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It's Official -- -- National Chain Burger Stores Suck

Posted on 10/09/2010 8:18:48 AM PDT by big black dog

Maybe a couple of years ago, I gave up on ever expecting any quality product from the big 3 pizza stores. Without exaggeration, I could get a much, much better product by simply picking up a frozen Tombstone pizza and baking it. (Pizza Inn is great though. They don't deliver here, but I gladly go and pick it up rather than order the crap the big 3 serves.)

On to burgers. I used to love McDonalds and Burger King hamburgers. However, for some time, when I would eat them, they just didn't taste right. Especially McDonalds -- It's like I was eating a meat substitute or something. I thought maybe I just didn't like hamburgers anymore.

It has been a long, long time since I cooked any hamburgers at home. But just on a whim, I tried it last night. Didn't do anything special. Just took some ground beef, sprinkled in some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and fried it up on the stove.

Ate a hamburger using 2 pieces of bread with mustard. It was the best hamburger I've had in years! Crunchy outer texture of the fried burger with a juicy interior; I know I'll never eat that crap again at the national joints -- just like with the pizza.


TOPICS: Food
KEYWORDS: chow; fastfood; food; foodie; foodies; grub; lunch; pizza
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To: Ivan

Didn’t Backyard Burger go out of business? The got rid of the 2 I know in Overland Park. They were good but expensive. Do you like Culvers over 5 Guys?


121 posted on 10/09/2010 10:29:23 AM PDT by peggybac (Restore America and restore her honor.)
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To: Joe 6-pack

That doesn’t explain the dry steaks and chicken? With my 3 1/2 quart grill I can still use the 93% lean and still have the tasty, juicy, quality burger. I use ground sirloin. The better the quality to lower the risk of ecoli and we like our burgers med, not well done so quality matters. I think that is why some of these gourmet burger joints have such good burgers, they are using a higher quality meat.


122 posted on 10/09/2010 10:30:19 AM PDT by Netizen
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To: OneWingedShark

Can you send me a green chile Lottaburger to Phoenix?


123 posted on 10/09/2010 10:31:41 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8)
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Anyone in the Denver area.
West of Sloan’s Lake.
Walk-In Burgers.

Good stuff there.


124 posted on 10/09/2010 10:32:57 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Let this chant follow BHO everywhere he goes: "You lie. You lie. You lie.")
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To: Vendome

BK and McD burgers don’t taste right because they use ammonia-nized meat.

This is meat that was not fit to be included in anything, it may have been sitting awhile. They then put this crap through an ammonia-exposure process, to kill off any bacteria and make un-usable meat, according to the government, usable. They then add a bunch of chemicals to make this stuff to cover up the ammonia and to try to make it taste like meat.

What you are probably noticing is the aftertast of the ammonia-nization process, as well as the inferior meat parts used to make these burgers.


125 posted on 10/09/2010 10:33:58 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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In LA, Tommy Burgers (the real one on Beverly and Rampart).

In Reno, Giant Burger just re-opened after being gone for 15 years...same old dude, same excellent food!!! Woot!

Wish Bailywicks would come back to Reno.

Throughout the country there are a few good local places.

But as far as McDonLards, Wendy’s, Jack in the Crack, Burger Thing, Hardy’s, Carls JR, Whattaburger, Sonic, Krystal, and prolly a few others I can’t come up with on demand...they are all KRAP!!!!


126 posted on 10/09/2010 10:35:53 AM PDT by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ...In the US the number is 54%)
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To: big black dog
Only fast food burgers I still eat willingly are Krystal's (Southern White Castle/Little Tavern).

Gotta have my periodic supply of gut bombs.

127 posted on 10/09/2010 10:39:39 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (I'd rather take my chances with someone misusing freedom than someone misusing power.)
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To: YankeeReb
A few years ago I remember some Hindus filing a law suit against McDonalds because the french fries were deep fried in animal fat. I don't know if they won or not, but McDonalds switched to pure vegetable oil and their fries have not tasted as good since. IMO if you are that health conscious you have no business going to any fast food place.

You have the story wrong in several ways. Health was not the reason for the lawsuit. McDonalds had claimed that their fries were already cooked in vegetable oil (since 1990), and were therefore vegetarian. They were sued by Hindus and vegetarians for misrepresentation when it was discovered that the fries were flavored with beef broth. Hindus have a special religious objection to beef and many are also vegetarians.

McDonald's settled the lawsuit and agreed to donate $10 million to Hindu and vegetarian groups, but I don't think that they agreed to take the beef flavor out of their vegetable oil, at least in the US.

128 posted on 10/09/2010 10:46:53 AM PDT by wideminded
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To: big black dog

***On to burgers. I used to love McDonalds and Burger King hamburgers. However, for some time, when I would eat them, they just didn’t taste right.****

Maybe it is that Kangaroo and koala meat. ;-)


129 posted on 10/09/2010 10:50:24 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( AKA Rodrigo de Bivar)
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To: wideminded

You’re probably right, I’m just going from memory. It seems that the flavor of their fries just went down hill after this law suit. To this day I still wonder what Hindus would be doing in a McDonalds much less eating in one.


130 posted on 10/09/2010 10:54:46 AM PDT by YankeeReb
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To: Liz

Red Robin Mountain-High Mudd Pie

6 cups chocolate ice cream
1 cup peanut butter cookie pieces
6 cups vanilla ice cream
1 2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
4 chocolate-flavored graham crackers
1 cup fudge topping
1 20-ounce squirt bottle chocolate topping
1 20-ounce squirt bottle caramel topping
1 can whipped cream
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
12 maraschino cherries, with stems
1. Soften the chocolate ice cream and load it into the bottom of a 2 1/2- to 3-quart mixing bowl. Make sure the surface of the ice cream is smooth and leveled.
2. Spread the peanut butter cookie pieces evenly over the top of the ice cream, then cover the bowl and put it back into the freezer for at least 1 hour.
3. Soften the vanilla ice cream and spread it over the chocolate ice cream and cookie pieces. Again, be sure to smooth and level the surface of the ice cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it back into the freezer for at least 1 hour.
4. Use a spatula to spread 2/3 cup of peanut butter over the surface of the ice cream. Be sure the ice cream has hardened before you do this or it could get sloppy.
5. Crush the chocolate graham crackers into crumbs and spread them evenly over the peanut butter. Put the bowl back into the freezer for at least 1 hour.
6. Remove the bowl from the freezer and hold it in a sink filled with warm water for about 1 minute. You want the ice cream around the edges to soften just enough that you can invert the ice cream onto a plate.
7. Turn a large plate upside down and place it on top of the bowl. Flip the bowl and plate over together, and tap gently on the bowl until the ice cream falls out onto the plate. You may have to put the bowl back into the water if it’s stubborn. Once the ice cream is out, cover it with plastic wrap and place it back in the freezer for another 1 or 2 hours.
8. Without heating it up, spread the fudge evenly over the entire surface of the ice cream mountain. Put the fudge-coated ice cream back into the freezer for 1 hour.
9. When the fudge has hardened, spread the remaining 1 cup of peanut butter over the entire surface as well. Once again, back into the freezer for at least 1 hour. We’re almost there.
10. Slice the ice cream with a warm knife into 12 pieces. Put wax paper between the cuts so that when you serve it later, it is easy to divide. Then slip it back into the freezer, covered.
11. When serving, first coat a plate with a criss-cross pattern of chocolate and caramel sauce. Make three parallel lines down the plate with the squirt bottle of chocolate sauce. Then three parallel horizontal lines made with the bottle of caramel sauce.
12. Place the slice of ice cream upright onto the plate toward the back of the design.
13. Spray whipped cream on top and down the curved edge of the ice cream slice, onto the plate over the sauces. Be generous.
14. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of chopped nuts over your creation.
15. Add a cherry to the top. Marvel at the beauty, then serve it before it melts. Repeat for the remaining slices.


131 posted on 10/09/2010 10:54:58 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: peggybac

I have not tried 5 Guys, but will see if I can find one - I am in Lawrence. Looks like Backyard Burgers is still in business, but have significantly reduced their locations - only 12 total now. The only one I see in Kansas is in Olathe on 151st, across from Garmin (must be a profitable location for them).

To be honest, I have been on a diet for the last year. Lost 70 lbs, but have not tried many new places to eat. I do try to make it to Bo Ling’s every month or two for dim sum.


132 posted on 10/09/2010 10:56:10 AM PDT by Ivan
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To: OneWingedShark; CedarDave; LegendHasIt; Rogle; leapfrog0202; Santa Fe_Conservative; ...

I was goint to ask if Blakes Lottaburger was still in business.

There used to be a great place in Farmington,NM years go. George & Johns Burgers. They were always packed till McDonalds came to town and they lost to Mcdonald’s third rate burgers.


133 posted on 10/09/2010 11:00:14 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( AKA Rodrigo de Bivar)
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To: ErnBatavia
I’ve never been to Five Guys, but I understand they’re pricier than a $3.05 In-N-Out Double Double.....and I highly doubt they could beat the quality and flavor.

I've never been to In-N-Out (never even seen one), but we do have a Five Guys in the area. The burgers are about as close to home-made as I've ever had, and the fries... oh wow, the fries. Dude. The only place I've ever gotten better fries is at a local fish and chips joint.

It's about six or seven bucks for a complete set (burger-fries-beverage), but definitely worth it.

134 posted on 10/09/2010 11:02:43 AM PDT by dbwz (DISSENT IS PATRIOTIC)
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To: OneWingedShark

Your understanding is different than mine. I used to eat at Arby’s 30+ years ago when I was in school. They served cheap mystery processed meat infused with formica for easier slicing back then. I doubt they’ve changed to a more expensive real meat substitute now.


135 posted on 10/09/2010 11:02:57 AM PDT by Waryone (RINOs, Elites, and Socialists - on the endangered list, soon to become extinct.)
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To: kcvl

Yummy-—to the kitchen-—right NOW.


136 posted on 10/09/2010 11:03:27 AM PDT by Liz
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To: raccoonradio

I’m with you! The only place I would order a burger out would be at a regular restaurant, not a fast food place. You want a seriously good burger (I’ll bet you’ve had ‘em) - Frank’s Steakhouse on Mass Ave in Cambridge. Nearly impossible to top that. Another place where you can get a great burger (in the South) is Doe’s. Again, it’s a steak place, and they serve burgers only at lunch. A steak place is probably a pretty good guarantee of a great burger.


137 posted on 10/09/2010 11:03:37 AM PDT by smalltownslick
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To: no-to-illegals

why did you post that? -——— just trying to be helpful.


138 posted on 10/09/2010 11:08:28 AM PDT by Liz
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To: smalltownslick

haven’t been to Frank’s but had driven by it/know it. May check out (am in Beverly but get into Camb./Boston once in awhile) & thanks for recommendation


139 posted on 10/09/2010 11:10:07 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: Ivan

Diet tips, PLEASE. How did you do it?


140 posted on 10/09/2010 11:19:10 AM PDT by peggybac (Restore America and restore her honor.)
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