This Online Thread Is Dedicated To Grossly Overrated Fast Food Chains And Here Are 29 Of The Worst Ones
Fast food has been a controversial topic for many, many years. There are a lot of restaurants all over the globe that always seem to be bustling with customers. Some people love it and see no problem in eating it every day, while some absolutely hate it and say it's one of the most unhealthy things you can put in your body. However, we can all probably agree that the convenience of fast food can't be denied. You come in and get warm and tasty food just like that. To delve deeper into this topic, Redditor user c0rdl asked: "What fast food place is grossly overrated?" and people shared their opinions.
It seems that lots of popular fast food places are overrated and are just not good at all, based on the responses of these internet users. What do you think is the most overrated one? Share in the comments down below!
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Correct answer is....all of them. The prices have gone up so much its not worth it. The fast food empire is built upon being cheap and fast. They really are not either these days.
We talked to clinical dietitian Edvardas Grišin and he gave us some amazing insights on this topic. First, we asked him what is his least favorite fast food chain: "There couldn’t be one answer to this question. There are too many of us in the world to be objective at this point. From a nutrition perspective, European-Asian food is the most questionable fast-food chain in Lithuania’s market.
It doesn’t mean that Asian food is somehow unhealthy and bad for people’s health, but in our country, most Asian food lacks authenticity. People associate it only with deep-fried, fructose corn syrup-glazed vegetables, and meat of unknown origin, which is far from reality."
Starbucks
- Their percolator coffee tastes like cigarette butts with way too much caffeine in it.
- The food ok, but costs three times more than it should
Starbucks is just bougie McDonalds
Chick-fil-a.
Unpopular opinion to some, but I genuinely think it's way too overrated.
I’ve never had it and I get FLAMED every time I say it. I’ve boycotted successfully for 18 years.
Edvardas Grišin shares if fast food is good or bad: "More than half (or even more) of fast foods served for people are generally nutrient-poor and high in harmful substances for the human body. It is usually calorie-dense, and high in saturated or unsaturated oxidized vegetable fat. The bigger part of its carbohydrate content comes from simple sugars lacking fiber and minerals.
Apart from its nutrient content and quite simple accessibility in whatever part of the world a person is in, fast food drives people to eat this type of food (as the first word of our topic says) very quickly. It is called unconscious eating, when our brain barely realizes the eating process during those 2-3 minutes of hedonic pleasure, which is more or less the time needed to demolish a double patty burger.
All the above-mentioned reasons (nutrient composition and people’s behavior) should at least put a red flag of warning on this type of gastronomic cuisine - high consumption of fast food can have a detrimental negative impact on people’s cardiovascular and metabolic health. Obesity has become the leading chronic disease in the world, which, as we see, is spreading further despite all the government health-promoting policies.
Another question is: Should fast food options always be considered a bad choice? It depends. Nowadays we can find many different new fast-food options around the country. We are delighted to see that they offer more unprocessed, fresh produce for customers. Fast food shouldn’t be always unhealthy. Let’s trade deep-fried vegetables for fresh or lightly pickled ones, mayo for avocado guacamole and we will have a healthy option for ourselves!"
Can't believe it's not on the list yet but ... Subway. Bland cold cuts on cardboard bread.
Canadian here. At the risk of being tried for treason…Tim Horton’s is way overrated. They’ve lost their identity, which once was a solid coffee and donut (fresh, from scratch, baked on site iir) shop that was never a letdown. Now it tries to be, on one hand, a hip cafe a la budget Starbucks, and is selling all sorts of fast food items it has no business selling; and on the hand it wants you to believe it’s still a coffee and donuts place. The fast food sucks, the donuts all taste the same (slathered in glaze) and are baked off site and trucked in. And the coffee? Meh. Most people I know would rather hit McDonal’s for their morning coffee. Tim’s is a national institution but needs to get it’s act together and go back to simplicity. In my opinion, of course. Sorry.
The professional also shares why he thinks fast food is so loved: "The answer is both very simple and complicated. We can say: 'It’s easily accessible and… why not? Because it’s tasty!' On the other hand, what we don’t see is the effects of fast food on our gut and hormone profile.
The newest scientific data shows that poor nutrient-dense food consumption (as fast foods generally are) has a negative impact on gut microflora composition and neurohumoral brain circuits, which are responsible for people's eating behavior. Our brain becomes resistant to stimuli coming from the gastrointestinal tract after nutrients from food get there and, with time, needs even bigger doses of those substances.
In society it’s popular to say 'sugar addiction,' but it's way more than that. Let’s face it - tasty food is a combination of sugars and fats. Pasta isn’t tasty without its sauce, pizza dough is just dough without toppings on it. There will not be one substance to blame, that’s why avoiding sugar and replacing it with sugar substitutes (even calorie-free) won’t give long-term beneficial results.
People have to realize that the food market is growing and sooner or later we will hardly be able to distinguish what is healthy and what is not. That’s why we shout out for people’s education in order to prevent the metabolic disease burden in the world."
Dominos, It just isn't That good compared to other Pizza Places.
Edvardas Grišin also gives some great food and nutrition recommendations for people: "Eat fast food only in critical situations - there are always better food possibilities around us. Even petrol stations nowadays have a wide variety of healthy fast-food ideas, from salads with grilled meat to protein bars or even jerky strips - it will always be a better choice than a hot dog.
Fast food shouldn’t always be bad. Always read the ingredient list of the food that you are heading to buy.If the piece of food that is smaller than your palm has a 20-ingredient list with half of it starting with 'e' - think again whether it is the best option to choose.
Go for quality - not quantity. A family-size pizza with salami and cheese made of vegetable fats won’t be necessarily a better option than a medium one, but with better-quality toppings on it."
Golden Corral. The food is mediocre, and buffets are disgusting in general
Yes. I don't like a side of children's boogers with my mashed potatoes and gravy.
Panera bread and I don't think it's close at all
They charge *ten dollars and nineteen cents* plus tax for a mac and cheese. It's good but I know how to make my own
Food tastes like literally nothing. Like there is a department dedicated to removing flavor. It’s the food equivalent of Hint water.
They make a semi-decent broccoli and cheese soup...everything else is very...Meh.
"Get your water and fiber in! Even though we eat fast foods, our primary healthy eating habits can’t be forgotten.
Before going to get a fast-food meal, eat a bowl of berries and drink at least 300-400ml of water. Hydration will reduce the sense of hunger and fiber will at least partially prevent digestive disorder risks like bloating which is often a post-meal 'souvenir' in fast food joints.
Don’t forget that more physical activity is the strongest gun we can use to decrease the negative impact of fast food on our well-being. From jogging to weightlifting, skiing or swimming - choose whatever you like and make it happen!"
If you want more tips on healthy eating, visit the Dietology center's Instagram page or contact dietologists Edvardas Grišin or Dalia Petrauskienė directly.
Don’t nobody speak on Waffle House. I’m currently eating there. And it’s glorious.
KFC. You see it on TV and are like, "f**k I haven't had kfc in ages".
You order it, it takes an age to make, and you eat it. The feeling afterwards of self loathing and disgust is the reason you haven't had KFC in ages.
Can't relate. I eat it very rarely as I don't eat fastfood but if I crave some, KFC is my go-to place. I guess it differs where you're from. I'm from Europe so food related regulations are much stricter than in the US
KFC in France is nothing like the USA brand. I miss the American coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, and especially the biscuits! In France you get a stale mini-baguette instead of a biscuit, and the rest is c**p because the recipes and menu has been designed for French palates (the same people who call a panini à "taco") But then, biscuits to Europeans are cookies, so armed with this knowledge, you know you're gonna get forked
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After Colonel Saunders sold his company to a big corporation, they began changing things and he hated the resulting product. He had signed an agreement to appear in their Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials. He followed the contract, but the contract didn't specify that he had to speak in them. (They just assumed.) He refused to utter a single word in any of the tv ads.
Isn't the old recipe in some place still? IIRC part of gas station where he started it all (and killed someone).
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I have used the drive through just to get a grip of coleslaw for a family BBQ because I was too busy and its better than I can make.
KFC here is actually pretty great, but it depends on which branch you go to! :D Some branch got better chicken nuggets and fried chickens
I just don't understand how ANY food establishment can make such awful fries. How can you screw up frying potato for heaven sake?? Always, luke warm, soggy, limp and tasteless.
I can get much better fried chicken at the deli of the grocery store across the road.
Knowing how they grade their chicken for human consumption, ( number of skin cysts per square inch ), how inhumane the "living" conditions are for the birds plus the amount of antibiotics and growth hormones fed to the birds, KFC is a hard no for me.
I just went to my local KFC here in Broadheadsville, PA and the staff were awesome and I loved my chicken! I can make chicken that will knock you on your a*s but occasionally you do need a KFC fix!
I’ve had KFC twice in 30 years. Promptly get wicked diarrhea and terrible heartburn. I call fast food ‘Frankenfood.’
I really like the flavor however kfc is the top company name that comes up when searching animal cruelty regarding chickens.
I only have KFC maybe once a year, The fact that a bucket of chicken cost $40 might have something to do with that,
They need to change the name to Kentucky Fried Cornish Hen. I like their chicken, but I’ve had Buffalo chicken wings larger than any of their pieces. I realize they buy the cheapest product they can get, but I think their wholesaler’s shipping them sparrows.
KFC Canada franchises rarely meet the expectations any more. The past three times someone has suggested having lunch there, I expected trichinosis to flare up due to raw chicken under all that junk coating.
I get a craving for the "littles" every once in a while. It's basically a fried chicken strip on a small bun with pickles.
I haven't eaten KFC in 20+ years after seeing how the chickens they use are treated. Just because they'll be food doesn't mean they have to be tortured their entire lives. I make my own and it's better AND healthier.
I like KFC, but if you're in South Africa, Chicken Licken's chicken is better.
"They add chemicals so you crave it every fortnight " from: So I Married an Ax Murderer
KFC used to be edible when "The Colonel" still owned the franchise. Now it's just bland chicken soaked in melted candle grease.
I'm a huge fried chicken afficiando, lol. But the statement here is exactly how I feel - especially after clown holing a whole bucket by myself :c
KFC got a lot greasier than it used to be. At least locally. Like something changed since my childhood. And I've had two different adult friends comment on it to me independently so if we are all noticing it I don't think it is just me. Also other sins like switching from honey to honey flavored corn syrup. First time I got a packet of that I didn't noticed and wondered what was wrong with the honey.
I love their crispy chicken, not the original recipe. Once a year as I watch what I eat. OMG so good.
In Kamloops the owner cheaps out on everything and the food is disgusting. Chicken over cooked and flavorless. Gravy they have watered down the whole week. Garbage.
I hate this thing.... the worst way to eat chicken.. and trust me, India knows so many ways to cook delicious chicken...
Get sick every time I eat there. So I haven't been back in about 15 years.
Had it in Hawaii 4 years ago and swore I'd never eat it again. Had it in Cairo a month ago and it was awesome
Never actually had a KFC as I don't like chicken but any time I've walked by it always looks grubby inside ..in Livingston west Lothian at least
Honestly, I find Chipotle’s food bland and boring, definitely not worth what you pay for it. Now, take me to Salsarita’s and you’ll be my best friend.
Always better with a real Mexican place. One staffed by first generation immigrants. There's a place near me where I've watched their kids and nieces and nephews come through over the last decade or so and earn enough money to make it here. Also hands down, better burritos than any chain.
All of them. It's gotten to the point where you can't even get a fast food meal for under 20$ anymore. Groceries are expensive enough, I never eat out anymore
Tim Hortons
It's an absolute travesty that they've literally advertised their way into Canadian identity while cutting costs in every way possible.
Their coffee is at the absolute bottom of the barrel, and I genuinely can't think of a major chain that serves worse food. It's *awful*.
Nothing is made in house, and simple basics, like toasting bagels - something that's been an issue for *fifteen years* - remains unaddressed. They're still somehow always cold AND burnt.
Not to even touch on their abuse of temporary foreign workers, abysmal pay, and awful work culture.
Easiest boycott you'll ever make.
[edit - I cannot believe I forgot to add this, but after only a few weeks of working at Tims, a girl ate something she was allergic to and nearly died. The management tried to get staff to sign a waiver *taking personal responsibility for any fallout*. Absolute f****d.]
KFC
I can go to any grocery store and pick up an 8 piece bucket of fried chicken from the deli for like $6-$8. Grab a side of mac and cheese, a small coleslaw and a pack of Kings Hawaiian rolls and I spent an extra five bucks. Maybe. KFC is like $30 for an 8 piece bucket and sides and I'll take grocery store chicken over KFC any day; it's bigger, juicier, crispier and tastes less salty.
This I agree wholeheartedly with. Plus, by my house, there’s a gas station that has fried chicken that is so dang good, makes kfc look like the real dumpster juice it really it
Burger King. It sucks balls. It smells disgusting, and they have stupid colors
White Castle
Shake Shack.
I had heard their burgers were good, so really went out of my way to have one. It was small, not cheap, and very average.
Won’t be back…there are a lot of burgers I’d eat before Shake Shack..what a scam.
I scrolled through most of this thread.
My go to is always Wendy’s. Glad to see they’ve not been mentioned.
Olive Garden
Nah, Olive Garden slaps. It's not "real" Italian food, but it's good and you get a ton of food. Plus, it's not considered fast food anyway so it has no business being on this list
Everyone is going to have different answers and they're all going to come down to the fact that the quality of fast food is extremely dependent on the state of the particular restaurant you go to.
I have a McDonald's by me where the McNuggets are always inedible, but another where they're pretty good.
The Popeyes near me is always terrible, but anywhere else I've been, it's amazing (but still overpriced).
I might be banished from Texas for saying this but Whataburger is just okay.
The burgers and fries are good, but not worth the insane hype that they receive, and I find most of the breakfast options to range from mediocre to inedible.
Plus most locations are incredibly slow so it’s fast food in name only.
I live in Texas. Can confirm. Seriously don't get it. Only time I eat it is when I'm on a road trip because there is one every few miles.
Steak ‘n’ Shake. Like so many of these places, they were legit at one point then suffered from over expansion and spiral down
Canes.
Only thing good is the sauce and bread. I live in Louisiana - people here will whine all day long about underseasoned food but will literally back up traffic to get some bland-a*s Cane's chicken.
Wing stop is the nastiest s**t on the planet. Why?????
Look at that picture. These are their boneless wings. They are about half the size of a McDonald's chicken nugget yet cost three times as much. Plus, the ones in my state got busted for charging their minimum wage workers for their uniforms.
So basically this thread includes comments naming virtually every fast food place as grossly overrated, and I would agree that yes, most (if not all) fast food is gross (yet, oddly delicious at times), places like In-N-Out or Chick-Fil-A are grossly overrated in that there will never be a time it's worth waiting in a line that wraps out into the street and around the block for an admittedly good burger and/or decent chicken sandwich. That people willingly put themselves through that kind of insane line/wait is a testament to their grossly overrated-ness.
EDIT; ok, so CFA lines apparently move fast. Noted, lol.
EDIT #2; yes, going inside is generally faster than a drive through, yet there are times it’s legitimately tough to see where to even try and park to go inside when these places are absolutely slammed. This is in Los Angeles, for reference.
FINAL EDIT: I am choosing to upgrade In-N-Out to only "mildly overrated".
Panda Express
I like Panda Express. You can get relatively healthy foods with more vegetables than any other fast food place.
When a new restaurant opens, they talk up their fresh, wonderful ingredients and incredible service. Then they get successful and expand too quickly or are bought out by a large company. Profit becomes more important. So recipes are adjusted to use cheaper and lower quality ingredients or less of what made a particular dish so popular . Extras are now charged for. Labor is paid less than before and service deteriorates. Line managers are overworked and put on salary so they don't get overtime. Lousy managers ride their staff to do more and perks erode. Quality people leave and are replaced by not-so-good people who don't really care about service and quality, and pay them less. Of course, not every place is like this and you find a hidden gem. Senior management tries to institute reforms aimed at turning back the clock to when things were better. Cynical, ain't I? I'm not always this negative. I guess I'm feeling not so optimistic today. It must be all the bad weather.
Yes. My sister worked for a certain west coast chain that was really in to treating workers well and giving them basic autonomy and training to give good customer service. Then they went public and started to expand. She would point out how their new policies contradicted their own training. She left to work in a not-for-profit instead.
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Hey-- I'm glad Sonic didn't make this list-- it was the only fast-food joint my family agreed on for quality and price. Does it still exist?? Inquiring expat wants to know!! Thanks
Helpful tip* if you are suffering from constipation a meal from Taco Bell will help and is less expensive than meds. You're welcome.
No one mentioned Jersey Mikes? Way overpriced. Good. But, way overpriced.
I'm willing to pay a little more for fresh decent ingredients.
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My husband is a refrigeration engineer, specializing in restaurant kitchen equipment. We've only been in Oregon since March of last year and he's already got a list of 20 or so places we are never allowed to eat at. Just found out the McDonald's where I fulfil my Quarter Pounder w/cheese craving is like, #3. Also - in the US, almost NONE of the 100 or so McD's he's worked in over the years clean the ice or ice cream machine on the schedule they are supposed to adhere to. I'm talking black mold and cockroach droppings under the IC machines.
I love that no one mentioned Taco Bell. It's horrible, but I love it (every once in a while).
Is Tim Hortons really bad enough to make it on the list twice? (#5 & #15).
Depends on the store, but basically yes. Ever since Wendy's bought them out the quality of product had declined and as the menu has expanded.
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Taco Bell has gone down hill in our area. The food looks gross and the taste is all greasy. My husband doesn't like Bo*Jangles because they seem to salt the c**p out of everything. Denny's has also become the trailer park of restaurants. What I wouldn't give for a Perkin's in our area with their fantastic pies and muffins.
You must live where the local Tim's has a franchisee who cares. And I envy you for that.
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I am so happy to live where we have none of these food outlets. If I want a burger, I go to my local butcher and get a supreme steak burger. It is how it sounds. Sublime. Takes a few minutes to cook, put it in a locally baked bread roll with a bit of mayo. Just perfect.
Sonic. $4-$5 for fruit flavored sugar water that's 50% ice, and they have worst fast food burgers I've ever had. .
As a former employee - only go there for onion rings. We actually hand make those from scratch every day.
Load More Replies... Not on the list but should be...maybe they don't have a lot of locations yet. Wahlburger. Nothing special but at least it was really expensive
McDonalds switched to brioche bread. Real Frenche brioche is really good. McDonalds brioche buns makes entire sandwich taste like sour milk.
About fast food in general: -Manage expectations. -No matter what it is, it will never as good as decent home cooking. -The quality is dependant on the individual restaurant. If they can't keep up appearances, they've stopped trying. -Hype is created by drunk extraverts craving attention. Popularity ebbs and flows from that dynamic. -Don't overthink it. Simplicity should be simple. Complexity ruins it. -Be kind.
What I learn about this kind of thing is that it depends heavily on the branch, some branch do good, some branch do badly :'(
When a new restaurant opens, they talk up their fresh, wonderful ingredients and incredible service. Then they get successful and expand too quickly or are bought out by a large company. Profit becomes more important. So recipes are adjusted to use cheaper and lower quality ingredients or less of what made a particular dish so popular . Extras are now charged for. Labor is paid less than before and service deteriorates. Line managers are overworked and put on salary so they don't get overtime. Lousy managers ride their staff to do more and perks erode. Quality people leave and are replaced by not-so-good people who don't really care about service and quality, and pay them less. Of course, not every place is like this and you find a hidden gem. Senior management tries to institute reforms aimed at turning back the clock to when things were better. Cynical, ain't I? I'm not always this negative. I guess I'm feeling not so optimistic today. It must be all the bad weather.
Yes. My sister worked for a certain west coast chain that was really in to treating workers well and giving them basic autonomy and training to give good customer service. Then they went public and started to expand. She would point out how their new policies contradicted their own training. She left to work in a not-for-profit instead.
Load More Replies... Hey-- I'm glad Sonic didn't make this list-- it was the only fast-food joint my family agreed on for quality and price. Does it still exist?? Inquiring expat wants to know!! Thanks
Helpful tip* if you are suffering from constipation a meal from Taco Bell will help and is less expensive than meds. You're welcome.
No one mentioned Jersey Mikes? Way overpriced. Good. But, way overpriced.
I'm willing to pay a little more for fresh decent ingredients.
Load More Replies... My husband is a refrigeration engineer, specializing in restaurant kitchen equipment. We've only been in Oregon since March of last year and he's already got a list of 20 or so places we are never allowed to eat at. Just found out the McDonald's where I fulfil my Quarter Pounder w/cheese craving is like, #3. Also - in the US, almost NONE of the 100 or so McD's he's worked in over the years clean the ice or ice cream machine on the schedule they are supposed to adhere to. I'm talking black mold and cockroach droppings under the IC machines.
I love that no one mentioned Taco Bell. It's horrible, but I love it (every once in a while).
Is Tim Hortons really bad enough to make it on the list twice? (#5 & #15).
Depends on the store, but basically yes. Ever since Wendy's bought them out the quality of product had declined and as the menu has expanded.
Load More Replies... Taco Bell has gone down hill in our area. The food looks gross and the taste is all greasy. My husband doesn't like Bo*Jangles because they seem to salt the c**p out of everything. Denny's has also become the trailer park of restaurants. What I wouldn't give for a Perkin's in our area with their fantastic pies and muffins.
You must live where the local Tim's has a franchisee who cares. And I envy you for that.
Load More Replies... I am so happy to live where we have none of these food outlets. If I want a burger, I go to my local butcher and get a supreme steak burger. It is how it sounds. Sublime. Takes a few minutes to cook, put it in a locally baked bread roll with a bit of mayo. Just perfect.
Sonic. $4-$5 for fruit flavored sugar water that's 50% ice, and they have worst fast food burgers I've ever had. .
As a former employee - only go there for onion rings. We actually hand make those from scratch every day.
Load More Replies... Not on the list but should be...maybe they don't have a lot of locations yet. Wahlburger. Nothing special but at least it was really expensive
McDonalds switched to brioche bread. Real Frenche brioche is really good. McDonalds brioche buns makes entire sandwich taste like sour milk.
About fast food in general: -Manage expectations. -No matter what it is, it will never as good as decent home cooking. -The quality is dependant on the individual restaurant. If they can't keep up appearances, they've stopped trying. -Hype is created by drunk extraverts craving attention. Popularity ebbs and flows from that dynamic. -Don't overthink it. Simplicity should be simple. Complexity ruins it. -Be kind.
What I learn about this kind of thing is that it depends heavily on the branch, some branch do good, some branch do badly :'(
