and nostalgia for younger days colors one's eating experience. I can't refute some of the White Castle criticism (although "rank little pucks of sadness" might be a bit over the top) but when I return to Michigan there has to be a White Castle meal on my agenda. Perhaps it has a lot to do with my childhood, pre McDonalds et al, when a White Castle burger cost a dime. Like a lot of fast food fantasies, nothing smells better than the greasy smell of a full grill of White Castle burgers when you walk in hungry and nothing smells worse when you walk out full and slightly queasy. Keep in mind that Harold and Kumar did not go through hell to get to a piece of fried chicken or a slice of pizza.-COLLAPSE
Man, this writer is funny! Rank little pucks! Ha ha ha! Thanks James!
Tony Roma's. The bones from the ribs are actually edible, and taste like foam, with that kind of texture. It's the most disghusting experience I've had at a place.
Pretty soon all the mentioned chains will be all that is left to eat at...
This is crazy talk. White Castle's are delicious!!!! I find that people seem to love them or hate them but put me in the LOVE category.
I nominate Red Lobster. Everything I've ever had there has been frighteningly awful.
Del Taco has to be up there. What an excuse for food.
I think Waffle House is one of those places you have to grow up with, too. Sure, 80% of the menu is horrible, but the 20% that isn't is delicious. Plus, they're open all night.
I hate PF Chang's. With the abundance of independent Chinese food joints in the U.S., why is a chain necessary? Are there any towns big enough to have a PF Chang's that don't already have at least three independent Chinese restaurants?
The worst sit-down chain I have ever experienced is Applebee's. Everything is loaded with salt and cheese and seems as though it was microwaved from frozen. Cannot understand their success.
People are going to hate me, but my vote is Quizno's. Ever since the beginning, when the commercials showed that dead rat puppet growling "Quizno's!" in the smoker's voice, I have been unable to stomach the sandwiches. I just keep thinking, "How many dead rats are hidden in the kitchen?"
Steamed burgers a la White Castle are an interesting taste sensation, even if indistinguishable from ground horse meat (which I have had). But Olive Garden has pretensions to excellence and should win this contest hands-down (alongside Sbarro--the Slate piece was excellent). The other thing to keep in mind is that the majority of these restaurants (Chipotle excepted) use the worst of the worst...+READ
Steamed burgers a la White Castle are an interesting taste sensation, even if indistinguishable from ground horse meat (which I have had). But Olive Garden has pretensions to excellence and should win this contest hands-down (alongside Sbarro--the Slate piece was excellent). The other thing to keep in mind is that the majority of these restaurants (Chipotle excepted) use the worst of the worst factory farmed chicken and cows, oversalt and oversugar everything, and contribute both to our worsening climate and expanding rates of obesity and heart disease. I'm no vegan or tree hugger (well, I do support environmental initiatives as I'm convinced that climate change is going to trigger more tornados, floods, etc.), but I urge people to steer clear of 95% of fast-food chains.-COLLAPSE
Now for worst fast food -- Arby's (the beef sandwich is about as flavorful as I'd imagine cardboard on a bun being). KFC - really poor fried chicken. For the national chains I prefer Popeyes and for a smaller chain I like Bojangles which I went to when I lived in NC. The best friend chicken in my city is at a neighborhood Bar and Grill called Neighbors. The owner serves fried chicken like grandma...+READ
Now for worst fast food -- Arby's (the beef sandwich is about as flavorful as I'd imagine cardboard on a bun being). KFC - really poor fried chicken. For the national chains I prefer Popeyes and for a smaller chain I like Bojangles which I went to when I lived in NC. The best friend chicken in my city is at a neighborhood Bar and Grill called Neighbors. The owner serves fried chicken like grandma probably made - always cooked to order in a cast iron skillet.-COLLAPSE
I heartily disagree with your assessment of White Castle - but I bet you didn't grow up with a White Castle in your town as I did in Indiana. White Castle originated in Wichita KS though were no longer here when I moved to the city in '81. Just last week our largest local supermarket chain Dillons, now owned by Kroger and White Castle staged an event in the parking lot of one of the supermarket...+READ
I heartily disagree with your assessment of White Castle - but I bet you didn't grow up with a White Castle in your town as I did in Indiana. White Castle originated in Wichita KS though were no longer here when I moved to the city in '81. Just last week our largest local supermarket chain Dillons, now owned by Kroger and White Castle staged an event in the parking lot of one of the supermarket locations. Both Dillons and WC are celebrating their 90th year in business. The "traveling kitchen" of White Castle was here and serving burgers for two hours. More than 1,000 people came out and stood in line for an hour and a half or more just to get 4 White Castles - all they'd allow any one person to buy. Yes I was one of those 1000 people. I loved White Castle as a kid and still do. No they're not gourmet food or even gourmet burgers but they're served with happy memories for me and I wish they'd open a location in Wichita again.-COLLAPSE
I find it hard to believe that someone actually puts some of the larger "successful" chains on their comment. I for one enjoy going to Applebees, Fridays and occasionally red lobster or outback. On the other hand I would nominate the following for worst restaurants in my experiences...Dingbats, Johnny Carino's, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Cici's pizza, Hardees, Ryan's Steakhouse buffet, some...+READ
I find it hard to believe that someone actually puts some of the larger "successful" chains on their comment. I for one enjoy going to Applebees, Fridays and occasionally red lobster or outback. On the other hand I would nominate the following for worst restaurants in my experiences...Dingbats, Johnny Carino's, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Cici's pizza, Hardees, Ryan's Steakhouse buffet, some Golden Corrals and Pizza Hut. I do agree with Sbarro's nomination about half the time and not sure I have ever been to a White Castle.-COLLAPSE
Someone mentioned Del Taco, and I'll add in Taco Bell Canada to that club. Both are guilty of this -- putting their disgusting "nacho" ingredients on GREASY FRENCH FRIES. Yuck... I don't think Taco Bell anywhere else in the world does this.
Applebees, Chilis, Red Lobster, Outback, TGIFridays, Bennigans, burger king. Alright I am done. thats the worst, the rest are not great.
For all the Arby's haters out there, I have to say that their BLT is the BEST, and I am a BLT afficionado. I wouldn't eat their roast beef but I stand by their BLT.
Can't believe no one has mentioned Johnny Carino's - foolish me I tried it 3 times and they were 3 for 3 in the disgusting department.
Friday's is also a contender for nastiest food. And Chile's, too.
Dominos barely Pizza and Subway mystery meat on Mrs. Baird's hot dog buns.
Taco Hell is pretty uniformly bad, too.
Any part of the Yum! Brands group. Taco Bell/Pizza Hut/KFC. All inedible.
Oh man, I have a list...
Red Lobster. I was forced to have dinner there a year ago...ick
Arbys...the pressed beef shines a blueish tone
Taco Bowel...Don't wanna know and they just keep adding layers of ickiness
Long John Slivers...I loved my Grandma and endured it for her
Little Caesarians...Didn't know it still existed.
CiCis...haven't tried it and you can't make me!
McDonald's no longer owns any part of Chipotle.
I think Sonic is way over-rated. Yet when one opened up in northern New Jersey a couple of years ago, traffic was insane. In fact, one crazed fan trying to get into the lot seriously injured a cop directing traffic.
Applebees and TGI Fridays. I freaking HATE them.
Worst sit down- Waffle (Awful) House. Worst drive through -Roy Rogers. I try to avoid fast food for health and moral reasons, but love Chik-fil-a because of their tasty food, great service, and family friendly atmosphere. Chipotle is pretty good...even though it is owned by MacDonalds.
Gosh, tatamagouche, their trip sounds like a week in Provence compared to our own four days on the road. But I have to agree that "chicken-fried bacon" made of pieces of slab bacon dipped in batter and deep-fried, served with mayonnaise, sounds like something that would require diners to sign a waiver of liability before being served.
Gosh. Rating mediocrity in the fast food industry is difficult. There are so many truly revolting foodstuffs being peddled along the streets of America. At the very bottom, in my opinion, would be Taco Bell with their "beef-like" produducts that I wouldn't feed to a dog. Another is Long John Silver's, a chain that actually markets fried crumbs of breading as a menu option. Worst of all is...+READ
Gosh. Rating mediocrity in the fast food industry is difficult. There are so many truly revolting foodstuffs being peddled along the streets of America. At the very bottom, in my opinion, would be Taco Bell with their "beef-like" produducts that I wouldn't feed to a dog. Another is Long John Silver's, a chain that actually markets fried crumbs of breading as a menu option. Worst of all is probably Little Caesar's for their "pizza", which is actually a giant cracker. There are plenty of others, but I can't devote any more mental energy to this.-COLLAPSE
Relatedly, mandycat, a great article by Clifford Wright about the vegetablelessness of our roadsides. http://www.zesterdaily.com/dining/706-highway-dining
We recently endured a four-day cross country move during which we had to eat at places with drive-through windows in order not to leave our pet in a hot car. America is doomed to a dismal future of obesity and slack-jawed, bovine stupidity. Fortunately we are still clever enough to export our horrible food to other nations so that we don't fall completely behind.
You have to grow up with White Castle to understand. No more to be said.
I am surprised by the proudly contemptuous and pathetic responses; particularlly, the "I could not eat." Ha. Fortunately there are no guns to our heads.
Arby's, Taco Johns, Carl's Jr., Sonic, World Market is almost there.
Arby's by a country mile. Nothing even looks like food.
I vote Panda Express. Holy sodium Batman.
You're pretty right on with KFC. I don't get it. They used to be good at some point, right? Give me Popeye's any day of the week.
Burger King and Arby's have my vote.
i dont think its fair to say places like ruby tuesday, olive garden, friendlys or applebees bc when it comes down to it all those places serve better food then say burger king
planet wings blehhh
Roy Rogers. I've been dining out for 70 years, and a RR breakfast during a trip on the NY Thruway is the only meal I've had to throw out in the trash as inedible.
If we're talking straight up fast food, not table service joints, I would say...
Most Essential - Popeye's or In-N-Out
Least Essential - Del Taco or Burger King
Obviously none of you have eaten at Baker's Burgers yet. Jimmy Dean's is pretty awful, too.
How about Friendly's or Waffle House? I'd go with Applebee's, too.
KFC shoul get some points of originality, they came up with the doubledown and that horrifying fried chicken sundae (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn covered in gravy)
It's funny how when I was a teenager sbarro was always my go-to choice at the mall. I loved it!
Absolutely. White Castle is the worst.
Applebee's and Olive Garden. Their entrees are quite comparable to Lean Cuisine.
Whenever low price is the draw, what you get is the lowest quality ingredientes possible, purchased for almost nothing. Meat will be from dubious sources and will be chemically treated to make it tender. MSG will probably be in there too as well as tons of salt and sugar to make dishes taste good.
I've never understood why people wait in their cars, belching out gas fumes, for 20 minutes,...+READ
Whenever low price is the draw, what you get is the lowest quality ingredientes possible, purchased for almost nothing. Meat will be from dubious sources and will be chemically treated to make it tender. MSG will probably be in there too as well as tons of salt and sugar to make dishes taste good.
I've never understood why people wait in their cars, belching out gas fumes, for 20 minutes, waiting for a drive in burger from a Burger King.
One horror loaded on top of another.-COLLAPSE
whitecastles makes me sick... literaly.
1. OLIVE GARDEN - I once ordered some soup. It had the exact texture and smell of fresh vomit. I didn't actually eat the soup, but I imagine vomit still tastes better coming up than that bowl of ick would have tasted going down.
2. BURGER KING - My 8th grade self would call me crazy. But the last Junior Whopper I had there was, to steal a term from this article, DEPRESSING. Foul tasting meat,...+READ
1. OLIVE GARDEN - I once ordered some soup. It had the exact texture and smell of fresh vomit. I didn't actually eat the soup, but I imagine vomit still tastes better coming up than that bowl of ick would have tasted going down.
2. BURGER KING - My 8th grade self would call me crazy. But the last Junior Whopper I had there was, to steal a term from this article, DEPRESSING. Foul tasting meat, a soggy bun, bizzare, gloppy mayo, sickly tomatoes. And their onion rings have this wretched aftertaste that I would swear was never there as recently as five years ago.-COLLAPSE
All...of the chain restaurants..are appalling. They serve frozen, factory farmed food of the cheapest quality and people pay big bucks to wait on lines and eat this crap? Disgusting.
So, so, many bad chains to choose from. One of my top votes must go to Roy Rogers. Literally, everything is bad...even the ice. I personally think that the Sub sandwiches from Subway are also very, very bad. Ihop and Perkins also springs to mind as does Stuckey's and Friendly's. Man, so many choices.....
Totally agree with Olive Garden. Even their soup is bad. Who messes up soup?
But my number 1 choice is Chuck E. Cheese. The food is just terrible and I knew it even as a kid. When a kid says pizza is bad, you know you have a problem. Then you throw in the screaming kids, the horrible waiters, and you just have the worst of the worst.
I put my vote in for Olive Garden, which in no way resembles Italian food.
The worst chain I ever ate at, by a wide margin, is The Waffle House throughout the South. Hideous food - accent on the GRITS - revolting decor and huge fat people scarfing down waffles. UGH!
Jerry
I agree with granadafan, but he forgot Olive Garden-- ever notice on their commercials always say you can top whatever psuedo-Italian carb-cheese-Alfredo sauce monstrosity with "chicken or sausage?" They obviously believe if you top anything with another milkfat and it'll fool the masses.
As for White Castle (or Krystal's the South's version of it), I love it! I love the sauteed onions. The...+READ
I agree with granadafan, but he forgot Olive Garden-- ever notice on their commercials always say you can top whatever psuedo-Italian carb-cheese-Alfredo sauce monstrosity with "chicken or sausage?" They obviously believe if you top anything with another milkfat and it'll fool the masses.
As for White Castle (or Krystal's the South's version of it), I love it! I love the sauteed onions. The fact the bottom bun is soft with grease. Love! But I DO prefer Krystal's to White Castle, because they add mustard, which balances out the flavors. But I can see where the meat-to-bun ratio might frustrate some people and they are expensive for what you get.
FYI, there is also a similar burger place called White Palace in St. Louis. It's what one of my favorite 90's movies, starring James Spader and Susan Sarandon, was named after.-COLLAPSE
WAY off base with White Castle. I can appreciate that the burgers aren't for everyone, but I grew up with them, and absolutely love them - that's OK, diff'rnt strokes.
But White Castle is good to their employees, offering health care and education scholarship programs. They're a private company. They've got way better than average coffee. A lot of them are open 24 hours. They're usually pretty...+READ
WAY off base with White Castle. I can appreciate that the burgers aren't for everyone, but I grew up with them, and absolutely love them - that's OK, diff'rnt strokes.
But White Castle is good to their employees, offering health care and education scholarship programs. They're a private company. They've got way better than average coffee. A lot of them are open 24 hours. They're usually pretty clean; I'm a fan.
Sbarro was bad...very bad, but my kid would eat it.
No, my vote goes to Chili's.-COLLAPSE
Taco Bell! Or properly, Taco Hell!
What they sell as 'Mexican' food is mostly disgusting. Moreover, they reinforce the belief of WAY too many 'Mericans that ground beef + taco seasoning packet + cardboard shell is a proper taco.
Their worst concoctions are random combinations of their minimal industrial food palette including double starch classics with both flour and corn tortillas. What...+READ
Taco Bell! Or properly, Taco Hell!
What they sell as 'Mexican' food is mostly disgusting. Moreover, they reinforce the belief of WAY too many 'Mericans that ground beef + taco seasoning packet + cardboard shell is a proper taco.
Their worst concoctions are random combinations of their minimal industrial food palette including double starch classics with both flour and corn tortillas. What pathetic 3am drunk bubba orders this??-COLLAPSE
Applebees, Chilis, and Claimjumper. They're all about quantity over quality.
Olive Garden is just terrible. I'm not picky - for a sit-down meal, I'd rather go anywhere else than Olive Garden. As far as fast food goes, Burger King is pretty bad.
The "slider" fad has thoroughly besmirched the name by never actually being anything like a slider.
A White Castle slider is a style distinct from the typical fast-food hamburger. It's meant to be soft and steamed with a distinct bun to patty ratio, with the meat itself serving almost as a meaty flavoring agent to the onion-infused bun rather than the typical inch-thick poorly-cooked chopped...+READ
The "slider" fad has thoroughly besmirched the name by never actually being anything like a slider.
A White Castle slider is a style distinct from the typical fast-food hamburger. It's meant to be soft and steamed with a distinct bun to patty ratio, with the meat itself serving almost as a meaty flavoring agent to the onion-infused bun rather than the typical inch-thick poorly-cooked chopped meat monstrosity that is the preferred "gourmet" patty for "real" hamburgers. Yeah, because I need to choke down a 1/3 pound of dry, overcooked-outside-pink-in-the-middle beef that feels like a scratchy sponge going down my esophagus to really feel like I'm eating a real meal.
If you don't like White Castle burgers, then you don't like sliders. What you call a slider is actually just a small hamburger. Which is fine, I suppose. But don't compare the (perhaps aged but not yet senile) patriarch of the fast-food burger chains, which offers a highly distinctive product with a serious cult following, to Sbarros, which you just lambasted for having none of these traits.-COLLAPSE
Applebees, Arby's, KFC, and Olive Garden would all get votes from me.
But I loves me a Krystal now and then.
I'd say its a toss-up between Eat'n Park and Panda Express.
Taco Bell. Start with meat-flavored soy product, add lots of salt, rubbery cheese, and soggy bread, and sell it in a variety of forms for under $3. Ugh.
Long John Silver, by a few thousand miles
Ruby T's or applebee's - Take your pick
Awww! I love White Castle jalapeno cheeseburgers. More for me!
I always personally like the Sbarro's pizza. Haven't been in a while though.
The worst burger I ever had was at Ruby Tuesdays. The fries weren't wort a damn, either.
My last (and final) visit to Arby's was years ago. The salad and chicken sandwich tasted like the refrigeration unit was kept at over 50 degrees. Enough of that, thank you.
CP
Second the motion on Arby's.
Olive Garden... massive amounts of slop. I never ate at Golden Corral buffet but I'm sure that's another doozy.
CiCi's. Been there. Still asking myself "Is this a real restaurant?" I had better swill at a garage service counter.
Arby's needs to be on the list of contenders, all they have are the potato cakes IMHO. White Castle at least gets the onion ring breading right (and the mush factor of the burger is part of the charm) but I do grant that rather than diversify the burger choices, they should have upped the quality.
is anything worse than domino's?
TGIF food was good back east. I loved their caesar salad with grilled chicken. In the Phoenix area, I would not feed it to the hogs.
In Phoenix, Pizza Hut is the WORST!
Bob Dobalina: you nailed it.
TGIFridays. I tried to order a quesedilla once with no chicken. They told me they couldn't do it because everything came pre-frozen. What? The master chefs in the back couldn't just throw together cheese and tortilla? FAIL.
I ❤ KFC! =(
Olive Garden gets the nod as worst chain from me. On the WC Issue, Having lived down in FL for a while, I saw Harold & Kumar and was psyched to try it. I went to NYC and tried a few sliders and was extremely underwhelmed. I am not a burger aficionado, but I do appreciate a good burger. What I was served at WC was a joke.
I was gonna say CiCi's.
I love the Olive Garden comments. My Brother in-law and family are all from Italy and howl at the commercials for the new specials. Take some random pasta, stuff it will a protien, make up a word with lots of vowels and you have one of their old world Italian specialties of the month! The made up food is fun but don't remember ever having anything horrible at one, but it's been awhile.
Weird...+READ
I love the Olive Garden comments. My Brother in-law and family are all from Italy and howl at the commercials for the new specials. Take some random pasta, stuff it will a protien, make up a word with lots of vowels and you have one of their old world Italian specialties of the month! The made up food is fun but don't remember ever having anything horrible at one, but it's been awhile.
Weird thing with Sbarro is that they lost their way somewhere. In the early 80s they opened in malls but my memories were of a stand alone store. They would have a pizza maker tossing dough in the window and it was a big show. Wasn't very expensive and I was always a fan of the baked ziti. It was always busy so turn over on food was high which made for fresh stuff. Somewhere in the 90s things started to slide. I stopped by one at the local food court and it was depressing. They were pulling pre-fab crusts out of a plastic bag and everything just looked old and crusty that was out. Not suprised they went under, something went wrong there years ago.-COLLAPSE
Seems to be a lot of hate on for Sbarro... but if you compare their pizza with the garbage served by CiCi's and Little Caesar's, you can't honestly say they're the worst.
But I stand by my vote for Kelly's Cajun as the worst on principle. Chinese food passed off as Cajun is as ridiculous as sushi passed off as Mexican.
Taco Smell, er, Taco Bell. The "beef" they use literally smells like dog food
IHOP is one of the BEST!
It's got to be Applebee's...i swear their meals remind me of microwaveable healthy choice, lean cuisine, and marie callender's.
Screw you James...you're lucky enough to live in a city that HAS White Castle, then you turn your nose up at it.
Jalapeno cheeseburgers and chicken breast sandwiches are both a delight...soft and sour and hot and portable...SHAME!
For me it's a tossup between Applebee's and Denny's. Olive Garden might be a contender but I've never set foot in one so I can't compare them.
Sad about KFC, because 30 - 35 years ago they actually made pretty decent chicken.
I'll put in a vote for Dennys. Blandly mediocre renditions of generic American cuisine and blandly mediocre decor.
The only time in the past 20 years I've eaten at a Dennys was on a layover in LA between two twelve hour flights when I was severely jetlagged and badly needed greasy, mediocre breakfast food. I got it, but was amused to note that anything vaguely healthy on the breakfast menu...+READ
I'll put in a vote for Dennys. Blandly mediocre renditions of generic American cuisine and blandly mediocre decor.
The only time in the past 20 years I've eaten at a Dennys was on a layover in LA between two twelve hour flights when I was severely jetlagged and badly needed greasy, mediocre breakfast food. I got it, but was amused to note that anything vaguely healthy on the breakfast menu (fruit, yoghurt, granola) cost extra.-COLLAPSE
I love White Castle. Perhaps my palette just isn't as sophisticated as yours, but if that would mean I hate WC sliders, I'm glad it isn't. ;)
Not all that fond of Krystal sliders though, so we only get White Castle when we vacation farther north (almost always Missouri!).
I think Sbarro's could qualify as the worst simply because it exists only in food courts. They don't even have to try hard enough to maintain a storefront: they can just be the "Italian" option in a food court. I've never eaten their pizza, but Little Cesar's is so cheap it has to be awful -- you can't serve anything resembling real food for those prices.
I can usually manage to find an acceptable menu item in even the most average fast food chain, but found Zaxby's to be a catastrophic fail. How can you mess up chicken fingers? Even Arby's manages to do them well. And yet at Zaxby's, which is supposed to be a chicken restaurant, they can't seem to get those right.
I saw Taco John's mentioned earlier, and as long as you can handle a...+READ
I can usually manage to find an acceptable menu item in even the most average fast food chain, but found Zaxby's to be a catastrophic fail. How can you mess up chicken fingers? Even Arby's manages to do them well. And yet at Zaxby's, which is supposed to be a chicken restaurant, they can't seem to get those right.
I saw Taco John's mentioned earlier, and as long as you can handle a 'Mexican-inspired menu' to quote Taco Bell, the potato oles actually weren't bad hen I used to eat there in the 90s.-COLLAPSE
Olive Garden gets my vote - not necessarily for the food, because I have never personally eaten there. (I can't - my Italian mother has said she would disown me.)
It's for perpetuating stupid "Eye"talian stereotypes in their marketing and corrupting Italian cuisine to some lowest common denominator of badness, often using fake Italian-sounding names. For example, from the current menu:
#1 -...+READ
Olive Garden gets my vote - not necessarily for the food, because I have never personally eaten there. (I can't - my Italian mother has said she would disown me.)
It's for perpetuating stupid "Eye"talian stereotypes in their marketing and corrupting Italian cuisine to some lowest common denominator of badness, often using fake Italian-sounding names. For example, from the current menu:
#1 - "Shrimp Primavera": Shrimp, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms in a bold arrabbiata sauce over penne.
That is NOT a primavera.
#2 - "Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara" - Chicken and shrimp with bucatini pasta in a parmesan cream sauce with pancetta bacon and roasted red peppers, baked and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs.
OMG - blech!
#3 - Four cheese pastachetti - wait, stop right there...WTF is a pastachetti?
Hon. mention: the Italian classic artichoke-spinach dip with tuscan bread.-COLLAPSE
If forced to eat at a pizza chain, I'd take Sbarro over Domino's any day. It's overpriced, but at least it tastes like something other than greasy cardboard.
It seems clear that the author has never eaten at White Castle when seventeen years old, drunk, or both.
I would nominate Denny's as being the worst and that is not solely because they gave me a case of food poisoning but more so because they can screw up making even the most simple of dishes. You could give an ape a dozen eggs and a skillet and expect a better plate of scrambled eggs out of him than you would get at a Denny’s. Second place would probably go to either Wong’s Wok or Ponderosa....+READ
I would nominate Denny's as being the worst and that is not solely because they gave me a case of food poisoning but more so because they can screw up making even the most simple of dishes. You could give an ape a dozen eggs and a skillet and expect a better plate of scrambled eggs out of him than you would get at a Denny’s. Second place would probably go to either Wong’s Wok or Ponderosa. Dreadful places.-COLLAPSE
I scorned Applebee's for years as mediocrity at best. But two years ago, at a lunch with my Mom, my wife and I had a very pleasing meal from a lunch special menu. Wife had "BBQ" Ribs, I had an very good hamburger. I had to give them credit on that occasion.The sides of fries and onion rings were good, also. This was in suburban N. New Jersey.
I don't care what anyone thinks of White Castle...or it's near analog, Krystal...I love them both. There's a comfort factor at work here for me, but I really do enjoy them for the flavor...
Applebee's and the Olive Garden. Insults to the very idea of dining out, and to American bar food and every little Italian pizza and pasta place in all
50 states and Canada.
So there are times we stomach vile foods, usually when stoned witless. Those don't count. Then there are the times when we make a sensory-informed decision about what we will eat. Fast food - there's Baja Fresh (in the west) and Chipotle, both offering fresh, natural/organic options that can be reasonable healthy and still really good. Then there's Chili's, commercials and website proudly...+READ
So there are times we stomach vile foods, usually when stoned witless. Those don't count. Then there are the times when we make a sensory-informed decision about what we will eat. Fast food - there's Baja Fresh (in the west) and Chipotle, both offering fresh, natural/organic options that can be reasonable healthy and still really good. Then there's Chili's, commercials and website proudly illustrating food glistening in grease. Another hugely successful franchise business, so who I am to say?-COLLAPSE
As a Southerner, I've never had the pleasure (or displeasure, as you may) to have White Castle, but I have had Krystal. Once sober, and once high as a kite. It was definitely better under the influence of some sort of substance.
As for KFC, I have two words for you: Double-Down. I honestly thought that thing was some sort of early April Fool's joke.
I have to say, though, while spending an...+READ
As a Southerner, I've never had the pleasure (or displeasure, as you may) to have White Castle, but I have had Krystal. Once sober, and once high as a kite. It was definitely better under the influence of some sort of substance.
As for KFC, I have two words for you: Double-Down. I honestly thought that thing was some sort of early April Fool's joke.
I have to say, though, while spending an extended amount of time in northern England, I found the local KFC (and the McDonald's) to be a haven whenever I craved a taste of home. I sincerely enjoyed the local fare (in fact, I get angry that I can't find a damn prawn cracker in Texas or decent cheese and onion pie), but every once in a while, I really needed some crispy fried chicken!-COLLAPSE
Heretofore having believed that criticizing White Castle "burgers" was pure heresy and not wishing to suffer the wrath of the faithful, I have withheld my comments on their products. Now, as it appears there are at least two of us who find their steamed grease patties without merit, I feel a little less intimidated. I mentioned to some friends on the west coast, former citizens of the state of...+READ
Heretofore having believed that criticizing White Castle "burgers" was pure heresy and not wishing to suffer the wrath of the faithful, I have withheld my comments on their products. Now, as it appears there are at least two of us who find their steamed grease patties without merit, I feel a little less intimidated. I mentioned to some friends on the west coast, former citizens of the state of Ohio, that I would be traveling through their home state on a vacation. They insisted that I would "love" White Castle burgers and extorted a promise from me to visit one of their outlets. I did; it was not "love" - not even close. I gagged one down and, promise honored, pressed on toward my next destination.-COLLAPSE
I agree with PurrfectPeach. White Castle hamburgers are delicious and I love them. They are a unique dish that no one else makes. Krystal Burgers here in Florida are way too bready. The ratio of meat to bun is all off. Also, I don't think that they are cooked the same way. A reader may be thinking, "Oh, he was conditioned to love White Castle burgers when he was a kid--too young to know better."...+READ
I agree with PurrfectPeach. White Castle hamburgers are delicious and I love them. They are a unique dish that no one else makes. Krystal Burgers here in Florida are way too bready. The ratio of meat to bun is all off. Also, I don't think that they are cooked the same way. A reader may be thinking, "Oh, he was conditioned to love White Castle burgers when he was a kid--too young to know better." But that isn't the case. Until I had access to a car, I could only eat White Castle burgers about once every 18 months or so, when my parents took me to Chicago and we happened to be passing a White Castle--and it was lunch time.
My nominee for the worst fast food place is definitely Cici's Pizza. The first time I ate there was as an adult. My girlfriend and I thought that the cafeteria-style selection of pizzas must be to blame. Obviously, they hadn't been switched out often enough and it was late in the day. We couldn't figure out how a place serving pizzas this flavorless could stay in business. Wrong! I've been back twice at the behest of others. They're still the same.-COLLAPSE
Kelly's Cajun Grlll (goes by the name Bourbon St. Grill in Canada - look for the "World Famous Bourbon Chicken" signage). Junk Chinese food passed off as Cajun food. And always some guy standing out front passing out chicken samples at the mall. Some locations even have soy sauce packets next to the cash registers! Worst chain ever!
BTW, I loved Sbarro's stuffed crust pizza. Haven't had one in years, though.
Crabby Joes is my vote. I had one of the toughest steaks I have ever had in a chain restaurant and they wanted to charge me $3 for an extra roll. I know things are more expensive in Ontario, but, jeez, $3? I don't know how they stay open. Perhaps its a place to go drinking???
@yanktonirishred: That's funny -- my mom is visiting her friend in Florida and the friend is reeeeeally excited about taking her to Golden Corral. They can't even make the food on their web site look good. It looks like baked cardboard.
It's interesting that no one mentioned Taco Bell. Anyone want a beef taco with
Most people are going for fast food. Being a chicago native I am quick to jump on the cici's bandwagon, but there is a more worthy and also highly inedible place that people like to eat at that is referred to as olive garden. Honestly I don't get it. Maybe if you are eating their soup and salad or you have to eat there for someone's birthday, but to actually go out and spend money on their fake...+READ
Most people are going for fast food. Being a chicago native I am quick to jump on the cici's bandwagon, but there is a more worthy and also highly inedible place that people like to eat at that is referred to as olive garden. Honestly I don't get it. Maybe if you are eating their soup and salad or you have to eat there for someone's birthday, but to actually go out and spend money on their fake italian "cuisine"? Please-COLLAPSE
oh no -- the worst chain, hands down -- CiCi's Pizza. it's bad AND it's nationwide. as a girl who grew up in NJ and who knows pizza, i must share the caveat that when i refer to the food there as pizza, it is only because that is what they call it. i, on the other hand, call it frisbee topped with nondescript liquid substance.
anywho. a cheeep pizza/salad/dessert buffet. a variety of pizzas,...+READ
oh no -- the worst chain, hands down -- CiCi's Pizza. it's bad AND it's nationwide. as a girl who grew up in NJ and who knows pizza, i must share the caveat that when i refer to the food there as pizza, it is only because that is what they call it. i, on the other hand, call it frisbee topped with nondescript liquid substance.
anywho. a cheeep pizza/salad/dessert buffet. a variety of pizzas, and i'm being generous by calling them such, which could be relatively interchangeable in terms of their blandness. sometimes, they put mac and cheese or other pastas on top of the pizza in order to show how hip and upscale they can pretend to be. and dessert? my kids have actually turned up their noses at the brownies and cinnamon rolls... though they seem to like the apple pie-like substance that is served on...wait for it... pizza dough.-COLLAPSE
I'm absolutely shocked that nobody mentioned the M word. How bad can you get? Their only saving grace is that they don't claim to be anything more that what they are - "fast" (a relative term), consistant. Nobody ever goes to Mcdonalds expecting to make the yummy sound.
As to the worst, it depends on what you're measuring. BK is horrible bcause I despise soup burgers - there's so much condiment...+READ
I'm absolutely shocked that nobody mentioned the M word. How bad can you get? Their only saving grace is that they don't claim to be anything more that what they are - "fast" (a relative term), consistant. Nobody ever goes to Mcdonalds expecting to make the yummy sound.
As to the worst, it depends on what you're measuring. BK is horrible bcause I despise soup burgers - there's so much condiment goo that the unique flavor of fire-cooked burgers is lost, and what is up with onion rings made of fake onion?
KFC - King of grease; tasty breading lost in bad processing and old run down chickens.
Subway - everything smells and tastes like everything else. Only the hugely invasive flavors of something like a jalapeno or a green pepper can stand out. (and I loved the comment on the smell of the bread - open butt - lol).
But my vote has to go to MickyD's. It's outlived it's usefulness.-COLLAPSE
I'd have to say Panda Express is one of the worst. I have no idea where their chikken comes from but I recently had the orange chicken and the inside was a grayish-pink color and chewy pieces. I was disgusted and haven't gone back since.
Subway is OK but I feel like the quality of their meats/cheeses/veggies is VERY LOW, not very fresh veggies and the turkey is plasticy yuck.
I guess everything's relative, but here in DC, you can't get a slice of ANYTHING for less than $5.
And you're WAY off base with the White Castle crack. We used to have Little Taverns in Maryland, that served the same style of slider, but they're all gone. We're too far south for White Castles and too far north for Krystals. All we got are overpriced gourmet sliders, which is a pain when you're...+READ
I guess everything's relative, but here in DC, you can't get a slice of ANYTHING for less than $5.
And you're WAY off base with the White Castle crack. We used to have Little Taverns in Maryland, that served the same style of slider, but they're all gone. We're too far south for White Castles and too far north for Krystals. All we got are overpriced gourmet sliders, which is a pain when you're craving the doughy, greasy original. And really, a slider isn't the same if it's got seared ahi tuna or kobe beef. It's just an excuse to gouge people. So you're welcome to hate on White Castle, but some of us are old enough to remember when fast food was used as a reward for kids instead of punishment.
As for worst restaurant chain, I'd go with Subway: sub-par meat "product" served on "fresh baked" bloated dough that smells like wide open butt.-COLLAPSE
Denny's, Bonanza, McDonalads, Oriental Express and the worst ever...Golden Corral.
We don't have White Castle here in Maryland, so I can't comment on that, but when I saw the topic I wasn't thinking of fast food as much as restaurants, and Applebee's, TGI Fridays, and Olive Garden (except for the salad lunch thing) were at the top of my list.
Hey Mandalay! Hardee's used to be great. But then they tried to absord Roy Rogers, and in the process ruined both chains.
Sbarro is not even close! Burger King, KFC, Crapplebee's, Olive Garden, so many god-awful chains.
Even as a child -- when I could eat McNugget after McNugget -- I couldn't bring myself to like Arby's. It's basically beef-flavored paper with an thick orange (cheese?) sauce. Gross.
Back off White Castle, hater.
Agreed about KFC though. That place's food is beyond vile. Surely you've heard Patton Oswalt's classic torpedoing of the KFC Famous Bowls?
White Castles are actually a guilty pleasure for me, probably because my family's from St. Louis (but clam strips! ugh!), but Krystal makes White Castles look positively fantastic!
I liked Carl's Jr. out on the West Coast, but it's cousin out here, Hardee's, isn't nearly as good.
I'm now inspired to check out Pollo Campero.
Worst chain is easy for me - Nathan's. Not that their product is awful, but why am I going to a restaurant when I can get the EXACT SAME FOOD at a cheaper price from the supermarket?
You must eat White Castle when drunk, preferably to near blackout states. I can honestly say I have never eaten at WC or its southern cousin Krystal sober. EVER.
I also nominate Hardee's/Carl Jr.'s. I don't know anyone who goes out of their way to eat there.
I think you missed the point, James. The argument in the Slate article is that Sbarro is the worst restaurant because it lacks a definite purpose or culture. Although KFC and White Castle certainly offer sub-par food, both chains enjoy active "cult followings," if you will. We all know the stereotypes so they're not worth repeating. But nobody goes to Sbarro—it lacks a fan base.
I'd nominate...+READ
I think you missed the point, James. The argument in the Slate article is that Sbarro is the worst restaurant because it lacks a definite purpose or culture. Although KFC and White Castle certainly offer sub-par food, both chains enjoy active "cult followings," if you will. We all know the stereotypes so they're not worth repeating. But nobody goes to Sbarro—it lacks a fan base.
I'd nominate Hardee's and Taco John's as uninspiring fast food chains. Very bland. No real identity. And they both fail in every category when you compare them to their competitors.-COLLAPSE
I moved from Texas to Georgia and what do I miss? Those crappy little 2 for a buck tacos at Jack-in-the-Box. Why are they so bad yet so good?
Never been to white castle, but I'd eat at KFC daily for a month before choking down a single slice of Sbarro's pizza. There is nothing redeeming about that place.
Sorry, can't agree. I love White Castle! I've been to In-N-Out and their burgers are a million times better, but sometimes I just want White Castle.
I couldn't have said it better myself! I had my first White Castle burger in Chicago a few years ago; and let me tell you... I won't be having another one!