Scholarship table
Unpopular opinion but I think Portillos is awful. Every single thing is vastly overrated, their hot dog, beef, burger, polish everyone raves about it but there's a bunch mom and pop places and local chains that I can think of which are better. Don't understand that place's cult like following Add Rosatti's, Giardano's and Lou's as well.
Portillo's is great for a faster food option. Burger is solid, combo is good, cheese dip is incredible, éclair cake is awesome.Lou's is so good, and Giardano's is solid.
I left a few options off my most disgusting fast food:1) The Krystal -- Anyone who has lived in the mid-south knows Krystal. It is a horrible rip-off of an already bad White Castle, which, by the way, is terrible. The Krystal should be shut down on principle. Its food is bad going on ptomaine inflicting.2) Krispy Kreme -- Another mid-south favorite that sadly has more lives than a cat. This chain was something I loved as a kid -- and then my taste buds developed. What I learned was lard-soaked, fried bread can only be a delicacy in a place like Nashville. KK has been bankrupt almost as many times as Donald Trump.3) George Webb's -- I guess somebody has to like it. I just don't know who.4) Maid Rite -- Not many Scoopers probably know about Maid Rite. It's the Iowa version of Real Chili -- a place people go to sober up after a long night of alcohol consumption. I guess if your state is the number one consumer of Busch Beer in the known universe, Maid Rite tastes good. That's Iowa for you. We had one next door to us in the first apartment Ms. Dgies and I rented after we were married. It was in the Quad Cities and it was -20 one night when some woman named Debbie and her boyfriend had a fight (probably over going to Maid Rite). She locked him out of the car after the 3 a.m., closing of Maid Rite and, after he called her a bitch, drove off. That's Maid Rite's customer base!
Speed Queen at 1:30 AM
Nah, tough neighborhood, too close to MU...hard pass, hey?
You just don't like it because it started out in the burbs and not in Chicago proper. You have to admit that they have mastered the science of drive-thru efficiency.
Ever since Dick sold to private equity, it’s gone down hill, I completely agree with this take.I’ll add an unpopular take, Buona > Portillo’s. Buona fries are terrible though.
I'll back up Buona > Portillos and agree the fries are trash. But I'd take both over Pops and Al's. I'd also take Buonas burger over Portillos
Carnevor, Eddie Martini's, Rare, Capital Grille, and Carson's, hey?
Buona’s burger is arguably a top 3 fast food burger contender, 100% agree. They used to have great Parmesan chips there that went perfectly with the burger (before Covid).Pop’s is garbage, I don’t know why people go there when there’s way better options.
Agree on all counts. Buona's burger is excellent. Pops is cheap, I'm assuming that's why it is popular.
Is drastically cheaper than buona Portillos or Al's? Or all the mom and spots? Pop's beef was inedible to me.
On the topic of food, you were dropped on your head by Hooks when he and Tracy were babysitting you back in the day. 😁. God knows, there were no martinis involved.When KK opened on WB Ave, a friend was the DM. Took my young sons and a few of their grade school pals to the opening. My guy brought them tray after tray of glazed Krispy Kreme’s. They must have polished off three dozen at least. They survived. Guessing they will tell their kids about the glory of that day.
Is Gene and Jude's still open?I know they got flooded out awhile back.
If no martinis were involved, then I promise you, there was almost a case of beer involved.Your reference to Tracy threw me for a second. I wasn't sure whether you meant Jim or my grandmother, aunt, sister or daughter. All are Tracys.Still think KK is something you do once before common sense kicks in!
IMHO all french fries are waaaay undercooked. Need to be crispy golden brown.