After the McRib
Listeners to the "Law Talk" podcast will know by now of Troy Senik's heretical thoughtcrime concerning the McRib. But even worse is the item's disappearance from McDonald's menus across the country -- like the steady dimming of the lights of civilization across Europe as Rome fell.
After turning away in disgust from a McDonald's in Los Angeles last week, hands empty of gooey pork goodness mixed with raw onion and pickle, I went on a quest for a fast food substitute. What should tide over the loyal McRibber until its next sighting? I tried a Carl's Jr. Jalapeno Burger and even a McDonald's CBO, but was left wanting more. And it wasn't even Chinese food.
Ricochetti, please help by nominating the go-to fast food meal until the return of the McRib.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: After the McRib
Foxman
Misthiocracy: Can you get shawarma in Los Angeles?
Good shawarma is heavenly.
We have lots of shawarma here in Dearborn, but fast food?
It's late-night, drunken fast food where I live.
And it's oh, oh, oh, so good...
I'm starting to drool on my keyboard.
Edited on February 5, 2013 at 10:22pmMar '11
Re: After the McRib
Wait, there's been 21 comments and no one has dared broach the obvious choice?
An Animal Style burger from In-N-Out. As if there was any question here.
Edited on February 5, 2013 at 10:20pmDec '12
Re: After the McRib
Misthiocracy: Can you get shawarma in Los Angeles?
Good shawarma is heavenly. · 47 minutes ago
I had to look it up to find out what it is--it looks heavenly!
Sep '10
Re: After the McRib
This "little" hamuburger which is a 1/2 lb. patty composed of equal parts ground beef and ground sausage, covered in Chili and cheese (also available without Chili) is only available in Tulsa, OK where I once lived. I realize that it does not look that good, but you would be painfully wrong to judge it from its looks.
Is it worth a $500 plane ticket? Yes....yes it is.
Aug '12
Re: After the McRib
5 guys
Aug '10
Re: After the McRib
If yer ever in the Toronto area, give Lick's Homeburgers a try.
The ingredients are super fresh, they hand-mould each patty, they offer turkey burgers, they have amazing ice cream, and they sing songs while making your food.
May '10
Re: After the McRib
Troy Senik, Ed.: First of all, let me say that the level to which John will stoop to try to get an endorsement deal is truly breathtaking.
Second, John, there are Five Guys locations in Northern California. Look into it. This is a place where the fries are so bad for you that a nutritional study couldn't even ascertain how they managed to pack so much artery-bursting goodness into them.
Some may call that obscene. I call it American exceptionalism. · 1 hour ago
Five Guys is a poor substitute for In-N-Out Burger with a New York accent to make it worse. It's only redeeming value is that they let you have all the peanuts you can eat while you're waiting.
If you want serious Fries goodness, go to In-N-Out and order your fries "Animal Style". Fries topped with grilled onions, special sauce, and melted cheese. Gooey, messy, heavenly.
Edited on February 5, 2013 at 10:37pmMay '11
Re: After the McRib
My go-to: Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken sandwich, side salad, ranch dressing. The ranch is great on the sandwich, and Chick-Fil-A's waffle fries aren't worth the calories.
Aug '10
Re: After the McRib
BJRR
Whiskey Sam: My Saturday Night Special:Taco Bell - 7 softshell tacos, no lettuce, and the largest Mt Dew they can legally sell you
Honorable mention:
Monday Night Madness (Football season only) -Five Guys- two double patty burgers with A1, two hot dogs, two Cokes
In Europe:Donerix- doner kebab (spiced veal) with fries and a Coke
In Canada: Baba's- perogies with sausage
I don't know what is in doner meat, but I'm pretty sure it's not actually veal...
Maybe it was a typo and it's actually Donner meat.
Jul '11
Re: After the McRib
I suppose a case can be made that Fuddrucker's is not really fast food (you order/pay at the counter, but they cook your burger to order) but it's as good as it gets. When I get off the plane in Billings, the first thing I do is head to Fudd's. I get two one-pound burgers (the patty is 16 ounces) on their house-baked brioche and one for the lady ($7.99 each, no sales tax in Montana). We load up at the "fixin's bar" and settle in. I eat mine, and then eat the 2/3 to 3/4 of hers that she couldn't finish. With bottomless sodas (alas, Pepsi products) the whole thing costs less than $30. A steal for this New Yorker.
Nov '10
Re: After the McRib
Chipotle burrito. If you have to have pork, they've got it (carnitas). Oh, and there's a significant advantage over McDonald's: you can also get a beer or a margarita.
May '10
Re: After the McRib
BJRR
I don't know what is in doner meat, but I'm pretty sure it's not actually veal... · 23 minutes ago
Doner meat? That's what they use after they've finished Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid. And when he's gone they finish up with Blixem meat.
Re: After the McRib
Tom Lindholtz
Five Guys is a poor substitute for In-N-Out Burger with a New York accent to make it worse. It's only redeeming value is that they let you have all the peanuts you can eat while you're waiting.
If you want serious Fries goodness, go to In-N-Out and order your fries "Animal Style". Fries topped with grilled onions, special sauce, and melted cheese. Gooey, messy, heavenly. · 5 minutes ago
Edited 3 minutes ago
Actually, I'm pretty sure that Five Guys has its origins in the Virginia suburbs of D.C. (having written that out, I realize that it doesn't much help their case).
Personally, I've always been a bit perplexed by the loyalty that In-N-Out inspires. Don't get me wrong -- I enjoy it. But to talk to non-Californians, you'd think that it's second only to the weather in the state's appeal. For my money, the best burgers in Southern California belong to a little Inland Empire chain called Baker's (a reference that will likely be lost on everyone except Gus Marvinson).
Aug '10
Re: After the McRib
Tom Lindholtz
BJRR
I don't know what is in doner meat, but I'm pretty sure it's not actually veal...
Doner meat? That's what they use after they've finished Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid. And when he's gone they finish up with Blixem meat.
Wait, what if it's this Donner?
Oct '10
Re: After the McRib
A swiss patty melt with bacon from Jack in the Box might pass. Kinda miss the BBQ from KFC. Messy and nasty stuff for you, but tasty.
Jan '11
Re: After the McRib
Pulled pork sandwich from a BBQ. They come out fast enough and are better than a McRib.
May '10
Re: After the McRib
In Sacramento my go to burger of choice is at the Squeeze Inn. Check out the fried cheese on the burger in the lower left of their page photo. The original Squeeze Inn was in a teensy, tiny little house with two tables for two and three stools at the counter and a long, long line out the door at lunch time. It was sued by a lawyer who earns his living by shaking down businesses with ADA access lawsuits. It was a great old place. Fortunately, the citizens rallied and the owners re-opened in an unfortunately pedestrian strip mall store front. The ambiance is lost but the burgers remain. Worth a drive. And I will happily meet any Ricochetistas who want to experience the burger even without the ambiance.
May '12
Re: After the McRib
I would recommend Famous Dave's, but it appears the closest one to Oakland is in San Jose. It's hard to go wrong with a barbacoa fajita burrito from Chipotle. And when you're flying east, try to schedule a layover in Memphis, where the airport offers generous choices.
Aug '10
Re: After the McRib
I can't believe I neglected to mention The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro, also in Ontario.
The menu contains over 50 different burgers, and you can get any of 'em made with elk meat.
Edited on February 5, 2013 at 11:00pmMay '10
Re: After the McRib
One of the worst disasters in the history of the world...