quote:Originally posted by vonk: Anybody have Taco Cabana around them? They have great fastfood TexMex. Also, pretty much any taqueria is going to be fast, cheap and not poisoness. That plus the fact that they're located every two blocks in South Texas makes them a staple.
What about cafeteria style restuarants? Less than 10 minutes to get food, not too terribly expensive. If they count, I nominate Jason's Deli for the best fast food ever. Ok, I take that back, what about BBQ places? The food is all already cooked and takes no time. So, Goode Company BBQ, Pappa's BBQ or Luther's would all be in the top for me.
Oooh oooh, what about Taco Keto? I love those. It's just a trailer that's outfitted with a small grill and some friers that they park in random parking lots in the not so good parts of town and make some of the best tortas around. Mmmm, gotta love a good torta. Anybody have Taco Keto around them?
Jason's Deli was on my list.
Taco Cabana, ick. BBQ, ditto. But then, I don't like Tex-Mex or BBQ.
I'm always up for a good torta, but my favorite will always be the very authentic Tortas Mexico, so while I'll take your word that Taco Keto is good, I won't believe it's as good as Tortas Mexico.
I forgot Steak N Shake earlier. Not quite In-N-Out, but close.
And if anyone is in the North Dallas area, the Grand Cafe in Richardson was my absolute favorite. Lebanese (and some American) fast food grill (shish kabob, shish tawook, shish kafta, falafel, all available as sandwiches or combo plates with pita, hummus, rice, salad, and soup, or very good hamburgers and chicken sandwiches) available to go (call ahead and your order will be ready when you get there) or to eat in (they expanded a couple of years back and it's nicer than ever.) The owner and his family (besides his wife, five boys and a grandson!) are Good People. When my dad visited us we took him straight there from the airport, the food is so delicious.
Along the same lines but not quite as nice or friendly, Zankou Chicken (famous for their spit-roasted garlic chicken), Armenian Lebanese food in Glendale and Burbank, CA.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:$5 for a torta! That's outlandish! I can't believe a restaurant can charge so much for what is obviously very easy to make.
Um, where you live, ingredients are a lot cheaper-- and not as good. (Well, the beef is better AND cheaper. But we have better chicken. In any case, this restaurant uses mostly locally-grown, largely organic ingredients. Plus, minimum wage is higher and they pay their employees a living wage. Plus the tortas are about twice as big as other tortas I have had, and stuffed twice as full.) As for easy to make, having tried it at home and never gotten the same results, I doubt it. (They cook their own carnitas, marinate their asada, and make their own salsas too. That's a lot of work.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by vonk: Can not think of something mean enough to say or do.... *destroys all ketchup in the world*
If you wanted to be REALLY mean, you'd just destroy her favorite brand (which I think is Heinz), so she is forced to subsist on inferior ketchups.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Oh, I think there would be additional psychological torture of complaining about not having ketchup and having well-meaning people offer you Hunt's.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Um, where you live, ingredients are a lot cheaper-- and not as good. (Well, the beef is better AND cheaper. But we have better chicken. In any case, this restaurant uses mostly locally-grown, largely organic ingredients. Plus, minimum wage is higher and they pay their employees a living wage. Plus the tortas are about twice as big as other tortas I have had, and stuffed twice as full.) As for easy to make, having tried it at home and never gotten the same results, I doubt it. (They cook their own carnitas, marinate their asada, and make their own salsas too. That's a lot of work.)
Wow, it's odd that I've never considered the possibility of there being quality ingredients in a torta. Hmm, I guess that's what comes with having 'goat brains' on the menu next to 'pastor.' But those do sound like good tortas. Taco Keto has a double sized torta that is around five bucks.
As for making their own ingredients, I should certainly hope so. TexMex may be able to get away with store bought salsa, but a taqueria should always make their own. It's cheaper (in the area of the country I live in).
What if I just destroy everything that KQ enjoys putting ketchup on. So then she'd have all of the ketchup she could want, but nothing to eat it on! Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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In N Out is great, there are so many Pho houses around LA that they are one of my favorite places to hit as well. delicious stuff, especially if they have oxtail, but I'd recommend staying away from the fishball...
Chick Fil A and fazolis are sadly exiled to Orange County out here, as I've yet to see them in LA proper. I worked at a fazolis in high school, the pasta is overcooked and substandard but the sandwiches were always good, imo. breadsticks are like 250 calories each though, so I try to limit to one.
pot in soup (pho) wouldn't get you high, it'd just be a flavoring agent. THC is fat soluble, not water soluble. That's why when making special brownies the pot has to be sauteed in butter before you mix it into the brownie mix. I've never made special brownies or had any pot, I learned that during class discussion at college--the teacher was exasperated with the students expounding upon the subject.
ahh the things you actually REMEMBER from college. Posts: 128 | Registered: Aug 2006
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quote:Originally posted by SoaPiNuReYe: If you live in the DC area you know what I'm talking about... 5 Guys. Hands down the best burgers I've ever had.
So true! And the fries! I am so lucky we have one right by the house because I have been craving their fries this whole pregnancy and at least the Hubby doesn't have too far to go to get me my fix!
Posts: 601 | Registered: Sep 2002
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kq, there's also a Zankou in Anaheim (which just happens to be right next to the Iranian market where I get my Halloumi whenever I go with my brother
I second it as a tasty place.
Also, in response to some of the comments about one place or another in this thread being "bad" (i.e. fazoli's etc...) keep in mind that we're comparing fast food places, not regular restaraunts. I enjoy Fazolis quite a bit (though my stomach makes me regret it after the fact) but in no way do I consider it good pasta (really I'm hesitant to even put it in the same category with real italian restaraunts). that being said, there are times when you're in the mood for a certain thing even when it's not a good example of a type of food. I don't like American Cheese, and frankly find it hard to even compare it with a good Guda or Muenster etc etc, but at least on occasion a grilled cheese sammich with american cheese is just what hits the spot
anyway though, my favorites include: panera bread Wendy's and since I've moved out to LA any number of very tasty mexican places such as Chili Verde. While Baja Fresh and the like are alright, when you have access to a real burrito place the americanized versions just seem so insincere
Posts: 1038 | Registered: Feb 2006
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My quest for the best fast onion rings continues. Nothing compares to the beer batter rings at the Comfort Inn's basement restaurant near the Milwaukee airport.
After that, Popeye's has almost acceptable rings.
Forget about mass-manufactured frozen rings.
Japanese tempura rings are pretty good, but they're not fast, and you have to eat all the other battered veggies on your plate before you get to that single onion ring.
Fries? I like home-style. Arby's are pretty good. Can't stand those brittle, toothpick fries at Wendy's and Mickey D's.
Posts: 2655 | Registered: Feb 2004
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"Can't stand those brittle, toothpick fries at Wendy's and Mickey D's."
I like those. They're not my favorite, but they're acceptable.
I had dinner tonight at Boston Market. The stupid people there gave me Rotisserie Chicken instead of the Sirloin Steak I had asked for. I didn't notice until I got home. Luckily, they charged me for the Chicken. Man, the mashed sweet potatoes with marshmellows and brown sugar there are soo good. my other side was Creamed Spinach, which was also pretty good, but it didn't compare to the sweet potatoes. Yep, Boston Market is really good if it's considered fast food.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Lucky duck. I haven't been to Jenks in almost 4 years (the last time was to visit friends and just go by the old house to see how it looked). I miss the place for some reason.
Oh and Nick, I am jealous. It's been more than 10 years since I've had In-and-Out. I miss it too.
Posts: 1960 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:So then she'd have all of the ketchup she could want, but nothing to eat it on!
No worries. I slurp it from the packet sometimes... But I'd probably die of malnutrition since I put ketchup on meats, veggies, some fruits, most grains, and some desserts...
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Nick: *gets ready for the 5 minute drive to In-and-Out Burger*
muahahahah Jealous?
Not I. We have one four minutes away.
(Plus one 10 minutes away, three 15 minutes away, one 20 minutes away, one everywhere we are apt to be out shopping... Get the picture? )
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Boon
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Well, come for a visit when KQ does and we'll have TulsaCon!
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quote:TexMex may be able to get away with store bought salsa, but a taqueria should always make their own. It's cheaper (in the area of the country I live in).
Here, too. But I was making the point that they put lots of WORK into it, which makes it worth buying there and not making your own.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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pfresh, That is funny. From 2001 to 2005 I lived in League City (near NASA). Outlying towns in Houston is not the same as Tulsa. It's a small world.
Boon, If you are ever down this way, drop me a line. I would love to meet a fellow Hatracker.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
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Well, I COULD make it there in 2 minutes, if I considered the local traffic laws to be a little more flexible... Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Nope, it's just not the same. The last time I was by my old house in Jenks though it was beginning to look more and more like the suburbs I live in in Texas. My house went from being somewhat isolated to being in the middle of a decent-sized suburb. That's the way it goes though.
Posts: 1960 | Registered: May 2005
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Boon
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brojack, I noticed you said you have kids. Mine are 10, 8, and 2. Maybe we could arrange a park day or something when we're feeling better? (We've been sick this week.)
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Never been. When I'm down in that area there are other places I usually eat. But lots of places have Mexican coke. It IS good.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:In-N-Out Burger is awesome. However the rest of the country outside of California knows little about it.
AHEM! Phoenix has 3, Tuscon has 2, Lake Havasu (which is sort of AZ & CA) has 1, Flagstaff has some (I don't remember how much), and Prescott is getting one.
So ha!
And yeah, Arby's is good. Forgot to mention that.
LadyLove: Not that I'll ever eat there, or even hear of it again, but may I ask how much that Pollo-Loco meal is?
Heya DaG, long time.
Phoenix must have around a dozen In-n-Out burgers (or should I say the Valley does). I know of four off the top of my head.
My favorites:
Dairy Queen Quiznos Chipotle (who's parent company is McD's, but that's about all the connection they have. Just look at some of the ads to see a difference in approaches). Qdoba Wendy's Fazoli's Chick-fil-a Arby's / Jack in the Box on a good day And just because it meets the criteria, Spring Creek BBQ
Pollo Locos are pretty tasty, but a place that tries to do so many things bothers me...
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I gave up fast food for my new year's resolution. No McD's or Wendy's, BK, Arby's, etc. However, I do not consider Subway or Quiznos as 'fast' food, so they are not off limits. I absolutely LOVE Subway and have existed off of nothing less for many periods of time throughout the years. Quiznos is good, but I can't take eating there very often.
Posts: 1042 | Registered: Jan 2001
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I never agreed to use that term exclusively. Why should Spanish define our forum? I still think Mao Zi Dao Ren sounds better but I don't expect anybody to pick up on it.
You can keep your Jatraquero, and Ill hold onto Hatracker.
quote:Originally posted by sweetbaboo: Cafe Rio. I've only seen them in Utah but I crave their shredded pork salad with creamy tomatillo sauce. Mmmmmm.
Getting Cafe Rio today, my sweet wife is bringing it home for me since I am sick but getting better, FORGET CHICKEN SOUP!
Shredded pork burrito enchilada style with black beans, and medium spicy sauce, with a side of sour cream Some lettuce on the side but not salsa today. Tiffany probably will not finish her food and Ill have some of whatever she has too!
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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ahh the things you actually REMEMBER from college. ![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
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