What is your fast food "go to"

[Furniture]

Big Mac 4 to 6 times a year.
Chipotle bowl take out once a month.
I also like Jersey Mikes.

[jimmymax]

Ah, Bat's. I had an Annamaria's baseball-style shirt for many years. What was the sub shop across the street (where the Federal is now, I think)? Seems like it was "Sub-something" and it was probably pre-Subway, so maybe that was it. PTA used to sell bad pizza on campus for points, pre-Dominos. (Back when the CI sold beer for points.) Armadillo Grill is still kicking in Carrboro (and Raleigh too as far as I know). I go to Biscuitville or Bojangles once or twice a year but I only eat fast food burgers if stuck on an interstate road trip. I've been thinking about trying Taco Bell for the first time. It seems like folks either love it or hate it. Anyone here have a strong opinion?

[johnb]

I remember bats—long time ago.

Having lived in NYC since 1986, this thread reminded me that we are lame in regards to fast food. Around here, diners and other local spots are only marginally slower than big chains.

But I do miss plenty of the above spots, especially Whataburger (I’m from Texas), as well as McD, BK, and CFA, which i first tried as a freshman.

[Phredd3]

Ah, Bat's. I had an Annamaria's baseball-style shirt for many years. What was the sub shop across the street (where the Federal is now, I think)? Seems like it was "Sub-something" and it was probably pre-Subway, so maybe that was it. PTA used to sell bad pizza on campus for points, pre-Dominos. (Back when the CI sold beer for points.) Armadillo Grill is still kicking in Carrboro (and Raleigh too as far as I know). I go to Biscuitville or Bojangles once or twice a year but I only eat fast food burgers if stuck on an interstate road trip. I've been thinking about trying Taco Bell for the first time. It seems like folks either love it or hate it. Anyone here have a strong opinion?

If you are at all a carnivore, just don't. Whatever Taco Bell actually serves, it isn't worthy of the term "meat". Most of their other ingredients are similar in quality. The stuff they serve is carefully calculated to satisfy certain pleasure centers of your brain (fat, salt, etc.), but to do it in the cheapest way humanly possible. So, yeah, the prices are low, but if you actually are seeking decent food, keep looking.

[Indoor66]

Best Spag-n-Balls this side of NYC.

And comic books to boot!

[DU82]

Ah, Bat's. I had an Annamaria's baseball-style shirt for many years. What was the sub shop across the street (where the Federal is now, I think)? Seems like it was "Sub-something" and it was probably pre-Subway, so maybe that was it. PTA used to sell bad pizza on campus for points, pre-Dominos. (Back when the CI sold beer for points.) Armadillo Grill is still kicking in Carrboro (and Raleigh too as far as I know). I go to Biscuitville or Bojangles once or twice a year but I only eat fast food burgers if stuck on an interstate road trip. I've been thinking about trying Taco Bell for the first time. It seems like folks either love it or hate it. Anyone here have a strong opinion?

I believe the sub shop was “Subway”. Far better than the chain, and good pinball machines. I think the chain claimed trademark infringement even though I’m pretty sure the local store was first.

Points started in fall 1980, and I understand was the first program of its type. Before, those on west were not required to purchase mean plans - we had ticket books (that we could charge to home) that allowed us to pay for meals on campus.

Pizza Devil was the on-campus vendor starting in 1981, I believe. Student created and run. Of course, deliveries took forever since it was relatively small and quickly overwhelmed.

The CI was the “fast food” on campus, providing burgers, “beer dogs” and fries along with other quick items.

Currently, besides the ones mentioned, I’m not too far from Char-Grill in Raleigh. Cant beat those hamburger steaks!

[Bluedog]

Is armadillo grill still a thing?

RIP 2013.

You can thank the West Union renovations. The Loop overtook the space. Definitely nostalgic for Dillo and Cosmic Cantina. Although I liked The Loop too. And Pauly Dog's. Bahaha. And Chick-fil-A was on campus at the time too which I had never had before. Also a casualty of West Union (and campus sentiment against it at the time based on political discourse so might have gotten shut down anyways).

[rsvman]

There was definitely a Bull City Subs on Erwin in the 90s b/c my cousin worked there and I was at the VA right down the road. It became Francesca's, which we thought was a stupid name since there was a gelato place by that name just on 9th St.

Wild Bull's Pizza was the best. Especially their veggie. I think the sign is still there.

Attachment 13060

Pretty sure the name was actually Bull City Grill. I used to eat there at least three Fridays a month. To this day I have never found a chicken Philly better anywhere in the world.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

RIP 2013.

You can thank the West Union renovations. The Loop overtook the space. Definitely nostalgic for Dillo and Cosmic Cantina. Although I liked The Loop too. And Pauly Dog's. Bahaha. And Chick-fil-A was on campus at the time too which I had never had before. Also a casualty of West Union (and campus sentiment against it at the time based on political discourse so might have gotten shut down anyways).

Perhaps better suited for another thread, but I think that the West Union renovation is symbolic of everything that is wrong with higher education today. There is an arms race among universities to create the most luxurious experience possible. I'm all for periodic minor refreshes but the gourmet food hall they created was not necessary - the money could have been better spent on a lot of other things.

More relevant to the topic at hand, I used to be more enthusiastic about Taco Bell than I am now. I generally find it best to stick to the basics - simple tacos and things like that.

When I was in HS we had 40 minutes for lunch and there was a Taco Bell 15 minutes in one direction, McDonald's 15 minutes in another, and White Castle 15 minutes in yet another direction in a somewhat dodgy area. Normally we would eat at school or go to a nearby pizza place. We would occasionally race out to a friend's car, drive to one of these destinations as fast as possible, wolf down our food, and get back in time for class. We only tried this once with White Castle and we were all in a lot of pain the rest of the school day - I believe one of my friends had the misfortune of having gym right after lunch.

[diablesseblu]

Oh man, I ate a lot of Wild Bull's as an undergrad. Their pizza was indeed good, and they also had very good chicken tenders (especially the buffalo style ones). And cinnamon bull whips were amazing. They delivered until 4am...an undergrad's dream (especially since they were on food points). 386-0590.
Memories.

Loved that place -- especially their wings. When you called there, the fella who answered had a unique way of melodically saying "Wild Bulls" when he picked up the phone.

[YmoBeThere]

This is blasphemous.

Have you ever had a Five Way?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Have you ever had a Five Way?

*Blinks*

[OldPhiKap]

I believe the sub shop was “Subway”. Far better than the chain, and good pinball machines. I think the chain claimed trademark infringement even though I’m pretty sure the local store was first.

“Eat a Big One”

3C37CFC6-CD6D-4310-9D28-0D08B68E9BEE.jpg


(Photo credit to my friend Lance, who knows a thing or two about this vehicle).

[bundabergdevil]

RIP 2013.

You can thank the West Union renovations. The Loop overtook the space. Definitely nostalgic for Dillo and Cosmic Cantina. Although I liked The Loop too. And Pauly Dog's. Bahaha. And Chick-fil-A was on campus at the time too which I had never had before. Also a casualty of West Union (and campus sentiment against it at the time based on political discourse so might have gotten shut down anyways).

Wow. Thank you for that rundown! The Dillo could exact its revenge anywhere from "within minutes" to "days later" but I liked it. You could also get beer and margaritas there (RIP Hideaway for that matter). What took over The Loops space? The Loop arrived while I was a student. It was okay but doesn't hit nostalgia the way Dillo, Cosmic and, yes, even Pauly dogs does. Pauly left in 2012 according to this article. I hope he made good money. All late night students seemed to treat him well but lord knows he had plenty of obnoxious drunks to feed (me included on, like, no more than 3 occasions).

Cosmic is still open, right? That would be heart breaking. I can full on remember that taste twenty years later!

[rsvman]

If you are at all a carnivore, just don't. Whatever Taco Bell actually serves, it isn't worthy of the term "meat". Most of their other ingredients are similar in quality. The stuff they serve is carefully calculated to satisfy certain pleasure centers of your brain (fat, salt, etc.), but to do it in the cheapest way humanly possible. So, yeah, the prices are low, but if you actually are seeking decent food, keep looking.

I dunno, it's not great, but there is something about the double decker taco that is satisfying. For the unintiated, it is a crispy taco that has a soft taco shell attached to its outside by refried beans (wow, that made it sound a lot worse than it actually is). Hit it with some fire sauce and enjoy.
I don't love Taco Bell and probably only eat there once or at most twice a year, but it is not completely despicable.
Oh, and they have that teal Mountain Dew called Baja Blast. I think it is exclusive to Taco Bell. It isn't that great, but ordering and drinking it once in a long while is pleasurable in some poorly defined way.

[bundabergdevil]

RIP 2013.

You can thank the West Union renovations. The Loop overtook the space. Definitely nostalgic for Dillo and Cosmic Cantina. Although I liked The Loop too. And Pauly Dog's. Bahaha. And Chick-fil-A was on campus at the time too which I had never had before. Also a casualty of West Union (and campus sentiment against it at the time based on political discourse so might have gotten shut down anyways).

I dunno, it's not great, but there is something about the double decker taco that is satisfying. For the unintiated, it is a crispy taco that has a soft taco shell attached to its outside by refried beans (wow, that made it sound a lot worse than it actually is). Hit it with some fire sauce and enjoy.
I don't love Taco Bell and probably only eat there once or at most twice a year, but it is not completely despicable.
Oh, and they have that teal Mountain Dew called Baja Blast. I think it is exclusive to Taco Bell. It isn't that great, but ordering and drinking it once in a long while is pleasurable in some poorly defined way.

It's like they always say, every good upper decker started with a double decker, or something like that.

[DukieInKansas]

I've been trying to remember the name of the restaurant that had great fried chicken, hush puppies, and sweet tea. You parked in the abandoned gas station next door. Parker's maybe?

I was very boring as a college student - or just broke. Didn't eat off campus much - Darryl's and Parker's (if that is the name) are the places I remember.

[DU82]

Perhaps better suited for another thread, but I think that the West Union renovation is symbolic of everything that is wrong with higher education today. There is an arms race among universities to create the most luxurious experience possible. I'm all for periodic minor refreshes but the gourmet food hall they created was not necessary - the money could have been better spent on a lot of other things.

I don’t see that upgrading food options is a negative. The food on campus 1978-82 was, for the most part, bad, like typical institutional food. My sophomore year, we’d go to a local restaurant (including Parker’s, on E. main St. downtown) rather than eat in the Pits. Of course, it was avoiding the cafeteria that caused Duke to require meal plans for on-campus students. The line for the Oak Room was down the stairs every night because it was one of the few decent places on campus. Food got some upgrades the last two months on campus when the Bryan center opened.

[devil84]

My better half and I enjoy annoying our grown children by finding the cheapest possible meals, which is pretty much what the OP was looking for. (We don't tell the kids when we go get really good food -- we might have to take them more often!)

We like the deals in the McDonald's app (which were better pre-pandemic), alternating between Quarter Pounders and Filet-o-fish. For the pandemic drive throughs, we get drinks at home, so two sandwiches and a large fries is usually a pretty good deal. Taco Bell is also good for cheap eats, where we usually get two tacos and two bean burritos. Each time we've done this though the app, we get a free menu item which is limited to the cheap menu items, like tacos and bean burritos, but that's OK for us because that's what we order! Wendy's 4-for$4 is another good option, especially since it comes with a drink.

Arby's sometimes has coupons; it's far enough away that we don't go there too often. Bojangles is comparatively expensive ($14 for the two of us), but now that they've put one about a mile from our house, we eat there entirely too often! Sometimes they have manager's specials with thighs for 99 cents, which is a pretty good deal. Cookout has a ton of food for the price, but the one near us isn't taking many Covid precautions, so they're off the table until after the pandemic. Hopefully others have better practices.

But the best deal we've seen so far is at Burger King. Two junior Whopper meals for two, so 2 jr. Whoppers, 2 small fries, and 2 small drinks, is $5.

Don't overlook the daily specials at the local pizza places, or really any local place. Some of those are a pretty good deal. Same with lunch specials at the Chinese restaurants. Our favorite ends their specials at 2:30pm and sometimes we actually remember before then to get some to reheat for dinner. Yelp and Groupon sometimes have great deals for local places.

For Durham-specific places, Cosmic Cantina has always been really inexpensive with generous portions. Foster's Market's 7-pepper jelly grilled cheese is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches and it's only $6.

Clearly we've eaten too much fast food during the pandemic! We usually don't eat fast food this often, eating most of our meals at home and eating out at locally owned restaurants. I will say it's a lot easier to find deals during non-pandemic dining. One thing we have done during the pandemic is honed our skills at getting our children's eyes rolling at how cheap we can eat! I think we enjoy that game a little too much, haha.

[thedukeman]

My better half and I enjoy annoying our grown children by finding the cheapest possible meals, which is pretty much what the OP was looking for. (We don't tell the kids when we go get really good food -- we might have to take them more often!)

We like the deals in the McDonald's app (which were better pre-pandemic), alternating between Quarter Pounders and Filet-o-fish. For the pandemic drive throughs, we get drinks at home, so two sandwiches and a large fries is usually a pretty good deal. Taco Bell is also good for cheap eats, where we usually get two tacos and two bean burritos. Each time we've done this though the app, we get a free menu item which is limited to the cheap menu items, like tacos and bean burritos, but that's OK for us because that's what we order! Wendy's 4-for$4 is another good option, especially since it comes with a drink.

Arby's sometimes has coupons; it's far enough away that we don't go there too often. Bojangles is comparatively expensive ($14 for the two of us), but now that they've put one about a mile from our house, we eat there entirely too often! Sometimes they have manager's specials with thighs for 99 cents, which is a pretty good deal. Cookout has a ton of food for the price, but the one near us isn't taking many Covid precautions, so they're off the table until after the pandemic. Hopefully others have better practices.

But the best deal we've seen so far is at Burger King. Two junior Whopper meals for two, so 2 jr. Whoppers, 2 small fries, and 2 small drinks, is $5.

Don't overlook the daily specials at the local pizza places, or really any local place. Some of those are a pretty good deal. Same with lunch specials at the Chinese restaurants. Our favorite ends their specials at 2:30pm and sometimes we actually remember before then to get some to reheat for dinner. Yelp and Groupon sometimes have great deals for local places.

For Durham-specific places, Cosmic Cantina has always been really inexpensive with generous portions. Foster's Market's 7-pepper jelly grilled cheese is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches and it's only $6.

Clearly we've eaten too much fast food during the pandemic! We usually don't eat fast food this often, eating most of our meals at home and eating out at locally owned restaurants. I will say it's a lot easier to find deals during non-pandemic dining. One thing we have done during the pandemic is honed our skills at getting our children's eyes rolling at how cheap we can eat! I think we enjoy that game a little too much, haha.

so many great suggestions!!! Totally agree with BK as well. Usually I have to sacrifice either a drink or fries for value but bk is an exception. The mobile app coupons are the best I've seen and their value menu is pretty good to begin with. There isn't one near me so it has been a while but I remember a burger (called the western or something?) with bbq sauce and onion rings on it that I loved and was only $1. So much great info beyond this post even I'm a little overwhelmed. Gonna be a fantastic summer for my stomach and wallet. Not for my belt or gf tho.