Its 7pm and I’m at the Miami International Airport. I am feeling so relieved. I did not have (still don’t) have my passport. With the intensity of the TSA, I was afraid the least I would have to go though would be a strip search. This was because the lady I had spoken to over the phone had said that they would have to carry out an intensive screening process to verify my identity if I didn’t have my passport or any American issued photo ID. Fortunately, the issue was resolved with no need for strip searches or anything remotely close to that. Gees, I love America!
Since I checked in two hours early for the above mentioned reasons, I decided to grab a bite from the fast food outlet next to my boarding gate. The place is called Manhattan’s Famous. What a waste of time! The slogan on it is “More than just the best hot dog.” I don’t know about the dog, but the rest of that statement should read “also the crappiest burger and fries.” Just looking at the food made me upset. However, as an African boy raised the way I was, you never discriminate food regardless how it looks. So I tried the food and as you can tell, that meal was an absolute struggle. I doubt if beggars on the street would eat that.
This unfortunate incident prompted me to go ahead and share some of my experiences in relation to fast food. I thought I would give a little insight and some reviews of some of the fast food outlets that I have been to since I have been in the US. I spent quite a lot of time going to different places and trying out different things that they had on their menu so as to give a fair judgment. The restaurants I am going to talk about are McDonalds, Burger King, Pollo Tropical, Taco Bell, Chipotle, KFC and Subway.
McDonalds: This is by far the outlet that I visited the most. Probably as many times as all the others combined. Compared to McDonalds South Africa and fast food outlets in general, McDonalds offers a nice greasy menu that is guaranteed to make you fat in no time. However, if taken in moderation, like all things, the burgers are great and the fries are excellent. The soda, like all soda in America, is watered down and I absolutely hate it.
Burger King: At first, I totally hated BK because on my second day in the US, my friend and I got the worst service in a BK outlet. As a result, I did not set foot in BK for another month. However, when I finally got over it and tried another BK branch, the service wasn’t so bad and neither was the food. The large triple whopper meal was the most filling meal I had in any outlet. However, for the first time in my life I was able to taste meat that didn’t taste like meat. The patties tasted like they weren’t really beef. As a result, I never went back.
Taco Bell: After watching all the Taco Bell commercials during NBA matches with the really cool-sounding announcer, I had so much hope for the franchise. However, this was my biggest disappointment. Don’t get me wrong. Taco Bell has the best bargains in the nation. With $5 you can get a meal that you probably won’t be able to finish and if you do, you will be full for days. Problem is, the quality of the food is below par. I’m not a Mexican food specialist but that’s probably the worst Mexican food out there. Even the Mexican restaurants in Cape Town are better. I think the Taco Bell team took the ‘fast’ part of Fast Food and decided to make their food so fast that there is no quality or any attention to detail. A lot of people like it. I can’t stand it!
Subway: Probably the healthiest of all the above franchises, it is also one of the best. Besides a funny smelling atmosphere in the branch close to the hotel I stayed, there was nothing to complain about Subway. Nonetheless, the fate of your meal is in the hands of the attendee as he/she makes your Sub to his/her best (sometimes worst) abilities. The Subs are absolutely delicious and since they are also healthy, there is no reason anyone would think it was weird that I used to have subway twice, sometimes thrice a day (before the McDonalds addiction)
KFC: I had KFC once so I don’t know if my assessment of the chain is fair. It was the worst thing ever! The chicken was dry and the fries were bad. Not even the KFC in Zimbabwe is that bad and it’s not even really KFC. I honestly think it was just that one restaurant that I went to that was really bad because if all KFC’s are like that, then I don’t know how that franchise is surviving. So I guess my conclusion is based on a worst-day-scenario assessment. Nevertheless, I am not going back to KFC.
Pollo Tropical: I had a few meals at this restaurant and I don’t have much to say for it. It tasted like home cooked food made by a freshman who has never had to cook anything in his/her life. The pork tasted like it was boiled, rather than fried or grilled.
Chipotle: Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know why I even included this on Fast Food Restaurant reviews. I guess it’s because that’s what it is. However, this is the best thing ever!! After having looked for a branch for close to two months, I finally found it on one of my expeditions into the unknown. It was as if I had found treasure in a hidden cave. It is the opposite of Taco Bell in terms of food quality. The food is above par for fast food outlets yet it won’t cost you over $10.
So I am now typing the last part of this article a week later in a McDonalds restaurant in Times Square, New York. After going over the above reviews, I realized that I was complaining about something in almost every restaurant. Am I going to change my views? No! Its fast food ladies and gentlemen; if it’s not one thing it’s the other. In any case, it’s bad for you. Also, this experience with fast food outlets made me realize something. Sometimes things that seem really cool on TV aren’t exactly that cool. In some cases they are actually uncool. So be careful what you go around telling people about things you have never had.
Please be advised that this blog post was eventually posted a few weeks later from a lab at The University of Cape Town. Procrastination…
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