creekland Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 The individual preference for places thread has me curious as to what's popular around your area. Some of those people are listing on that thread as ones they don't like aren't all that popular around here... For our area: Popular - always see people in them and/or cars in the drive thru: Chick Fil A McDonalds Chipotle KFC Semi-popular - it depends upon the time: Arbys Taco Bell Subway Wendys Don't know how they stay in business: Burger King Five Guys Sonic I know I'm missing some... but we don't always go by or go inside to see... and we don't have ALL chains here. Then too, my memory isn't what it used to be. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 McDonald's Burger King Taco Bell Popeye's Chicken KFC The standard stuff really. Popeye's doesn't seem to be everywhere, but the rest yep. I haven't heard of half the places people mention here on the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Culvers Portillos Beef a Roo Taco Bell Chipotle Q Doba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 The ones that seem to be on every corner: Wendy's McDonald's Chick-fila Burger King Zaxby's Bojangles and Popeye's (these have been popping up everywhere suddenly) Sonic Little Ceasar's Hardees We also have a lot of: Salsaritas Pizza Hut/Papa John's/Dominoes Arby's Krystals Steak and Shake Buddy's BBQ Fewer of these: Denton's Petro's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Chipotle: the line is never less than 30 min, and they open up new locations every few months Wendy's: the salads sell pretty heavily Dunkin Donuts: in the am, there is heavy traffic Taco Bell (not me, but lots of people eat there) Most people here prefer sit-down restaurants still. Our town has a lot of unique restaurants and bakeries, and the locavore movement is pretty strong here. I can count 6 restaurants in a three block radius that serve farm-to-table veggies and have bread made from local heirloom wheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Oh forgot about Wendy's. I think in the realm of fast food that place is pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Almost every US fast food chain is here in Guadalajara and they're fairly popular with a few exceptions. Taco Bell has tried twice to get going in Mexico, but it's failed both times. And Arby's isn't here, which is sad since Arby sauce is the only barbecue sauce I like. But really, American fast food isn't what is really popular here. There are taco chains like Los Sarapes with tacos and filled potatoes, torta ahogado chains like Tortas Tono where you get Guadalajara's traditional drowned sandwiches, and roasted chicken chains like El Pollo Loco where you can get a roasted chicken with tortillas, beans, salsas, rice, and potatoes on the side. Then there are dessert chains like La Michoacana and many spin-offs that sell helado and paletas, and lots of smaller chains selling nieves de garrafa. And there are individual stands, stalls, fondas, houses, and restaurants that sell all kinds of quick meals and treats like enchiladas, churros, tamales, and so much more. You can get chilaquiles, pastries, tamales, and molletes for breakfast anywhere. Outside of Guadalajara on the roads leading into cities you see burrito places. And there are regional snacks everywhere that are really popular, like marquesitas and panuchos in Merida, vasolotes and gaspachos and uchepos in Morelia, tlayudas and memelas in Oaxaca, and pacholas in Guanajuato. Sometimes I wonder how US chains ever survive here because "fast" food in Mexico is everywhere, cheap, delicious, and so much more interesting than any American chain. I was surprised to see Culver's in Utah the last time I was there. It's a Wisconsin thing to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Starbucks drive thru is always wrapped around the building (line inside is no better). Chick Fil A (two drive thrus an although they move fast, they are always several cars deep) Panera bread (they are like Publix down here - there is one every mile or so) Publix sub line (only time I have seen it not crowded is at 10:59 pm, and the second the store opens) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Chick Fil A does a booming business here. Every other fast food seems to do a normal business - busiest at lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edithcrawley Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I'm not a fan of: Taco Bell--just don't like it Arby's---Way too expensive Chick Fil A---for reasons unrelated to the food itself Jack in the Box---just not good I like: Mcdonalds Subway Qdoba Around here, the McDonalds is normally packed, the Taco Bell is sometimes (though they never seem to have enough people working whenever my DH grabs food from there as it takes forever). The Chick-Fil-A is about 20 min away, they always seem to be crowded when I drive by, as does the Jack in the Box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Chick-Fil-A (very popular; line out to the road during lunch and dinner) McDonald's Five Guys is pretty popular here, too. We only have a couple, but they're always pretty packed, it seems. Our favorite is Chick-Fil-A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Most people here prefer sit-down restaurants still. Our town has a lot of unique restaurants and bakeries, and the locavore movement is pretty strong here. I can count 6 restaurants in a three block radius that serve farm-to-table veggies and have bread made from local heirloom wheat. I think I'm a wee bit jealous. We have several local places, but I'm not sure any of them are purposely locavore. If so, they don't advertise it. There are taco chains like Los Sarapes with tacos and filled potatoes, torta ahogado chains like Tortas Tono where you get Guadalajara's traditional drowned sandwiches, and roasted chicken chains like El Pollo Loco where you can get a roasted chicken with tortillas, beans, salsas, rice, and potatoes on the side. Then there are dessert chains like La Michoacana and many spin-offs that sell helado and paletas, and lots of smaller chains selling nieves de garrafa. And there are individual stands, stalls, fondas, houses, and restaurants that sell all kinds of quick meals and treats like enchiladas, churros, tamales, and so much more. You can get chilaquiles, pastries, tamales, and molletes for breakfast anywhere. Outside of Guadalajara on the roads leading into cities you see burrito places. And there are regional snacks everywhere that are really popular, like marquesitas and panuchos in Merida, vasolotes and gaspachos and uchepos in Morelia, tlayudas and memelas in Oaxaca, and pacholas in Guanajuato. I think I'm adding Guadalajara to my travel list. It sounds yummy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 McDonald's Burger King Taco Bell Popeye's Chicken KFC The standard stuff really. Popeye's doesn't seem to be everywhere, but the rest yep. I haven't heard of half the places people mention here on the board. For this (and many others that followed), are they all equally popular (not with "you," but in general)? In our area McD's will be packed with lines and BK will be empty or maybe have one car in the drive thru. The two are literally side by side. In a nearby town where Chick Fil A and McDs are side by side, Chick Fil A wins, but McD's will still beat BK down the street, and beat them by quite a bit. I seriously wonder how our local BKs stay in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 There isn't any fast food in my town. There are lots of independent restaurants though. Most popular are probably fish and chips (a couple of choices) and ice cream (there's a fourth generation Italian family and one other). ETA: I forgot, there's a Subway and a Nando's. The Subway seems to do decent business but I don't know about the Nando's. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 ETA: I forgot, there's a Subway and a Nando's. The Subway seems to do decent business but I don't know about the Nando's. How funny! A person I know is trying to get Nando's going in our area. I had never heard of it until yesterday (although it seems vaguely familiar from our time in Europe). :) A family member started Nando's in an Asian country and it is doing very well there. And about Subway .... We were walking down a busy London street when my 8yo son noticed a distinctive smell. Sure enough, there was a Subway half a block away ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Near as I can tell what is popular around here is pretending one never goes to a fast food place. I buck this and don't hide my egg mcmuffin or occasional Starbucks (tea!!!) cup. If this gets me kicked out of the cool moms club, so be it. I have my own club and we don't give a rip. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Near as I can tell what is popular around here is pretending one never goes to a fast food place. I buck this and don't hide my egg mcmuffin or occasional Starbucks (tea!!!) cup. If this gets me kicked out of the cool moms club, so be it. I have my own club and we don't give a rip. We go to them. We did as a family when that was what we could afford (or wanted) and we go to them now that we're empty nesting if we get in the mood. They're quick, easy, and often tasty. Plus, I'm not fond of cooking. I mentioned on another thread not long ago that I'm not much of a "club" person, so I can't get kicked out of anything. ;) Tonight though... hubby is grilling ribs. Yum! Then there's squash and kale from our garden... those are getting old due to eating them so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Well, we have so many things nearby because we're in an urban area. But I would say that probably Chipotle is the most popular thing going, just because they have the longest lines everywhere. Panera is always packed as well at various locations we go by. It's a place where lots of people go to work in the day, I notice (and us too, actually - we do Panera School sometimes). Five Guys started near here and they do pretty well, but it seems to depend a lot on the location. Now that they're absolutely everywhere, their popularity does seem to be waning. Also, this is the only part of the US currently with Nando's and they do well. Mmm.... Nando's. Starbucks is ever popular. I'm sure that things like McDonald's are doing fine, I just don't ever go there or know anyone who does so it's hard to assess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 In addition to all the big ones mentioned, we have Zaxby's (chicken) Bojangles (more, but different, chicken) Cook Out (burgers, BBQ sandwiches) Zaxby's is my go-to for fast food when I can swing it. Not expensive, but not cheap-cheap. I love their Zalads -- especially the Cobb and the Asian (when they have it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Chik Fil A is very popular here. In fact, I don't think people even consider it fast food. People will say they don't eat fast food but they do eat at Chik Fil A. I definitely notice that it seems to be the only acceptable place for the healthy homeschool crowd. I did not grow up with Chik Fil A and I don't really get the love. It is fine. Their nuggets are better than McDonalds but to me it is still fast food. But people absolutely love them. The food, service, Christian values really make people feel good about spending their money at Chik Fil A. My kids will always choose Cookout. It seems to be we can always find them near college campuses. Zaxby's is popular with the teen boys but I'm not sure why as it is expensive to get enough food there to satisfy a teen boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 McDonald's Sonic Dairy Queen WhataBurger Subway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I rarely eat at fast-food chain restaurants, but based on the lines I see, In-N-Out is extremely popular -- and extremely efficient, both indoors and in the drive-through. Chipotle is very popular, but has a lot of competition from similar fresh-Mexican-food places here. Near us -- Berkeley doesn't seem to have that many fast-food chains, or perhaps they are lost in the huge variety of individual (or small-local-chain) places. The lines for the Korean-Japanese and Korean-Mexican fusion "fast food" places are often out the door. And the Chinese bakery is always hopping. Yum! Now I'm getting hungry ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 McDonald's is certainly popular for drinks here--any size for $1, and it's been that price for quite awhile. Is it that way all over the country or just in our neck of the woods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 McDonald's is certainly popular for drinks here--any size for $1, and it's been that price for quite awhile. Is it that way all over the country or just in our neck of the woods? It's priced like that here in PA and in VA where my in-laws live, but I've no idea how many people stop by just for the drinks. None that I've noticed, but we don't go there often, except when with my in-laws (it's their breakfast place). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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