Dear AJ,<BR> The founder of Cracker Barrel was a racist and not a fascist. There's a big difference. President Woodrow Wilson was a racist but a fervant believer in democracy. Benito Mussolini was a fascist who didn't sympathize with Hitler's pathological hatred for Jews. The founder of Cracker Barrel has little to no association with Cracker Barrel restaurants today.

From a fast food junkie that averages at least 1 fast food meal/day (about 10/week):<BR><BR>Fav: Wendy's for fresh hamburgers and KFC for the the really greasy dark meat combo, and Dairy Queen for the icecream<BR><BR>Worst: Subway (meat is slways slimy and has been sitting out) TOGOS - okay but WAY over priced, HArdees (just ick!)<BR><BR>I really like Steak and Shake as well as Cracker Barrel but I'm not sure I would classify them as fast food. These are restarants where you sit down, get a menu, and a waitress come to take your order. I consider fast food as a restaurant with a drive thru and where you order at the counter getting your food immediately (thus the name "fast" food)

Panera's bread is definately my favorite.

Best: Subway, Baja Fresh, Panera Bread - and if I don't really care about the amount of calories I'm ingesting, then Culvers (Mm Mm Good!). Unfortunately, I think Culvers is only in the Midwest (so far).<BR><BR>Worst: McDonalds (but I have 3 nieces, so get dragged there on a regular basis).<BR>

What is Panera's bread?<BR><BR>Subway is nasty - slimy meat that sits out for hours. Lots of food poisoning problems.

Worst: Subway- a poor excuse for a hoagie. Nasty cuts of meat on lousy rolls.<BR>KFC- Grease, grease and more grease...

Panera started in St. Louis as the St. Louis Bread Company. Stores outside St. Louis are called Panera. <BR><BR>As the Bread Company name implies, they are a bakery/restaurant. They pride themselves on fresh bread and bagels. They now offer soup and sandwiches in addition to all sorts of baked goods.<BR><BR>IMO, they are a step above fast food. You order at the counter, but the restaurant has a coffee house atmosphere, with easy chairs, couches and fireplaces in addition to tables. <BR><BR>A previous poster said that Steak N Shake was not fast food. What makes fast food fast? Although you order at the counter at Panera, and not with a waiter, it doesn't seem like fast food to me. Steak N Shake does. I guess I'm judging the food more than the way it is served.

Wendy's has the best fried chicken sandwich and excellent new salads. Although not low-fat, I LOVE the mandarin orange one with noodles and almonds. YUM!<BR>

Usually, our choices would be Subway--the new country wheat rolls with turkey or tuna and lots of veggies, and Wendy's--we can always find something there--chili/baked potatoes/fresh salads, etc. The new chicken whopper at BK isn't bad, just don't make me cluck for it!

in arkansas for fast food is BAD, the food may be good but dealing with the attitude of the people isn't worth it. I actually watched the drive thru girl drink out of my coke before putting the lid on! Pine Bluff Arkansas drive thrus are the worst, followed by Brinkley.

A & W !

Buttercup, I second the recommendation for "Fast Food Nation". Am reading it now and it has a ton of interesting tidbits. Another vote for Panera, too. Anybody else besides me like those fresh sandwiches at Arby's? Arbys Chicken Cordon Bleu and curly fries are my guilty pleasures.

i'm glad i had lobster ravioli in strawberry cream sauce tonight.<BR>how you eat that mechanically separated meat from fast food places is beyond me. <BR>the dominant viewpoint: fast food sucks!

McDonald's is about as bad as it gets for fast food, but......if desperate, two things on the menu worth trying. 1) Chicken Fajitas and 2)Fruit and Berry Parfait. Also good if you want almost a full day's supple of fat: Triple Thick Strawberry Shake. I think it's funny on this forum a few don't want to admit to eating fast food, yet in the thread about charging vacations, most people admit to having to charge and/or save all year....who are you kidding???

My favorite fast food is Krystal's (similiar to White Castle). Fortunately there are none in Wisconsin so I only get'em about once a year. Yes, they are greasy, with no nutrional value, but yummmm....<BR><BR>I would have to say my favorite hamburger place is Wendy's...I can't stand McDonald's and Burger King.<BR><BR>In Wisconsin a great place is Culver's Butter Burgers...YES, THAT IS WHAT THEY CALL THEM!