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Tsu_na_mi@reddit

100%. DD used to be goated and now they are trash. They used to have a wide variety of donuts, but now 80% of their donuts now fall into one of three categories -- contains chocolate, glazed, or iced. Yeah, you got 20 different donuts, but half of them are just vanilla iced, van iced with sprinkles, choc iced, and with sprinkles, glazed, cruller (fancy glazed), choc cake, boston creme, BC but with creme instead of pudding. You will be lucky to get 3-4 donuts that don't match one of those three traits. They used to have multiple fruit-filled donuts like lemon, blueberry, apple cinnamon, raspberry, etc. Now it's jelly and... that's it. They have an apple filled but it's got icing instead of cinnamon sugar coated and it sucks in comparison.

And their greatest crime was do get rid of the original Dunkin Donut with the handle (aka the Old Fashioned). It had nutmeg and a crispy outside and the plain donut they have now is like a Great Value brand version.

I don’t drink coffee but my gf loves them and for some reason won’t let me go and not get something so I’ve been ordering their teas.

Cinisajoy2@reddit

Not if you are in a big vechicle.

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The Beaver Dam stop is built the way it is because the WKP used to be a toll road and it was a toll road service plaza designed so that you didn't have to get off the parkway and pay tolls to exit and re-enter.

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I don’t think so, but I moved out of New Jersey two years ago!

A friend and I i drove across the country with our dogs last year, and I came to see why Loves was a reliable place to try to aim for as a next stop. Most of them have at least one if not two different dog caged in areas. Restrooms were always sparkling clean. Buc-ees didn't even have a windshield squeegee set up in any station... Loves not only had them, but had long handle squeegees to be able to reach over the SUV we were driving.

Blake’s Lotaburger used to be good…

Eat_Drink_Adventure@reddit

D'angelos makes a pretty decent steak and cheese

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I miss the old Steak n Shake. Y'know, before they gave up the whole facade of "we're a restaurant, not a workaurant" and started making you order at a kiosk, pick up your own order, and clean your own table.

And that was before they started openly courting fascists.

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Ahtnamas555@reddit

Lol, they have kiosks now? Haven't been in a Steak and Shake in years - my hometown one was being turned into something else last time I was in the States for holidays... so I doubt they ever had kiosks.

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BenjaminGeiger@reddit

I know the one on Fowler Ave in Tampa did, at least they did circa 2023. I was thoroughly disappointed. The food wasn't even as good as I remember, either.

I had the best cheese curds at Culver’s in Greenville, MI.

TBFair, they did say they wouldn't put it in the same category, but maybe they should have been more emphatic.

beenoc@reddit

The food is decent, not great, but dirt cheap (at least it used to be, now it's just 'affordable' as opposed to other fast food that is 'pricey.') The biggest novelty there is the sides - some are pretty substantial, like "a corndog" or "a quesadilla" (you can get a tray that is 2 quesadillas, with your two sides being a quesadilla and a quesadilla.)

But the shakes? I've had shakes from McDonald's, Wendy's, Hardee's, Sonic, Dairy Queen, Steak'n'Shake, Shake Shack, and probably several others I'm forgetting. Cook-Out shakes beat them all and it's not close. Like 40+ flavors (plus you can mix and match literally anything from any of the flavors - want a Oreo, Reese's, and caramel cheesecake shake? You could do that. Also the cheesecake is they literally blend a full slice of cheesecake into the shake), so thick they give you a spoon and don't even always give you a straw (and when they do it's one of those mondo 1/2" straws), and so, so good.

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CompetitiveRub9780@reddit

I’ve heard about the shakes! I’m def going to have to try them

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rubey419@reddit

Pound for pound Cookout Tray best value in fast food

hobokobo1028@reddit

McDonald’s fries taste like cardboard

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captainstormy@reddit

McDs is the gold standard for fries.

It definitely used to be. But I feel like I haven't gotten a good fry from them in like 10-12 years now.

Kind of a deep cut that mostly died out but is still kicking in a few places - Taco John's.

It's still firmly on the college-student-budget tier. If has never tried to become upscale, and in a way that probably helped kill it in many locations where the Chipotles of the world thrived.

Unable_Tension_1258@reddit

Rita’s water ice *

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WantedMan61@reddit

Love Rita's.

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LF3000@reddit

Omg yes, it's sooo good!!

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karmapuhlease@reddit

I prefer Ralph's!

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incorene@reddit

I'm a New Englander, and these days Dunkin Donuts may be nationwide, but it's originally from the Northeast.

The secret to getting good coffee out of a Dunks is that you have to learn the recipe at your Dunks, because for example, "dark, two sugars" will get you a totally different beverage at each location. We all have our own formula, which works at our preferred franchise and time of day, and we all think that every other Dunks is garbage.

One thing we can all agree on though, is that even a shitty iced coffee is better than that syrupy sweet tea half of you people seem to love.

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Ardok@reddit

I will die for Wawa.

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We are spoiled by regional chain favorite: Cookout

Quantity > Quality wise cheaper than the rest. I can still get full on the “Cookout Tray” for less than $10.

Bookworm10-42@reddit

I didn’t know that. Wild!

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Kajeke@reddit

My boss is in town. He used to live here in San Antonio. We always tease him about his huge suitcase for a 4 day trip and that he was going to stuff it with H-E-B groceries. He is in fact going to make an H-E-B stop for items like fajita seasoning.

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shan68ok01@reddit

HEB and Mrs. Baird's bread are the only two things I wish Texas would transport to Oklahoma.

I knew I’d find it if I scrolled a little.

HEB 4 LIFE

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Grungemaster@reddit

HEB is a better source of disaster relief than our own state government

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KalamityKait2020@reddit

I'd sell half my family for an HEB.

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gonzobonzogrongo@reddit

P. Terry's Burger Stand is relatively cheap and hits the spot, but to my knowledge it's not much of a presence anywhere outside of Austin.

First comment I see is about Stewart's. It's meant to be.

01d_n_p33v3d@reddit

TLDR; Saltpork545 should think about writing restaurant reviews.

Do you review professionally? You should think about it

If you don't, find a small local paper, or Patch and see if they need someone. I did weekly restaurant reviews freelance for a county wide paper near Annapolis for thirteen years.

Basically, it paid for most of a meal each for a family of four at local mom and pop and "family" restaurants, or business lunch places with a couple colleagues, plus bars and greasy spoons. And a very occasional serious eatery (on which I took a loss financially)

I provided a service for local families, got to meet some interesting people, tried some truly unusual places I never would have known about, let alone considered and, frankly, my wife and kids would rarely have seen the inside of a restaurant without that newspaper subsidy.

Not a bad hobby, and I think you have the right outlook and skill set.

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Saltpork545@reddit

I haven't honestly ever considered that as a form of side income, but it's not a terrible idea.

I appreciate the comment and will genuinely think about it.

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Junior-Reflection-43@reddit

In the Pittsburgh area (including parts of OH and WV) 🎶Eat ‘n Park’s the place for smiles! 🎶🙂

Good for grilled stickies, salad bar, pies, Super Burgers, milkshakes, and of course, smiley cookies!

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SterileCarrot@reddit

Braum's food is pretty good fast food. Their dairy is arguably the best in the country.

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the_owl_syndicate@reddit

I have a funny Braums story. Growing up, within a 70ish mile radius of my hometown, there were three Braums. Every time you went to one of those towns, the assumption was you went to Braums. (The vast majority of people did and the ones who didn't, well, we don't talk about Bruno.)

My hometown was obsessed. For the longest time, any time a new store was being built or renovated, the rumor was it was Braums. People would go to city council meetings and ask what overtures needed to be made to get a Braums. Looking back, it was mad, but at the time, seemed totally reasonable, lol.

Well, finally, the truth came out. The same guy owned two of the nearest Braums and he told the local paper (this was back in the 90s, way before Facebook) that he would NEVER build a Braums in my hometown, that if another franchise owner tried to build one, he would find a way to stop them, that he HATED my hometown and would do whatever it took to deny the town a Braums.

About a year later, he built another Braums in a town about 20 miles away and for the first 6 months, gave a discount to anyone who could prove they were from my hometown, just to rub the fact in that he could have built one in my hometown, but chose not to. People were pissed, but still went, lol.

"The radius", plus the fact that Braum's is from Oklahoma, makes sure it will never have the cool factor of other regional burger chains. This is fine. Braum's is the best of them all.

Narrow-Psychology909@reddit

For the DMV, the big ones I can really think of are Ledo pizza, District Taco, and Royal Farms because the other ones (Five Guys, Cava, Sweetgreen, etc…) are widespread now.

I swear by Ledo as the true Maryland style of pizza and it’s my favorite of the three. District taco is pretty good for what it is, but I’d rather go to a more authentic Mexican place. Royal Farms would be goated but it’s surprisingly expensive considering it’s just a Wawa or Bucc-ee’s but from Baltimore and specializes in fried chicken.

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ShinyAppleScoop@reddit

Lion's Choice is superior to Arby's in every way, but is only in the St. Louis area.

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Specific-Data-4104@reddit

I do love grabbing a bag of Dick’s now and then. Crap quality. Super boring. But it’s my boring crap quality burger and soggy fries.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

So you like to eat a bag of dicks?

tangouniform2020@reddit

Went from locally owned to private equity so …

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mt80@reddit

I don’t bother with Whataburger now.

For coffee, Wawa is 1000% better than Sheetz.

I'm not a sandwich person.

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LV_Devotee@reddit

Santiago’s in Denver is the best Mexican food anywhere in the states from a chain!

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YarnSp1nner@reddit

Dicks and taco time are fire.

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Mackheath1@reddit

People from overseas seem to be absolutely blown away when I take them to our Buc-ee's. I could take them to a new wonder of the world "okay awesome, awesome," but I take them to Buc-ee's and they're taking videos, pictures of being at pump #174 or whatever.

I have a friend who gets it wvery time they visit. It's like a pilgrimage.

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Dtownknives@reddit

Of the places I have lived:

In-n-out- very overrated. the price is good, but the food is mediocre at best. It is never worth the wait time with the long ass lines, but if I ever see one with a short line I'd consider it.
Blake's lota burger in NM- The green Chile cheeseburger is delicious. The patties themselves are quite greasy and honestly nothing special, likely too greasy for many, but the green chilies make the burger incredible. Hatch green chilies are practically cheating when it comes to regional specialties. Their seasoned fries are also top-tier. It's probably my favorite regional burger chain.
Wawa- overrated to be honest, yet there's still a place in my heart for them. Their breakfast sandwiches are quick, convenient, and consistent and their hoagies are great for a gas station sandwich. They also don't charge for tire air.

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silkywhitemarble@reddit

Good one! I don't wake up until after other places have stopped serving breakfast, so it's good place to have that option any time of day. I had no idea they were pretty regional until a friend told me they always have it when they visited the west coast since they didn't have it on the east coast. Don't get addicted to anything new, because they change out new things pretty often.

They have a brunch burger on their munchie menu that's really good--get it with a hash brown and put it on your burger...you'll thank me later.

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Adorable_Dust3799@reddit

At one point they had one in every state, and navy states still have one or two so it's always with a search. I've been eyeing that brunch burger, will give it a shot, thanks

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01d_n_p33v3d@reddit

A fond 50 year old memory of hitting Jack in the Box for tacos after the bars closed when nothing else was open. Next-day regret wrapped in greasy paper. Rite of passage.

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Adorable_Dust3799@reddit

Obviously not in San Diego, I'm pretty sure we have taco shops that haven't closed in 50 years. Back in the 70s (yeah yeah I'm old) we'd get a 25 cent tall and a crappy hamburger (now a kids meal burger) and put the tobasco drenched soggy lettuce from the taco on the burger in an attempt to give it flavor. My mom liked the jacks burrito but they didn't have it long.

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01d_n_p33v3d@reddit

Nah, semi-rural suburb northwest of Baltimore. And it wasn't ever a daytime urge. Or a sober one. The bars usually had better food, but driving home.... And, damn, I knew better!

Good Mexican food? Not many in these parts in the 70s that I can recall. Spanish places in the city. A taco place in College Park.

But I, too, am old, and the memory slips now and then.

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Adorable_Dust3799@reddit

LoL i wouldn't think so! My SIL is a Ma born and raised and she thinks tacos are made with ground beef. We teach her when she visits.

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01d_n_p33v3d@reddit

I'm glad to report things here have improved markedly.

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rhombusx@reddit

A lot of good ones have been talked about already. Some other ones I've really enjoyed are:

Multidream@reddit

Zaxby’s is the absolute goat of the south. Nothing comes anywhere close to it in the realm of simple fried chicken tenders, fries n toast.

Its dominance is so glaringly obvious that I honestly think if you bring up Chickfila or Raising Canes as a chicken alternative, something is genuinely wrong with you. Its not that those places have bad chicken per say, its just that the quality is such a steep drop from Zaxby’s that if Zaxby’s is available, you’re an absolute idiot for not picking it.

The 1st Michelin star, of the famed Michelin system, is supposed to be reserved for restaurants that are so good, it is worth stopping just to try them if they are on the way to your destination. I would never say any old random Zaxby’s deserves a Michelin star.

jazzminarino@reddit

Was looking for Krystal's. When I flew into Florida a couple years back, I bought a couple dozen to go eat with my middle school best friend. I think you buy them for nostalgia because it certainly isn't the taste. Though the spicy chick definitely slaps.

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goodbye_rubytuesday@reddit

Philly/Delco girl living in Florida. Wawa's hoagies have gone downhill and I don't know if it's because they have a worse supplier in Florida or if they're worse up north now, too. But I still reach for their hoagies for beach days, because of nostalgia for Jersey/Delaware trips I took as a kid.

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rawbface@reddit

Wawa is good, but it used to be the holy grail. They used to locally source good hoagie rolls for their sandwiches. They had fresh bakery items. And the wawa-branded bottled drinks and soft drinks were dirt cheap. In the town I grew up in, kids would just hang out outside the wawa.

Nowadays, prices have gone up everywhere but the wawa-brand drinks aren't really cheaper. There are more food options, but the quality has declined somewhat. The bakery items are still there but they are anything but fresh.

They're still convenient and consistent though. And it still blows my mind to go to a wawa in Florida where they have hot empanadas and a cold beer section.

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TsundereLoliDragon@reddit

Been going to Wawa since 1993 and this is accurate. The meatball sub is kind of top tier though.

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tracytorr0712@reddit

As someone on the East Coast, In n Out holds a mystical appeal for me. I’ve never had it but am amazed that you always hear raves about the food. Someday, maybe, I’ll have the chance to experience it!

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One-Strategy5717@reddit

They're the only thing other than Jack-in-the-Crack open at midnight near me. Since I work nights a lot, that's important.

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LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit

Agreed. Must be wolfed down while too hot to eat safely lol.

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tiger0204@reddit

They're within one state of the Atlantic now.

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sevenfourtime@reddit

Best chain near me: Pal’s Sudden Service (drive-thru burger joint). Whenever I go back to my hometown, hitting that place up is a must. Unfortunately, I have to travel two hours to get to one.

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HotTopicMallRat@reddit

In&Out gets a weird reputation. I think you had to grow up with it to enjoy the fries lol.

It’s for late nights and long drives, post shows, and after theme parks. Unlike Denny’s I wouldn’t have it after a funeral.

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TheJokersChild@reddit

They lost it with the pizza.

Now Bojangles is starting to pop-up outside of the South. I mean who else serves biscuit sandwiches all day?

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silkywhitemarble@reddit

The first time I ever had Chic-fil-A was in a mall in Fairfield, CA. It was the only place that had one, and when we moved from the area, it had been over a decade before I had it again when they started opening them here . We have a Bojangles, but it's way on the other side of town so I haven't tried it yet.

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I live pretty close to the Post Malone Raising Cane location in Utah.

Not enough of a fan to geek out overly much by the memorabilia, although I do admit it's kinda cool.

Food wise, well...it's the 9th best chicken place in 5 miles of that location.

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lflj91@reddit

Used to love going to that one when I was at LSU, plus all the Cane's tenders they would have at club meetings and stuff to convince people to go.

Dio_Yuji@reddit

Chicken Shack still slaps

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morningtrain@reddit

Oh wow. How could I forget? Blue store too.

Why is all of ours fried chicken 😂

Waffle House is love. Waffle House is life.

TargetHQ@reddit

New England seems to have a lack of regional chains, and I hate it.

They would tell you that's a positive, because more "local" traffic. Sometimes that's true, but more often than not you're traveling, and your options are either McDonald's/Starbucks/Dominos, or some random generic Grille.

d'angelo, Papa Ginos, idk what else?

Ohio has bomb regional chains. Donatos, Skyline, Rally's, Penn Station.

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kirbyfriedrice@reddit

Marylou's? Cumberland Farms?

They're not that great.

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TargetHQ@reddit

Hmm hadn't thought about gas stations, though I guess Wawa and Buccees are a thing.

Indiana has Hacienda Mexican Restaurants. No, it's not authentic but is it ever good! Unfortunately, only in the Northern and Southern part of the state and I live in central...

https://haciendafiesta.com/

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Ad-hocProcrastinator@reddit

I just live a couple hours south of the Timmys band. And I hate it. We need them to expand deeper into the US and squeeze Duke Donuts out.

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CheesE4Every1@reddit

We have a gas station called weigel's. I'm not a big fan of how expensive it is but their deals aren't bad, and they always have the drinks that I want. The other regional chain we have is a restaurant called copper cellar concepts, they should shut down.

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doomed_candy@reddit

Braum's is probably the best, as far as fast food goes. They also have a wide variety of ice cream! And they sell it by the carton, too.

Also Oklahoma. Personally I love Braums and think it's one of the best fast food burgers you can get. Plus when all the other local yokels panic buy food at Walmart for whatever reason I can just go to Braums instead and buy food there. Sonic is decent because I can get a pretzel and a cherry diet Dr. Pepper there.

In Seattle there’s a chain called Dick’s (eat a bag of Dick’s). It’s hamburgers, fries, and shakes. Limited menu, tastes average to good, but the price is excellent! If I’m not grabbing a Seattle dog at 1am then I’m ordering Dick’s.

In the Olympia, WA area, what once was a local chain, but are now operated independently of each other is Eagan’s/Big Tom’s. Also a burger chain and each location has similar menus. I personally love Eagan’s in Tumwater, but am aware the Big Tom’s location on the Eastside of Oly would be considered superior.

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BloodOfJupiter@reddit

Love Pollo Tropical, but the prices have gotten outta hand in the last few years. I still come back though

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fricknmagic@reddit

Burgerville has the best onion rings and shakes

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Kenderean@reddit

Shoprite. You just can't beat the actual cancan sale. iykyk

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Alemya13@reddit

Buc-ee’s is the bastard love child of Disney and 7-11. It’s the Disney World of convenience stores, but with top notch bathrooms staffed by employees who’ve had the life sucked out of them and the smile permanently stamped in place.

If you don’t mind crowds, noise and people snatching things all around you, they’ve got a decent thing going. I mean, who doesn’t want “Live, Laugh, Love” and beaver-themed home decor on a road trip?

Burgerville for good cheeseburgers and fries.

Muchas Gracias is decent Mexican (although they are all getting replaced with Victorico's).

So I get a double cheeseburger, 2 quesadillas, a Reese’s cup milkshake and a water for ~$8.

Check out the cookout menu online sometime. You got to order the trays though.

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ConstantRude2125@reddit

Buccees for gas, clean bathrooms, and road snacks.

Whataburger isn't my favorite, but it's slightly better than McDonald's, and there's one or more in practically every town in Texas. Their ketchup, original and spicy, is very good and I buy it regularly at the grocery store.

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darkhuntresssyn45@reddit

Theres a local Mexican fast food chain in my area thats the most mid Mexican food I've ever had. Plus it seems like WITHOUT FAIL anytime there's an empty fast food restaurant this super mid Mexican chain moves it.

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KEVLAR60442@reddit

Arizona somehow has almost every regional chain you can think of except Tim Hortons. From In-n-out to Five Guys to even Portillos and Lou Malnatis. The forbidden fruit for the longest time was White Castle, but even that finally made it to the Phoenix area a couple of years ago.

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nmacInCT@reddit

They closed one recently. Made me sad because it had been there forever but it didn't get a lot of business these days.

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Stop_Already@reddit

People in Darien are too good for fast food! ;)

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nmacInCT@reddit

I won't argue. I live in Norwalk but closer to this one than the one in Norwalk. Honestly i go to the diner more often

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Nefarious_Turtle@reddit

I'd still take Whataburger over McDonald's or BK, but its gone downhill recently. Fast food in general isnt worth it regardless of the chain.

Buckees is more a novelty than anything I care deeply about. 24/7 clean bathrooms are nice, and a 2am BBQ sandwich on a long drive is nice, but its still just an expensive convenience store.

HEB is legit though. HEB brand products are almost always nicer and cheaper than the name-brand they are imitating. Nice fresh food and bakery section too.

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TheMcWhopper@reddit

Travel for work and am currently in Nebraska. Runza is the shit. Can't believe I hadn't heard about it till about y months here

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Those potato oles are in a league of their own

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CoachOpen1977@reddit

Bojangles is the bomb!

I like Shake Shack, but have stopped going there. I do my own burgers at home. I'm retired & make my own.

Everyone in a while I use a delivery app to order from Duchess.

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msh0430@reddit

We have a few in the Carolinas. So depends on which one you speak of. I have positive or neutral feelings towards all of them. Biscuitville is my favorite.

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ITrCool@reddit

Casey's gas stations around here. They're the dominant brand in this part of the country and their pizza is amazing!! Most of their stores are pretty clean too.

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Maurice_Foot@reddit

Blake’s Lotaburger - Really good breakfast burritos

Bob’s Burgers - Ranchereo burger is the best.

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Ok_Still_3571@reddit

There aren’t a lot of roadside chains in my region. But I’ve seen lots of reels about Buckees, and it nearly makes me want to jump into the car and drive a 1,000 miles just to experience it.

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bellegroves@reddit

I could eat at Cafe Yumm every day. I probably couldn't eat at Burgerville that often, but I would enjoy trying.

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JplusL2020@reddit

RUNZA BABY WOOOOO

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2PlasticLobsters@reddit

One of the few things I miss about the Mid-Atlantic is the Roy Rogers chain. IIRC, it used to be nationwide, part of the Marriott conglomerate. One fo their former execs bought the brand, and the few remaining locations. He's since expanded in that region, but alas not outside of it. They have really good burgers & chicken, plus a tasty breakfast croissant.

Oscar-mondaca@reddit

Kwik Trip, Culver's and Menards are a winning combo for me

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emaddy2109@reddit

Sheetz is okay, I’m not sure why everybody is obsessed with it. It’s fried food like every other fast food place.

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ForMoOldGrad@reddit

There are Tim Hortons in Georgia!

I’ve only lived down south a couple years, so correct me if I’m wrong…but we definitely didn’t have these back in the northeast lol.

Beef O’Brady’s - Pretty good

Culver’s - Amazing in rural MI, disgusting in FL

Ford’s Garage - Awesome

Seven Brew - Never tried!

Tijuana Flats - Pretty good

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ZombieLizLemon@reddit

Ford's Garage in Dearborn, MI makes my platonic ideal of a cheeseburger, and they're super careful with food allergies. We always sit at the bar, and the bartenders are friendly. Love them.

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Quicherbichen1@reddit

The Ford's Garage in Indianapolis is also fantastic. Every time I go visit family there, Ford's is a must-go place for me.

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minnick27@reddit

7 Brew is making its way up. I’m just outside Philly and there’s 3 within 45 minutes of me. Not super close, but they are building more.

And Pollo Loco, LOL!

I’m in the panhandle temporarily, so we’re lacking some of those chains…but I came from Orlando!

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mylocker15@reddit

In and Out is usually where I go for fast food. Good value and when I go there are people inside both customers and employees. It feels vibrant and normal. The place looks like it always has crossed palm trees, palm tree tiles etc… Not the sad grey dystopia of other fast food. Also you don’t have to use an app to get a deal. You just order the normal way.

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Elenakalis@reddit

Johnny's Pizza House and their version of St Louis style pizza. I grew up in north Louisiana and went to college there, and Johnny's was always a favorite. If I go back home, it's my #1 must eat there restaurant. They used to do make and takes that they would mail, but have sadly stopped doing that. I'm stuck with national chain pizza and what the locals consider good pizza in Pennsyltucky. There's nothing like it up here.

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Crab_Rangoon_bby@reddit

Sheetz gas stations in PA...I moved to Massachusetts and boy do I wish we had them here

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cyvaquero@reddit

Remember when they first started expanding out of Altoona back in the late 80s. I’m from Nittany and the first in our area was at Wingate in Bald Eagle Valley - we used to make nights runs for MTOs.

Tim Hortons(because they exist on the boarder).

The Ninety-Nine restaurant. It’s a Boston/ New England thing kind of like an Applebees. Great food and sort of local flair- good seafood as well.

Love me going to “the Nines”!!

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Mjhjane77@reddit

Runza or Don & Millie’s.

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Lions Choice is ok. I don't like roast beef so it's not my favorite. But their fries are SO good. I get the hot ham and swiss

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Sowf_Paw@reddit

Whataburger is trash since the Chicago investors came in.

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No_Sorbet1634@reddit

William Henry Braum should be canonized and a trip to Braum’s will bring a person or even dog closer to God.

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Commercial-Lack6279@reddit

In n out is great value for the PRICE

HEB is definitely still the best grocery store I’ve ever been to. Always good deals to be had. The free samples spread around made it fun for when I was younger. Just definitely a step up over Walmart, krogers, or Randall’s.

Shipleys donuts. Shit man. Best donuts I’ve ever had. They don’t rely on crazy toppings to be good like so many others. Because their basic donuts are just that good. Melt in the mouth goodness. Especially their donut holes. Holy cow I could eat a couple dozen of those when I was a kid without any effort. And could still pack away a good number of them. Add on a couple kolaches to make it an actually fulfilling breakfast. And I am happy as can be.

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superpony123@reddit

I love Culvers (Midwest)

I am from NJ and Wegmans is the best grocery next to publix. Similarly wawa is the best convenience store/gas station

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CorrectCondition9458@reddit

Royal Farms. Rofo. Best tater wedges and chicken tenders of almost every restaurant/ truck stop in north east.

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macrocosm93@reddit

Publix subs - Everyone loves them, and they are good, but I don't bother because I just can't handle watching a worker take 20 minutes to make one fucking sandwich.

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calcato@reddit

"Eat a bag of Dick's" is not an insult in WA state, thanks to Dick's Drive-In.

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Wawa is really good.

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QuarterNote44@reddit

In N Out is ok. The Habit is better.

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BenJudah619@reddit

Whataburger: Used to be good before they sold to private equity.

Buc-ee’s: Overrated. Will always stop for snacks/bathroom, but once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it.

kittenpantzen@reddit

The only thing I could think of that would be a regional chain in Florida is Publix, and they can kick rocks.

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WorriedCress7965@reddit

I do not understand the love the locals have for Publix.

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kittenpantzen@reddit

Same. It is overpriced, has proportionally the smallest produce section I've ever seen in an actual grocery store, and I found expired product on the shelves, including meat, multiple times in the short period of time that I gave Publix a chance when we moved here.

yeetskeetleet@reddit

White Castle is sorta regional to the Midwest, right? I don’t like it. It’s gross.

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Faux_extrovert@reddit

I seek out opportunities to go to the Southeast so I can go to Publix. If your grandma isn't around anymore to fry some chicken, Publix is the next best thing.

I also finally had Zaxby's for the first time in forever. It was incredibly salty, more than I remember.

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The_Se7enthsign@reddit

Texas. For me, Taco Casa is the king of fast food tacos. Of course, here we also have real authentic tacos as well.

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AstuteCouch87@reddit

In n Out is better than Dicks. Probably just my hometown bias, but after moving to the PNW I still miss In n Out. Dicks is good value, but mediocre food.

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Efficient_Advice_380@reddit

I love Portillo's. If I ever have friends or family visiting the Chicago area for the first time, I always take them for Chicago dogs and a chocolate cake shake.

For those who dont know, they literally blend an entire slice of cake into their milkshakes

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alaskawolfjoe@reddit

Pollo Tropical is fast food that does not taste like fast food (unless you put sauce on it).

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In Southern New England:

Everyone knows Dunkin Donuts but Dunkin fucking sucks compared to Honey Dew. Honey Dew is great and I'd go more often if they weren't all strategically placed to be as inconveniently located as possible.

D'Angelos is better than all of the national sandwich shops like Subway but a step below the 1 off mom and pop Sandwich shops.

I absolutely love Papa Ginos. Puts every national pizza chain to complete shame. But like D'Angelos can't really compete with the good 1 off mom and pop shops.

Bajas is vastly superior to Chipotle in every possible way. I have no idea how Chipotle continues to exist in Rhode Island because of how awful it is compared to Bajas.

Our regional gas station Cumberland Farms sucks compared to other regionals like Wawas or Buckees.

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ChutneyRiggins@reddit

Taco Time is a 10/10. And I’m referring to the far superior company Taco Time NW not those imposters at Taco Time International.

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Away_Analyst_3107@reddit

Bubbakoos - I’m not entirely convinced that it’s not a money-laundering front, but their food is pretty good!

Do like In n Out, Wataburger but we don’t have any in our area.

Culver and Tim Horton are alright.

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JimBones31@reddit

Marylou's is nice to have in town but not for me. I liked elevation burger.

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Fancy-Still-4297@reddit

I’ve lived all over the Southeast and for a few years in Phoenix.

for chains, at one point Sonic was really good. Now not so much. Hardy’s in the SE and Carls in Az were the better hamburgers but they are hard to find. In NC, it’s Biscuitville and Cookout. in east TN, it’s Pals.

Wawa and Sheetz for good gas station food. though I used to love a Rooster at Smoky Mountain Markets in East Tn (I think they all became Pilots) and Krystal’s hamburgers. in Phoenix, El Pollo Loco was definitely a step up from Taco Bell

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mizuaqua@reddit

We have a chain of fried chicken places called Ezell’s. It’s very good, the chicken is very tasty. It’s also pretty expensive compared to other non-chain restaurants.

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Inspi@reddit

Flannigan's in south Florida. Food is great, servings are huge, prices are very reasonable.

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dildozer10@reddit

Our regional chain is Jack’s family restaurant. It’s a fast food chain formerly known as Jack’s Hamburgers. The restaurant has locations throughout Alabama, and has locations in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia close to the state lines.

Burgerville here is alright. Certainly a step up in quality from McDonald's, but also there's higher tier fast food burgers like SuperDeluxe and way better options if you just go to one of the many food trucks, holes in the wall, etc.

Though I will get fish & chips from them during the months of the year where they're serving halibut, because that's delicious.

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pterrible_ptarmigan@reddit

Braums is love

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42ElectricSundaes@reddit

Good times

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SimpleAd1604@reddit

My local is Culver’s. I seldom go there for anything except the frozen custard. The food is ok, but not anything great as far as I’m concerned. It’s fine, I just don’t think it’s that great.

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mizuaqua@reddit

We have a chain of Americanized Mexican food called Taco Time NW. They use fresh ingredients and prepare the food to order, but pretty bland. It’s not bad for fast food as far as the guilt associated with eating fast food.

And we have a fast food burger chain called Dick’s Burgers. It’s strictly a walk up window serving basic hamburgers, fried, and milkshakes. I hate it.

We have also another chain called Burgermaster and those burgers are great.

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Aggravating-Kick-967@reddit

Taco Time. Best value for the buck and my goto for non-Mexican Mexican food.

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Leeann Chin. It's a Chinese place very similar to Panda Express, except I actually like the food at Leann's

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kwerdop@reddit

Incredible quality, affordable prices. Pfp the best fast food chain imo

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Apprehensive-Lock751@reddit

Waffle House. love it.

HEB. Loved it.

In Chicago, we briefly had a Hardees unfortunately they seem to have vanished. So whenever we're staying near a Hardees my wife insists we have breakfast biscuits & gravy

CompetitiveRub9780@reddit

Chick-fil-a and Waffle House probably

Love them both even I try hard not to

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tangouniform2020@reddit

The Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters in Austin are all great but the ones outside of here are franchises and the quality is all over the place. Sony hasn’t managed to fuck them up too much.

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Rimailkall@reddit

I grew up in Ohio with Wendy's and now live in Texas, which is the home of Whataburger. I was told, but never verified, that Whataburger was bought by private equity several years ago, which worsened their quality. All I know if every Texan I knew before moving here said that Whataburger was clearly the best burger joint in the country, and in my experience, they're quite middling. Wendy's, In-N-Out, Checkers, and several others are far superior.

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Zolton_Weird@reddit

Not Regional, but state (New Hampshire) based: Common Man. Several sit-down restaurants, among other outlets, including the Hooksett rest areas on both sides of I93, along with the 10k Sq ft state liquor stores. On the interstate...

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Broad-Cranberry-9050@reddit

Live in new england, really it's Dunkin DOnut's for us. I get it does exist elsehwere but not to the degree of new england. I moved states and there are a few in the city but it's weird not seeing it every couple minutes just driving down a main road or highway.

But something i noticed is the northeast doesnt really have fast food places other places dont have. At least in my state, i can't think of one northeast fast food chain that's mostly from the northeast.

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In-N-Out: Used to be cheap. It was a decent burger for the price. The fries suck. I like the shakes. Lines where I live are really long and way too many teens. Excellent customer service.

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pokearchie@reddit

I used to be a masshole so i love dunkin, although i never drank their coffee, only donuts, those frozen drinks, and bagel bites.

I live in Phx & we have Culver's, In N Out, Whatburger....and Buccee's opens in June.

Snoo_50786@reddit

We have bush's chicken, it's expensive as fuck and gets really hard and waxy - doesn't reheat well