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Consumer Reports surveyed 36,733 readers who frequent fast-food chains (let's be honest, who doesn't?), asking them which restaurants were a good value, and which sucked on ice. Four major chains stood out as receiving C grades and hovering near the bottom of the ratings: McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell, and Burger King (most of the article is not online, sorry).
No surprise to me. Food from each of these chains is genuinely terrible. I also agreed with most of the readers' picks for the best chains: Chick-fil-A's chick-with-pick regular chicken sandwich is magically delicious, and though the Mexican food at Chipotle and Rubio's (a Western chain) doesn't rival what you can get at San Francisco's Mission taquerias, for road-trip food it's pretty palatable.
Little Caesars showed up as one of the worst pizza chains, with its pies rated a miserable 5.7 on a scale of 1 to 10. The circle of hot garbage they call pizza at Sbarro tied with Little Caesars. The winner of the pizza ratings was Papa Murphy's, an odd hybrid takeout chain where customers take home unbaked pizzas to finish cooking themselves. I've never had it. Sounds weird. How is it?
CR readers gave the execrable subs of Subway a surprisingly high 6.8 rating. Why, I ask you? Why? Jason's Deli, with a 7.8 rating, and Firehouse Subs, with a solid 8.0, scored better.
Best burgers, according to CR subscribers, are to be found at In-N-Out, Burgerville, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Yeah, In-N-Out's burgers are good, and it's nice to be waited on by someone with nicely combed hair and a smile, but their fries are terrible. Maybe the thing to do is to match a swing by In-N-Out for burgers with a Wendy's run for fries, as Wendy's sea salt fries rated highest with CR (beating out McDonald's and Burger King).
One more thing: In the magazine article, Consumer Reports mentions in passing that Carl's Jr. has introduced turkey burgers. I reluctantly tried one on a recent road trip, ordering it with grilled onions and mushrooms, no cheese. I bit into it, expecting dry meat and slimy vegetables. Instead, it had a nice charred flavor, crispy grilled bun, and savory, meaty mushrooms. Definitely not the best burger I've ever had, but for under four bucks on the highway, not bad at all.
Image source: Flickr member Steve Bowbrick under Creative Commons
Subway needs to do what Domino's Pizza did and change everything. They are so much better now. They do smell because of the yeast, onions, and bell peppers. I think they need to go fresh sliced cuts of meat and maybe take a page from Arby's carver sandwich line and develop some tasty sliced breads as well as their sub rolls. I worked for Subway 13-14 years ago and it was of questionable quality...+READ
Subway needs to do what Domino's Pizza did and change everything. They are so much better now. They do smell because of the yeast, onions, and bell peppers. I think they need to go fresh sliced cuts of meat and maybe take a page from Arby's carver sandwich line and develop some tasty sliced breads as well as their sub rolls. I worked for Subway 13-14 years ago and it was of questionable quality even then. Companies need to realize they things change and they need to evolve as well. I gave up on MD's and BK long ago. I like the burgers at In-N-Out but the fries are terrible. I think it's because they use a golden potato and they are just to pasty and flavorless to be used as a fry. They should be using an Idaho potato maybe. I don't know the oil they are using but it tastes like canola and I prefer peanut oil. I like Wendy’s and McDonald's fries better. I used to prefer Burger Kings fries back in the 90's before they changed them to the crap they serve now. By the way... Cheeburger Cheeburger here in Southwest Las Vegas is the best dang burger I've ever tasted. The fries are okay I guess, but could be a bit thicker I think.-COLLAPSE
Oh but subway does stink...literally!
In-N-Out fries are terrible? That must be a personal preference...I have never heard anyone make negative comments about these fries before, and I frequently go there just to have fries, not burger!
So why is subway so terrible? I have an exact way of making there sandwiches and I like the results. Maybe you can try a combination that works for you, with all the possiblities. Although I have to...+READ
In-N-Out fries are terrible? That must be a personal preference...I have never heard anyone make negative comments about these fries before, and I frequently go there just to have fries, not burger!
So why is subway so terrible? I have an exact way of making there sandwiches and I like the results. Maybe you can try a combination that works for you, with all the possiblities. Although I have to agree the veggie's are not that tasty, but than it's a lot better than other fast food places.-COLLAPSE
Out in Colorado (and a few other states) we have Good Times. Same idea as In-N-Out on the West Coast - fresh Coleman beef burgers, real potatoes in the fries, real chicken breast in the nuggets, real "frozen custard" desserts, etc. Too much salt and too much fat, plus high prices, but great for the occasional indulgence.
Taco Bell's not too bad if you order from the "Fresca" menu. ("Fresca" is...+READ
Out in Colorado (and a few other states) we have Good Times. Same idea as In-N-Out on the West Coast - fresh Coleman beef burgers, real potatoes in the fries, real chicken breast in the nuggets, real "frozen custard" desserts, etc. Too much salt and too much fat, plus high prices, but great for the occasional indulgence.
Taco Bell's not too bad if you order from the "Fresca" menu. ("Fresca" is Mexican for "tasteless").-COLLAPSE
aggiecat asked "How is it that you can't get your signature dish to come out edible?" Never order waffles at a Waffle House. Better yet, never eat at a Waffle House. Even the coffee is greasy.
"36,733 readers who frequent fast-food chains (let's be honest, who doesn't?)"
I don't. They are, believe it or not, physically avoidable.
taco bell is one of the only places where you can get really small portion orders, and genuine vegetables (their beans, also the potatoes)
What about Baja Fresh? I used to like their stuff when on the West Coast.
To EmJayC: Yes, the whole chain is owned by a Chinese guy in Florida (notice how the staff is always Chinese?) Chinese investors have ruined Japanese food in North America, now they're going after Cajun. God help us...
Hey Tex Squared, they have one of those Bourbon St Grills at the mall near me. You are so right. It mirrors the junk Chinese food stall just across from them. What a concept!
It really depends on where the fast food joint is. Our Wendy's is horrible. I got ice cold fries there and will never go back. McDonalds is okay here, but the Fillet O'Fish is not the same as ones I have eaten in the States. Burger King is awful as well and I don't remember it as being that bad (except for the fries). I went to 5 Guys here and thought it was slop. Pizza Hut turns out to be one of...+READ
It really depends on where the fast food joint is. Our Wendy's is horrible. I got ice cold fries there and will never go back. McDonalds is okay here, but the Fillet O'Fish is not the same as ones I have eaten in the States. Burger King is awful as well and I don't remember it as being that bad (except for the fries). I went to 5 Guys here and thought it was slop. Pizza Hut turns out to be one of the better pizza joints around. Who would have thought it? Taco Bell here sells fries!!! Why oh why? Give me a Supreme Fries - blech! I guess it is their version of putine.-COLLAPSE
You can't get any worst fast food than Kelly's Cajun Grill (goes by other names too, it's Bourbon St. Grill in Canada). Restaurant that passes off junk Chinese food as Cajun. Some locations even have duck sauce and soy sauce next to the cash registers! How's that for authentic Louisiana cuisine?
Papa Murphy's is actually pretty good. I was surprised myself after eschewing them for years in favor of grocery store frozen pizza and Pizza Hut. The crust was nicely crisp after spending the prescribed amount of time in the oven. Definitely better than frozen.
And in my neck of the woods, it's $5 on Monday and Tuesdays and they give out frequent coupons...making it also competitively priced...+READ
Papa Murphy's is actually pretty good. I was surprised myself after eschewing them for years in favor of grocery store frozen pizza and Pizza Hut. The crust was nicely crisp after spending the prescribed amount of time in the oven. Definitely better than frozen.
And in my neck of the woods, it's $5 on Monday and Tuesdays and they give out frequent coupons...making it also competitively priced with the supermarket pizzas.-COLLAPSE
I'd love to try an In-N-Out but none appear to be on the east coast. I'd especially like to try their real fries.
The MacDonald's fries were never anything to write home about, even before I gave up fast foods. Too skinny: either under or overdone, and always fake-tasting. Give me a good steak fry any day! (Well, back when I ate them...) The closest to fast food I get these days is Panera's.
...+READ
I'd love to try an In-N-Out but none appear to be on the east coast. I'd especially like to try their real fries.
The MacDonald's fries were never anything to write home about, even before I gave up fast foods. Too skinny: either under or overdone, and always fake-tasting. Give me a good steak fry any day! (Well, back when I ate them...) The closest to fast food I get these days is Panera's.
When I ate fast food, before I became nutrition-savvy, Wendy's had the best burgers. MacDonalds did a decent breakfast. Otherwise, nothing appealed. As for Subway: Laden down with processed "deli cuts", too much tasteless bread, and heck, NO WAY!
I'll still visit Panera's, but I don't know if CR considered that a fast food joint or not.-COLLAPSE
After the whole Taco Bell and the fillers scandal...I can't even think about it without getting a little queezy. KFC! i used to love it but notice I always felt extra sluggish and a lil sick..I normally slept it off. Then I read how KFC chicken is abused and made to be so fat they cant walk. I QUIT IT!
In N Out fries are simply excellent. They taste like potato, fresh, well kept, and tasty.
If you wanted them McDonalds style, ask for them well-done.
So, I have to agree with the bashing, genrally, that KFC has recieved. I'm not sure it applies to every KFC but the one in our town has, hands down, the worst fried chicken known to mankind. How is it that you can't get your signature dish to come out, edible? KFC chicken could become the new waterboarding. Talk or we'll make you eat it.
Papa Murphy's is actually very good, I love their gourmet vegetarian pizza as well as there meatlovers. However I have a hard time calling this fast food, you order it either ahead of time or right there and then you still have to take it back to your home and bake it for 12-18 min. Like most people out there am not a fan of fast food I have it when I'm on the road or only have 10-15 min to eat...+READ
Papa Murphy's is actually very good, I love their gourmet vegetarian pizza as well as there meatlovers. However I have a hard time calling this fast food, you order it either ahead of time or right there and then you still have to take it back to your home and bake it for 12-18 min. Like most people out there am not a fan of fast food I have it when I'm on the road or only have 10-15 min to eat between events, otherwise I'm going to a restaurant or cooking. Papa Murphy’s 1000 times better than any frozen pizza and just as convenient. It is also better than most delivery pizza chains such as Papa John’s or Pizza Hut but much slower than those greasy pizza chains and not in my mind fast food.-COLLAPSE
In my opinion, Burger King is clearly superior to Jack in the Box, and In-N-Out beats them both.
Fast food IS crap, but it's cheap AND fast, so great when my teeni weeny wants something while we're out shopping. Never had anything edible at a Mexican fast food shop, though.
I don't think take and bake pizza is a bit bizarre- Cheese Board in Berkeley has done well with it for years, and there are others. I've never done it, but since it only takes about 8-10 min to bake a pizza ( in a home oven), it shouldn't be that inconvenient; I assume the crust is already part baked.
I would have my wedding catered by Taco Bell, that's how good it is.
On Subway, that's losing sight of its purpose. It's like complaining about the sugar in a sports drink. It's there for a reason. The drinks are for high intensity activity when you lose a lot of fluid via sweating. In that situation, sports drinks are great.
Subway isn't meant to be good food. That's not its purpose. It's convenient food that's filling and for the most part is easy to make...+READ
On Subway, that's losing sight of its purpose. It's like complaining about the sugar in a sports drink. It's there for a reason. The drinks are for high intensity activity when you lose a lot of fluid via sweating. In that situation, sports drinks are great.
Subway isn't meant to be good food. That's not its purpose. It's convenient food that's filling and for the most part is easy to make healthy. That's really their whole approach if you think about their line and marketing with Jared.-COLLAPSE
Giving Subway anything higher than a 1 is very disappointing. Worst fast food in the country for sure. Every sandwich tastes exactly the same and that taste is far from decent.
In-N-Out's fries are good when they are eaten immediately. You have to eat the fries before they cool down so chow down, then eat the burger after you finish the fries. It's a small price to pay when you are eating real pieces of potato as opposed to reconstituted potato powder. Also, I read all of CR's reviews with a heavy dosage of salt. Select a product that you are very familiar with and read...+READ
In-N-Out's fries are good when they are eaten immediately. You have to eat the fries before they cool down so chow down, then eat the burger after you finish the fries. It's a small price to pay when you are eating real pieces of potato as opposed to reconstituted potato powder. Also, I read all of CR's reviews with a heavy dosage of salt. Select a product that you are very familiar with and read their review. I have often found that products I know to be very good receive less than stellar ratings.-COLLAPSE
"Fast food in general is sorta...gross. It's odd to assume that everyone frequents it. " - Blitherypoop
Who is assuming that everyone frequents it? 36,733 CR readers certainly isn't everyone?
If you don't like fast food, then I guess this isn't the article for you.
I can't believe Subway got that high of a rating either. Maybe people like it because of the of the perceived healthiness,...+READ
"Fast food in general is sorta...gross. It's odd to assume that everyone frequents it. " - Blitherypoop
Who is assuming that everyone frequents it? 36,733 CR readers certainly isn't everyone?
If you don't like fast food, then I guess this isn't the article for you.
I can't believe Subway got that high of a rating either. Maybe people like it because of the of the perceived healthiness, plus it's got some good deals. This is not to say that a 6" turkey sub isn't healthier than a Big Mac and large fries. I just don't like Subway because I think the bread tastes odd and the tomatoes are pink.
I live on the east coast (New England) and we definitely don't have all of these options.
My favorite is Roy Rogers fried chicken and their french fries. Personal preference, for sure. They are quickly disappearing from the fast food landscape however. Sucks for me!-COLLAPSE
Boy, you guys are a bunch of snobs. I Like Taco Bell. It's fresh and tasty. Mc D's has done wonders upgrading their coffee and their breakfasts are just fine and Mc D's fries are part of the culture. The drive thru convenience is great, especially when you have kids or frozen items in the car and its truly fast food, for busy people. I live on the East Coast so I'm lost with the westie chains,...+READ
Boy, you guys are a bunch of snobs. I Like Taco Bell. It's fresh and tasty. Mc D's has done wonders upgrading their coffee and their breakfasts are just fine and Mc D's fries are part of the culture. The drive thru convenience is great, especially when you have kids or frozen items in the car and its truly fast food, for busy people. I live on the East Coast so I'm lost with the westie chains, but c'mon "genuinely terrible". Sadly, many people who want to act cool will agree with you, while stuffing McNugget boxes in their pockets so their covers don't get blown.-COLLAPSE
If we are travelling or just busy in the early morning, I like a McDonald's big breakfast. The sausage is tasty with nice scrambled eggs. Real eggs. The muffin comes with jam, the hash brown tastes fine. And their coffee is excellent.
I admit to liking a Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger with jalapenos about once or twice a year, because there is not one near us, HOWEVER their onion rings are sweet which I do not care for. Their Limeade is awesome. In defense of McDonalds(something I never thought I would do) their unsweetened ice tea is the best anywhere...and cheap! not made from powder but brewed at least in my town it is. Why cant...+READ
I admit to liking a Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger with jalapenos about once or twice a year, because there is not one near us, HOWEVER their onion rings are sweet which I do not care for. Their Limeade is awesome. In defense of McDonalds(something I never thought I would do) their unsweetened ice tea is the best anywhere...and cheap! not made from powder but brewed at least in my town it is. Why cant other chains stop with the mixes and syrups?!?-COLLAPSE
pointybird, Sonic's burgers are absurdly greasy, but juicier than any other fast food burger I've had. They also have not just fries, but onion rings (real ones!), and tater tots. They do a lot of weird limited time stuff too...but I almost never try any of that.
...and I made a liar of myself last night. I had Wendy's fries. I'm unimpressed by these 'new' ones.
My parents opened a take and bake pizza franchise back in 1989. Fresh dough, fresh sauce, fresh toppings. I don't think we even had a freezer. It's not necessarily a weird concept, but at the time we couldn't compete with the big chains since a take and bake doubled the amount of time you had to wait for hot pizza to enter your mouth. I could see a resurgence of the concept now because of the...+READ
My parents opened a take and bake pizza franchise back in 1989. Fresh dough, fresh sauce, fresh toppings. I don't think we even had a freezer. It's not necessarily a weird concept, but at the time we couldn't compete with the big chains since a take and bake doubled the amount of time you had to wait for hot pizza to enter your mouth. I could see a resurgence of the concept now because of the DIY/anti-frozen food movement, and also because the big chains are still garbage.-COLLAPSE
I've never particularly liked McDonald's or Burger King, but I very rarely have a disgusting experience. They're consistently mediocre. McDonald's is great for cheap calories after, say, helping someone move into a new apartment. It's utility food. I've never felt like I didn't get what I paid for.
KFC, on the other hand, has supplied a few of the only experiences where the food was so stale...+READ
I've never particularly liked McDonald's or Burger King, but I very rarely have a disgusting experience. They're consistently mediocre. McDonald's is great for cheap calories after, say, helping someone move into a new apartment. It's utility food. I've never felt like I didn't get what I paid for.
KFC, on the other hand, has supplied a few of the only experiences where the food was so stale and yucky that I couldn't finish the meal and instead left and went to another place to eat. Perhaps KFC is just unpopular in Minnesota, but I've never been to a good one. Maybe they're marginally better in the south...?-COLLAPSE
Wendy's fries are the best fast food fries period MickyDs ia always my road stop for fast food breakfasr all of the Pizza places mentioned suck. I haven't been in a Burger King in years so I can't say, I tried 5 Guy's for a while but they're not very consistant so I just go to the ones I know about I think WAffle House is the safest burger on the road.
You all need to try some Burgerville. Best burgers eva.
BK's fries being highly rated just about says it all. That is, the survey itself is worthless.
Taco Bell is bad (food), but it's cheap calories; it's the reason you go there. McDonald's probably has the most variety of all the fast food chains, including the best healthy options.
As always, it's easy to bash. I doubt most of the people really thought about the questions all that much before...+READ
BK's fries being highly rated just about says it all. That is, the survey itself is worthless.
Taco Bell is bad (food), but it's cheap calories; it's the reason you go there. McDonald's probably has the most variety of all the fast food chains, including the best healthy options.
As always, it's easy to bash. I doubt most of the people really thought about the questions all that much before spitting out the usual answers.-COLLAPSE
That was supposed to be freshly fried, not frozen, fries. Oops!
I agree that In-N-Out's fries are not phenomenal. My issue is the salt: they are encrusted with it, almost solidified so when I bite into the fry I'm tasting all sodium, no potato. I love freshly frozen fries with a light sprinkle of salt and (maybe) some herbs, however.
Just order the fries well done at In-N-Out, it's a bit variable but it definitely avoids the sometimes undercooked fries.
In-n-out's fries are terrible? Blasphemy! Perhaps when confronted with actual fried fresh potatoes instead of frozen reconstituted starch-sticks, some people don't know what to make of them?
Sonic doesn't appear in the CR article, Blitherypoop. All I've heard about them is about the ice in their drinks, lol. What else is good there?
I'm sorry, Fighoneylamb, I don't like them! I do very often like housemade fries at various places, but I don't like In-N-Out's. They typically don't fry the fries crispy enough for me. I do like their burgers...great grilled onions.
Are you guys kidding me ... how can people say that in N out fry's are not good or even not better than most fast food places? its amazing that actual fresh fry's are slapped in your face and still cant taste the goodness, and people will still vote for frozen awful bagged fry's/// so much for foodies eh ?
I haven't been to McDonalds in maybe 4 years. KFC, maybe 3. I gave up on Burger King as a child in the early '90s when two meals in two different states made me violently ill and haven't gone back since. I can't even remember the last time I had chain pizza. I think Clinton was president. Taco Bell is garbage, but for me it's sentimental garbage, so I go maybe once every 18 months.
I probably...+READ
I haven't been to McDonalds in maybe 4 years. KFC, maybe 3. I gave up on Burger King as a child in the early '90s when two meals in two different states made me violently ill and haven't gone back since. I can't even remember the last time I had chain pizza. I think Clinton was president. Taco Bell is garbage, but for me it's sentimental garbage, so I go maybe once every 18 months.
I probably only eat fast food 3-5 times a year, and it's usually Sonic. I wonder where they ranked. California Tortilla isn't too bad either, though I don't like that they throw out all of the leftover food every night.
Fast food in general is sorta...gross. It's odd to assume that everyone frequents it. In general, if you want any of these styles of food there's probably a local/regional business that does it a million times better.-COLLAPSE