OT: Off-season Food and Drink Thread

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Those were the days lol. Taco Bell* used to have a pretty good dollar menu too.


*Taco Bell never gave me gastrointestinal problems like my peers and I always thought it was pretty good for fast food

Yeah I used to scoop up a giant bag of TB back in the university days for like 2.59 total after a long night of video games and herb. I've never liked their weird meat though so I'd always go with a couple of their cheesy bean and rice burritos and a 7 layer. And a boatload of Fire sauce. Taco Bell seems to be a controversial one, though. And I get why... their consistency has been a little all over the place in recent years and for me, at least... the discontinuation of the 7 layer is kind of a deal-breaker.

But they don't give me the trots, either. And I still think you can do worse. Like Subway.

Holy shit, yes! I loved those weird ads.

I found out later that they were basically public domain illustrations from a Sears & Roebuck catalog from like 1897, I think?

Yeah I wanna say that's right. I guess they bought them all back to be destroyed. Evidently some of the advertising was uh... a bit racy. But some of them are still floating around our there for sale.

Remember their salt and pepper shakers?

I wish I owned a "Where's The Beef" hat.

 

[dogthateats]

Yeah I used to scoop up a giant bag of TB back in the university days for like 2.59 total after a long night of video games and herb. I've never liked their weird meat though so I'd always go with a couple of their cheesy bean and rice burritos and a 7 layer. And a boatload of Fire sauce. Taco Bell seems to be a controversial one, though. And I get why... their consistency has been a little all over the place in recent years and for me, at least... the discontinuation of the 7 layer is kind of a deal-breaker.

But they don't give me the trots, either. And I still think you can do worse. Like Subway.



Yeah I wanna say that's right. I guess they bought them all back to be destroyed. Evidently some of the advertising was uh... a bit racy. But some of them are still floating around our there for sale.

Remember their salt and pepper shakers?

I wish I owned a "Where's The Beef" hat.

The cheesy rice and bean burrito was one of my go to orders. I feel like there was another burrito that I liked too with “double” in the name. Definitely loaded up on the fire sauce. I need to look up an old menu haha

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The cheesy rice and bean burrito was one of my go to orders. I feel like there was another burrito that I liked too with “double” in the name. Definitely loaded up on the fire sauce. I need to look up an old menu haha

The Double Decker taco?

 

[dogthateats]

The Double Decker taco?

I don’t think that was it. I am probably misremembering though bc I found this pic and none of the burritos have double in the name.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hmmmm. They had double beef and double steak burritos back then which I wouldn't touch because I'm pretty sure their meat is actually just Fancy Feast but maybe that was it. I guess they brought them back recently but they had been discontinued for years.

 

[dogthateats]

Hmmmm. They had double beef and double steak burritos back then which I wouldn't touch because I'm pretty sure their meat is actually just Fancy Feast but maybe that was it. I guess they brought them back recently but they had been discontinued for years.

This would have been mid 2000’s I think haha. Pretty sure most of the things that I ordered were just the same 5 ingredients presented slightly differently and doused in a ton of fire sauce. It would have definitely been from the value menu I wouldn’t splurge on a regular menu item.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I miss the volcano sauce...man I was crushed when they discontinued it

 

[HandshakeLine]

I think this soda's trying to neg me.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I miss the volcano sauce...man I was crushed when they discontinued it

When they discontinued the Chilli Cheese Burrito I definitely went on a bit of a strike. That was my post hockey go to after every home game I played at Belmont Ice back in high school, there was a Taco Bell right up the hill.

 

[Peat]

I've never been to a US Wendy's, not even when I lived 5 minutes from the one in Plum. I might tell the wife that when my stomach recovers from the recent bad food binge.

She decided we'd get Long John Silver's on a recent car journey. Lucky me.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I've never been to a US Wendy's, not even when I lived 5 minutes from the one in Plum. I might tell the wife that when my stomach recovers from the recent bad food binge.

She decided we'd get Long John Silver's on a recent car journey. Lucky me.

LJS packs what seems like an impossible amount of grease into every bite of their food. It's like they created the means to make small pockets dimensions... like a Bag of Holding in D&D or something... but used it to fit oceans of grease into a tiny chicken plank. Back in the day they actually had these amazing Long John's wraps that were by far and away the best thing they (or most other fast food joints) have ever done. So I would pop in there after school a good bit to order and the entire interior of the place was literally slick with grease. Your feet would make squishing sounds on the carpet. No lie.

Couldn't imagine why they seem to have a problem randomly bursting into flames.

 

[dogthateats]

I can see how someone new to American cuisine could find LJS kind of different. Fried fish is actually pretty good if you try it though. We call it “fish and chips” but don’t be fooled by “chips” they are more like french fries.

 

[Deport Ogie]

LJS does things to my gi tract that would probably get me an infraction if I spoke about so let's just leave it by saying I don't eat it anymore. That being said, a hush puppy dipped in Red Hot then coated with LJS crumblies is a mighty thing.

 

[Peat]

Anywhere in Pittsburgh do a good banh mi?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Anywhere in Pittsburgh do a good banh mi?

Banh Mi & Ti

Edit: Tram's looks like they do a good banh mi as well. I think there's a lady in the Strip District that sells them but I believe she's gone home for the winter.

another edit: Looks like Ineffable Cà Phê has some decent ones too.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Anywhere in Pittsburgh do a good banh mi?

Bahn mi & Ti, Lawrenceville!

 

[eXile3]

I can see how someone new to American cuisine could find LJS kind of different. Fried fish is actually pretty good if you try it though. We call it “fish and chips” but don’t be fooled by “chips” they are more like french fries.

I mean it's not alien to us. We have/had Piper's Pub and the pub chip shop on south side here in Pittsburgh. I used to love getting Bangers and Mash. Not sure why they haven't reopened.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

We treated ourselves to Spork in Garfield on Friday. So delicious but not cheap. We ordered two small plates (prawns and mussels) and a main dish (pasta prosciutto). I had a cocktail. The bill came out to $130. But in addition to what we ordered they served us a bunch of side dishes. The breads were the best thing, in my opinion. Followed up by the stuffed tortellini that was served with the mussels.

Aly's favorites were the potato croquettes followed by the bread.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I've never been to a US Wendy's, not even when I lived 5 minutes from the one in Plum. I might tell the wife that when my stomach recovers from the recent bad food binge.

She decided we'd get Long John Silver's on a recent car journey. Lucky me.

Wendy's was ruined by Dave's daughter after he passed. Their hamburgers were once juicy and to die for. I would put it up their with the Whopper from Burger king even though they were not broiled cooked. Obviously we are talking fast food here and not the much better burgers made at other upscale burger joints.

I hardly go to Wendy's anymore, mostly the wife and kids and their Frosty's are great, too. Like you need a spoon to eat them. Super thick.

Dave's double was a staple back n the day. I think they might have tried to go back to the original patties but not 100% on that.

In the end, you were not going to Wendy's to watch your figure, and I'd put them a clear 3/4 stars above McShits.

Have you ever eaten at Mcshits? Reason I ask is, you won't do Wendy's, or never been there (which is clearly better) but you probably have been to the McDonald's franchise more than once.

Long-John like others have said, is on a whole other level with grease. I really can't stand the place and being merged with A&W root beer ruins that aspect as well. A&W was great when they were on their own, just that they were very pricey. Kind of how the better burger places now are very pricey.

 

[Ugene Magic]

We treated ourselves to Spork in Garfield on Friday. So delicious but not cheap. We ordered two small plates (prawns and mussels) and a main dish (pasta prosciutto). I had a cocktail. The bill came out to $130. But in addition to what we ordered they served us a bunch of side dishes. The breads were the best thing, in my opinion. Followed up by the stuffed tortellini that was served with the mussels.

Aly's favorites were the potato croquettes followed by the bread.

Yeah, not the place to take a family of 4. Our bill would be double that.

 

[Peat]

Wendy's was ruined by Dave's daughter after he passed. Their hamburgers were once juicy and to die for. I would put it up their with the Whopper from Burger king even though they were not broiled cooked. Obviously we are talking fast food here and not the much better burgers made at other upscale burger joints.

I hardly go to Wendy's anymore, mostly the wife and kids and their Frosty's are great, too. Like you need a spoon to eat them. Super thick.

Dave's double was a staple back n the day. I think they might have tried to go back to the original patties but not 100% on that.

In the end, you were not going to Wendy's to watch your figure, and I'd put them a clear 3/4 stars above McShits.

Have you ever eaten at Mcshits? Reason I ask is, you won't do Wendy's, or never been there (which is clearly better) but you probably have been to the McDonald's franchise more than once.

Long-John like others have said, is on a whole other level with grease. I really can't stand the place and being merged with A&W root beer ruins that aspect as well. A&W was great when they were on their own, just that they were very pricey. Kind of how the better burger places now are very pricey.

Oh, I've eaten at Wendys, I think. Just in the UK and about 30 years ago. I barely remember it (to the point I'm not sure I actually did) and you never know when US food chains in the UK are different so I'm not even sure my memories would align with you guys anyway. Chipotle tastes the same but my wife said Taco Bell was disappointingly different.

And in any case, I'm no more against eating at Wendys here than I am against more or less any fast food chain here - I'm never going to do it on my own volition, but I'll happily go along with it if the wife wants to. Since she's driving, and she's the one with all the lifelong attachments to these places, and she's the one who gets fast food cravings, she's the one who picks 90% of the time. If I pick I'll pretty much always go burritos or fried chicken if available, but 90% of the time she feels more strongly than me. She just simply hasn't taken me to Wendys. Hasn't taken me to McDonald's either other than airport breakfasts. Been to them a ton in the UK, but that's because they monopolised the 24 hour market in certain key locations.

I would kind of like to go to Wendys once just to see what the differences are though, so I'm going to suggest it. Some day.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

My Dad's favorite place to get potato gnocchi closed last winter. And his 70th birthday was yesterday so I was searching for places that allegedly have good potato gnocchi.

I ended up suggesting Girasole in Shadyside and that's where we had dinner today to celebrate his birthday. Everything was good. Even the meatballs he got and he's particular about those.

Not cheap but definitely a place to treat yourself.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, Girasole is great. We take my mom there when I'm in town because she's also super picky about Italian food (being the daughter of immigrants herself).

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Wytheville now has a wine bar. Which we went to as soon as we unpacked. Got the charcuterie and grilled cheeses as well.

Not sure why anyone would be in Wytheville, but they've got a number of decent places.

 

[dogthateats]

English muffins are pretty damn good.