Shorted

My local McDonald'sshorted me 14 pieces on my meal. Grrrrrrrrr. No pieces on the large fries.

-Joe the Jipped Foodie

McNopoly!

Yes! I've been waiting for this day for nearly a year! McDonalds Monopoly game starts today! Headed there right now.

To score the most pieces, I'm ordering a 20 piece McNugget, LG Fry and a medium drink. Also, Fillet of Fish, McCafe drink and Big Macs. For breakfast, sausage-egg McMuffins, hashbrowns and oatmeal give pieces too. 10 piece McNuggets only give 2 pieces, where the cheaper-by-capita 20 piece has 4 peals.

For now, I'm off!

Check back in when I get done!

-Joe the Foodie

BK Menu Shakedown!

BK has been coming out with some new items for their menu lately, so here's a quick BK menu shakedown and review!

Here's how the shakedown will work, I'll list a few items from BK's menu that I've tried this month, followed by a short review of them. Here we go!

• BK Mini's (Chicken)
• Bland
• Pickle and Mayo Toppings
• Cheap chicken
• Patties were stuck together
• Have to pull them apart.
• BK Mini's (Hamburger)
• Not Bland
• Pickle and some sort of sauce
• Would've been amazing with cheese!
• Patties were charbroiled angus
• Highly flavorful
• Buns were chewy.
• BK Original Chicken Sandwich
• Is much smaller than normal
• Tasted roughly the same
• Is seriously 3/4 the length of what I'm used to
• I'm still sickened by the shrinkage
• BK Single Stacker
• Tastes just like a double stacker
• Too much bread for the meat
• Too much sauce for the meat
• Double Stacker is almost worth the dollar more.
• BK Breakfast Muffin Sandwich
• Hard and caramelized English Muffin
• Weird Egg
• Sausage was normal
• Good value
• BK Hashbrowns
• Freaking great!
• Always tell them I'll wait for the next batch!
• Sometimes they taste a little soapy if they've been sitting around for a while
• BK Double Crissoin'wich
• Filling
• Perfect Blend of Sausage, Bacon, Egg, Croissant and Cheese
• Customizable!
• High Calorie, High Sodium, But the perfect breakfast!

Well, that's all I have for today. Next entry will be a special investigation on the shrinking of the Original Chicken Sandwich!

- Joe the BK'd out Foodie

I love Quiznos! Coupons are awesome!

I have a wonderful Quiznos coupon for you that I was sent!

Buy a drink, get half off after 5PM!

Get it while it's hot!

Enjoy!

- Joe the Foodie


Edit: Another Coupon I found today!

Ok, I wasnt really in Jail.

I'm headed to BK this morning to destroy their breakfast menu. Expect a review.

I just have to figure out the hours.

Expect something soon!

-Joe the Foodie

I was in Jail...

No Fast Food June: Mission Accomplished

I couldn't bring myself to write any in depth articles during the last half of the month. They would have been very boring. I would rather have no traffic, than traffic who was bored with my month of No Fast Food.

But, I must say, on the Thirtieth day of June in the year of two thousand and eleven, I am proud to say that my mission is accomplished! One month without purchasing fast food is over today.

I will celebrate by going to Pike Place Market in Seattle, and order fast food.

One of my biggest problems with having no fast food this month: It's nearly impossible in this day an age for young (or geriatric?) professionals who are not home, to avoid fast food. Not all of your time is available to eat food cooked. And not all time and effort can be afforded to fix two or three meals in a day to be taken to be eaten.

Fast Food is an excellent and cheaper solution in today's world. The days of "Bring a lunchbox" are mere reminders of Elementary School where mom insisted she pack your lunch.

If I recall, my home-made lunches, despite their "healthy" illusion, were always bland and unsatisfying. You always wanted that Pizza the kid across the table had. Or the Happy Meal the Special Needs kids always got to have from McDonald's.

Damn those children! I wanted a burger and nuggets and fries! Not a lame potato salad sandwich and a Tupperware container full of mixed veggies. Lame. Even the PB&J sandwiches were often undesired and unpalletable once the bread got soggy enough later in the day.

Those traumatizing and unappetizing days of home-packed lunches were a constant reminder of my restraints this month. Sure, I could go out and buy a burger from McDonalds... or I could stay home and fix a large meal with twice to three times the calories, fat, sodium, what have you, that has nowhere near the vitamin and mineral content of the McDonalds Burger.

But I love fast food too much to not eat it.

Do I feel healthier after a month without it? Not really. I don't feel any different really. One can consume fast food and still be healthy. It's the moderation that most typical American's have a problem with.

So; I'm starting today off with a bang! Fast Food!

Either Saturday or Sunday, I'm aiming to start my challenges again for the Value Menu, and hopefully I'll get some good food this time around.

Well, that's it! I'm back from my two week Hiatus.

See you later today!

- Joe the Foodie

Day 15: No Fast Food June

Holy crap, has it been two weeks already?

Alright, I did have someone buy me fast food once, but that was it. I figured in a cheat day just to keep myself sane.

I haven't really had withdrawals. I've been eating fruits and veggies and lean meats at home. I'm pretty fortunate to have the ability to be home for dinner.

Drinking a lot of water/gatorade as well.

We haven't purchased Soda or anything like that for quite some time. I'm pretty proud of myself.

Well, that's it for the update on my no fast food month. Halfway done already.

July I'm totally eating Fast Food though, just very sparse in my consumption.

-Joe the Healthier Foodie

Healthy US Coupons: Quiznos!

Quizno's has had some of the best Sub's I've ever had from a sub place.

Quizno's is a fast growing highly gourmet Sub Sandwich franchise that has had some interesting marketing over the years.

Today, I've gathered a few coupons I'm sure you would appreciate!

It's a large PNG, just be sure to click it and print it. Good until the 10th of July in the US Only!

Also, here's the very first commercial I heard and saw for Quizno's:

 

Sponge Monkeys.... So weird.

-Joe the Sponge Monkey Foodie

UK Fast Food: a MAJOR coupon!

Alright; so through my research today, I have found that the United Kingdom has some extremely boring and sparse fast food locations. Sure sure, you have McDonalds but those of you who are in the Greater London Metropolitan area would probably benefit more than those living in North Ireland, North England and Scotland.

So; here you are for Fankie & Benny's at 20% off of your regular order!

http://www.frankieandbennys.com/offerimages/FB-June-July-Offer-20OFF.pdf

It's a PDF so make sure you have Adobe Acrobat and just print it off and fill it out! The voucher and or coupon (whatever you want to call it) is good until June 30th.

Help me out guys! You international readers have to know of some close-by Fast Food restaurants near you! I may be able to help you out and look for some coupons!

My research skills are strong.

Any requests would be appreciated! Leave them in the comments!

-Joe the BARGAIN HUNTING Foodie

200 Followers! Achievement Unlocked!

Yeaaaahh! 200 followers, and I will celebrate by reviewing some whitecastle frozen sliders later today.

As per requests for fast food coupons in other countries, I need my international viewers to give me suggestions of where you want coupons from. Major chains please for my non USA and Canadian residents.

Thanks!

-Joe the Foodie

Nearing 200 Followers!

193 as of right now!

So here's a bunch of Coupons from Carl's Jr. to print off and take!

I'm not sure if these will work at Hardee's as well. They might. Give them a try!

Click on them to get the larger printable size!

Thanks for your support everyone!

-Joe the POPULAR Foodie

Day 6: No Fast Food June

GOING STRONG BABY! YEEAAHHHHH!!!!

At least, I haven't purchased any fast food this month. I did eat myself a small (Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese) burger from McDonald's this afternoon. But that was because someone else bought it for me. Hey, they offered. It would've been rude to not take their offer. :P

But on that note; I swam 30 laps at the pool, and had a splash war that lasted about an hour with my girlfriend and nephew. My triceps are in paaaiiiinnn!

In a few days I get my waterproof phone the Casio G'Z'One Brigade, pictured left. They're indestructible devices built to Milspec. Just gotta get myself some waterproof headphones and I'll chill in the pool while all the kiddies splash around and listen to some music.

Unfortunately, I'm making an appointment to go to the doctor to see about a hernia I have. So if they tell me I need surgery, I won't be able to do much activity this summer.

But that means, I get to spend more time with you guys writing about the intricacies of Fast Food!

Also, I didn't know that Burger King was known as "Hungry Jack's" in Australia! How quaint!

Do you still have the King as the mascot, or some guy named "Jack"?

Comment, let me know!

-Joe the Aquatic Foodie

Fast Food Mascots: Big Three

Thought I should update with a sneak peek at my tribute to my three favorite big chains! Jack in the Box, Burger King and McDonalds.

Giving these guys a bit of a twist in artwork this time around! Added some muscle to the guys.

Also, Ronalds makeup is kind of scary if you think about it. Sharp pointed mascara beneath his eyes is actually sort of intimidating.

-Joe the Foodie

Day 4: No Fast Food June

Over half a week and I've done quite well so far! Absolutely no fast food. And I mean NONE.

I did have a sub sandwich on the 31st from Subway, but I made sure it was super healthy. My girlfriend ended up getting the Veggie Sub while I got the Roasted Chicken Ranch sub.

We ordered a combo but that was just fine... I didn't eat my chips, but willfully downed the sub.

My chicken wasn't cooked thoroughly and was a little rubbery in the center. I got a receipt just in case I got food poisoning again.

I did leave a complaint on their website so hopefully subway gets back to me with their opinion. I'll post the results if and when they do.

Alright, today I am going to the pool. I've got a pinched nerve in my back and the doc said a swim might help to alleviate my pain.

In the meantime, I've got the 5 computers in my house running BitCoin... I've got a mini-farm going. It's pretty nice. I have nearly 10GHz, 14 Cores, 3 GPU's being thrown at this thing. But that's not for this blog.

My next article will feature some Fast Food related Illustrations I've been working on. I don't know if it will be today, but hopefully soon!


I'm off to the pool. Today's gonna be warm in Seattle so I'm pretty ecstatic!


-Joe the Hopefully I don't get Sunburned Foodie

P.S.: July I'm totally eating fast food to drive more content for the blog. Hopefully I will be able to make a trip up to Five Guys and give a good review of their place.

Slider King? Krystal versus Whitecastle

Whitecastle Top, Krystal Bottom.

Alright, seriously. These look the exact, effing same. Matter of fact, the taste is nearly identical from having tried both.

Krystal and White Castle have claimed their respective territories. Krystal dominating the Southern States like a good Dixie General; and White Castle winning the popular Yankee Northern States.

The two however, meet up on the battlegrounds of Tennessee and Kentucky.

The only sad part is, my home is missing out on Fresh Sliders. There aren't any White Castle or Krystal locations on the West Coast. Sure, White Castle was extremely smart when they decided they could market these to places where their franchise locations haven't planted foundations; and mass produce frozen sliders.

I can buy these scrumptious, flavorful and mouth watering creations anywhere in the continental US. And I can even have them shipped, cold to my door from Amazon. Crazy isn't it?

If you haven't tried these Sliders, and don't live near a White Castle or Krystal, please take a minute and buy some of these burgers from the right. I promise you, that you will not be disappointed.

If only Krystal would get on the ball and get their sliders frozen and shipped to me. I would do a proper comparison.

Trivia!: They call them sliders due to the bowel movements that happen after consuming them. Gross, eh?

With that being said; I will purchase and consume the White Castle Frozen Sliders this afternoon. Hopefully, these won't break my "No Fast Food June" streak.

Your opinions?

-Joe the Foodie

Burger King: Free Soft Drink w/ Whopper purchase

Hey everyone! New promo from BK! Free soft drink when you buy an original whopper!

Make sure you ask for the promo, or else they wont offer it to you.

This is a helluva deal for my USA people! Grab it while you can!

-Joe the Foodie

Month Without Fast Food: Redeux (I don't speak French)

I guess I should revisit this.

June is starting out in less than two days. I tried last week and failed two days ago. That Monster Burger from Carls Jr. was amazing, I must say.

So, tonight after eating my George Foreman cooked porkchops I think to myself how hard it's going to be not to enjoy a nice juicy burger or chicken sandwich while I'm out and about.

I've done stints where I haven't purchased fast food for weeks at a time. More money issue than anything else. So I ended up saving by eating at home or just waiting until I got home to eat.

Unfortunately, I saw my body weight go up from those instances because of the starvation mode activation. I drowned myself in water to keep my hunger down while in college. It worked somewhat, but wasn't really the same. Eventually I would break down and eat some fast food.

But I'm doing this more for my health than money at the current moment. I know spending $1 on a burger seems cheap. But that $1 would get me a bag of rice with spices and whatnot. Much more filling and healthy than a burger.

I find myself snacking on these as well. High in protein and they taste amazing! Low in fat and sugar. I could eat a whole can if I didn't watch myself. You should try them if you don't have peanut alergies.

With that being said, On June 1st, 2011; I will hold myself steadfast in that I will not be purchasing any more fast food until July 1st.

Take note of that sentence. Yeah. You got that right. I left a loophole. If someone else buys me fast food, I'll totally eat. And I'll also do a review.

I intended on doing a review of that Monster Burger incarnation (Really a Double Six Dollar burger with Mayonnaise, Bacon and Cheese only). That thing was amazing. I must say.

I just wish it wasn't such a hassle to order the damn thing like they have it at Hardee's back home. And it's pretty expensive at $11. Well worth it though.

On top of all of that, I also want to review some civilian MRE's. Those are technically fast food since it's freeze dried and whatnot. But I don't consider them to violate my No-Fast-Food Month policy.

You guys should order these anyways. They're delicious and have an excellent shelf life.

:D

Well, that's all for now. Have fun!

-Joe the Foodie

Still sick; culprit known.

Bad Chinese food. Had leftovers the other night, and last night. I'm in pretty bad shape today. I had hoped I would get in one more test of the Dollar Menu Challenge before tomorrow, but that doesn't look like its going to happen.

With that being said: Do not eat at Golden Dragon 2(the sequel?) in Yelm, WA. Food poisoning sucks.

-Joe the sickly green Foodie

Investing in McDonalds?

I had always thought about putting money to McDonald's stocks. You'll see why when you take a look below:

Flash Player 9 or higher is required to view the chart
Click here to download Flash Player now

View the full MCD chart at Wikinvest

Stocks go up. :D

Fast Food Games? Fast food Games.

Alright, every single individual I have probably met in my life, has a social networking homepage. My girlfriend, my neighbors, my brothers, my mom and even my dad has one.

I have to be really careful about what I type on my Facebook, or else I end up getting backlash from my loved ones. I know this from experience.

However, in today's entry, (and why it relates to Facebook), is a game called Diner Dash from Big Fish Games.

Diner Dash is a fast-paced, Fast Food type of game that puts you in the shoes of a server! Start out small, working tables and making orders to go. Serve them up and make your customers happy! Your business will grow the happier you become!

This game is akin to Farmville, in the fact that it's simple graphics and low-learning curve gameplay make it extremely addicting.

Please! Download the game! I implore you! It's amazingly fun.

And the character you play as is getting added to my Cartoon Crush list! Yes, I'm a total nerd!

They have a free trial on there as well for an hour of full gameplay. So if you like the game, and you want more, you can download it!

There are sequels to the game as well, adding different elements to the gameplay and showcasing Big Fish Games amazing style!

Click on the pics to go to their game page! Seriously guys! Play it! It's amazing!

-Joe the Obsessed with Diner Dash Foodie


*this posting was originally just going to review the game, but the folks at Big Fish Games gave me affiliate status, so this may end up being sponsored by Big Fish Games when I make some revenue off of them. :D

Failure: Succumbing to Temptation

"Addict!" My girlfriend teases me, as I sink my teeth into a juicy burger from Carl's Jr. Two days, and I failed.
Maybe in part because I am addicted to the flavorful sustinence that is, fast food.
Maybe its my hypoglycemia.
Perhaps it was the emergency vet run I had to make when my dog stopped breathing and nearly suffocated to death. Stress makes me hungry and seek comfort. Fast Food is an easy way to get my comfort. The charred and cheesy goodness of a Six Dollar burger was appealing. But seeing as how I didn't intend on starting until June... maybe this wasn't a failure after all.

-Joe the Foodie

Day 2: No Fast Food

Auuugggggghhhhh!!!! I swear one of those burgers I ate the other day was undercooked or something. My stomach is still killing me!

I took some Imodium just in case. Hopefully that solidifies me and eliminates any incontinence.

On a brighter note; Today is supposed to be filled with Thunder Storms and pouring rain! I won't be able to go outside and work out!

weather.com for 98597
Cloudy with showers. Thunder possible. High 56F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

How is that supposed to be bright, you ask? Well, I'm dusting off my old hard drive that has my P90X videos. I was thinking about some good old fashion muscle confusion training today. I mean, P90X worked out great for me for 90 days. But nothing could melt off 100+lbs that I needed to lose. But P90X did work. Take a look at my 30-day GIF. It's kinda gross, sorry. THIS WAS FROM OVER A YEAR AGO. Click to view the Animation.

Yeah. But I lost even more since then. See my other entry A new project! for my current body state.

Weighed myself today. 240 even. I've been downing a ton of water the past few days, in lieu of my obvious dehydration from being sick.

In other news, got my 100th follower. I have no idea what to do for them. I said it would be something special. I'll make a video or something! But after I get done being sick of course. I'm in no state to be in front of a camera at the moment.

Ate well this morning. Had fruits, a bagel with some low fat, low calorie creme cheese, and some lean sausage. Mmm. I'm surprisingly full. Took my multivitamins and drank a protein shake on top of it. All of that came out to be just under 800 Calories. I'll snack throughout the rest of the day on celery and carrots. Maybe some broccoli.

Chef Salad for dinner tonight. Of course, tons of water throughout the day.

No biking or anything today. Wish I had the time. Maybe I'll put on a rain jacket and run around the house.

-------------------

Now that that is out of the way; I'll be adding another writer to my blog! My girlfriend Rizzo will be a new addition. Check out her blog at The Rampant Reader !

We will be writing side-by-side. I eventually will add yet another person to my blog, when they're ready to write. I won't quite reveal them yet, but they eat more fast food than I do, and yet look like a twig! Damn them and their fast metabolism!

Anyways, I have a cat in heat that won't quit bothering me, so I'll have to end this entry and go shove her in the kennel. Hormonal cat... Meh.

-Joe the Annoyed Foodie

Oh no!

Well, I'm being forced to go out to each Chinese with the parents tonight.

Is this cheating on my "No Fast Food for a month" commitment?

Are Sit-Down on-a-plate Restaurants considered Fast Food?

I would hate to destroy my one-month of no fast food within the first few hours!

Darn these enablers!

-Joe the Cheating Foodie

Redesign under way!

Changes already under way! Here's the new logo for the blog. Applied a new header as well. Tell me what you think!

Expect more changes throughout the day. Nothing is permanent yet... sans the logo. Damn that was hard to make too! Illustrator was being a butt today.

-Joe the Arteest Foodie

Blog Redesign Coming!

I've been messing with Photoshop to give this blog a proper theme. I'm kind of tired of the stock crap. Going to customize this puppy by the end of the day today!

Doing some illustration to go along with it. Facial expressions are hard to do, when you're drawing yourself at least. When I'm drawing my other characters, I have no issue.

Also making a Fast Fude blog logo/coin/thingy.

Might have to toss my artwork into illustrator and give it some awesome looking strokes.

Color Scheme will be similar to most Fast Food Restaurants of Red and Golden yellow/orange. Notice most major fast food restaurants use this? There's a reason why.

The colors gold, yellow and orange we relate to the color of fried foods such as Potatoes and fried breaded items. The color of buns and grain oriented foodstuffs are also a golden color. Thus, again, stimulating our hunger.

Red, we associate with Ketchups and other tomato products, also giving it another color scheme we see with most restaurants.

I'm salivating just thinking about the color schemes! Jeez.

Sticking with my no fast food though.

Adding more widgets too. It will be tastefully done unlike some clusterfuck blogs I've frequented.

By the end of the day, expect a new layout!

-Joe the Hipster Graphic Designer Foodie

Day 1: No Fast Food

Ugh... dysentery. Fast food... moves quickly through your system.

So it finally caught up to me. A week of fast food has kicked my ass. Spent my waking hours on the john. I'm glad I am not consuming any more fast food for a while. Also gave Soda a kick. Coffee and teas are alright though. They will be my liquid treat.

I did some cardio today while we had some sun. My injured knee was on fire. It cooled down after I rested for a few minutes.

Going back out after dinner to do some tire lifting. My brother has some spare tires that are pretty hefty. They will make for good exercise tools.

Hopefully my bowels don't give me any more trouble today.

100th follower gets something special. The 500th follower gets something better! Tell your friends to subscribe!

-Joe the poopy Foodie

Nearing 100 followers!

Wow! The past week has been great! I'm nearing 100 followers! I was planning on getting some sort of prize for the 100th follower like a giftcard to McDonald's or something like that.

My budget is limited at the moment. I'm using revenue from the blog to purchase the prize so I'm willing to have some cushion room of $10-15.

What should I do? Leave me a comment and let me know! I may end up doing it for my 500th follower.

Some Coupons!

Alright, I've scoured the web for some fast food coupons for you readers on a budget! All coupons I link you to are Manufacturer coupons, and not fakes or counterfeits.

Jack in the Box

Got this puppy from Jackinthebox.com --- Voted in a "Is it Cheesy or Not" poll and they offered this coupon for printing. Right click, save, and print off. Bring it to your local Jack in the Box restaurant for savings!

I'll have more later today! I'm looking all around for more discounts for everyone!

-Joe the (Cheapo) Foodie

Response from McDonalds Corporate!

When I first started my blog and did my comparison, I praised McDonald's for their consistency and quality. Their McDouble was excellent.

Well, as someone who has been very critical of McDonald's locations in the past, I often have found myself calling the restaurant or getting in touch with corporate whenever my meals have been of lower standard than I hold any restaurant to.

With that being said, I contacted McDonald's corporate and gave them my compliments over their rival, Burger King. Even linked them to my blog.

Yesterday, I got a response back from them!

Here's the transcript:


You wrote-

I visited your restaurant today and made a full review of your Dollar Menu: McDouble. I must say I was pleased with the overall sandwich in Value, Taste and Quality. I did have to reassemble the burger, and it was extremely saturated with ketchup. You can read the full review here: http://fastfude.blogspot.com along with seeing how well you stacked up against the local Burger King. I praise McDonalds for being consistent! Great job! Please share the link with the manager and crew! Looking forward to doing more business with this location!

----------------------------------------------

Message from McDonald's USA-

Hello Joseph:

Thank you for contacting McDonald's. We always enjoy hearing from our valued customers, and we're delighted to know you like our McDouble.

Be assured that at McDonald's, we continually review our menu to ensure that we serve the products that our customers will enjoy most. As appropriate, our Menu Management team makes changes or enhancements to our menu. We strive to satisfy the tastes of the nearly 50 million people we serve each day.

Since it's ultimately our customers who decide what products are offered at McDonald's, your comments are especially important to us. I've shared them with our Menu Management team for their ongoing evaluation of our menu.

Again, thank you for contacting McDonald's. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.

Samantha
McDonald's Customer Response Center

So there you have it! I'm glad they sent me a somewhat customized e-mail. Despite that it's still generic in a way.

Thanks for responding, McD's! I hope to see some McDonald's referrers in my traffic stats soon! If not, then I'll cry.

-Joe the (I'll totally take a sponsorship from McDonald's) Foodie

/sellout

A new project!

Hello readers. This is a Fast Food blog. Now, I'm super dedicated and will eat fast food just so this blog has some actual-ahem-fluff to it.

I'm fat. I'm not morbidly obese. But I'm a fat guy with a healthy layer of chub. Fast Food in itself is healthy in moderation. But I've had so much fast food this week in preparation for the blog. And who knows how much asbestos is in my french fries? I'm afraid my mesothelioma risk has skyrocketed or something. My breathing has become labored! Naw, I'm kidding. It's pretty safe.

I'm pretty excited about the new project after my Dollar Menu Challenge of the previous entries. This new project will be a month of Abstaining from Fast Food. My fat self will take a picture before this month, likely the day before the month.

Hell, why not do it now?

 

That's me. I'm not "out of shape" or anything. I work out. But I'm still chunktastic. I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too much about it because I used to look like this a year ago:

That was 310+lbs. I was scared to weigh myself. But over 70lbs later, you can see the difference.

In high school, I used to be cut, built. I was active. I taught martial arts, was aiming to go into the Army and was the Drill Team instructor for my ROTC group. I swam on the side and rode bikes like crazy. This is what I used to look like in High School:

As you can see, I was thinner. Had a less chubby face and my muscles were more defined. Over the years, after stopping Martial Arts training, high school Gym, and a motorcycle injury that severely inhibited my mobility, I began to atrophy and gain fat for a few years.

Now, I still am struggling to get back to what I was doing. So, for a whole month, I'm going to carefully watch my diet, and abstain from fast food. I will still have news of fast food restaurants and have a couple new additions to my blog team! I will give updates on my progress for a week. Take pictures as well. I will also give in to showing you guys my workout schedule and training regiment.

I won't be using expensive gyms or a Nautilus machine or anything. I'll be working out and eating healthy with stuff I have here at my house. I am going to succeed, but I can't do it without your support and even some advice!

Thanks everyone!

-Joe the Gonna-be-a-buff-guy Foodie

:P

A poll of sorts!

Before I hit the hay... because I'm drained from today, I have to ask my viewers a needed question...

What American Fast Food chain is the absolute worst in your opinion?
KFC
Taco Bell
Carl's Jr./Hardees
Jack in the Box
Burger King
Subway
Quiznos
Etc...?

Leave a comment in my blog telling me what you think is the worst? Don't see one listed? Write it in the comments.

The purpose of this is to see the top 2 worst fast food chains, and give them a chance at redemption. I will brave a meal at the restaurant and my bowels safety for you!

Note, they have to be a national chain, and have a location in the Seattle, WA area.

Sorry this isn't written the best, I'm on my tablet and typing while laying on your back is painstaking.

Thanks dudes and dudettes!

-Joe the Zzzzzzzzz-foodie-zzzzzz

Dollar Menu Challenge: The Nuggets

After yesterdays debacle... citing extreme confusion with the new menu arrangement at Burger King; I had hoped BK would redeem themselves.

In today's test, I put head-to-head the 4 Piece McNuggets versus the 4 Piece BK Chicken Tenders.

BK, sometime earlier this year, changed their recipe and shaping for the Chicken Tenders. Where they used to be in cute little 3-pronged crown shapes, crossed with simulated "grill" marks; they now take on a more traditional nugget shape akin to how McDonalds shape their nuggets.

I'm sure this was to move away from the blatant artificial look and feel of the nuggets, and give it a more natural "fillet" look. This would somehow increase buyer potential who shy away from processed food. Well, it's still processed food, unfortunately. But we never go to a fast food restaurant for day-fresh garden pickings or skillful butchers choice cuts of meat.

My first pain, is that in this instance, McDonalds is more expensive than Burger King for the final retail cost of the McNuggets. But both end up having the same caloric content.

McDs McNuggets-------------BK Tenders

$1.29+tax                                $1.00+tax

190kCal                                   190kCal

10g Protein                             10g Protein

12g Fat                                     11g Fat

11g Carbs                                 10g Carbs

400mg Sodium                       310mg Sodium

With that being said, the clear winner, by a very slim margin, is Burger King. 1 gram less fat, 1 gram less carbs, and 90mg less sodium. Must be the lack of breading on the BK Tenders, which I'll get to in a minute. BK also gets the Value point as well! 2-0.

First off, the packaging. McDonalds has an amazing packaging experience with their signature flip-top box. On the bottom, they even include Nutritional facts, an excellent move after the documentary by Morgan Spurlock; "Super Size Me", where he displayed McDonalds didn't have their locations keep nutritional information in stock and readily available. Most boxed and bagged items at McDonalds, now keeps at least minimal nutritional information on their packaging, if not blatantly putting all information on there, as you can see on the box in the image above.

Burger King, has a more Classic and Retro approach; and package it in a fry bag. This is the same bag for their small fry, so no nutritional information is given, as would provide a conflict of interest, for the bag at least.

McD's wins the packaging round, no brainer. We're 2-1 now, in favor of BK.

 

You can see the similar design that BK (right) took. Very similar shape now, instead of the old crown shape. But you can also see that McD's McNugget (Left) is bulkier. This is due to the thick and crunchy breading on the outside of the nugget.

As to differ the results, I took a bite out of BK's Tender first. Oh my god. It's wonderful! Thank you BK! The breading was crunchy, but not way too crunchy. It had a nice texture, and flavor to boot! It was unfortunately a little cold, due to the open top of the Fry Bag. But that's forgivable as I did take a while to get back home with these things.

 Amazing, BK! You did well today! And for the value, it's awesome! Might be a 3-1 before you know it!

But I had to try those oh-so-flavorful McNuggets. First bite, HOT! The nuggets were still as hot as when I got them! They tasted like the same McNuggets I ate when I was 4 years old and had them for the first time. Again, +1 for consistency on McDonalds part. Excellent. The breading was thick, much crunchier than BK's, and was just generally excellent. Overall, McDonalds won the Taste Test. So now, we're 2-2.

These both came with Sauce! McDonalds has now changed over from their usual large "Honey Mustard" packaging, to a smaller "Hot Mustard" packaging. This significantly changed the flavor of the McDonalds honey mustard, so that it was extremely indistinguishable from the BK honey mustard.

I couldn't give an accurate test on either of these, since they both tasted incredible! A tie.

Both ended up with a match in quality as well.

One last test I did was strip the breading completely off of the nuggets.

Left is McD's, right is BK. I had to take a little more chicken off of the BK's top and bottom to get the thin breading off. I didn't have much flake to work with like the McNugget. Both pieces of chicken appear to be bleached white meat. I say this because of the fact that even real fillets of white meat, browns much more during frying. It's processed. Both are, undoubtedly. The chicken was roughly the same size and weight. McDonalds has visibly more spices, as the bits of pepper are infused with the chicken.

I decided to eat each one plainly. The BK Nugget, without it's external breading and spices, tasted very plain and generic. The McDonalds nugget was very flavorful and savory, even without the breading. This wasn't a test, so no points are awarded to either. Just a comparison.

So we have a tie! Both ended up having their high points, low points, and incomparable points. Good job BK! Now you just have to make up for your mess with the Double cheeseburger.

-Joe the (Stuffed) Foodie

:D

It's On baby! (Dollar Menu Challenge: The Nuggets)

Next Article is under way. I fortunately had enough time to get something to eat before the Cable guy got here.

Expect the next article in about 30 minutes while I set it up!

While you're waiting, I have to commend Burger King! They now offer their BK Single Stacker, a delectable beefy and bacony goodness, for $1! [http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/category1/menu-item176/index.html]

I am likely to revisit the test in the first article, after I whittle down the current exams!

New post soon!

Delay in my next article!

My next article won't be pushed out until later this afternoon. I have the Cable guy coming over to fix my HD box so I couldn't hop out to the McDonalds or Burger King.

Hoping it doesn't take him too long! I'm starving!

On that note; here's a funny and creepily mesmerizing video of Ronald McDonald!

Just to prove McDonalds also screws up!

Look at this Big Mac from last year! When I opened the box I was pleasently surprised to see the bun had some sort of cartography on it! Wow! Bun Art!

McDonalds immediately gave me a new Big Mac. Cudo's to them for fixing only a minor mistake. But funny none-the-less.

Dollar Menu Challenge: The Double (...or not)

The dollar menu... the wetnurse of the college student world! Those of use on a budget often find solace in it. McDonalds offered the McDouble, and the world melted in it's hands. A good, filling and tasty treat for the low price of $1.

Last year, Burger King introduced it's Buck Double. A quarter pound monster that overshadowed the McDouble by a long shot. It tasted of charbroil and was loaded with cheese and a sesame seed bun. That turned into a regular Double Cheeseburger once the Buck Double promo ended sometime this spring. Thus, the extra slice of cheese on the Double Cheese brought the price up to $1.49. Still, a contender.

I went into this test with high hopes for Burger King, as I would finally eat both burgers side by side. Something I haven't ever done.

I must say, I came out of this thou thoroughly disappointed.

McDonalds McDouble VS Burger King Buck Double (Er... Double Cheeseburger... I mean; the Cheeseburger)

Sent my lady out to get the burgers while I prepared my blog for this article...


She returns with the scrumptious food. I hadn't eaten since early this morning, so I was hankering to dig in.

But the words from my girlfriend were grave....

"Burger King didn't have a double cheeseburger for less than $2.00."

She settled for a $0.99 Cheeseburger. BLASPHEMY!

I was worried I wouldn't be able to do this test properly

But I figured, why not do a "what you get for the price" comparison.

Obviously, Burger King would be the loser in this aspect. A giant failure in value-for-the-money. They were doing so well with their Buck Doubles. And it hurt when they added an extra slice of cheese. Now, they are charging $2 for a Double Cheeseburger! Gouging I say!

But, I wouldn't judge them solely on the value for the money... aesthetics, taste and quality would surely speak volumes about the King! They always have tasted better than McDonalds by far!

First up: Aesthetics. This includes everything from general appearance of the food; build and packing.



Okay. Honestly? McDonalds... People drive when they eat nowadays. You expect me to open this burger and have ketchup ooze out like the floodgates just opened in Louisiana?! I am extremely upset that you feel the need to make your soggy creation any soggier with a gallon of ketchup. Your bun looks like it has been dehydrated several times over. A wrinkled mess. And, I am demanding you put a disclaimer on your burgers from here on out that says "SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED". I had to put the bun and top patty back on.

Burger King; your aesthetics are amazing. Even your dinky little Cheeseburger looks better and more filling than the McDouble. It was put together nicely as well! Cheese and Patty are clearly visible. So, this round goes to Burger King's expensive cheeseburger.

I now move on to taste! The best part. I finally get to satiate my palate with these burgers!

As I sink my teeth into the McDouble, I'm reminded of why I enjoy them! The onion, cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickles make a great combination of flavors. My mouth salivated greatly as I chewed. I even forgive the sogginess of the bun and the ketchup running down my chin. Three bites in, and I was already halfway done. I quickly set the burger down as to not pollute my taste buds for the upcoming Burger King flavorfest.



I was feeling perturbed still about the fact my long-awaited Double Cheeseburger from Burger King was non-existent for $1.00.

With that being said, I dug into the Cheeseburger. First bite: All Pickle. The pickle was thicker and more noticeable than the burger patty. What the heck? I gave it a few more bites before deciding to put it down. I can't believe I struggled to get half-way to this tiny thing. Sure, it had a hint of charbroil, and the sesame seed bun gave it an interesting texture. It wasn't soggy at all. The bun was toasted perfectly. But just the general lack of meaty substance left me unsatisfied.


On to quality now. Quality is a conglomeration of Value, Aesthetics and Taste. I finished off the McDouble and enjoyed the heck out of it. The flavor was what I expected of McDonalds. The aesthetics have been pretty consistent of McD's. Also; the value has been UNCHANGED for a few years now; and I am fairly happy with it. As are millions of other people who enjoy hamburgers to this day.

Burger King; I went in for a Buck Double. Got diverted to a more expensive and much cheesier Double Cheeseburger. Then was denied even this when your price increased and your one Cheeseburger became the new replacement. How dare you betray me like this! Betray your loyal customers! I even gave you a second chance, hoping the flavor of your burger would be much better than the McDouble. You would have won, if I could have tasted your tiny and thin burger amid your Hockey Puck of a pickle.

Take a look at the size of the patty to the bun. The ratio is way off kilter. I mean, there's even more cheese than burger. It's almost disgusting.

But I do give you props for having a better looking burger that I didn't have to immediately reassemble or put on a poncho to eat. Good job.

But that doesn't make up for the fact I couldn't justify finishing your burger. My baby chihuahua would have to suffer through it.

Clearly; the winner is the McDouble. It's fortitude and unchanging demeanor in the value, taste and quality leave me knowing I can expect the same thing from any McDonald's location. They will continue to receive my business and hopefully, will receive yours too.

Burger King; I hope you learn your lesson. Don't try robbing your customers by increasing your prices 200%. I'm ashamed to have been rooting for you this whole time. Burger King, our relationship is on ice. You better be on your P's and Q's for the next round!

Next article will showcase the Chicken Nuggets from both restaurants. I'll even add a nutritional comparison test to the next one, like I had planned for this week. However, due to an unforeseen back stabbing by Burger King, I had to cancel that test.

Thanks for reading!

-Joe the (Ticked Off) Foodie

I wish it was here!

In-n-Out burger is an elusive chain that has not made its way to Washington State yet. Its presence is heavy in California but it neglects its Northwestern neighbor. We have places like Five Guys and Sonics. So why not a good ol' In-n-Out? Get with the program!

So what? My 3am blog quality is lacking. Better stuff coming after the..... zzzzzzzzzz

-Joe the tired Foodie

I know I spelled it with an "and". Whoops.

Grand Opening!!!

Hey all you fast food lovers, haters and whatnot! This is a blog I have been wanting to start for years, yet have not gotten around to doing so. Hoorah for procrastination! However, I am finally glad to sit down and get writing on this.

Fast Fude will be home to reviews of American fast food. I will make comparisons between notable big hitters like McDonalds, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Wendy's, Sonics, etc... as well as taking a gander at their processes, menu, upcoming promotions, quality, service and other stats and figures for my more corporate minded followers.

My first series of reviews will be based around the "Big Two" value menus; McDonalds and Burger King. I will put their items head-to-head over the next couple of weeks.

Expect my first full article later today! See you soon!

-Joe the Fast Foodie