Yes, they tell you that fast food is bad. But sometimes, you just can’t get that avocado toast on a plastic-free plate with your favorite decaf mocha pumpkin spice vanilla soy latte. Also, sometimes you can’t afford one.
Despite its reputation, fast food is some of the easiest, highest-calorie-per-dollar food you can find on the road. And if you find yourself in the bind, it’s better to know what you’re getting.
- Do NOT eat at McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Arby’s, and DQ. KFC is right out. Thou shall not eat at Subway or Taco Bell. Popeyes should be avoided.
- Wawa is one of the best places to get fresh food on the East Coast. Seriously, Wawa is life. In addition to being one of the best gas stations, some Wawas are equipped with showers, so you can clean up while you’re at it. The only disadvantage of Wawa is that there is no indoor seating.
- Mike’s Jersey Subs are okay. They usually will not give you food poisoning, but they’re forgettable sandwiches.
- Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, and Hardee’s are okay if you have no other choices. Of these, Zaxby’s is the best, and Chick-fil-A is a close second.
- Larry’s Giant Subs are surprisingly good. I wish there were more of them. Make sure to eat them fresh; the flavor gets lost pretty quickly.
- Five Guys, Jimmy Jones, In-n-Out, Shake Shack — pretty much the same greasy food. Don’t bring your high expectations, and you won’t be disappointed. Personally, I like Five Guys slightly better, but there’s not enough difference to make a difference.
- Skyline Chilli — do them if you’re trying to gain that fat extra fast and you have set your sights on early diabetes. Your call.
- Firehouse Subs are some of the best subs you can find. Additionally, they have both sweet and unsweetened tea. The life hack is that you can make your tea just how you like it by combining the two. Free refills.
- Panera Bread — if you feel like you need a three-course dinner but you’re in a hurry and on a budget. There’s a certain level of quality and very little variety between different places, so your butternut squash will always taste the same from Florida to Arizona.
- A lot of supermarkets have deli sections, such as Wegmans or Publix. In fact, Florida has a whole religious cult around PubSub (sandwiches made in Publix). They’re mostly peaceful people unless you talk shit about PubSub. So the first rule of PubSub cult is that you don’t talk shit about PubSub. There are no other rules.
- Jack’s — if you’re in the South and you want McDonalds but you’ve already read #1 on this list — this is your place. Jack’s burgers are tasty, juicy, and — as all things in South, served with iced tea. If you have a choice — there is no choice.
This is by no means a complete list. As I travel and explore more, I will add stuff to it. Do you want me to visit something specific? Buy me a sandwich :)
