Brace yourselves, fast food fans. Things are about to get ugly.
The average American spends a jaw-dropping $1,200 on fast food annually, which shines a light on why people from the United States have a reputation for being unhealthy and overweight. Although some fast food restaurants are popular, most have unfavorable reviews. These are the fast-food chains that are the absolute worst.
1. Burger King
Although this fast food chain accidentally stumbled on one of the catchiest jingles in history, Burger King should cut back on their advertising budget and apply those funds to the quality of their ingredients. Eating at Burger King is a crapshoot in 2024. I have fond memories of eating there often as a kid, but I can’t remember the last time I dined there as an adult. Places like Wendy’s have overtaken Burger King and left them in the dust.
2. Pizza Hut
Nothing was more memorable than heading to Pizza Hut with your family and gorging on their lunch buffet. When I was a child, Pizza Hut seemed like heaven on Earth for a few brief moments. Unfortunately, in 2024, Pizza Hut is a shell of its former self. The fast-food chain is currently lost in a world of pizza restaurants offering the same product: a subpar pizza you can get anywhere else.
3. Taco Bell
Back in the day, Taco Bell used to be the place that made our Taco Tuesday dreams come true. With tacos starting at less than a dollar and with a menu of classic Tex-Mex food, Taco Bell dominated the 90s and 2000s. Unfortunately, rising prices (thanks to inflation) caused the fast-food chain to fall by the wayside in recent years. The value simply isn’t there, and consumers are starting to notice there are better options than Fourth Meal.
4. Subway
I still long for the days of the five-dollar footlong, arguably the best promotion any fast-food chain has introduced. Those days are long gone, and Subway quickly went from one of the best values in all of casual dining to just another sandwich shop fighting for market share. Of course, the controversy surrounding their spokesperson, Jared, didn’t help the general public’s perception of Subway. Many people still equate that creepy fellow with the Subway brand, and it’s suffered because of it.
5. KFC
As more people adjust their dining habits to reflect a healthier lifestyle, it shouldn’t be surprising that a chain like KFC is on this list. For many, ingesting copious amounts of greasy, fried chicken out of a bucket on your way home from work is nauseating. I’m one of the biggest fast food eaters I know, and not even I would lower myself to eating at KFC. Maybe I’m getting old, but I’m not a fan of greasy fingers at any point in my day.
6. Long John Silver’s
If the thought of fast food seafood makes you queasy, you’re not alone. Long John Silver’s has been around since 1969, serving fish and fries, popcorn shrimp, and other assorted seafood items. However, a quick visit to any food-based internet forum yields the same result: An endless stream of dissatisfied customers complaining about the tired, gross items at the chain. There’s room in the market for an upscale, fast-casual seafood restaurant, but sadly, I think Long John Silver’s isn’t long for this world.
7. Dairy Queen
Contrary to popular belief, many Dairy Queen locations serve more than just ice cream. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean the food quality is good (or even passable). Some Dairy Queen locations have a “Grill” attached to their name and boast a ho-hum lineup of uninspired fast-food items. Getting anything that tastes good requires serious luck, resulting in disappointing experiences. DQ should stick to ice cream and stop pretending to be one of the big boys in a crowded market.
8. Five Guys
Don’t get me wrong, Five Guys is delicious (and many internet forums agree with me). However, its customers are near-unanimous in expressing that the chain has become prohibitively expensive in recent years. Fast food should be tasty, cheap, and quick. Unfortunately, Five Guys is one of the priciest options in the fast food world. Diners frequently report sticker shock despite begrudgingly admitting Five Guys’ offerings are pretty yummy.
9. Sonic
Like Burger King, Sonic might be more respected by fast food fans if they repurposed a little of their marketing budget toward their food quality. Sonic’s television commercials have been fantastic for years, but their food leaves much to be desired. To make matters worse, finding a local Sonic can sometimes be challenging. Some states (like Maine) don’t have a single location, while Texas has over 1,000. How does that make sense?
10. Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A has exploded in popularity recently, but being the “cool” fast food chain has drawbacks. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s borderline impossible to eat at Chick-fil-A promptly. There are historically long lines in the drive-thru of nearly every location in the U.S. I love a good chicken sandwich as much as the next guy, but I have my limits. Can fast food be considered “fast” if it takes 30 minutes to order it?
11. McDonald’s
Whether you frequently dine there, McDonald’s is synonymous with fast food worldwide. I eat at McDonald’s more often than I’d like to admit. Still, even a superfan like me has to admit there’s a severe lack of quality control across McDonald’s franchises. It’s impossible to know how your food will taste ahead of time because the same standards don’t apply to each location. I’ve had excellent meals at McDonald’s and the worst meals of my life at McDonald’s. It’s a total roll of the dice.
12. Little Caesars
A fast food restaurant that makes its pizzas ahead of time for easy pickup has no hope of being known for high-quality meals. Little Caesars is an affordable option for pizza lovers on a budget, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Yes, the pizza will be edible, but the chain uses low-quality ingredients that disappoint even the least discerning eaters. It’s a total stay-away in 2024.
13. White Castle
There’s arguably no fast-food chain with a larger cult following than White Castle. Movies have been made about White Castle, for goodness sake. While the chain is incredibly popular, let’s be honest with ourselves: the food is average at best. Sure, those adorable square-shaped burgers are classic examples of a niche restaurant, but can we all stop acting like they’re worthy of all the praise they get? White Castle burgers are flavorless and not worth their premium price.
14. In-N-Out Burger
I lived in southern California for over a decade and enjoyed more than my fair share of In-N-Out sandwiches. While I appreciate the chains’ commitment to fresh ingredients and great customer service at each location, I’m over waiting in a never-ending drive-thru line just to eat a burger. If you think Chick-fil-A has long lines, wait until you experience In-N-Out Burger. On multiple occasions, I’ve waited over an hour just for a Double-Double and animal-style French fries. Now that I live outside of California, I’m glad I’ll never do it again.
15. Jack in the Box
While I believe Jack in the Box is a perfectly adequate fast food experience, they deserve a spot on this list for their absolutely disgusting beef tacos. Imagine tacos comprised of beef that Taco Bell refused to order because it fell below their lax standards of quality; that’s the meat Jack in the Box puts inside taco shells. Their burgers and fries are excellent, but they really dropped the ball (and their standards) by offering these bizarre tacos in the first place.
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