For far too long, fast-food restaurants have been judged based on popularity, momentum, and advertising. But it is time that someone takes a deeper dive into popular fast food restaurants, specifically: which ones are overrated? Let’s delve into two popular fast food restaurants and what makes them overrated.
Chipotle is potentially the most overrated fast food restaurant today. Why? Taco trucks. Southern California has an abundance of taco trucks and stands that are far more authentic, and better quality than anything from the Chipotle menu. Compare this to the average boring Chipotle burrito, no flavor, no seasoning, no personality, no friends, and meat as dry as the Sahara Desert. At this point why even waste gas money driving there? The return on investment is the lowest we have seen in generations. Chipotle’s menu website writes that while each restaurant location charges different prices, the average cost of a meal at Chipotle is $15. Compare this to the LA Times report of an under $10 average cost at a taco truck per meal, and Californians now have no reason to ever visit Chipotle over these authentic Mexican taco trucks. Furthermore, many Chipotle enjoyers like to blind themselves with the belief that their food is fresh and natural, this is largely because Chipotle advertises their food as ‘locally sourced,’ however, USA Today writes that their definition of locally sourced means within 350 miles, only 50 miles less than their previous policy. Not only that, Chipotle claims that they only use, “classic culinary techniques—no shortcuts,” however it has been discovered that Chipotle uses an outside company to do much of its cooking, the same company that McDonald’s uses for their McRib, McNuggets, and Big Mac. So not only is their food excruciatingly unseasoned, but they do not even know how to cook it themselves. Ultimately, Chipotle not only fails to live up to the authenticity and freshness that it claims it does, but it is also one of the most expensive fast food meals on the market and will always pale in comparison to an authentic Mexican taco truck.
Another very overrated fast food empire is none other than Raising Canes. Raising Canes is notably popular especially among high schoolers today, and not for a good reason. People rave about anything from their Texas toast, all the way to their signature sauce. But Raising Canes has a fatal flaw that ruins the whole experience. Dry chicken. Raising Canes’ chicken fingers are some of the driest on the market, making it no surprise that all of their customers are drenching them in sauce. Their seasoning barely has any flavor, making it some of the most bland chicken available to the masses. Not only that, the Raising Canes sauce is potentially the most overrated food item on the fast food market today, customers act like it is unlike anything they have ever had. But in reality, the simple mix of mayonnaise and ketchup is nothing special. Raising Canes not only fails to live up to the hype because of their disappointing sauce but because at the core of their chicken finger restaurant, the only thing Canes is successful in is tricking their customers into getting lost in the sauce.
