Fast Food - Yum! or Yuck??

Fast food. Do you love it or hate it? Healthy or Unhealthy? Necessary or Unnecessary? Clever or laziness?

There does be a lot of debate over fast food, whether its the fact that McDonalds used to use animal fats for cooking their fries or that someone found a cockroach in their burger, the world of fast food is a divided one.

In recent times (in this case months), for some reason I have greatly gone off fast food, be it the relatively high standard of places like McDonalds or Burger King, or the not-so high standards of the local take-away...which near me actually burned down last week.....

Perhaps its the grease or the smell or whatever, but I just cannot seem to stand sitting (or worse standing) in these places. Some more so than others, and the type of fast food restaurant also plays a huge part. It's easy to say: "Well..if you like chicken, go to KFC, or if you like Pizza, go to Pizza Hut"...well obviously yeah...duh! It is true to say that they dominate their respective areas of food, Harry Ramsdens would cover fish for example. From what I remember, these places were fairly high quality, can't really complain much about the actual "food", though there were other problems. For instance, the service in Harry's is shockingly terrible, the people at the tills in KFC can't understand you nor can you understand them, and Pizza Hut is disgracfully expensive.

Where you go to eat is purely your own preference, Eddie Rockets for example dominate the "American Style of Eating" sector uncontested. Their food is unique, tasty though fairly expensive. There are things there that you can't get anywhere else. Spur Steakhouse is the same. In fact, it's the only steakhouse chain I know of in Ireland. Very high quality, very select, but expensive.

The problem with me and fast foods hits the fan when it comes to McDonalds and Supermacs. (Note that I haven't included Burger King anywhere for the simple reason that I think Burger King is the best). On one hand we have a company that very much encourages healthy eating - which is a good thing - and has a hand in many aspects of food, of which I think desserts are their best. On the other hand we have a company that tries to venture into every aspect of food, and as a result, has in my opinion a very low standard. The latter being Supermacs. Whatever it is about the place I just can't stand it. I wouldn't even go in there just to take a piss. They don't dominate any aspect of the fast food trade like every other restaurant does. Supermacs without a doubt falls into the "Yuck" category for me. Given the choice I would gladly pay nearly double the price for stuff in Eddies than in Supermacs.

Keeping with "Yuck", I can't go on without mentioning the worst of the lot. Any guesses? No? Well its the one place where you only get a 'can' for your drink and the food is prepared in the most sloppiest of manners. Got it? Well its Abrakebabra. My definition of "shithole" when it comes to food. Everything is wrong with the place. Service - bad. Food - terrible. Dining experience - painful. Afterwards - sick street. There tends to be something about seeing a cylinder of "beef" or whatever the fuck it is rotating around, and then seeing them cutting off strips to put into the kebabs, that are slopped together with sauce and filling. The burgers have thick grated cheese on them, not slices like anywhere else. The chips are soggy, the drinks are tiny...and the place...well...just messy. This isn't a Grinds My Gears, but I strongly recommend you avoid Abrakebabra at ALL costs. Even Supermacs is better. And I'm dead serious too. The local chipper ranks higher than that kip. And its cheaper.

YUM Places - McD's, Burger King, KFC, Eddies, Harry's, Spur, Pizza Hut, Spud 'u Like.

YUCK Shitholes - Supermacs, Abrakebabra, White Castle, Wimpy.

Am I right people? Will there be a day when Abrakebabra tastes nice? Will I take a piss in Supermacs. Will White Castle open up here in Ireland?

Not likely.....

Wish you were here?

~The Damien