World’s Most Hated Fast Food Chains

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

After not setting foot in one for over a decade, I made the mistake of visiting a Fuddruckers a few weeks ago.  What a shitty meal and a horrendous experience.  Close to $20 for a burger, fries and a drink.  Bland food.  No condiment bar.  Apathetic and lazy staff.  The entire experience was utterly depressing.  

[Da Fino 2783]

37 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Its the sauce. 

Yeah, it's too sweet. Also, the dough never cooked crisp enough and was gummy under the sauce. 

[Rimbo 25976]

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

He's out. So I feel politically correct eating there again.

2 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Domino's is surprisingly good these days.  They changed the crust and it added a lot of flavor.  

They changed more than that. They changed EVERYTHING. They literally realized that how bad their pizza was had become a meme and redid all the recipes. It worked.

44 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Its the sauce. 

 

5 minutes ago, Da Fino said:

Yeah, it's too sweet. Also, the dough never cooked crisp enough and was gummy under the sauce. 

Y'all know that y'all can order with more, less, or different sauce, and order them cooked "well done" so that it's cooked all the way through,  right?

[ChickenSandwich 9843]

I don’t want a dry pizza. Something about the taste forces me to stop after one slice (maybe i should order more lol). 
 

It’s like a bad batter on fried chicken (see KFC extra crunchy)

Edited March 16, 2023 by ChickenSandwich

[Da Fino 2783]

5 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

 

 

Y'all know that y'all can order with more, less, or different sauce, and order them cooked "well done" so that it's cooked all the way through,  right?

I gotta tell them how to properly make a standard pizza cooked all the way through with a decent pizza sauce? Most places just do that on their own. 

[Rimbo 25976]

52 minutes ago, Da Fino said:

I gotta tell them how to properly make a standard pizza cooked all the way through with a decent pizza sauce? Most places just do that on their own. 

I mean it's literally a checkbox on the web page. Easy peasy.

[DalTxHornFan 3106]

Late to the thread, but I worked as an assistant manager (not an assistant to the manager!) at a Pizza Hut in HS in the 1970s.

I'd have to get in at 5 am to make the dough for the day.  Huge stand mixer with a dough hook that could take your arm off.  Flour, water, salt, yeast.  Wait for it to rise. Thick or thin crust -- all made on site.

The sauce came out of a can and the meats and cheeses were out a box from the freezer, but we prepped and chopped all of veggies on site.  No pre-packaged portions, either.

We made some pretty good pies back then.

[Baboontyme 2814]

We just did the Pizza Hut thing in the Pizza Hut thread below, talking about the Big New Yorker coming back as of recently. Same exact nostalgia. And Bon Jovi. Love the old Hut. If you're on Instagram and love that version of the Hut check out the account 80sthen80snow .

[Da Fino 2783]

4 hours ago, Rimbo said:

I mean it's literally a checkbox on the web page. Easy peasy.

When I order from other places I don’t have to click a box that says “use the better sauce” and “make sure it’s cooked all the way.” Easy peasy. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13515]

3 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Late to the thread, but I worked as an assistant manager (not an assistant to the manager!) at a Pizza Hut in HS in the 1970s.

I'd have to get in at 5 am to make the dough for the day.  Huge stand mixer with a dough hook that could take your arm off.  Flour, water, salt, yeast.  Wait for it to rise. Thick or thin crust -- all made on site.

The sauce came out of a can and the meats and cheeses were out a box from the freezer, but we prepped and chopped all of veggies on site.  No pre-packaged portions, either.

We made some pretty good pies back then.

In hindsight, was the pay worth getting there at 5am?

[DalTxHornFan 3106]

6 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

In hindsight, was the pay worth getting there at 5am?

Two thoughts:  It kept me out of a lot of trouble.  I still know how to make a great pizza.

So, I'd say yes.

[sith_horn 2407]

4 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Late to the thread, but I worked as an assistant manager (not an assistant to the manager!) at a Pizza Hut in HS in the 1970s.

I'd have to get in at 5 am to make the dough for the day.  Huge stand mixer with a dough hook that could take your arm off.  Flour, water, salt, yeast.  Wait for it to rise. Thick or thin crust -- all made on site.

The sauce came out of a can and the meats and cheeses were out a box from the freezer, but we prepped and chopped all of veggies on site.  No pre-packaged portions, either.

We made some pretty good pies back then.

Hobart probably. I worked in a pizza parlor (not PH) in HS as well with very similar protocols to what you described. We weighed all toppings on a small thin crust pizza tray zeroed on a scale. Made for a consistent product. Sauce made from large cans with a spice pack mixed in (lots of oregano). Knew I was pretty good when we got hit by an early rush around 3:30 pm and it was just me as cook and a girl taking orders/working the salad bar. Filled two ovens end-to-end by myself rolling, saucing, making, cutting and calling out orders. Was waiting on the ovens (conveyors) to make space for the new orders. I didn't make sloppy pizzas just because I moved fast either. We made thin crusts, deep dish, sub sandwiches and pasta.

Edited March 17, 2023 by sith_horn

[956 Worldwide 34715]

I feel terrible for all y’all Taco Bell, Taco Cabana, Taco Bueno mofos who don’t have access to El Pato. 
 

https://elpatomexicanfood.com

[Covri 6249]

8 hours ago, Da Fino said:

When I order from other places I don’t have to click a box that says “use the better sauce” and “make sure it’s cooked all the way.” Easy peasy. 

It's different sauces not necessarily better sauces, lots of pizza places offer alternative sauces. And baking well done is a preference I chjose at places I like but would rather have a crispier crust from. Marcos has two over bake options for example and always choose the bake well but not the bake extra well. Dominoes bake well on the pan only but not the thin or regular crust, well on the pan makes that pan crust just right imo. There are neighborhood Italian places we get pizza from too and I've asked them from to time to bake them longer too to get a crispier crust with less "flop."

 

Back to the sauces my family really likes getting Pizza Hut pan with the garlic Parmesan sauce and the same named similar sauce from dominoes on the pan pizzas. Try 'em there a nice change from standard marinara sauce. 
 

 

[Texzilla58 4738]

Late to the thread, but I worked as an assistant manager (not an assistant to the manager!) at a Pizza Hut in HS in the 1970s.
I'd have to get in at 5 am to make the dough for the day.  Huge stand mixer with a dough hook that could take your arm off.  Flour, water, salt, yeast.  Wait for it to rise. Thick or thin crust -- all made on site.
The sauce came out of a can and the meats and cheeses were out a box from the freezer, but we prepped and chopped all of veggies on site.  No pre-packaged portions, either.
We made some pretty good pies back then.

I had a gig at McDonalds in high school and had to get there at 5 am Saturdays and Sundays to process potatoes, which back then were cut fresh daily. Had to pull 100 LB bags up from the basement and wash, peel, cut out rotted spots, and then cut by hand. Wash a few times and then put in the baskets. Over and over. Usually did 1000-1500 lbs.

Speaking of dangerous. A woman shredding lettuce pushed her fingers into the huge electric shredder, which shredded maybe a half of her last digit of a couple of her fingers. Someone wrapped it and rushed her to the hospital. The manager grabbed me. “Take care of that lettuce” huh? I grabbed the big container to toss it. “ what are you doing? That’s a case of lettuce. Wash it!” It was covered in blood and finger shreds, a little bone. I washed it. I haven’t eaten a Big Mac since. That’s been 48 years ago.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I’m going to throw in Hungry Howie’s Pizza. Fuck that place. It tastes the same as most shitty places like Little Caesar’s, so edible but far from good. However, I have two young kids that love it. So fuck my life, I have to eat that crap most of the time when there is a very solid NY style place nearby.

[royiv 9325]

28 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I’m going to throw in Hungry Howie’s Pizza. Fuck that place. It tastes the same as most shitty places like Little Caesar’s, so edible but far from good. However, I have two young kids that love it. So fuck my life, I have to eat that crap most of the time when there is a very solid NY style place nearby.

Why? Are your kids buying?

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Why? Are your kids buying?

Yes.

[baboso 6056]

17 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I had Domino's while shitfaced about 3-4 years ago and it was definitely better than it was in the 00's, but that's kind of the pizza floor in my mind.

Little Caesars must be the fucking basement, then.

[royiv 9325]

34 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Yes.

Your kids should try to be less poor.

[Underdog 28711]

We did LC's ready to go pizza a while back and thought it was pretty good, better than either Domino's or PJ's.  

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I see love for dominos in this thread. I had some recently at a birthday party I took my kids to. Tasted like cardboard.

[Covri 6249]

5 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I see love for dominos in this thread. I had some recently at a birthday party I took my kids to. Tasted like cardboard.

The kids pizza party pizza from dominoes is almost always thin crust pepperoni or cheese pizza that is only good for like 5 minutes after it's out of the oven and yet it sits in the party room for an hour plus before serving to a bunch of kids who don't know better and scarf it down before some big box store cupcakes get passed out. 
 

 

[66BUFF 2564]

23 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I'm not sure if it's already been mentioned, but this thread needs a shout out to the glory of old Pizza Huts.  I'm talking late 80's/early 90's when it was pizza parlor style.  You had the salad bar, the lights over the table, a few video game machines, a juke box, and the pizzas always came out in cast iron pans.

Our county seat town (where my grandparents lived) had one and I can still smell it in my mind.  God damn, those were some glorious pies, and the modern iteration doesn't deserve to share it's name.

 

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

4 hours ago, baboso said:

Little Caesars must be the fucking basement, then.

Yeah, undoubtedly.

When I was in college we’d show up at Little Caesar’s at 10AM on Thursday of March Madness and tailgate in the parking lot (ISU fans will tailgate literally any event) until they opened at 10:30 and buy like 8 Hot N Ready’s to sustain us through a multi day hoops bender.

[Deej 76830]

Pizza Hut made one of my favorite fast food pizzas ever.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/617557/pizza-hut-priazzo-pizza-failure

[CooterBrown 18014]

The Pizza Hut Bigfoot pizza was good. I used to get that and dine like a king for several days.

[HenryJames 66121]

[Deej 76830]

1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

The Pizza Hut Bigfoot pizza was good. I used to get that and dine like a deposed king for several days.

fify

[dcbc 14487]

On 3/17/2023 at 6:32 AM, 956 Worldwide said:

I feel terrible for all y’all Taco Bell, Taco Cabana, Taco Bueno mofos who don’t have access to El Pato. 
 

https://elpatomexicanfood.com

Don't worry, we have Laredo Taco in 7-11 now.  That shit is good.

[Texzilla58 4738]

Weinerschnitzel is horrible. How do you fuck up hot dogs?

[Wade 464]

On 3/16/2023 at 12:19 PM, 956 Worldwide said:

Maybe unpopular opinion: Pizza Hut didn’t really get worse, your taste got better. 
 

I say that as a fanatic of 80s and 90s Pixza Hut, I read so many damn books for the free personal pan pizza. I think they maybe tweaked their sauce a bit, but other than that—that shit is the SAME. You can still order pan style and they make it in the same pan. 
 

You remember it as awesome because if you were alive in Anytown, USA, Pizza Hut was the nicest “night out” place a middle class family went. Pizza was good enough for the grownups, arcade was small and not so loud, they had a salad bar, you sit down and order. It was kind of a real restaurant but the kids are happy. And it really wasn’t that cheap. 
 

When Applebees and Chilis and Olive Garden came to Anytown, they grabbed that “twice a month restaurant treat” demo because let’s be real, those places aren’t good but they’re better than Pizza Hut for mom and dad and kids are still happy and welcome there. Pizza Hut HAD to turn to more fast food, cheap style because that’s the only direction they could go but the pizza is exactly the same. And it does suck that they lost the salad bar and booths and brass fixings but that shit wasn’t gonna bring back the middle of the week “mom’s tired” crowd from Applebees. 

Incorrect.  Don't know about the '80s or '90s but in the '70s their pizza was made to order, a thirty minute wait, came fresh out of the oven and was delicious.

[956 Worldwide 34715]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:29 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

Yeah, undoubtedly.

When I was in college we’d show up at Little Caesar’s at 10AM on Thursday of March Madness and tailgate in the parking lot (ISU fans will tailgate literally any event) until they opened at 10:30 and buy like 8 Hot N Ready’s to sustain us through a multi day hoops bender.

Little Caesar's is my “I know it’s shit but I love it.” I will slam a gotdamn Hot N Ready.

[Underdog 28711]

^ That’s IHOP for me, I know it sucks but I hit one up every blue moon.

[billfromlaketravis 11516]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:43 PM, Spaulding Smails said:

After not setting foot in one for over a decade, I made the mistake of visiting a Fuddruckers a few weeks ago.  What a shitty meal and a horrendous experience.  Close to $20 for a burger, fries and a drink.  Bland food.  No condiment bar.  Apathetic and lazy staff.  The entire experience was utterly depressing.  

They dropped all of the wild game burgers. It's over. Potato wedges and jalapeno cheese dip still slam hard, but I'm not eating there for one side.  

They had a elk burger for like $11. Quite a steal. I believe peak Fudd's had wild boar, elk, bison, and ostrich burgers. 

[Brisketexan 105155]

We did LC's ready to go pizza a while back and thought it was pretty good, better than either Domino's or PJ's.  

My old man, who has plenty of cash, loves him some LC hot and ready, but he insists that the key is to show up, and wait for one to come directly out of the oven. He says the fresh ones are quite good. I haven’t tested his theory.

[dcbc 14487]

We have a Little Caesar's near us that has a drive thru. We lean heavily on that when one of our kids has a bunch of kids over and we want to feed them on the cheap.  It's not bad if you're not expecting better pizza.

[Texzilla58 4738]

If I went to a buddy’s house as a kid and they had real pizza like LC we’d be in heaven. We usually got the 39 cent Totinos or homemade chef boy ar dee

[Dutch 4474]

9 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

If I went to a buddy’s house as a kid and they had real pizza like LC we’d be in heaven. We usually got the 39 cent Totinos or homemade chef boyardee

Don’t knock The Chef. A staple of my childhood, I’ve introduced it to my daughter. She’s a fan and will often request we make it. The sauce that comes with the kit still slams, and fresh-grated mozzarella over the bagged stuff takes it up a few notches. 

[texasdago 7575]

WTH is Hungry Howie's?  Is that like an upscale Hunt Brothers Pizza for Yuppies?

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

WTH is Hungry Howie's?  Is that like an upscale Hunt Brothers Pizza for Yuppies?

Hahaha no. Think more in line with little Caesar’s but they have various flavored crust options. Well, I guess little Caesar’s might be considered upscale compared to a piece of pizza that has been sitting under a lamp in a gas station in bumfuck Texas.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:43 PM, Spaulding Smails said:

After not setting foot in one for over a decade, I made the mistake of visiting a Fuddruckers a few weeks ago.  What a shitty meal and a horrendous experience.  Close to $20 for a burger, fries and a drink.  Bland food.  No condiment bar.  Apathetic and lazy staff.  The entire experience was utterly depressing.  

No condiment bar?

That was the whole reason to go.  You could load up your fries with a fuck ton of jalapenos, onions, pickles, whatever.  That was always the hook in my mind.

[SimonBolivar 10958]

7 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

No condiment bar?

That was the whole reason to go.  You could load up your fries with a fuck ton of jalapenos, onions, pickles, whatever.  That was always the hook in my mind.

As a kid it was just pour the "cheese" sauce on everything.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

Just now, SimonBolivar said:

As a kid it was just pour the "cheese" sauce on everything.

I only ever went to a Fuddrucker's as a kid once.  Just remember thinking it was a big deal because there weren't any near us at all (it was in Fargo of all places, en route to Saskatchewan).  One of those chains that people from tiny ass towns thinks is a signifier of a place's importance.

There was one pretty close when I lived in West Des Moines.  It was a good deal in those days, and my wife (then gf) liked it well enough.  I'd just fill up on fucking pickles, because restaurant pickles are always better.

[SimonBolivar 10958]

23 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I only ever went to a Fuddrucker's as a kid once.  Just remember thinking it was a big deal because there weren't any near us at all (it was in Fargo of all places, en route to Saskatchewan).  One of those chains that people from tiny ass towns thinks is a signifier of a place's importance.

There was one pretty close when I lived in West Des Moines.  It was a good deal in those days, and my wife (then gf) liked it well enough.  I'd just fill up on fucking pickles, because restaurant pickles are always better.

It was on the list of "places to stop after church" rotation along with Arbys (5 for $5), Wienerschnitzel ($.50 dogs), and a few other places.  However, if the parents were in an extra good mood then we hit the jackpot of going to Picadilly (RIP), man I love cafeterias. 

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

3 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

It was on the list of "places to stop after church" rotation along with Arbys (5 for $5), Wienerschnitzel ($.50 dogs), and a few other places.  However, if the parents were in an extra good mood then we hit the jackpot of going to Picadilly (RIP), man I love cafeterias. 

Is Picadilly a different thing than Picadilly Circus Pizza?

[SimonBolivar 10958]

Just now, Al_4_ISU said:

Is Picadilly a different thing than Picadilly Circus Pizza?

Yes, it was like Luby's except both better and worse.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

15 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Yes, it was like Luby's except both better and worse.

Those Southern cafeteria type places are something I have zero frame of reference towards.  Always struck me as odd, but I suppose if I'd have grown up with it I'd view it different.

[SimonBolivar 10958]

34 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Those Southern cafeteria type places are something I have zero frame of reference towards.  Always struck me as odd, but I suppose if I'd have grown up with it I'd view it different.

I'll set the scene/mood for you

 

Imagine you just sat through a really boring sermon about something that went completely over your head as you sat in the pew in uncomfortable clothes when it's 100 degrees in early October. The day before you just saw Baylor get skullfucked by UNT on their way to their 10th losing season in a row and all you have left is to watch the aging Dallas Cowboys who are now just a shell of their former selves. You knew that after that it was Monday where some neanderthal coach was going to make your life a living hell all day because you lost a junior high football game the week before. Your day/life is pretty shitty, but suddenly you arrive at the mall parking lot and go into the special cafeteria entrance where a blast of AC hits you in the face and a sweet old black lady loads you up an order of Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes (brown gravy), Mac & Cheese, fruit salad, a dinner roll, and chocolate icebox pie. 

 

It turned out that there was a point to life after all.

Edited March 22, 2023 by SimonBolivar

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

24 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

I'll set the scene/mood for you

 

Imagine you just sat through a really boring sermon about something that went completely over your head as you sat in the pew in uncomfortable clothes when it's 100 degrees in early October. The day before you just saw Baylor get skullfucked by UNT on their way to their 10th losing season in a row and all you have left is to watch the aging Dallas Cowboys who are now just a shell of their former selves. You knew that after that it was Monday where some neanderthal coach was going to make your life a living hell all day because you lost a junior high football game the week before. Your day/life is pretty shitty, but suddenly you arrive at the mall parking lot and go into the special cafeteria entrance where a blast of AC hits you in the face and a sweet old black lady loads you up an order of Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes (brown gravy), Mac & Cheese, fruit salad, a dinner roll, and chocolate icebox pie. 

 

It turned out that there was a point to life after all.

So much I couldn’t relate to in that post - 100 degrees in October, losing in JH football (9-1 between 7th and 8th grade baby), living around minorities, malls being located in casual driving distance.

Yet so much I could.  Mainly, my college team being awful, my pro team being a complete disappointment, and an elderly woman’s food (in my case, my grandma) saving the damn weekend.