We've been told for decades that fast food is bad for us despite its' taste. Those burgers and nuggets were addictive as were those fries. Somehow these indulgences are as lacking in flavor as they are in nutrition nowadays.
I discovered this in the last two days. I was rerouted more or less to the Jersey shore after trying to go Christmas shopping in Clark, New Jersey. I didn't mind the detour. I love hanging out at the Raritan Bay, enjoying the calm waters and briny sea aroma. I knew I'd have to stop and eat somewhere along the road because I hand't eaten since mid morning. I knew where to go. The Jon Bon Jovi stop on the Garden State Parkway always had a good choice of fast food. I knew I had wanted to go to Nathan's if it was still there. It was!!! I looked forward to their hot dog and crispy fries. I bought them along with a diet Coke. The diet Coke was the only good thing. The hot dog was so burnt and salty that I couldn't finish eating it . Nathan's fries were known for their crunchy outsides and the perfect taste of potatoes and salt. These were downright horrible. They were overcooked with a charred aftertaste and a strangely mushy and damp inside. These too went right into the garbage. Luckily they didn't disturb my stomach.
Then today i had lunch at one of my local McDonald's near me in Garfield NJ.I had always got a decent burger there (to me the best McDonald's is down in Hazlet on Route Thirty-Six). Tired of eating red meat I thought I'd get the chicken nuggets. Bad idea. They were over crusted and the flavor only improved when I peeled off the coating. Even the accompanying sauces couldn't help. At least the fries were decent, being thin and crunchy. I've got to admit.I was not used to two days of stupendously bad fast food. I don' know if it's the staff overcooking or just not caring how the food turns out. Maybe fried fast food is becoming a thing of the past as chains like Jersey Mike's offers freshly made sandwiches that require little frying - save for their bacon. it could also be that newer burger chains like Shake Shack and Habit Burger are offering better made hamburgers that taste like they came off the back yard grill. Also many people are embracing vegetarianism and eating Beyond Burgers and Impossible Meats. There probably will be vegan chains that will eclipse the established ones.
All in all it's very surprising about the overall poor quality of fast foods. They have to improve or lose customers like myself to chains offering at least better tasting fare. If not, they face a dismal future.
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