Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Fast Food Chains That Are Grossly Overrated

Hamburger
photo of burger with tomato and cheese
Photo by aliet kitchen on Unsplash

Much as we may try to deny it, everyone enjoys indulging in some fast food now and then.

Sometimes we need a little pick-me-up when all we can think of are greasy burgers, salty french fries, and cheesy pizza.

In some cases, one needn't be ashamed of indulging in fast food, as some might say that In-N-Out Burger or Shake Shack is as good as anything you might find at a restaurant.

In some cases, however, seeing the appeal of certain fast food chains can be a little baffling.

Particularly as more and more of our old favorites become obsolete (oh to have a neighborhood Friendly's again), while others open more franchises less than a mile apart from one another.

Despite the fact that there is little to nothing of merit on the menu.


Redditor c0rdl was curious to hear the fast food chains which people genuinely couldn't understand the appeal of, leading them to ask:

If You Like Bread...

"Panera."

"Food tastes like literally nothing."

"Like there is a department dedicated to removing flavor."

"It’s the food equivalent of Hint water."- My_browsing

"Panera bread."

"And I don't think it's close at all."

"They charge ten dollars and nineteen cents plus tax for a mac and cheese."

"It's good but I know how to make my own."- ooooooooooooolivia

"Panera bread."

"Overpriced, undersized, underseasoned."- makinbaconCR

Mac And Cheese Want GIF by Panera BreadGiphy

Hence Why It Never Caught On South Of The Border...

"Tim Hortons."

"It's an absolute travesty that they've literally advertised their way into Canadian identity while cutting costs in every way possible."

"Their coffee is at the absolute bottom of the barrel, and I genuinely can't think of a major chain that serves worse food."

"It's awful."

"Nothing is made in house, and simple basics, like toasting bagels, something that's been an issue for fifteen years remains unaddressed."

"They're still somehow always cold AND burnt."

"Not to even touch on their abuse of temporary foreign workers, abysmal pay, and awful work culture."

"Easiest boycott you'll ever make."

"After only a few weeks of working at Tims, a girl ate something she was allergic to and nearly died."

"The management tried to get staff to sign a waiver taking personal responsibility for any fallout."

"Absolute f*cked."- NeoPossum

"Canadian here."

"At the risk of being tried for treason, Tim Horton’s is way overrated."

"They’ve lost their identity, which once was a solid coffee and donut, fresh, from scratch, baked on site, shop that was never a letdown."

"Now it tries to be, on one hand, a hip cafe a la budget Starbucks, and is selling all sorts of fast food items it has no business selling."

"And on the hand it wants you to believe it’s still a coffee and donuts place."

"The fast food sucks, the donuts all taste the same, slathered in glaze, and are baked off site and trucked in."

"And the coffee? "

"Meh."

"Most people I know would rather hit McDonald's for their morning coffee."

"Tim’s is a national institution but needs to get its act together and go back to simplicity."

"In my opinion, of course."

"Sorry."- RS724

canada GIFGiphy

"NOT Everybody Needs A Little KFC..."

"Honestly KFC."

"Literally just get served a bucket of grease and bones and is stupidly expensive."- THENOCAPGENIE

"KFC."

"You see it on TV and are like, "f*ck I haven't had kfc in ages."

"You order it, it takes an age to make, and you eat it."

"The feeling afterward of self-loathing and disgust is the reason you haven't had KFC in ages."- Mcfozzle

"KFC."

"I can go to any grocery store and pick up an 8 piece bucket of fried chicken from the deli for like $6-$8."

"Grab a side of mac and cheese, a small coleslaw and a pack of Kings Hawaiian rolls and I spent an extra five bucks."

"Maybe. KFC is like $30 for an 8 piece bucket and sides and I'll take grocery store chicken over KFC any day."

"It's bigger, juicier, crispier and tastes less salty."- PunchBeard

kentucky fried chicken 80s GIFGiphy

Take Your Pick...

"Correct answer is....all of them."

"The prices have gone up so much it's not worth it."

"The fast food empire is built upon being cheap and fast."

"They really are not either these days."- FilledwithTegridy

Five Guys, But Definitely Not Five Stars

"Five Guys is ok for three times what it should cost."- Sarged117

It's Not The Chain, But The Franchise...

"Everyone is going to have different answers and they're all going to come down to the fact that the quality of fast food is extremely dependent on the state of the particular restaurant you go to."

"I have a McDonald's by me where the McNuggets are always inedible, but another where they're pretty good."

"The Popeyes near me is always terrible, but anywhere else I've been, it's amazing, but still overpriced."- Deressi

onion rings spit in food GIFGiphy

Eat Fresh?

"Can't believe it's not on the list yet but ... Subway."

"Bland cold cuts on cardboard bread."- Slowcow7

It's all about the logo...

"Starbucks."

"Their percolator coffee tastes like cigarette butts with way too much caffeine in it."

"The food ok, but costs three times more than it should."

"Starbucks is just bougie McDonalds."- Ganglebot

Taste is a personal trait, and one man's misery could be another man's ambrosia.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Elizabeth Smart accepting an award
Frazer Harrison / Staff/Getty Images

Elizabeth Smart Reveals Her Pivot To Bodybuilding With Photo Of Her Ripped Body—And People Are Impressed

After enduring a truly horrific kidnapping experience that no one deserves to be put through, Elizabeth Smart has gone on to achieve several noteworthy accomplishments.

The child-safety activist has published numerous books, been honored with several awards, was the subject of an acclaimed Netflix documentary, and even competed on the short-lived Fox reality competition The Masked Dancer.

Keep ReadingShow less
AI-generated MAGA influencer Emily Hart
@emily_hart.nurse/Instagram

Man In India Reveals He Conned 'Super Dumb' MAGA Fans Into Paying For His Med School With Fake AI Influencer

There's a sucker born every minute, as the saying goes, and the AI revolution seems to have increased that rate exponentially—especially where MAGA is concerned.

A man in India recently shared with Wired that he's made so much money scamming MAGA devotees using AI that he now has enough to go to medical school.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump's Dismissive Reaction To Concerns About Insider Trading Amid His War With Iran Speaks Infuriating Volumes

In an article for CounterPunch titled "Trump’s Casino Royale: The Iran War," Matthew Stevenson wrote:

"Given that Donald Trump conceives of the presidency as a casino—why else would he be trying to makeover the White House to look like the Bellagio?—it makes sense that his administration has turned the war with Iran into an insider-trading scheme."
"It used to be that wars were fought to make 'the world safe for democracy' or 'to end all wars' (a World War I expression), but now wars are fought so that Trump insiders can get rich quick in prediction markets or to help the president’s family (and its remittance men) corner the Persian Gulf oil market."

Pointing out who is profiting off inflating oil prices and creating false scarcity, Stevenson added:

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of CNN on the street interview with Catholic Trump voter
CNN

Catholic MAGA Voter Unloads On Trump's 'Colossally Stupid' Feud With Pope Leo In Viral Rant

After mass on Sunday at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino did some Catholic-on-the-street interviews to gauge reactions to MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's one-sided feud with Pope Leo XIV.

A 2025 Pew Research Center report revealed 55% of Catholics voted for Trump in 2024 and Catholics made up 22% of Trump voters overall. Losing the Catholic vote would destroy Trump's margin of victory going into the midterms.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Taylor Dearden; Alanis Morissette
The Tonight Show/X; Matt Winkelmeyer/FIREAID/Getty Images

'The Pitt' Star Opens Up About Being Told She's A 'Terrible Singer'—And Alanis Morissette Weighed In With The Perfect Tweet

Already renewed for season three, The Pitt has become a popular series about the struggles faced by public healthcare workers, this crew specifically in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In a hilarious turn of events at the end of season two, actors Taylor Dearden (Dr. Melissa 'Mel' King on the show) and Isa Briones (Dr. Santos on the show) decided to blow off some steam by performing an unhinged, "scream therapy" edition of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" while most of their coworkers watched.

Keep ReadingShow less