Best “Fast” Food

[wadesworld]

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.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Speed Queen at 1:30 AM

[Jay Bee]

I do find Rosati’s to be awful.

There’s not a lot of pizza I find to be *great*

I will say… the Pizza Hut Detroit style is a bargain. Not great, but cheap and not awful

[Galway Eagle]

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 have heard great things about the sweets. I don't eat sweets so wouldn't know. 

[real chili 83]

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!

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. 

[warriorchick]

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.

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.

[4everwarriors]

Speed Queen at 1:30 AM

Nah, tough neighborhood, too close to MU...hard pass, hey?

[real chili 83]

Rosatti’s Italian beef>Portillo’s Italian beef…by a long shot.

A Chicago Rosatti’s za from a unit owned by a Rosatti family member is solid. Kind like a Za from an original Shakeys. Rare breeds in these times.

My BIL has a Rosatti’s connection through marriage. Core of ops is solid. Like other brands, franchising is less so. 

[real chili 83]

Nah, tough neighborhood, too close to MU...hard pass, hey?

Part of the experience, eh?

[Galway Eagle]

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.

Hahaha nice

[DegenerateDish]

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.

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.

[🏀]

Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. have Portillo’s reeling. They cannot figure it out how to serve it, but the necessary evil with online ordering.

[Galway Eagle]

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

[DegenerateDish]

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

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.

[Herman Cain]

Carnevor, Eddie Martini's, Rare, Capital Grille, and Carson's, hey?

I remember about 40 years ago, Carson’s had a menu item of two giant pork chops smothered in their BBQ sauce . Them was the days …

[RJax55]

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.

[Galway Eagle]

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.

[RJax55]

Is drastically cheaper than buona Portillos or Al's? Or all the mom and spots? Pop's beef was inedible to me.

Drastically, no. But, it is cheaper. I agree, it sucks.

I went there twice, at the location they used to have in Elmhurst (it's no more). Beef was awful and the burger was really bad. Seems like people in the south and sw burbs like that and as it continues to expand down there. I don't get it.

[dgies9156]

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.

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!

[warriorchick]

Is Gene and Jude's still open?

I know they got flooded out awhile back.

[Galway Eagle]

Is Gene and Jude's still open?

I know they got flooded out awhile back.

As of last month it was.

[real chili 83]

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!

Jim, of course.

[#UnleashSean]

Whataburger and spicy ketchup

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

IMHO all french fries are waaaay undercooked. Need to be crispy golden brown. That's why I always liked Steak 'n Shake.

[MU82]

IMHO all french fries are waaaay undercooked. Need to be crispy golden brown.

Agree. When we go to a bar and grill or fast-casual place, we ask for our fries “extra crispy,” and they usually come out perfectly.