Fast Food Discussion: Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell

[nuuskur]

If you told me they put crack in their burgers and fries in McD's, I would totally believe that. I'm lovin it (unfortunately). Guilty pleasure. So far staying in shape, though.

 

[Jodo]

Stand in line at McDonalds and breathe deep , the lovely smell of processed food.
One can recreate that smell at home. Very easy. Just eat at McDs for supper and then don't use the bathroom fan while having your next bowel movement.
This was pointed out to our group at a morning break while attending a Dale Carnegie course back in the late 90's.
I haven't eaten at McDonalds since.

 

[pinball1970]

Firejacks, never been before, amazing (UK)

Meat, chilli and fries options.

I was with a colleague so I was polite and used a knife and fork to cut the burger as it was so large.

On my own I would have attempted to take a bite to get every layer.

Jalapeno and lime, mayo and red chilli sauce all down my face probably but I would have taken hit, that’s what napkins are for.

Beavertown beer to wash it down 4,5% nothing crazy, brilliant.

Two beers and a burger and fries I was ready for bed at 8.30pm.

 

[vela]

Wondering what exactly you were getting as "Greek" salad? Was it cucumber+tomato+feta cheese+olives+olive oil+ some other stuff (onions, peppers, origan ,e.t.c) cause that's the original Greek Salad. Feta (or Pheta) cheese is a white cheese, kind of salty if you eat it by itself, trademark of Greece as well.

Here's their list of ingredients for what they call the "Modern Greek Salad": lettuce medley, feta cheese, Greek olives, sliced pepperoncini, diced tomato, cucumber, housemade pickled onions, crispy chickpeas, house vinaigrette.

It seems to me that feta cheese is pretty popular in the US, though the US cheeses are typically made from cows milk, not the traditional goat milk.

 

[kyphysics]

When done right, those Popeye's Chicken Sandwiches are fantastic.

It's hit or miss in terms of their preparation here...some days I get "chewy"/old tasting sandwiches and some days it's like the best in the world.

 

[kyphysics]

Five Guys' milkshakes are sublime. I have never tasted a better milkshake anywhere in my life.

They are thick - not runny - and the ingredients taste real and fresh.

 

[KenNKC]

Burger King mails me these coupons: $4.99 for 2 original chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries

How do they even make money on these? Those chicken sandwiches are pretty big.

Another great deal there is 2 bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and a drink for $4 with a coupon.

 

[WWGD]

Somewhat -related: I've been able to satisfy my cravings for sweets( often junk) with cheap Lindor Balls/Bombons. It turns out, I understood, I just wanted to "Clean my palate" , and remove the general taste from the recently-eaten food. Then at one point, I was offered a Lindor Ball, and it was enough, not needing a full pastry or other sweets, and at a much lower cost.

https://www.lindtusa.com/lindor-truffles--sc4

( I don't benefit in anyway from linking to the site).

 

[kyphysics]

Another great deal there is 2 bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and a drink for $4 with a coupon.

2 burgers? ...That really is a great deal! ...Seems impossible to make money.

 

[jtbell]

Used to eat Tim Hortons frequently on road trips or days where I didn't get to have breakfast before work.

I used to be into bicycling: long day-trips on country roads, and group rides sponsored by bicycle clubs. I once read about a club near Halifax NS that had an annual "Ten Tims Ride" which visited every Tim Hortons in the Halifax area. Riders had to eat a doughnut at each stop.

During my most recent visit to Canada in 2004, I happened to spot a Tim Hortons in downtown Edmonton, and ate lunch there because of that memory. I don't remember what I had.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I have a soft spot for Arby's roast beef sandwiches, because I grew up not far from where Arby's was founded. When I was a kid in the 1960s, my mother and I occasionally stopped at one of the first Arby's on our shopping trips to that city, as a change from hamburgers at McDonalds etc.

Just last weekend I had my first Arby's in more than two years (a beef 'n' cheddar) on my first (mini) road trip since the pandemic started. Most or all of the Arby's around here suspended dine-in service during the pandemic, and I don't like drive-throughs.

I remember eating Arby's as a kid, when I would go with my brother (truck driver) on cross country trips. They were everywhere. I also liked Chester's Chicken. Have not had either in 16 years.

I rarely eat fast food, and try to limit myself to 4 times a month only.

But I do enjoy the occasional Popeyes, a mom and pop burger spot, Yoshinoya, or Panda Express.
Pizza is always a great choice. But the delivery charge is outrageous. I am not paying around $40 dollars for two large pizzas from Pizza Hut.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

It's interesting how personal tastes operate.

I greatly dislike Carl's Jr.'s burgers for their heavy grease feel, whereas In-N-Out's patties felt less greasy and more fresh (delivered nightly and never frozen).

I feel like CJ's buns are also much more sugary, greasy, and less healthy (could be wrong). The proportion sizing of things and ingredient ratios felt better put together in In-N-Out burgers...but, again, that's just personal taste I suppose.

I agree that In-N-Out's fries are the worst. They have some weird after taste...like the potato was washed in some kind of funky/"Earthy" water or something. Five Guys and Chick-Fil-A have awesome fries imho.

I'd go with an In-N-Out burger, Five Guys fries, and a Chick-Fil-A fresh squeezed lemonade as my perfect fast food meal. Dang I'm hungry!

I happen to live close to two of the best burger spots in LA. So fast food burgers were ruined for me.

 

[pinball1970]

I think I have it.
Ultimate beauty, history, taste and coolness?

Bruges Belgium. Walking round that beautiful city we came across a burger joint. Obviously being Belgium it was not just a burger joint.
My partner had something (sorry can't remember but she was fussy and liked it)
I had Dutch stew. Sounds bland? Think again.portions were huge and it was amazing.
The staff asked if I wanted soft drink or alcoholic. We don't do non alcoholic in the UK. I requested they bring what they had. The brought a can of perfectly chilled Hoegaarden.
It was stunning.
My avatar is from that weekend. ik hou van België

 

[JT Smith]

I happen to live close to two of the best burger spots in LA. So fast food burgers were ruined for me.

Which two burger places are in your opinion the best in L.A.?The best burgers I've had were in a place in New Zealand, in Queentown. There's a very popular place there called Fergburger that always had ridiculously long lines. So we went to Devil Burger instead and those burgers were amazing. And also a lot larger diameter than a standard burger in the U.S. Good chips too.

But not really fast food exactly.

 

[JT Smith]

Pizza is always a great choice. But the delivery charge is outrageous. I am not paying around $40 dollars for two large pizzas from Pizza Hut.

Pizza in our area is both over the top expensive (more than sushi) and also really bad. I finally broke down and bought a pizza steel for our kitchen oven. After a bit of trial and error I learned how to make pizza that's far better than anything I was paying through the nose for before.

The final step, the cooking, only takes 4-5 minutes. But it's not fast food.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Which two burger places are in your opinion the best in L.A.?The best burgers I've had were in a place in New Zealand, in Queentown. There's a very popular place there called Fergburger that always had ridiculously long lines. So we went to Devil Burger instead and those burgers were amazing. And also a lot larger diameter than a standard burger in the U.S. Good chips too.

But not really fast food exactly.

Master Burger and Hawkins House of Burger. I lean more towards Master Burger. Both are in "dangerous" parts of LA. So I would caution people before they go, if one scares easily.

I was let down by Pie and Burger (near CalTech), and Oinksters (Filipinotown).

 

[jtbell]

For a quick fix of fried seafood, I like Captain D's, which is based in Nashville TN and has locations mostly in the southeastern states, plus southern Indiana and southwestern Ohio. I usually get the "2-piece fish meal" which includes two fish fillets and two sides (I always get broccoli and French fries).

Around here we also have Long John Silver's, but it's been many years since I've been in one. At that time I decided I liked Captain D's better, but maybe I should try LJS again when I have the chance.

Both do have grilled / broiled options.

In the piedmont region of the Carolinas, there are also many sit-down family seafood restaurants which are generically called "fish camps" even if their name doesn't include the term. The one in my town, out by the Interstate, doesn't, but it turns up in a Google search for "fish camps near me".

A couple of months ago, on my way home from North Carolina, I ate dinner at a place that does call itself a fish camp, near Lancaster SC. It's a stone's throw from the Catawba River, so at one time it might have caught its own fish, but I expect nowadays it uses commercial seafood wholesalers.

Those things pictured in the sign aren't seafood. They're hushpuppies which are commonly served with seafood at fish camps.

This is their seafood platter, which includes a couple of flounder fillets, oysters, popcorn shrimp, and stuffed crab, with coleslaw and baked potato on the side. Also hushpuppies which aren't shown in the picture. The server brought the hushpuppies out while I was waiting for the other stuff, so I had probably already eaten them all.

This is south of Charlotte, over the state line in SC. West of Charlotte, the area around Gastonia NC has had a long tradition of fish camps.

Cramerton takes tasty look at Gaston County's fish camp legacy (Gaston Gazette)

 

[WWGD]

Another good current deal, I heard, is 7-Eleven selling Pizzas, $7.50 for a whole pie. I've heard they're not so bad.

 

[jtbell]

A couple of months ago, on my way home from North Carolina, I ate dinner at a place that does call itself a fish camp, near Lancaster SC. It's a stone's throw from the Catawba River, so at one time it might have caught its own fish, but I expect nowadays it uses commercial seafood wholesalers.

View attachment 304287

I've found an article by a professor at the University of South Carolina - Lancaster. Compare the image at the top of the article with my photo above.

Carolina Fish Camps: Good Food at Good Prices

 

[kyphysics]

Another good current deal, I heard, is 7-Eleven selling Pizzas, $7.50 for a whole pie. I've heard they're not so bad.

Fresh or frozen?

 

[WWGD]

Fresh or frozen?

Fresh. And it's cooked in 2 minutes in a special oven.

 

[pinball1970]

Fresh. And it's cooked in 2 minutes in a special oven.

Using a specific type of EM radiation?

 

[pinball1970]

Fresh. And it's cooked in 2 minutes in a special oven.

Hey I love this thread. Chicken Mac Nuggets for breakfast, great.

 

[symbolipoint]

Using a specific type of EM radiation?

I am trying to use multiquote but it is failing.

About the 'fast food' Pizza (mentioning from 7-11)
Is 10 or 11 minutes cook time fast enough?
HOT oven, ~medium size only, custom-ingredient selection picking - Pieology!

 

[JT Smith]

About the 'fast food' Pizza (mentioning from 7-11)
Is 10 or 11 minutes cook time fast enough?
HOT oven, ~medium size only, custom-ingredient selection picking - Pieology!

That sounds slow to me. Pizza in my standard kitchen oven (with a pizza steel added) takes 4-5 minutes. In a real pizza oven at 900°F or whatever I think the baking time is under 2 minutes.

In Italy I've ordered pizza in little corner shops and once I've placed my order the guy shapes the dough, adds the toppings, cooks the pizza, slices it, and puts it into a box in a total time of about five minutes. And it's good pizza, unlike what 7-11 is almost certainly serving.

So I guess pizza in Italy qualifies as fast food, even though there's no drive-thru.

 

[dlgoff]

From: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.co...za-and-other-things-you-need-know/2511161001/

Pizzas, subs and sandwiches can all be ordered in store. It takes about 10 minutes for a pizza to go from the time the dough is stretched in the pan to bubbly golden cheese emerging from the oven. Subs get assembled in a matter of minutes.

 

[WWGD]

I

I am trying to use multiquote but it is failing.

About the 'fast food' Pizza (mentioning from 7-11)
Is 10 or 11 minutes cook time fast enough?
HOT oven, ~medium size only, custom-ingredient selection picking - Pieology!

It's cooked in 2 minutes in a special oven. I don't think it's a standard oven, so you won't likely
be able to take frozen ones and cook them at home.

 

[WWGD]

Using a specific type of EM radiation?

Not sure. But the $7.50 prize does it for me.

 

[symbolipoint]

I will try to express the adjustment, after posts # 60 to #63.
Pieology's usual servicing time from pizza assembled to pizza served and all paid-up is (by feel and by occasional time measure) about 10 to 11 minutes. By my viewpoint, this is fast. The actual oven time is definitely less than 10 minutes. I do not know the temperatures the company uses.

 

[kyphysics]

For a quick fix of fried seafood, I like Captain D's, which is based in Nashville TN and has locations mostly in the southeastern states

View attachment 304286

I'm a huge fan of both Captain D's and LJS.

For whatever reason, they are not super popular across the country. I think there is this view that the battered fish is super unhealthy. I'm sure it is, but I don't eat fast food for healthy food. You know what you're getting.

Also, it feels like more southern U.S. states have that fried cat fish offering. The further away from the South that you get, the less places seem to have that. I love me some fried fish + tartar sauce. Would take that over a burger most days. Plus, the regular soul food side dishes are great (I would surmise healthier than a side of french fries too).

What price did you pay for that plate?

 

[jtbell]

What price did you pay for that plate?

According to my Apple Card transaction list, it was $24 including tax and a generous tip. Probably $17-$18 on the menu.

For comparison, Captain D's two-piece fish meal with two sides was a bit over $10 last month, including tax but no tip.

Thinking back to when I was growing up and going to college in northern Ohio in the '60s-'70s, I don't remember eating at any specifically-seafood places, except for Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips which opened next to my hometown shopping mall when I was in high school. There's now one Arthur Treacher's left in the whole country, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I'll have to check it out next time I go up north. Maybe next summer. Maybe I'll order one of their 50th anniversary T-shirts in the meantime.

I did a Google Maps search for seafood restaurants in my home town and immediate surrounding area, maybe 60K-70K people total. The only one seems to be Red Lobster near the shopping mall, next to where Arthur Treacher's used to be. All the other hits are for more generic restaurants (Italian, steak, etc.) that have seafood on the menu. Nothing like the fish camps we have down here.

Along Ohio's Lake Erie shore, I ate at a small fried-fish place in Port Clinton a few summers ago on one of my road trips. They had locally-caught lake perch and walleye. There are probably other places like that along the lakeshore.

 

[jtbell]

Also, it feels like more southern U.S. states have that fried cat fish offering.

Another thing you see down here but not up north is okra, including fried okra. My brother, who lived in various parts of the country, had a theory that there is an invisible "okra line", north of which you never see okra on a restaurant menu. In his experience, Oklahoma was south of it, but Kansas was north of it, for example.

 

[Bystander]

had a theory that there is an invisible "okra line"

How does that compare to the "grits line?"

 

[kyphysics]

Another thing you see down here but not up north is okra, including fried okra. My brother, who lived in various parts of the country, had a theory that there is an invisible "okra line", north of which you never see okra on a restaurant menu. In his experience, Oklahoma was south of it, but Kansas was north of it, for example.

It's weird, because okra is very inexpensive, yet quite healthy. Fried okra (okay, less healthy) even tastes fantastic. I love it with ranch dip. ...surprised it's not more common (better profit margins?)...

I wish more places served it, b/c I'd take a side of fried okra - even at a fast food place - over french fries any day.

 

[kyphysics]

According to my Apple Card transaction list, it was $24 including tax and a generous tip. Probably $17-$18 on the menu.

For comparison, Captain D's two-piece fish meal with two sides was a bit over $10 last month, including tax but no tip.

Captain D's used to have mail coupons. I haven't seen one in a long time. Those were good deals too - pre-INFLATION days - of like $3.99 for a fish/fries/slaw meal! ...So tasty!

Inflation-adjusted, I bet it'd run $8.99 nowadays.