Opinions of Newer Fast Food Joints

[picknroll]

Fast food junkie here...Have any of you fellow MMsters tried Firehouse Subs or Five Guys or Smashburger? If so, what's your review?

[LadyMuskie]

Five Guys is good. We enjoy it as a pregame meal. It is a lot of food though. I can only eat a sandwich and no fries, or half a sandwich and a some fries. It's a lot to eat, so take an appetite or bring some home. Although, I'm a girl, so maybe that's why I think it's a lot.

I've never even heard of the other two.

[xu95]

Fast food junkie here...Have any of you fellow MMsters tried Firehouse Subs or Five Guys or Smashburger? If so, what's your review?

All three are good.

[spazzrico]

I enjoy me some Firehouse in addition to 5 Guys. Firehouse always provides a host of different hot sauces to try which I like a lot. 5 Guys has pretty simple but good burgers and the fries are Penn Station/Great Steak and Fry good.

[TJMuskie06]

Only had 5 Guys from the list. It was pretty good. I've heard great things about Smashburger though

[SixFig]

Fast food junkie here...Have any of you fellow MMsters tried Firehouse Subs or Five Guys or Smashburger? If so, what's your review?

MMster? WTF? This is Xavierhoops! Don't be copying your posts from the "other board" and posting here without at least editing it first for decency!

Golly

[xudash]

Firehouse Subs is from Jacksonville. They have the best sub sandwiches in the 'ville.

If they've expanded to Cincy, that tells me a lot.

[XmAn06]

The wife and I used to go to Smashburger a lot when we lived in Minnesota... That place is awesome! Better than 5 Guys IMO...

I've never heard of the Firehouse...

[Lamont Sanford]

Anyone check out the new Hothead Burritos that opened in Oakley in the old Fatburger location?

Where is this Firehouse Subs located?

[xu95]

Anyone check out the new Hothead Burritos that opened in Oakley in the old Fatburger location?

Where is this Firehouse Subs located?

Hot head just opened a location in West Chester. That is where Firehouse is too.

[xavierdude]

I had Firehouse down in Bradenton. It is good. Has a great taste. It was two years ago, so I can't remember specifics. Just remember being pleased.

[bjf123]

I've been to the Hot Heads Burritos in West Chester. It's not bad, but I prefer Chipotle. That's after only one visit, though. I figure I need at least one or two more visits to try other menu items.

[bigdiggins]

Five Guys - Overrated, Overpriced. Fries are tasty, but the delivery method sucks. Wrap your burger, put it in the bottom of a paper bag, dump a bunch of fries on top forcing you to dig through them just to find the burger. Also, their order/delivery process reminds me of the Seinfeld episode with the rental car. They do a great job of taking orders, then you have 500 people standing in a giant cluster trying to hear someone shout out a number. Stupid. The burger tastes like Burger King. Not worth the price.
Smashburger - Again pretty pricey for a burger and fries. Have only been once, but is more intriguing to me due to the different variety of sandwiches they offer.
Firehouse - Good Joint. Don't miss the tray of hot sauces. If you have never been it's easy to walk right past it and never notice them.
Hot Head - Good value on the lunch deals. As far as the burritos I would rate it better than Moes, but not as good as Chipotle or Qdoba. Different hot sauces add a different flair than than the other joints. Chips are horrible. Worst chips I have ever had at any restaraunt remotely related to a Mexican theme. Not a place I would ever suggest to the boys to head to for lunch, but if someone came over and said they were going there for lunch I would tag along.

[GuyFawkes38]

How does subway stay in business? Jersey Mikes, Penn station, jimmy johns, etc... are all better and roughly the same price as subway.

A year ago I went on a burrito craze and went to nearly every burrito fast food joint. I came to the same conclusion. Chipotle is by far the best. The ingredients are just better.

[PMI]

How does subway stay in business? Jersey Mikes, Penn station, jimmy johns, etc... are all better and roughly the same price as subway.

A year ago I went on a burrito craze and went to nearly every burrito fast food joint. I came to the same conclusion. Chipotle is by far the best. The ingredients are just better.

I miss Jersey Mike's, Penn Station and Jimmy Johns. Subway is everywhere and those unfortunately aren't.

But there were no good cheesesteaks in Cincinnati (at least that I knew about) which I always thought they needed.

[THRILLHOUSE]

How does subway stay in business? Jersey Mikes, Penn station, jimmy johns, etc... are all better and roughly the same price as subway.



Not only is Subway still in business, they are the largest fast food chain in the world. I will get subway occasionally, but there are far better sandwich options out there. The other sandwich shops just don't market as well as Subway does. First they got everyone to go there for dieting reasons (the Jared ads) and now they have people hooked on 5 dollar footlongs.

[Kahns Krazy]

Subway has gotten better. It only sucks 70% instead of 100%.

I like Jimmy Johns and Potbelly. I think Jersey Mikes has gone downhill a bit.

I like 5 guys. It's probably the 6th best burger in town.

[gladdenguy]

Subway just has so many locations. I love 5 guys but don't have one anywhere near me.
Jersey Mikes is by far the best subs. Two Giant Subs for 12.99 is unbeatable.
Best bread, best meat, fantastic.
Never had Firehouse. Penn Station is too greasy and not worth the money.

[Backyard Champ]

I agree with Jersey Mikes being the best. Very good, I love that place. The bacon there is outstanding.

[xeus]

I like 5 guys. It's probably the 6th best burger in town.

Have you heard about the DC Burger? Sounds really interesting because it's named after a big time major city, but it turns out there's really not much substance.

[principal]

Chipotle, Q'doba, Hot Head...quit eating sh!t and try one of the Taqueria's around town, if you are in Cincinnati, that is. Taqueria Mercado on Rt. 4 and Taqueria Maya at the entrance of Kings Automall off of Fields Ertle in the Mason area. This is the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. I live in Ohio, not LA, so I don't doubt there is better, but if you are in Cincinnati the place can't be beat, and this includdes the El Rancho Grande chain which is taking over the city (I do like ERG quite a bit, but these other guys are better).

First, the food is authentic, or at least more so than the typical strip-mall/stand alone Mexican restaurant.

Second, the cost is reasonable. For $6.50 you get a burrito that will feed two, maybe three people. But I am not a burrito fan, so I get tacos, two of them, chicken, no cilantro, they are $2.00 each. They come in corn tortillas, though you can be a gringo and ask for flour tortillas (at Kings Automall, I believe you are SOL on Rt. 4). The comes with chicken (or whatever meat you choose), onions, and cilantro (I order without the cilantro). The onions seem to be sauteed in something or other so don't order them without the onions. They are the best tacos I have ever tasted (perhaps light on salt, but don't be silly about that, you can add your own from the salt shaker). The quesedillas are great as well.

NOTE: If you don't like cilantro be sure to order your food without it. They usually ask whether or not you want it, but they don't always remember.

Third, they serve "Mexican Coke" in a bottle. It is a $1.75 per bottle. However, this Coke is made with real sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. You cannot beat the taste and it makes you feel like a kid again (because that is the way Coke used to taste).

Fourth, they have six different hot sauce options. Three of them are store bought and are on the table when you arrive. Three are homemade and come to your table when your order arrives. Skip the store bought. I devour the one that comes in the red, squeezable, ketchup bottle. It has a great taste and, to me, is the perfect compliment to the chicken tacos (and probably the beef, but the chicken is so good I can't get myself to try anything else).

FWIW, the Mason location has a hard taco option, I don't think the Rt. 4 location does. The hard shell taco was good, it seemed to be home made while I waited, but it crumbled mercilessly the one time I tried it. Don't bother, go with the corn tortilla. If you eat there they bring homemade chips and salsa to the table. You can eat well for not too much money here.

I love these two restaurants. If I know I am going to be near one of them on a given day I plan my meals around stopping in. I can't tell you how many times I've gone in, ordered my two chicken tacos and Mexican Coke to go and with the intention of eating them when I reach my destination. I have never made it out of the parking lot. I practically run back to my car wanting immediate satisfaction. With the summer here this will only get worse: windows down, radio on, me, my chicken tacos slathered in the sauce from the red bottle, and my Mexican Coke with real sugar. For about seven minutes life is good.

Also, I am told there are other locations around town, I believe one is downtown, I am sure you can find them via google. I believe the word "Taqueria" in the name is the key. From what I can tell they are all run by the same group of people, even if technically the ownership is not the same at each location.

Ok, so it's not really fast food. Regardless, eat this stuff, it is great, you can thank me later. And stay away from McDonald's, I mean Chipotle, and its kissin' cousing Q'doba.

[nuts4xu]

Five Guys - Overrated, Overpriced.

Woa! Don't let DC Muskie hear you...them are fighting words for some people. Some think the 5 Guys burgers are the best burgers in any town, anywhere.

And some also would say you are an idiot for thinking otherwise. Not me of course...some that are more infatuated with Five Guys....like DC Muskie.

[GuyFawkes38]

Principal, I love Taqueria Mercado. But I also love Chipotle. They are just so different.

I see your point though. Definitely more people should give a taqueria a try. Mmmm, I love cilantro.

[principal]

Principal, I love Taqueria Mercado. But I also love Chipotle. They are just so different.

I see your point though. Definitely more people should give a taqueria a try. Mmmm, I love cilantro.

Guy - sure, I was overstating my case to make a point. Though I tell you what, I cannot eat Chipotle. I honestly believe I am allergic to jalepenos, which is a shame, because I like my food hot and often have to decline eating it because it contains them. I can eat Q'doba, and sometimes do. However, the local Q'doba and Taqueria Maya are about 1.5 miles apart. I can't imagine chosing Q'doba of Maya - the sauce alone, as well as the corn tortilla, is reason enough. Also, I must admit to liking the "authentic" vibe. I'll spend my money at a mom & pop restaurant over a chain as long as I do not need really fast and/or really cheap, or in cases where I want something and there is no nearby mom & pop doing it right. If I lived near Zips I'd never eat at 5 Guys again.

On the other hand, if someone can figure out how to get In 'N' Out Burger in my hands, all bets are off.

[Michigan Muskie]

The only fast-food burrito place I've found that rivals Chipotle is called Zaba's. With 4 or 5 locations in Vegas, it is a direct knockoff of Chipotle - actually founded by former Chipotle employees. The food looks and tastes almost identical. The main difference is they also serve fish tacos that are outstanding, and they have a Chipotle Ranch dressing that really, really, really needs to find its way on Chipotle's menu.

Five Guys: I've had it twice. It's tasty, but if I wanted to pay $10 for burgers and fries, I'd turn back the clock and go to La Normandie.

[XULucho27]

Penn Station is too greasy and not worth the money.

That was one of my favorite things about Penn Station, it was greasy goodness at its finest. It was definitely my first choice whenever hungover from a bender the night before. I really miss that place.

And I agree with Guy, I think Chipotle is the best fast food burrito joint. I've tried Qdoba, La Bamba (for all you Chicago people) and a whole mess of other places but I always return to my dark master, Chipotle.

[DC Muskie]

Five Guys - Overrated, Overpriced. Fries are tasty, but the delivery method sucks. Wrap your burger, put it in the bottom of a paper bag, dump a bunch of fries on top forcing you to dig through them just to find the burger. Also, their order/delivery process reminds me of the Seinfeld episode with the rental car. They do a great job of taking orders, then you have 500 people standing in a giant cluster trying to hear someone shout out a number. Stupid. The burger tastes like Burger King. Not worth the price.

Oh No U Didn't.

Frankly I don't care if people don't like Five Guys. Especially if you think it tastes like Burger King. I like it. Easily top 25 burger joint in the greater area of wherever.

But if you are going to make fun of it by referencing a Seinfeld episode, at least pick one that makes sense.

Went to Zips last weekend. Still very solid. Didn't end up going to the place at the old Tropical. Next time though, heard it is really good.

[BBC 08]

Pop Burger is up there if you are talking fast food burgers.

[Snipe]

Went to five guys after the game. Nice looking place and I liked the presentation. Had a nice feel to it.

With the food I was less that impressed. I ordered my buger and fries both well done and they weren't. The frys were closer to raw than I like. I like em crispy.

My kids liked it, so that was a plus. It was more for them.

The thing is, if I have to pay 30 bucks for some burgers, fries and cokes, I want my food the way I want it. To whom much is given much is expected. Next time I am going to Zips.

Also, the area near the bathroom was coated with grease on the floor and slippery as hell. It doesn't seem to me that it is a well run operation. I guess I had high expectations.

Fail.

[Kahns Krazy]

If your five guys burger wasn't well done, they did it wrong. All five guys burgers are supposed to be well done. That means no pink anywhere in the burger. It does not mean dried out and burnt. It will still be a very juicy burger.

[xubball1993]

Forget Five Guys. Sit down and wait 10 minutes for a killer burger at Sammy's (Blue Ash, corner of Kenwood and Creek Roads).

[D-West & PO-Z]

How does subway stay in business? Jersey Mikes, Penn station, jimmy johns, etc... are all better and roughly the same price as subway.

A year ago I went on a burrito craze and went to nearly every burrito fast food joint. I came to the same conclusion. Chipotle is by far the best. The ingredients are just better.

Agree on Subway, although I think their prices are cheaper than at least Penn Station and Jersey Mikes. Subway is definitely the worst of those 3.

Disagree on Chipotle. Qdoba is the best for my money. How does Chipotle not have queso? That alone makes Qdoba better for me. The chips are better too.

[BBC 08]

Since I don't like queso the main difference between Chipotle and Qdoba is the flavor of the steak (FEED ME STEAK!!!). Chipotle's steak is by far more flavorful and just plain better. This comes into play since I only get steak burritos from Chipotle.

Down with that dry, terrible Qdoba. Viva la Chipotle!

[boozehound]

Agree on Subway, although I think their prices are cheaper than at least Penn Station and Jersey Mikes. Subway is definitely the worst of those 3.

Disagree on Chipotle. Qdoba is the best for my money. How does Chipotle not have queso? That alone makes Qdoba better for me. The chips are better too.

Subway has a ton of locations, are fairly cheap, and offer a variety of options for the health conscious customer with clearly stated nutritional information. Penn Station and Jersey makes have far, far more calories and fat than Subway. Quiznos is the closest to Subway in offering healthier options.

I don't love Subway but I eat there probably 1X per week on average because there is one right across the street from my office and I can get a reasonably healthy lunch.

[bigdiggins]

I used to be for Qdoba, Chipotle, Moes, Hot Head in that order (Hot Head gets low marks simply because their chips are f'ing terrible) but Currito has taken the top spot for me. We decided to try it simply because it was conventient when we were unsure what to expect traffic-wise on Dana, and it was a home run. Buffalo wing sauce with Cilantro-line rice is a phenomenal combination of spice and citrus. The wife won't even eat Qdoba or Chipotle, but the variety of offerings at Currito has won her over.

On second thought it was pretty crowded the night of the Miami game so I take it back, Currito sucks. Don't waste your time or money. And the back way out of the parking lots of using Duck Creek to get back to 71 is also very over crowded, worse than Dana, don't use it. I'll keep suffering on it and let you know if it gets any better.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Subway has a ton of locations, are fairly cheap, and offer a variety of options for the health conscious customer with clearly stated nutritional information. Penn Station and Jersey makes have far, far more calories and fat than Subway. Quiznos is the closest to Subway in offering healthier options.

I don't love Subway but I eat there probably 1X per week on average because there is one right across the street from my office and I can get a reasonably healthy lunch.

Yeah the amount of locations is a big reason too. I eat at Subway too because there are so many. But if there is a Penn Station or Jersey Mikes right next to a Subway I'm not going to Subway. I do really liek Subways bacon, egg, and cheese flatbreads though. It does have much more for the health conscious people too. There meat is gross though. Cant beat that fresh cut Jersey Mikes. I've been to Quizznos probably twice and did not like it either time.

[bigdiggins]

Yeah the amount of locations is a big reason too. I eat at Subway too because there are so many. But if there is a Penn Station or Jersey Mikes right next to a Subway I'm not going to Subway. I do really liek Subways bacon, egg, and cheese flatbreads though. It does have much more for the health conscious people too. There meat is gross though. Cant beat that fresh cut Jersey Mikes. I've been to Quizznos probably twice and did not like it either time.

I used to enjoy Penn Station until it put me in the hospital for the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. I would recommend steering clear of the marinara sauce. Games just aren't as nice on a 9 inch hospital bed screen as they are on a 55 inch screen. And being stuck watching the one CBS game sucked as well.

Jersey Mikes are solid, my only issue is the stupid woman who works at the Western Row store. Three people in a row can get the same thing and if she is working the register you're all getting a different price, even if you all got the daily special (which has been a ham sandwich for 6 straight years. Seriously you can't throw me a bone with a Turkey sandwich just once). And if she is working the grill forget about getting a hot sandwich as she will screw it up somehow. You ordered a chicken philly, you're getting steak, no green peppers, well you're gonna get them, just no onions or mushrooms.

She has actually converted me to Jimmy John's only issue there is the inability to get a hot sandwich.

[coasterville95]

I have incentive to try Qdoba - I sit in 208, and if you recall a couple games ago, when we had the Qdoba halftime show, when the contestant missed, they gave everybody in 208 a free meal voucher.

Subway is convenient, and cheap, that's all i have for how they stay in business. Overseas, and by that i mean Austria in particular (where there are no kangaroos, BTW, you can even get that on a t-shirt), I saw more than a few boarded up Subways. Our guide noted Subway tried to come over here, Subway failed. May I direct you to one of our fine Euro Delis?

I've tried Hot Head (the old Fatburger one) - while it has a lot more options than Chipotle, for me its not quite as convenient to get to. I didn't get any chips the one time I was there, from what I am reading above, I did myself a favor.

I liked Gordos (the Old Tropical Bar), and I have had Zips more than a couple times, and find it highly overrated. It's okay if you want a kiddie burger, though. I haven't done Arthur's Burger Madness in awhile, but I remember it being quite good. Sill give the nod to a good old fashioned Quatman burger.

Ya know, Wendy's new big and juicy burgers aren't that bad. Certainly better than the crap McDonalds and Burger King put out.

Just a month or so ago I had Krystal AKA White Castle of the South. The big difference, as XU-PA almost tweeted like 15 seconds after I checked in on Foursquare was "What is the deal with the mustard!!" Or words to that effect.

Anybody else had Zoup! - It's a Panera style lunch place that specializes in salads, soups, and sandwhiches. Something like 12 different soups daily, and you can sample all 12 before ordering if you so choose. They have what they call a 1/2 salad and soup combo, which they will immediately try to upsell you into a real size portion of soup. Don't worry about the soup upgrade, as the 1/2 salad can feed a small villiage.

[jhelmes37]

Miller's. It puts Zips to shame. Only problem is you have to go to Dearborn, MI to try it.

I'll bet Michigan Muskie has my back.

[XU-PA]

we have nothing here in Maine,,,, swear,,,, nothing. Just this year got our first Chipotle's. We live in a different century.
I travel on occasion, and live for going through airports that have good fast food.
Five Guys is absolute heaven,
Then there's the Cheeburger Cheeburger guys,,,,, you know from SNL/Belushi and Ackroyd,,,
I even enjoyed Krystal Burger when I flew through atlanta. But who puts mustard on a murger that's trying to look like a slider???

[chico]

If you are ever in Columbus I highly recommend you try Piada. It's basically Italian Chipotle, with pasta substituted for rice. Selections are much better than Chipotle - sausage, salmon and even calamari. Really, really good. I wouldn't be surprised if they stated popping up in Cincy in the next couple years.

[Lamont Sanford]

I love me some Jimmy John's! Best sandwich around.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Culver's.

Double Bacon Cheese Butter Burger.

Do it.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I love me some Jimmy John's! Best sandwich around.

Jimmy Johns was never as good as it was at 3:00am right off SLUs campus after the bars closed. So good.

[Kahns Krazy]

we have nothing here in Maine,,,, swear,,,, nothing. Just this year got our first Chipotle's. We live in a different century.

But you have a Dunkin Donuts like every 30 feet, and your McDonalds serve McLobster Rolls, so I don't feel all that bad for you.

[nuts4xu]

Krystal sucks donkey taint!! The ustard kills the taste...and no onions? Wtf? Gross!

Jack in the Box has one tasty burger. Their tacos are ok, but I really enjoy their burgers.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Krystal sucks donkey taint!! The ustard kills the taste...and no onions? Wtf? Gross!

Jack in the Box has one tasty burger. Their tacos are ok, but I really enjoy their burgers.

I almost always got breakfast at Jack in the box. Not sure if I ever had one of their burgers.

[ThrowDownDBrown]

Forget Five Guys. Sit down and wait 10 minutes for a killer burger at Sammy's (Blue Ash, corner of Kenwood and Creek Roads).

I love me some burgers, will give this place a try for lunch one some time soon