The Fast Food Thread

Vaclav

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Wegman's was pretty good. I got the jalapeno cheese bagel and a pretzel bagel, and thoroughly enjoyed both. I saw a ton of other stuff I really want to try from their bakery, so I'll certainly be returning. I don't know about Hunt Valley, as I went to a different location since I was running all over creation this morning.

Neither of them hold a candle to the cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera Bread, however. My girlfriend tried the cinnamon raisen bagel today at Wegman's and she said it was good, but nothing compared to the cinnamon crunch at Panera Bread, which is her favorite bagel in the world.
Never tried the bagels (not much of a bagel guy - jewish in-laws so I get bagel'ed to death) - the cinnamon muffins at Wegman's were my goto breakfast every single morning for all my years there - love em. (They're ginormous too, would usually eat a half at a time)
 

Vaclav

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The pancakes were good, but I was told they were as good as cinnamon bun pancakes in a restaurant like ihop or denny's, which they weren't.
Could be the IHOP/Denny's over in Overlea/Parkville just happened to suck. I will definitely say First Watch's Cinnamon waffles w/ blueberry compote >>> any of the rest of stuff though.
 

Tarrant

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So I tried 5 of the different Applebee's appetizers, and they ranged from pretty good to terrible.

Sriracha shrimp - pretty amazing. Overpriced, ended up being like $1/shrimp and they weren't that big
Brisket nachos - awful. Don't really know how to explain, none of the flavors worked together, the brisket tasted like over cooked stew meat, and the little cheese they had was gross.
Wonton tacos - pretty good, but nothing special. Worth trying
Potstickers - worse version of the frozen ones you buy in a bag at the store. Also about $1/per, and they are fucking tiny.
Boneless wings - not new, got the sweet spicy Asian something or other. Really good.
The only appetizer I get from there is the Spinach Artichoke Dip because....well, because angels made it.
 

Hekotat

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Whichever of you fuckers mentioned Del Taco, fuck you. My broke ass can't even afford that deliciousness.

You will rue this day, RUE IT!
 

Ritley

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Honestly hadn't been to Applebee's in like a year, just wanted to try different things. We used to go about once every other week when we lived in a Podunk town where that was the best thing, and we would always get the spinach artichoke dip.

I just can't believe they market and serve those nachos. It's not a matter of preference, I can't see anyone liking those.
 

Harshaw

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On the menu the nachos sound good, probably just poor implementation. I've had some killer bbq brisket nachos before at this local place here. But it was like bbq brisket, cheese, green onions, jalapenos, and a spicy bbq sauce.
 

Mist

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There wasn't much brisket and it seriously tasted like salty dog food, I'm not kidding. There's definitely dog food brands that taste better.
 

Noodleface

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I probably would never go to Applebee's and expect a decent Brisket, much like I don't expect a gourmet burger from McDonalds. I find Applebee's to be below average at best. Maybe it's just the one in my neighborhood, but portions are always small and shitty, and the place is always completely empty if it isn't a Friday night.
 

Tarrant

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Speaking of Spinach Artichoke Dip. Costco has a tub of it for like 9 bucks and it is amazing.
How does this work...do you bake it or eat it cold like a heathen? Is it more than one serving or...??? This may be what finally pushes me over the edge to get a Costco membership.
 

Tarrant

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I probably would never go to Applebee's and expect a decent Brisket, much like I don't expect a gourmet burger from McDonalds. I find Applebee's to be below average at best. Maybe it's just the one in my neighborhood, but portions are always small and shitty, and the place is always completely empty if it isn't a Friday night.
Yeah, I go to Applebees when I want to go to a sit down place with my kids and don't want to spend a ton. (That or Red Robin) I don't go there expecting great food. I go there expecting passable food and just having a nice time with my kids. That place along with all others like it (Olive Garden, Chilis, TGIF's) are just fancy sit down fast food anymore.
 

Noodleface

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Yeah, I go to Applebees when I want to go to a sit down place with my kids and don't want to spend a ton. (That or Red Robin) I don't go there expecting great food. I go there expecting passable food and just having a nice time with my kids. That place along with all others like it (Olive Garden, Chilis, TGIF's) are just fancy sit down fast food anymore.
Yeah I see a lot of familys at Applebees and that's what I imagine the place should cater too. A step above McDonald's.

I used to love Olive Garden even if their meals were $15 for an entree, I thought they had a few decent meals. Then they got rid of Garlic Chicken con Brocolli and I swore the place off. Me and my wife went there for our first date and it was really good, went downhill since then. Now you see them advertising like B1G1 meals and shit, they can't be doing well financially at all.
 

Mist

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Olive Garden has ALWAYS been terrible. I don't understand how they can stay open. The only things they've ever had that were decent were some of the soups.

Applebees used to be shit, but at least around here they've really stepped up their burger game to compete with the encroachment of places like Five Guys.
 

Noodleface

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Olive Garden has ALWAYS been terrible. I don't understand how they can stay open. The only things they've ever had that were decent were some of the soups.

Applebees used to be shit, but at least around here they've really stepped up their burger game to compete with the encroachment of places like Five Guys.
My wife loves Applebees but I definitely prefer the Five Guys burgers. Applebees burgers are alright, but most of the time they're really thin and they don't seem to cook them very well. This is the one in Raynham, MA, so YMMV.

Olive Garden tries to be way too fancy for its own good
 

McCheese

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Yeah I see a lot of familys at Applebees and that's what I imagine the place should cater too. A step above McDonald's.

I used to love Olive Garden even if their meals were $15 for an entree, I thought they had a few decent meals. Then they got rid of Garlic Chicken con Brocolli and I swore the place off. Me and my wife went there for our first date and it was really good, went downhill since then. Now you see them advertising like B1G1 meals and shit, they can't be doing well financially at all.
Olive Garden does the buy-one-get-one deals because other notable Italian places started doing that. It's similar to the fixed-price 3 course dinners for $20 you can get at lots of casual places now. Once a couple places started offering that, the others had to follow suite to stay competitive. Some very quick googling shows Olive Garden to be quite successful at the moment.

Also, I don't see how Olive Garden is "too fancy for its own good." It's basically identical to every other casual dining Italian chain, such as Macaroni Grill, Maggiano's, Carrabba's, etc, from the food, to the atmosphere, to the prices. What does Olive Garden do that you consider fancy? I'm about the least classy guy around, and even I don't consider Olive Garden "fancy".

Also, all day McD's breakfasts can't come soon enough. I got to McD's at 11:10 and they flatly refused to make me breakfast.
frown.png
 

Tenks

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I don't really mind Olive Garden. I'd say it is pretty much equal to most chains like TGI Friday's, Applebees and all that shit.