• Cyburbia is a friendly big tent, where we share our experiences and thoughts about urban planning practice, the built environment, planning adjacent topics, and anything else that comes to mind. No ads, no spam, and it's free. It's easy to join!

Food / drink 🍗 How often do you eat fast food?

How often do you eat fast food? (On average)

  • More than Once a Day

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Once a day

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • A few times a week

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Once a week

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • A couple of times a month

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • Once a Month

    Votes: 4 16.7%

  • Once every other Month

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Once a quarter

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Twice a Year

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Once a Year

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Less than Once a Year

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .
michaelskis

michaelskis

Cyburbian
Messages
25,633
Points
74
Many of you know that I am not a fan of fast food restaurants. I will deliberately go out of my way to find someplace with real food then actually eat something from a fast food. restaurant. However over the weekend, the wife and kids all wanted Chick-Fil-A, and I decided to give it a shot. I could not bring myself to go through the drive-through so I walked it. When I went to order, I remembered they had a superfood salad at one point. Apparently they have not had it since before COVID. I finished my sandwich, but the disappointment regarding quality was unquestionable but I am sure that the food was better than if I had gone to McDonalds or something like that. The customer service was as exceptional as I remembered.

As I was in there I started to realize how rare it is that I eat fast food. Not just talking your typical drive through places, but subway too. (Their bread is considered sweets in some other countries).

How about you? How often do you eat fast food? If you do eat there, what are your go-to places and meals?
 
I first voted once a quarter, but now that it's cycling season, I may grab a breakfast sandwich more often, so I voted once a month.

I feel sluggish after I eat some fast foods. I admit that I enjoy a meal from Long John Silvers a couple of times a year.
 
I'm not a big fast food guy (though I do like my Starbucks coffee, if that counts) but I go occasionally. One of the things my kids look forward to on a road trip is the opportunity to get some fast food since we don't really do it too often..

We get take out once a week for "movie night" and we switch between pizza and a few other places. Once in a great while it will be straight up fast food like Taco Bell or 5 Guys. We've also found that the "Family Meal" from Qdoba is a pretty good deal and is usually enough food for us to get a few dinners and lunches out of it so we go there once a month or so.

There is a local chain around here called Kimchee Box that is Korean fast food/street food. Right now they've only got a few locations and I only popped into one on a whim but it was really good so if I'm near one of their spots again, I'd definitely get it but I don't think my kids would really go for it.

In a pinch or on a road trip, I don't mind fast food. But I've try to avoid the soda, get the smallest thing of fries, etc. to at least try and make it a less horrible. Around here there are definitely some places I avoid and it's usually because of the customer service.
 
I have to be pretty desperate to get fast food. If you count taco trucks, then it's a little more often.
 
Hardees biscuits are good, but I only get one (or 2) every couple months or so. I don't count Dominos as fast food, but it is close, quick, good and still relatively cheap.
 
I've been eating fast food a little more this year. In fact today, I was at McDonald's. (I had an eye exam and there was one across the street.) I am probably averaging about once a week whereas a year ago it was probably closer to a couple times a month.

There are a few factors that have lead to this change. On thing is the Pandemic. With dine-ins at restaurants closed during the lockdown, I would just go through the drive-in and eat in the city vehicle. But this wasn't as convenient as dining in so it didn't happen that often. Also, even as late as early this year, it was always a crap shoot whether a dine-in would be open that day so half the time I wouldn't even bother.

But now with everything back open, I am dining in more. But also, I see it as more comfort food during this depressing time. I try and do something unique each time, like the McDonald's I went to today I'd never been to before (or at least the same building). But prices are high. The Big Mac value meal was over $9, whereas before the Pandemic I think it was less than $7.
 
Not too much, but certainly not never.

And....Starbucks is absolutely 'fast food'.
 
I tend to eat it more that I should. I primarily pick it up for breakfast more than anything else. I started when i was commuting 50 minutes to work and I haven't completely gotten rid of the habit. Biscuits are my greatest food weakness. Its gotten a little insane with pricing thought. Breakfast hardly ever went over $5. Some is now approaching $7-9.
 
If I'm in a city with a Chick-Fil-A, or an In-n-Out, I'll stop and grab something.

I like Popeyes spicy chicken sandwiches, I thought I would indulge in one in the Atlanta airport a month ago before a long flight to Seattle.... got through the line and they had a sign that they did NOT sell the sandwich (on Concourse D).... I walked.

The closest thing we do I guess is a slice of pizza or a hot dog from CostCo
 
Maybe one-and-a-half times per week on average? Years ago Mrs. Bubba got into the habit of grabbing Chick-fil-A for breakfast on her way into the office on Fridays - I started drafting off that once she started working from home (and after they reopened) during the pandemic. We'll also grab something that can be classified as fast food (or fast casual) when out and about every couple of weeks or so.

zman said:
I like Popeyes spicy chicken sandwiches, I thought I would indulge in one in the Atlanta airport a month ago before a long flight to Seattle.... got through the line and they had a sign that they did NOT sell the sandwich (on Concourse D).... I walked.
Click to expand...
Dude, let me know when you're in town...
 
It's gotten pretty rare for me. I do just fine eating more than I should without it also being fast food! The few times a year we break down and get Five Guys, when people in the house "just want a burger" and I don't feel like making burgers.
 
zman said:
If I'm in a city with a Chick-Fil-A, or an In-n-Out, I'll stop and grab something.

I like Popeyes spicy chicken sandwiches, I thought I would indulge in one in the Atlanta airport a month ago before a long flight to Seattle.... got through the line and they had a sign that they did NOT sell the sandwich (on Concourse D).... I walked.

The closest thing we do I guess is a slice of pizza or a hot dog from CostCo
Click to expand...

I like basically everything at Popeye's but haven't had anything from there in years. There are two locations not far from me - one is right across from my office and the other is just a few miles from my house.

The last few times I went to the one by my office (maybe back in 2016 or '17) for lunch it was usually a 45 minute wait at lunch time (regardless of how many other customers were in there). These days, if I drive or walk past at lunch or on my way home from work there are usually about 30 cars in the driveway. I've never been to the one that's close to my house but whenever I've driven past the cars are backed up onto the main road waiting to get in. My nephew is a police officer in that city and once I asked him about it and he says that it's jam packed from about 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 7 days a week and the few times he's tried to get stuff from there, they have always been out of one item or another.

I will admit that I keep seeing commercials for the Popeye's "Shrimp Tackle Box" (which looks like a box where they just grabbed a few pieces of deep fried stuff from every category) and I've been tempted by it but haven't bothered.

FWIW, I've very susceptible to fast food advertising. I cannot think of another category of product or service where I'll see a commercial and immediately want that item and actually go out and get it. Pre-pandemic, it would not be uncommon for me and my wife to be watching TV some evening and then we'd see a commercial for some new sandwich from Wendy's or chicken fries from Burger King and suddenly my mouth is watering like one of Pavlov's dogs. I'd look at my watch to see how late it is and if the closest one is still open and then I'd go out ad get some fast food. My wife would always question why on earth I'd want that at 10:00 p.m. or whatever... but then she'd ask me to bring her back something anyways.
 
Popeyes was my favorite fast food. The last time I sat in the drive through line, I got a look into the kitchen. What a mess. When the car ahead of me moved up, I got put of line and never went back.
 
All this fast food and Popeyes talk made it too easy for me to get some Popeyes for late lunch/dinner. The biscuit was really good.

I haven't had Popeyes in years. And probably won't again any time soon....
 
I had a craving for McDonald's bacon/egg/cheese biscuit combo during office visits while we were closed for Covid-19. We're back open now, but I still have one, maybe every other week or so.

I may be among the few omnivores that have never had a Big Mac or a Whopper. Just never cared to try them (burger snob, here).
 
Gedunker said:
I had a craving for McDonald's bacon/egg/cheese biscuit combo during office visits while we were closed for Covid-19. We're back open now, but I still have one, maybe every other week or so.

I may be among the few omnivores that have never had a Big Mac or a Whopper. Just never cared to try them (burger snob, here).
Click to expand...
I've never had a Big Mac or a Whopper.
 
TOFB said:
Hardees biscuits are good, but I only get one (or 2) every couple months or so. I don't count Dominos as fast food, but it is close, quick, good and still relatively cheap.
Click to expand...
Hardee's? Non existent in these parts. Used to be here and when I lived in the Midwest. Under the Carl's Jr. umbrella here so that is what we have.
 
dandy_warhol said:
I've never had a Big Mac, 1/4 Pounder, or Whopper.
Click to expand...
excuse me what GIF

















I'm pretty sure I've eaten all three in one sitting when I was a teen boy.
 
A few months ago, Burger King closed their closest joint to us and the nearby Taco Bell started adding bugs to their burrito, so we stopped going there. Now, sometimes we'll go out of our way to go to a non-buggy Taco Bell and it's become a treat, not a staple. I will say that we hit the Yum Japan in the food court more frequently than that though.
 
When I am broke and need lunch, that $5 grab bag from Wendy's works but I try to limit it to once a month - same with McDonald's, try to limit it

Burger King's are rare here for some reason - they had horrible fries but I liked their Whoppers - haven't gone in years

We do like 5 Guys as a family so we will go there when on the road as they wisely located near exits on interstates
 
Super Amputee Cat said:
But prices are high. The Big Mac value meal was over $9, whereas before the Pandemic I think it was less than $7.
Click to expand...
I downloaded their app mainly to avoid waiting in line during the pandemic, order through the app, go park and wait 5 min for someone to bring it to you. And I found their deals in the app can save you a few bucks. And I do agree the burger joints can leave you with sluggish feeling later.
 
Jen said:
I downloaded their app mainly to avoid waiting in line during the pandemic, order through the app, go park and wait 5 min for someone to bring it to you. And I found their deals in the app can save you a few bucks. And I do agree the burger joints can leave you with sluggish feeling later.
Click to expand...
Well, for now, I prefer to actually go into the store. (We'll see how this 6th/7th wave affects us). The fries have to be hot - I mean right out of the fryer. If someone brings something out to you, there's no telling how long your fries may have just sat there. Few things are worse than cold fries. But yeah, I should use the aps to get reduced prices.
 
Back
Top