It’s really not much to look at. The meat appears thin. The bun isn’t fancy. But just like the fresh home-made burgers that Mom used to make, the real beauty lies within. Once you’ve had that first bite, you will find yourself in a comfy, warm familiar place.

This is Whataburger. Your order is made from scratch AFTER the words leave your mouth. They never pre-grill burger patties or have them sitting around. The meat is never frozen, always fresh, 100% pure American beef from a local supplier. The veggies taste like you just made a trip to the supermarket produce section. The lettuce is cold and crisp, the onions are sweet and diced into large chunks, and the pickles are thick and tangy, with a home-made taste. A simple burger with fresh ingredients.

The 5-inch plain white bun is larger than most standard fast-food buns, and along with the large-thin meat patty, have become trademarks of the company. The buns are baked by Flowers Bakeries, who also supply several other large chains. Both sides of the bun get lightly toasted on the grill before the burger assembly, creating a thin layer of crispness that breaks open into soft fluffy warmth inside. This a big bun, but despite it’s appearance it doesn’t feel heavy or mute the great flavors packed inside.

“We don’t get fancy. We stick to what got us here. We choose the right way over the easiest, fastest, or cheapest.” — Whataburger.

The beef patty is not very thick, but at 5-inches it’s fairly large in diameter, weighing in at a respectable 1/4 pound (before cooking). That thinness helps the meat cook faster, keeping in mind that every order is cooked fresh, and they’ve got to keep that line of hungry customers moving along. It might seem too-thin just looking at it, but I’ve found the proportions of meat VS toppings and bread in each bite, to be almost perfectly balanced flavor. They offer a Double and a Triple meat option for those who want to get jiggy with it. I would often scarf down those bad boys when I was a bit younger, but these days quite honestly I find it’s too-much meat at once. Forgive me Meat Gods.

The standard “Whataburger” is: 1/4 pound beef, diced-onions, 4 pickles, 3 slices of tomato, shredded lettuce and Whataburger’s own famous Mustard. To that basic foundation, I add American cheese (the only cheese offered) and bacon. I also ‘hold’ the tomatoes. This is one of the few burgers I eat without ketchup. And Whataburger doesn’t include ketchup as a standard ingredient, you must request it. They taste fine with ketchup, and in fact Whataburger’s ketchup is excellent and has a cult following (as does their mustard) but there’s a special ‘balance’ between the meat, mustard and pickles going on here that’s worth preserving. If you’ve never had a Whataburger before, I suggest you stick with the original mustard and not add anything else.

The cheese slice is thick and fairly tasty for fast-food American. The bacon is excellent, crispy on the edges, tender and chewy in the middle. Bacon on hamburgers is usually a good thing, but fresh bacon on fresh beef, grilled fresh together… awesome!

The entire experience, from the first bite to the last napkin swipe of mustard on my chin, was delicious. This is FRESH Fast Food, and Whataburger deserves a lot of credit for it. They are more concerned with quality than speed. That sometimes leaves you waiting a few minutes longer than other fast food joints, but it’s worth it.

The Whataburger with Bacon and Cheese is a winner. Starting with good tasting beef, fresh ingredients, and plenty of room for customizing. You can add extra meat, extra cheese, even Jalepeno peppers. It will remain a regular in my burger rotation.

Price: $3.90 / Website: Whataburger.com

Fast Food Critic Score:4.5 out of 5 stars.

Nutrition Facts - Whataburger with Bacon and Cheese.

Calories - 780
Calories from Fat - 380
Total Fat - 43 grams
Carbs - 59 grams
Saturated Fat - 16 grams
Trans Fat - 0.5 grams
Cholesterol - 98 milligrams
Sodium - 1997 milligrams

DALLAS, TEXAS, May 30 2008 — On May 31, 1958, the doors of a little pizzeria in Wichita, Kansas, opened to serve a thin-crust pizza to a small community. Fifty years later, that pizzeria has grown into a chain of more than 10,000 restaurants around the world serving pizza innovations and more. This week, Pizza Hut and its franchisees are celebrating 50 years and commemorating the May 31 opening with their annual conference and a special gala in Washington, D.C.

As the world’s largest pizza restaurant company with 6,200 restaurants in the United States and more than 4,000 restaurants in 100 other countries, Pizza Hut, Inc., is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). The company has become the recognized leader in the $37 billion pizza category. To explore Pizza Hut’s 50-year history and remember old times, visit PizzaHut.com and click on “Our Story.”

Source: PizzaHut

One day in the drive-thru of Jack In The Box, there was no voice at the menu asking me for my order. I waited, but the voice never came. Cars started stacking up behind mine, and I could feel the pressure of those hungry eyes staring at me, as I sat there holding up the line. Finally I gave up and pulled around to the pick-up window, where I found a confused and slightly-angry face looking at me like I was some kind of idiot.

Imagine if that’s what you experienced every time you attempted to use the drive-thru. That would be a nightmare. You would surely quit using drive-thrus all together.

It turns out the speaker system at Jack In The Box had failed right at the moment I was driving up. It has to happen sometime, and I was the unlucky one that particular day.

But for an estimated 28 million Americans who are deaf and hearing impaired, that situation is part of every day life. There’s at least one fast food company trying to help.

Culver’s, famous for their ButterBurgers and Frozen Custard, have been installing a system called “Order Assist” at some of their locations. The system is very simple. Customers press a big button to alert the drive-thru attendant of a hearing impaired (or language impaired) person outside. The customer pulls on thru to the pick-up window, where they are presented with a printed menu, making it easy to point to the items they want. This also gives them a chance to speak directly to somebody, face to face, without the distortion and interference that often comes from outside speakers.

“We’ve installed the system since we wanted to better serve all our guests. This system eliminates the guesswork and is simple and effective.” — Culver’s.

The Order Assist system also includes T-coil, enabling hearing aid users to get a direct signal, turning off their microphones and avoiding feedback and noise. The system sells for roughly $700 per unit, and is developed by Inclusion Solutions, a company helping retailers provide better access to people with disabilities.

“Our focus has always been on small and medium size businesses. With the OrderAssist, we set out to provide an opportunity for owners to make a one time investment with an easy to install product that solved the accessibility puzzle for this important and loyal customer base.” — Inclusion Solutions, developer.

The system has the potential to help more people than just the hearing impaired. Anybody who has trouble speaking English might feel more comfortable using such a service, and it would surely help avoid time and embarrassment on both ends.

I have to salute Culver’s for doing this. It’s something every drive-thru should consider. The cost is reasonable enough, and there’s a possibility of attracting a whole new group of customers, and having the system pay for itself. It seems like a Win-Win.

Those Krystal-Burger addicted bloggers at Krystalist.com were obviously proud and excited when they spotted these shots of what appears to be the famous Burger King mascot standing in line to place his order at a Krystal Burger in New Orleans, La.

*The original Krystalist blog post - The Burger King eats at Krystal
*Photographs from - czyjs’ photostream on flickr.com

Congratulations to Philip Given, winner of the KFC contest. Philip entered the fast food world today with a hunger for new recipe chicken, and he bravely went where no man has gone before. For being the first, and for sending in pics from his adventure, he will receive $50 cash via PayPal.com, plus reimbursement for the meal, and his name up in lights on the FFC website. Ok, there aren’t any “lights” but here’s some bold text.

Congratulations to Mr. Philip Given, of York, Pennsylvania.

UPDATE: 5/29, 10:39 A.M.(CST) We have a winner - details to follow.

To celebrate KFC’s new Chipotle Crispy Chicken recipe, and because I want to do something nice for one of my readers, I’m running the following, quick, mini-contest.

The first person who sends me their photograph (or friends, family, kids, etc.) trying the new recipe chicken, will receive the following:

– $50 cash, instantly via PayPal.
– Reimbursement for your meal. I pay for the food. (receipt required, 1 bucket)
– Your smiling face on FFC. (optional, your choice)
– Your website link posted, or any site you want to promote. (optional)

This post is being made at 5:25 P.M. (CST)
Please send photo to: editor@fastfoodcritic.com

I would like to see a photo of the chicken, packaging, and preferably somebody eating. The receipt can be supplied separately. The first photo I receive that meets the criteria will be declared the winner, and will be posted ASAP.

Please note: I will be offline after 10 P.M. but will update this tomorrow morning. In the event that multiple photos are received over-night, the winner will be decided by the time-stamp of the email message.

Proof once again, that chipotle flavored foods and sauces are taking over the world. In 65 years, Kentucky Fried Chicken has only used 2 main recipes. Original and Extra Crispy. Today that changed. This information just in from the KFC newsroom. LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, May 28 — In 1940, Colonel Harland Sanders revolutionized fried chicken by introducing his now famous Original Recipe(R). Today, more than 65 years later, KFC is adding just its third fried chicken flavor to the menu — Smoky Chipotle Crispy. The new flavor joins Colonel Sanders’ Original Recipe, featuring a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, as well as Extra Crispy(TM), which was introduced more than two decades ago.

A Secret Slow-Smoked Recipe.

“The new recipe receives its signature flavor from a secret recipe of slow-smoked chipotle peppers and other spices,” said Doug Hasselo, Chief Food Innovation Officer at KFC. “Our new Smoky Chipotle Crispy is designed to be the perfect combination of robust flavors with just the right kick,” Hasselo added. “We’re confident Colonel Sanders would have approved this new secret recipe. It truly is finger lickin’ good.”

KFC’s new Smoky Chipotle Crispy chicken is currently available in a bucket or as a plated meal for a limited time only. Visit KFC.com for specific details about the new Smoky Chipotle Crispy chicken and additional information on Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Good cheesy bread — Not so good pizza.

I don’t know what else to say. It’s not a Pizza. The similar item from Subway is not a pizza either, in my opinion, but let’s move forward. The Schlotzsky’s pie is 8 inches in size, the same as Subway’s personal pizza. It actually looks quite attractive. There’s lots of cheese. It’s cooked properly. It’s made from decent ingredients. But it’s still not a real pizza. It looks like one — but it doesn’t taste like one, and it doesn’t feel like one.

I’m using the Subway personal pizza as a reference, because the two products are direct competitors, similar in content and price, and I’ve had them both recently.

The crust on the Schlotzsky’s pies tastes better then Subway. First off, it’s sourdough. Some may find that unusual for pizza crust, but it’s quite good. When cooked properly (which this was) there’s a nice combination of chewiness with a bit of crispy snap. Secondly, it’s baked fresh in the store along with the company’s other buns and baked goods each day, as opposed to the frozen pre-made crusts which Subway uses.

The cheese tastes better than Subway’s version, but there’s more of it, so I cannot accurately distinguish whether this is the result of a Quality or Quantity issue. I suspect it may be both. Either way, the mixture of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses is very tasty, and it’s piled on thick. Along with the crust, it serves as highlights of this pie.

The pepperoni is on par with Subway’s and here lies part of the problem. When I order a pepperoni pizza, I expect that one of the main flavors will be — Pepperoni. Not here. What are these sandwich shops doing? Why is their pepperoni so bland? Maybe since they are not a “Real” pizza place, we are not supposed to notice, or care about it. Perhaps they figure enough cheese on top will distract us. Sorry, I noticed and I care.

The sauce is another big issue, with both Subway and Schlotzsky’s pies. I would do a direct comparison between the two, but the Schlotzsky’s pizzas have so little sauce, it’s not even possible for me to get a good sample. You will see in the photo, the cheese is good and thick, but peel back that layer of dairy, and you’ve got yourself a nearly naked crust staring back. Dry (except grease) and bitter, that crust is ANGRY.

It’s so disappointing, at least to me, that after my 3rd pie with the same results, I called one of the stores my order(s) came from, and asked them about the sauce, and the amount used. They described the sauce as being “very rich” and the proportion they use as being “kinda small” so it doesn’t “overpower the pizza”. OK fine, thanks.

At this point in the review, I’d like to take a 5 minute break to pound my face against the keyboard repeatedly. Was it my dumb question? Or their unsatisfying response?

Schlotzsky’s Pepperoni and Double Cheese Pizza is a confusing item. Great bread and good cheese. Bland pepperoni and almost non-existent sauce. What’s the deal? If somebody were to serve this to me blindfolded, telling me it was “cheesy-bread” or “cheese-sticks”, I would probably be happy and satisfied. But it’s not a very good pizza. That said, it earns 1/2 star higher score than Subway for superior crust and cheese.

Fast Food Critic Score:3 out of 5 stars.

Nutrition Facts - Schlotzsky’s, Pepperoni and Double Cheese Pizza.

Calories - 685
Calories from Fat - 267
Total Fat - 30 grams
Carbs - 74 grams
Saturated Fat - 13 grams
Trans Fat - 1.0 grams
Cholesterol - 71 milligrams
Sodium - 1740 milligrams

“Hold the Mayo” - or in this case - “Hold the Chipotle-Flavored Mayo.”

That’s the most important piece of advice I could give about purchasing this sandwich from Schlotzsky’s Deli. After having it both ways, I can tell you the dry path is the happy path. Unless of course you’re a fan of funky flavored mayonnaise, in which case you can leave it on. However, since you won’t be needing all that roast beef due to the creepy orange sauce drowning out it’s flavor, perhaps I can take some off your hands.

But first, let’s start with the great bun. Schlotzsky’s bakes the sourdough bread fresh in store, every day. This freshness is evident the moment you smell, see or touch it. This is the type bread you could eat plain, on it’s own. I would love to have a batch of these rolls at home to build my own custom sandwich creations. Granted, I like sourdough bread to begin with, so those who aren’t fans probably won’t be nearly as excited.

Stacked inside the tasty, chewy roll are generous layers of Angus Roast Beef. The meat is lean, shaved thin and so tender it almost melts in your mouth. There is a nice smokey flavor, and the smell will hit you before the taste, as soon as you remove the paper deli wrap. The aroma of freshly baked sourdough and smokey roast beef might seem surreal if you’re only accustomed to burgers and nuggets. This is still a ‘chain’ restaurant and mass meal production, make no mistake about it, but the quality and freshness of ingredients comes closer to a hometown deli than average fast food.

I was happy to get some charred blackened crusty edges from the giant roasted slab my slices had come from. It was a pleasant, edgy reminder this is real beef, and not some meat-product or loaf. On top of the thick stack of beef are several thin strips of bacon. Despite tasting good, they have never been ‘crispy’ as advertised. I have eaten the sandwich 4 times in total, at 3 different locations, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Heat and moisture of the warm beef, bun and cheese will soften bacon, but that hasn’t prevented many other types of sandwiches and burgers from maintaining some crispness. The bacon on this sandwich is rather limp and soggy, but it’s not enough to hurt the overall experience too much. Still, crispy bacon would be much better.

Chunks and crumbled bits of smoked cheddar cheese melting above-and-below the meat assure that no bite escapes without it’s fair share. The cheese was natural and had an excellent flavor. After so many weak ‘blends’ and shredded cheese-products lately, it’s worth the extra cost for something better. Good beef - good cheese.

Finally, the chipotle-flavored mayonnaise. Ech! Awful. It ruins the sandwich. I have no idea why somebody would take all the wonderful, natural flavors of fresh sourdough, roast beef, smokey cheddar, and then assault them with goops of flavored sauce. It’s a standard ingredient on the sandwich, and they put it on both sides of the bun, so you must request they “hold” it. Now you understand why the review started that way.

The Bacon Beefy Smokecheesy from Schlotzsky’s is very good, but comes with a few caveats. Avoid the orange mayo. The bacon is disappointing. And $6 is a bit pricey. But you get what you pay for — A large sandwich, with large portions of good quality ingredients. In a world where much of the fast-food we consume is over-processed and confusing, grabbing a simple sandwich with big hunks of meat and cheese helps to make sense of it all. A few issues keep this one from reaching ‘awesome’ status.

Fast Food Critic Score:4 out of 5 stars.

Nutrition Facts - Schlotzsky’s Deli, Bacon Beefy Smokecheesy Sandwich.

The company has not published the nutritional information for this product. This sandwich is from a line they call “featured” and “limited time”. Fast Food Critic makes a point to post the nutrition facts with every food review, and will update this once Schlotzsky’s Deli releases that information.

There was a time when Arby’s offered a homestyle french fry with the potato peel on. They were quite good, but sadly they’re gone now. Luckily they still have the curly fries.

These curly strips of potato are coated with a seasoned batter containing cayenne pepper, garlic and other wonderful spices. If you get them hot and freshly cooked, they are definitely one of the best fry experiences in the fast food world. Crunchy outside, golden brown in color with a hint of a reddish tone signaling the mild spiciness. Soft and tender inside with good potato taste and just the right amount of chewiness. Forget ketchup or dipping sauce, they don’t need it. They are delicious on their own.

The larger an order size, the longer the curls tend to be, because the bigger fries don’t fit in the smallest container. Not all the fries are curly. I would say on average about 1/3 are semi straight, but the majority offer plenty of twists and turns, and the super curliest (sometimes called pig-tails) are awesome. I’ve had some that stretched 9 to 10 inches long when pulled out from end to end, before snapping in two pieces.

Two quick warnings. First, they are not the type of fries that most people will eat regularly, because the same great seasoning which makes them so special, can also become a bit overpowering if consumed too often. Much like your favorite rich-chocolate cake or candy can loose it’s appeal when eaten frequently. Second, it’s important that you get them fresh from the deep fryer. I don’t know why, but they seem to lose their taste and crispness faster than regular french fries. Arby’s is usually pretty good about not pre-cooking too many at a time, so it’s seldom that you will get an order that’s been sitting around. During rush hour the odds of getting a flat batch does increase, but if you don’t mind being ‘that’ guy, they are always willing to cook you a fresh order while you wait. As I’ve said, it’s not necessary to use ketchup or dipping sauce, and it can actually be detrimental to the flavor. However I’ve had several friends tell me these are great with Arby’s horseradish sauce, so you might give that a try. I’m not a horsey fan (in general) myself so I cannot give an opinion on that.

The Curly Fries from Arby’s are fantastic, and a great break from average french fries. The large order can almost make a meal on it’s own. With a wonderfully seasoned flavor that will please your taste buds, and twisty shapes that are fun to play with, they’re one of the most satisfying potato side orders in the fast food business.

Fast Food Critic Score:4.5 out of 5 stars.

Nutrition Facts - Arby’s, Curly Fries (Large).

Calories - 631
Calories from Fat - 337
Total Fat - 37 grams
Carbs - 73 grams
Saturated Fat - 7 grams
Trans Fat - 1 gram
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 1476 milligrams