this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 105 points 4 months ago (4 children)

I miss cheap fast food. Feels like it will never come back anywhere.

[–] [email protected] 90 points 4 months ago (8 children)

Hole-in-the-wall ethnic food shops/take out are the way. If you want 'murican fast food, you gotta break the bank... but find a little family owned taqueria that does their shit right and you can stuff your face with the best tacos you've ever eaten for like $3. Highly dependent on your local options ofc, so keep an eye out.

In my experience, the sketchier the restaurant looks, the better the food is.

[–] Croquette 43 points 4 months ago (3 children)

If a restaurant looks shady and stays in business, it's either a front or the food is delicious.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

And if it's a front the food might still be awesome because it's some rando doing their home cooking to cosplay as a restaurant worker

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Yeah the fronts specifically want to pay for halfway plausible quality ingredients to mask their income.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Does this pretty much imply that if it looks shady and stays in business, but the food is shite, then then business is a front for money laundering or other criminal activities? Because there is this absolutely trash Mexican place near where I live and it's always dead (no business) and the food is suspiciously bad like "the refried beans are dry and look like they've been sitting out for days" kind of bad. And this place has been "in business" for like 15 years.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

It could also be a hobby business to keep someone's spouse/family busy and out of the house.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

There's a Bosnian place right next to an amazing Mexican place we like to go to. The Bosnian place always has people coming and going, but never staying for more than 5 minutes, and never walking out with food in hand. I'm pretty sure it's a front.

[–] Croquette 3 points 4 months ago

Yes. Otherwise there wouldn't be any point in keeping it open.

Restaurants have notoriously thin margins, so to stay in business 15 years, something shady is happening most likely.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Bonus points if the menu is at least half in another language

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago

I was amazed to find out the chicken place I order from looked nice (for a sketchy hole in the wall ethnic food place). $30 CAD for two or three days worth of INCREDIBLY good chicken and fries

Like seriously, it was dying mall food court sketchy when I expected, "...You killed the health inspector with a pan to the head didn't you?" sketchy

[–] PrincessLeiasCat 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

In Louisiana some of the best fried chicken and other Cajun food is in gas stations. Not even joking. It’s usually small towns, but there are some around NOLA and other cities, too.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Best fried chiicken i ever had was at a gas station in the middle of nowhere off ther interstate in Mississippi.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

One of my best fried chicken experiences was a $5 fried chicken buffet somewhere in rural Kentucky near Lincoln’s birth home.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Those breaded skewers with chicken/pickle/onion/potato you can get at roadside stations down in the MS delta area are absolutely incredible and I love them. Any time I'm passing through there I have to find some.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Bag of Dick's burgers are the only way to go in Seattle.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

What is Dick's charging these days? My local equivalent burger joint has a double with fries for just over $8. Easily the best I can do around here.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

$8.10. Their advertised base wage ($21/hr) must be lower than their actual base wage. I saw a posted at location janitorial position with a $23/hr start.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

$5.30 for a deluxe, $2.80 for fries.

Dick's and a taco truck in the same area ($2.50/taco) are my go to cheap but delicious lunch options.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

I wish we had those around here. Even the hole-in-the wall Indian places start their plates at like $12. It's absurd.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

All the local taco places near me are like 10 bucks for 2 tacos

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

You reminded me of a dumb song by a little known christian singer from the 70s and 80s that my dad liked.

We played this song on repeat as kids because there was a giant belch in it.

I give you Randy Stonehill's American fast food (what a stupid way to die)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You absolutely can get great American food from a hole in the wall. Also, I’m not sure why you had to say ‘murican as if our food has something wrong with it. Just a weird flex. I’m lucky to live in a city with a plethora of food trucks all around and you can get pretty much any kinda cuisine for cheaper than fast food joints.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

'murican ... weird flex.

...flex?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Cheap food is still out there, but it's not corporate food.

Corporations put profit above all, which is anathema to how every successful chain became successful. Whatever mechanism they had to stresamline production, negotiate with vendors, push addition products (would you like fries with that?), their primary goal was always consistency and value. You know what to expect, and it's worth the money.

You'll find that now in local diners, in food trucks, in cafes, and in small restaurants where they value good food over profit, but you won't find it at most chain restaurants.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Food trucks are hit or miss. The food can be OK but the ones here tend to be very overpriced for the quality.

Someone else mentioned ethnic places which have become my go to for good, cheap food. There's a gyro place near me where you can get a gyro and fries for like $7. It takes 5 minutes and the food is fresh.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

BBQ trucks tend to be way overpriced in my experience. But that may be biased because I make damn good BBQ. I have friends that ask me to make food for their birthday parties, diaper parties, bachelor parties etc. paying $12-15 for a sloppy mess of a pulled pork sandwich with no taste other than the sauce is absolutely unacceptable. That being said, I'm far enough away from any BBQ "hub" that nobody here knows what good BBQ is.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Taco Bell still has $1.25 bean and rice burritos where I live. It’s like 400 calories so it’s a pretty good deal.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not here! The burritos at Taco Bell here are outrageous. A single bean burrito is 4.50CAD. The 7-layer? 8 BUCKS. The Grilled Cheesy? Fuck you, over ten dollars for a single burrito. A burrito that isn't heated right, has all the ingredients separated into disgusting pockets of single ingredient, and makes you feel terrible after eating them.

And mind you, these aren't even combos. This is just one burrito.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

UK Taco Bell is somehow worse.

They seem to be trying to trade on the novelty/name, because there is no chance I'm paying £8 for a taco the size of a hamburger.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Taco Bell is my goto for cheap fast food

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

They aren't even cheap anymore, damn near $2+ basic bitch tacos. I can go elsewhere and get a street taco (with multiple meat options) for a buck that's actually flavorful and warmer than room-temp, and that's in fucking Ohio

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I assume you are North American, look for small ethnic food shops. You will find better food at a cheaper price.