I’m probably in the minority of the population who does not eat fast food.  But for the most of you, chances are, have been to a fast food restaurant sometime in the last month.  Zagat has released its 2009 Fast Food/Full Service Chain Restaurant survey results.

McDonald’s takes the top rank for fries and breakfast sandwiches, but the title of best burger belongs to In-N-Out Burger.  Read Zagat press release for more rankings.

Zagat press release:

Zagat (Monday) revealed the results of its latest Fast Food Survey, based on 6,107 respondents who weighed in on 103 chains nationwide. With palates refined by the likes of burgers, fries, shakes, burritos and pizza, the typical surveyor, on average eats at a chain restaurant 11 times per month.
The survey divided fast-food venues into four categories: Large Chains (up to 5,000 U.S. outlets), Mega-Chains (over 5,000), Full-Service Chains (with table service), and Quick-Refreshment Chains (focusing on beverages, frozen treats and the like). Surveyors separately rated each chain’s Food, Facilities, and Service, on Zagat’s signature 30-point scale.
“These chains offer a lot of value to diners, and in the current economic times that’s more important than ever,” said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey. “Given the large number of such chains, even the most avid fast food aficionado may need help in figuring out what’s best.”
And the Winners Are: Living up to its claim that it is “waaaaaay better than fast food,” Wendy’s remained the reigning champion for its food in the Mega-Chain category, while In-N-Out Burger, the west coast burger chain with locations in just four states (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona), received the highest food rating among Large Chains with less than 5,000 outlets. In the Quick Refreshment category, Ben & Jerry’s prevailed even if its food is sold cold. As for Full-Service Chains, the Asian-inspired Bistro P.F. Chang’s comes out on top for food.
Most Popular: When asked to name their overall favorites, surveyors responded with Panera Bread – Large Chains; Subway – Mega-Chains; and P.F. Chang’s – Full-Service Chains.
Refreshing Debut: Among the 28 national brands included in the Quick Refreshment category, such as Krispy Kreme, Ben & Jerry’s, and Cold Stone, Starbucks Coffee is surveyors’ favorite, taking home the Most Popular title. This Seattle-based coffee bean behemoth also wins the hotly contested title of “Best Coffee,” edging out Dunkin’ Donuts.
Value: Value-oriented restaurants offering hearty food just like mom’s (maybe even better), offer a chic and cheap alternative to home – especially during trying economic times. Among Full Service Chains, the winners in order are Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel. Cheesecake Factory also scores for top Salads, Appetizers, and Desserts. Fast Food winners for Best Value are (1) McDonald’s, (2) Wendy’s and (3) In-N-Out Burger.
Better Burger: Regional burger chain In-N-Out Burger takes the cake for Best Burger. Wendy’s ranks no. 2, but still outshines Mega-Chain competitors (and rivals) Burger King and McDonald’s (numbers 3 and 4 respectively).
Talking About McDonald’s: Helping explain its status as the world’s most prolific chain (Over 30,000 total outlets), McDonald’s has once again won the classic battle of Best French Fries, as well as crowns for Best Breakfast Sandwiches, Most Child-Friendly, Best Drive-Thru, and most importantly, these days, Best Value among fast-fooders.
As for Healthy Options: This years’ surveyors award top laurels to Panera Bread (Large Chain), Subway (Mega-Chain), Jamba Juice (Quick Refreshment) and California Pizza Kitchen (Full-Service).
Category Winners:
Fast-Food Chains
Best Fried Chicken: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
Best Grilled Chicken: Chick-fil-A
Best Fish: Long John Silver’s
Best Coffee: Starbucks
Best Shakes: Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops
Best Salads: Panera Bread Co.
Full-Service Chains
Best Steak: Outback Steakhouse
Best Pasta: Olive Garden
Best Breakfast: International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
Best Seafood: Red Lobster
Most Child-Friendly: Chuck E. Cheese’s
Outtakes: Zagat surveyors aren’t shy, witness these outtakes not fit for print:
“Good morning heartburn.”
“They might as well fry the drinks too.”
“A wine list straight from 7-Eleven.”
“If mayonnaise were currency, these guys could fund the bailout.”
“Their cheese never met a cow.”
“Slowest fast food anywhere.”
“Eleven herbs and spices, eight of which are salt.”
“A childhood pleasure, an adult nightmare.”
“Had a bad experience with a sandwich and a rubber glove.”
“The story of my last visit had a big dead bug in the punch line.”
“Bad pizza, loud noise, stupid games and every child under 8 wants to go there.”
“Never an extra charge for that strand of hair in your tuna melt.”

Since I live in the Tri-State Area, I’ll be hitting up the following places once Summer comes along.

Burger Joint
Burger:  Cheeseburger
New York, NY
Le Parker Meridiean, 119 W. 56th St.

Be warned:  This place is tiny, crowded, hard to find and ruthless about burgers.  You’ll have ground beef on a squishy bun, and you’ll like it.  The charred patties taste like they were made on a backyard grill.  So, in a city without yards, everyone keeps coming back for more

Stage Left
Burger: “The Best Cheeseburger in the World”
New Brunswick, NJ
5 Livingston Avenue

The brazenly named burger at this Jersey bar, house in a swank restaurant, draws skeptics but in 17 years has yet to disappoint.  Scraps of pricey steak from the fancy side of the restaurant are mixed into Angus beef patties.  The burgers are charred over a wood grill and topped with aged cheddar. I went to college at Rutgers in New Brunswick and I had never heard of this place.

Royal Tavern
Burger:  Angus Burger
Philadelphia, PA
937 E. Passyunk Avenue

Philly’s famous cheesesteak joints are only blocks away, but many beef lovers flock to this laid-back bar instead.  Regulars have nicknamed the addictive burger “the royal.”  The thick patty comes on a brioche bun with caramelized onions, bacon, gouda, chili mayonnaise and picked hot peppers.

Get the rest of the list here.

Well, let’s start out with the Cheeseburger in a Can.

This product was making the blog waves early last year, and the folks at AVClub.com managed to get their hands on one from Ebay.  A few initial reactions before the taste testers took a bite were: “Oh, that looks so gross. It’s so grey. It’s the greyest meat ever,” “It looks more greenish to me, ” “It’s got this horrible film on it.”

More pertinent than the taste is the texture. The bun is only very slightly soggy on the bottom, and surprisingly fluffy and ordinary otherwise. The cheese is clammy and clumpy. The burger itself is weirdly, unpleasantly smooth, again something like a bad grain-burger. It lacks the chewiness of actual meat; it’s grease-slick, smooth, and eerily regular. Imagine modeling clay lightly dipped in meat drippings. We’re not sure what kind of meat drippings. Horse, maybe?

As you can see, the product looks nothing like the product picture.

And here are some post taste test impressions:

• “No, it really is the meat that’s the problem. Oh God.”
• “When I first tasted it, it didn’t bother me, but it festered.” “Really? I gagged the second it hit my tongue.”
• “It’s pretty much like a dog-food patty.”
• “It’s like this chicken-fried steak that I got once at a disreputable diner, then left in the fridge for three days, then ate in a drunken stupor. No, it’s a little worse than that.”

This product isn’t available in the states, probably for good reason.  If you happen in Germany though, go nuts.

Next up is the Whole Chicken in a Can, yes, you read right.  Man, that picture of the chicken sure does look delicious, and I sure am hungry!

Foodnetworkhumor.com has the complete article and I think the writer has a great description of the product:  “I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t eat anything that looked like forgotten leftovers from the “Neo Being Birthed In The Matrix” scene…”

Serving suggestions are as follows:

Remove chicken from the can.  Be sure to save the delicious broth.  Place chicken in an uncovered pan, baste well with  some of the broth.  Place in a hot oven, 475 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Baste two or three times while heating.  To prepare a delicious gravy, brown two tablespoons of flour, mix in a cup of broth.  Allow to thicken over burner until desired consistency, A delicious chicken soup may be prepared by adding rice, cooked noodles or dumplings to the broth.

Wee!  Lookout world, here I come!  Wait, is that amniotic fluid?

The results after being cooked in the oven.  It looks like the crows and buzzards got to it first.  Was it chicken in a can, or carcass in a can?  Pass.

At the McDonald’s drive-through in Tesco, Puchong, Malaysia, I ordered the McChicken and Double CheeseBurger McValue Meals. At the pick up window, I was surprised by the total of my order. The total came to RM 12.50, which is equivalent to $3.57 USD at the current conversion rate of $1 USD to RM 3.5. For $3.57, I was able to enjoy 2 medium drinks, 2 medium fries, 1 McChicken Sandwich and 1 Double Cheese Burger. *Burp*

Cheers to globalization and the power of higher currency, I’m Lovin’ It!

~ Boon, via Malaysia

Hmmm…how many calories?