For me it’s Burger King.  I have to go there once every five years just to see if it’s as bad as my last visit.

And that’s a shame.  Back in the 1960’s their flame-broiled burgers were so good we travelled 20 miles to eat there!  “Something happened” circa 1980 and they became absolutely vile.

I agree. I used to love a whopper back in the 70’s. There is a Burger King walking distance from my house in Herndon, but I only eat there as a “last resort” and come away wondering how such a huge franchise could be so lousy.

Here’s a Burger King ad from 1966:

A new ad for comparison:

Looks like the bun used to have no sesame seeds, but other than that everything looks pretty much the same.  Obviously we’re looking at ad pictures, though, so I’m curious what exactly has changed about the burger over the years?  It used to be better, I’m sure, but how, exactly?  

Basically the whopper just isn’t as big as it used to be. The patty is thinner and often overcooked.

Huh?  Am I missing something?  Take a look at both pics again.  Note:  The burger patties in each pic are the exact same thickness.

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Anyway, as far as what is the worst fast food chain, it sort of depends on what criteria you’re using to measure it by.  If you’re talking about worst in terms of food, I’d have to go with either McDonald’s (excluding breakfast, of course, which they REALLY should start serving, as in the WHOLE breakfast menu, at all times of the day and night) or KFC (I  *vastly* prefer Popeye’s and Lee’s).  On the other hand, if you’re going by service, then I’d say the worst is Sonic, Steak-n-Shake, White Castle (and this one really hurts, as back when the local White Castle was at a different location in town [now long since occupied by a Walgreen’s] and operated 24 hours a day, it was staffed by grizzled older women who actually gave a rat’s behind about how they did their jobs, and as a result, the service was pretty dang great; then that location closed down to make way for the aforementioned Walgreen’s, and a new one was built where the Dairy Queen that we used to have – and now don’t – was located; now it is no longer open 24 hours, and it’s staffed primarily by bored, attitude-laden twentysomethings, and as a result, service is largely now ABYSMAL).

Sonic needs to be on there – am a fan of the slushie, but their food is mostly terrible.

I think the biggest problem with the current BK is that they broil the patties and hold them and then when someone orders one they slap the burger together and microwave the whole thing, lettuce, tomato, mayo, bun and all.  At least thats the way my local one does it.

Fresh off the broiler and freshly assembled with no nuking, they might be better…but then again maybe not.

You are right. That’s why when I get a hankering for a Whopper, I walk into the store, order it with the instructions to cook it fresh and to not nuke it. I then eat it in the store while it’s still fresh.  And yes, it tastes very good.

I think the biggest problem with the current BK is that they broil the patties and hold them and then when someone orders one they slap the burger together and microwave the whole thing, lettuce, tomato, mayo, bun and all.  At least thats the way my local one does it.

Fresh off the broiler and freshly assembled with no nuking, they might be better…but then again maybe not.

I’d put Arby’s 1st!!!,,,,,,and Dbarro’s is the LEAST bad of the other garbage chains listed for pizza!!

There’s quite a few more that could be added to the list!

I’d give KFC a pass just because of their Pot Pie and substitute Arby’s in it’s place!

People who use take-out or go through the drive thru are pretty much guaranteeing that when they open up what they got when they get home or back to the office, it’s going to be sub-par.

I think most of the ff restaurants have some pretty good products and some not-so-good. For instance, the Sausage McMuffin at McD’s is excellent.  Occasionally, I’ll get a hankering for a Whopper.  I go into the store, order it the way I want it, and tell them to cook it fresh and not to microwave it.  I then eat it in the store before the wrapper has a chance to turn it into an homogenized mess.  I think the Fresco Chicken Taco at Taco Bell is excellent. 

The bottom line is that for me, it depends on what you order and whether or not you eat in or take out.  It’s like daylight and dark.  Even then, I try not to have my expectations too high.  Afterall, it’s still fast food.

I find little to disagree with on that list, but Church’s Chicken is OK. Not Popeye’s good, but not run away from bad. Burger King on the other hand…..I’d starve before I ate there.

i worked at a burger king in 1980, and back then all of the food was pretty good except for the ‘veal’ parmagiana specialty sandwich….. i’m pretty sure it was canned dog food squished into a rectangle, frozen then breaded and fried on location. everyone on my shift did an un-official taste test, and none of us could identify what kind of meat it was….

I vaguely remember that sandwich – mystery meat.  When I was in university (North Carolina State), they used a similar “patty” that put myself and several hundred of my closest friends in the infirmary with food poisoning…

Burger King restaurants, like Wendy’s are very inconsistent.  Some restaurants have been refreshed and look nice while others have a lovely 1970s “vibe”.  The biggest issue I’ve found with BK isn’t their food as much as their locations which tend to be 3rd rate – probably owing to their position in the Fast Food pecking order.  As a result, the locations may look great but their staff are less than enthused because they’re out of the way and underutilized compared to their competitors.  

For me it’s Burger King.  I have to go there once every five years just to see if it’s as bad as my last visit.

And that’s a shame.  Back in the 1960’s their flame-broiled burgers were so good we travelled 20 miles to eat there!  “Something happened” circa 1980 and they became absolutely vile.

I agree. I used to love a whopper back in the 70’s. There is a Burger King walking distance from my house in Herndon, but I only eat there as a “last resort” and come away wondering how such a huge franchise could be so lousy.

Here’s a Burger King ad from 1966:

A new ad for comparison:

Looks like the bun used to have no sesame seeds, but other than that everything looks pretty much the same.  Obviously we’re looking at ad pictures, though, so I’m curious what exactly has changed about the burger over the years?  It used to be better, I’m sure, but how, exactly?  

Dunkin Donuts. I do not understand the attraction.

i worked at a burger king in 1980, and back then all of the food was pretty good except for the ‘veal’ parmagiana specialty sandwich….. i’m pretty sure it was canned dog food squished into a rectangle, frozen then breaded and fried on location. everyone on my shift did an un-official taste test, and none of us could identify what kind of meat it was….

the wierd thing that i never could understand was that burger king corporate demanded that the frozen fries had to be completely thawed before they could be fried and served to the customer. we would dump the frozen fries into baskets and let them sit for 2-3 hours, or longer… and when fried, the fries that were thawed were terrible, while the ones that we fried right out of the freezer were awesome….

back then, a cooked whopper patty was almost 6″ in diameter. it sometimes hung out over the edge of the bun.

the original fish specialty sandwich was really damned good.. nothing like the current ‘seafood substance’ that they serve now….

Pappa John’s, absolute worst Pizza I’ve ever had!

I wouldn’t say it’s the worst I’ve had, but it’s right up there. Pizza Hut is worse, in my opinion.

I agree with the previous comments that Burger King went south… however, I will stop some mornings if I need something quick, the sausage and cheese muffin and hash browns usually hit the spot. The Whopper is but a shadow of its former self.